The Blind Leading the Blind: Difference between revisions

[['''The Blind Leading the Blind]]''' describes a situation wherein one character, in desperate need of advice on a pressing matter, solicits the help of a second character claiming to be an expert on the subject. [[Hilarity Ensues]] when it is gradually revealed that the person giving the advice is a far cry from an expert, and in fact may know even less than the person they were supposed to be helping. More often than not, neither character realizes this, and the first character, after a devastating failure, often ends up wondering what could possibly have gone wrong.

* ''[[Ranma One Half½]]'': A very odd variation. During the climactic showing during the first Pantyhose Taro arc, Ryoga and Mousse end up at a hot spring away from Taro's mountain hideout. [[Blind Without'Em|Mousse]] remembers what the shape of the terrain, but has no clue where they are. [[No Sense of Direction|Ryoga]] knows where to go, but couldn't see what the mountain looked like. They both decide to work together, resulting in Mousse pointing in the wrong direction, and Ryoga running in an even wronger direction.

* Twoflower hands control of a [[Flying Broomstick]] to Rincewind in ''[[Discworld/The Light Fantastic|The Light Fantastic]]''. This proves to be a mistake.

{{quote| '''Twoflower''': You said you could fly one of these things!<br />

* On the updated version of ''[[Hollywood Squares]]'' with Tom Bergeron as host, Gilbert Gottfried would often claim to be an expert in the question's particular field, then provide a humorously inaccurate answer. Just picking him and saying "I disagree" before his answer was even uttered would have likely been a viable strategy. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130216202935/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozEIsWWngJo You Fool!]

{{quote| '''George''': Tyler, do you know how to run a washing machine?<br />

'''[[Cloudcuckoolander|Tyler]]''': ''(enthusiastic)'' Do I know how to run a washing machine?!?<br />

''([[Gilligan Cut]] to Tyler and George, up to their knees in suds)''<br />

{{quote| <br />

LISTER: There. I think that's it; boot him up. <br />

KOCHANSKI: You're * sure* you know what you're doing?<br />

LISTER: Hey... <br />

** In the second season episode "[[Community/Recap/S2 /E10 Mixology Certification|Mixology Certification]]", Britta and Jeff lecture Troy about which drinks to take and which bars to go to... until it turns out they don't know any more than he does.

{{quote| '''K9''': Mass detection circuits indicate maximum reading on current vector. Probability of error (beep)<br />

'''Adric''': Well, what is the probability of error, K9?<br />

'''K9''': Recomputing. Probability of error, eighty seven point seven nine four eight percent.<br />

'''Adric''': Eighty seven? But that's terrible!<br />

'''K9''': The accuracy of this unit has deteriorated below zero utility.<br />

'''Adric''': You mean you're worse than useless.<br />

* Practically any time anyone asks for advice in ''[[Will and Grace]]''. After Grace's advice backfired for Will she once claimed "Most of the time I'm just talkin outta my ass." In an earlier episode, Grace is [[Genre Savvy]] enough to ask Karen for advice and do the opposite of what she said.

* ''[[The X -Files]]'' has, at one point someone asking Mulder for dating advice. On hearing about this, Scully goes silent, then quotes this trope.

* ''[[The Crystal Maze]]'' was a real-life embodiment of this trope. A game-show based on physical and mental challenges that were, at their worst, primary school-level in their required brainpower, nevertheless it seemed that every contestant had difficulty grasping such concepts as keys, simple instructions and basic maths and would require the rest of their team to call out advice. However, this advice was often counterproductive to the point where it would cause confusion and sometimes directly lead to a failure ("Jump down!" in a game where touching the floor is an automatic lock-in).

** Host [[Richard O Brien|Richard O'Brien]]'s reactions to such stupidity became legendary. If the player of the game was a lost cause, or if Richard's advice was ignored, he would often [[Deadpan Snarker|let the viewer know]], before breaking out into off-putting Harmonica music, drowning out the team's 'advice' and breaking the player's concentration. In effect, he became a kind of [[Musical Assassin]].

{{quote| Who's to blame for the lives that tragedies claim?<br />

No matter what you say, it don't take away the pain<br />

That I feel inside; I'm tired of all the lies.<br />

{{quote| And the angels sing: let it shine, let it shine<br />

Dry the teardrops from my eyes<br />

And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind<br />

{{quote| Trust your leaders<br />

As they send you out to die<br />

The true face of evil can't be seen<br />

Without eyes<br />

Sacrifice your leaders<br />

Like it or not<br />

Or else your going down with the ship<br />

Death on the rocks<br />

Blind follow<br />

Blind lead<br />

All our hopes and dreams<br />

* A similar scenario in ''[[Sixteen6teen|6Teen]]'' has Caitlin teaching Wyatt how to be mature so he can attract a girl. Parodies of teenagers' conception of an adult world ensue, along with [[An Aesop]] about being yourself.

* [[The Simpsons (animation)|Homer Simpson]] tried to teach Apu all about America for Apu's citizenship test. (Example: the 13 stripes on the flag are for good luck.) Afterwards, Apu was so tired and confused he didn't remember anything Homer taught him. Lisa happily declared him ready for the test. Which he passed.

{{quote| '''Zoidberg:''' "Here's the problem right here! There's a skull embedded in your head!"}}

[[Category{{DEFAULTSORT:The Blind Leading the Blind]], The}}