Who Would Be Stupid Enough...?: Difference between revisions

{{quote|'''Agatha:''' This really ''is'' a Wulfenbach Ship?

'''Marie:''' Oh, yes. It was remarkably easy to steal. But then ''(glancing at her husband)'' who would be fool enough to try?

'''Master Payne:''' You cannot ''possibly'' be as stupid as you act.

 

If there's anything too stupid for even a single person to think of, it hasn't been invented yet. The characters stumble upon an unbelievable con, or see a television spot that makes particularly outrageous claims.

 

{{examples}}

 

* In one episode of ''[[Eyeshield 21]]'', Sena watches a TV program on his team's new secret player, and there's a bit where Hiruma, posing as Eyeshield 21, gives an "obnoxious tough guy" speech. Kurita tries to assure him "No one would take that seriously", but then we cut to Monta watching the same program, talking about what a jerk Eyeshield 21 is.

* In the first season finale of ''[[Sailor Moon]]'', the youma create an illusion of a captured Tuxedo Mask, which Sailor Moon rushes toward. After the trap is exposed, they create the same illusion again. Sailor Mars says, "Do you really think she's stupid enough to fall for it ''again''?", only for Sailor Moon to prove that she is.

** In the manga, Ranma says this when Akane wins a bathing suit that supposedly makes anyone capable of swimming like a pro Olympian just by wearing it. Shortly afterwards, it turns out that it really does work.

{{quote|'''Ranma:''' There's no such thing as a bathing suit which makes a person able to swim. There is no one in the world dumb enough that would believe such a thing!

'''Koizumi:''' I was hoping that you might. }}

* In the first episode of ''[[Dominion Tank Police]]'', a [[Mook]] in a stolen prototype tank is confident he's escaped the heroine's older model by [[Wall Crawl|climbing an elevator shaft]], because she'd [[Cowboy Cop|have to be some kind of lunatic]] to fire straight up at him. They both end up buried in the rubble.

 

* In Jeff Smith's ''[[Bone]]'', Fone Bone evades a pair of rat creatures by leaping onto a branch over a gorge and saying "Those rat creatures would have to be pretty stupid to follow me onto this frail, little branch." [[media:1145143428186.gif|Three guesses as to what happens.]]

* In ''[[Hsu and Chan]]'', rival game designers Satoshi and Akira Yamamoto discuss how the only way for the Tanaka Brothers to stop them from stealing the game innovation of the century would be to plow through security, rush the stage, and physically smash their computer. Akira remarks that "No sane man would--" before realizing who he's dealing with. Cut to Hsu and Chan discussing their plan to plow through security, rush the stage, and physically smash the computer.

{{quote|'''Sam:''' It smells like some kind of high-tech waste material compactor. They'll never think we were so incredibly stupid as to hide in here.

'''Max:''' That's right! Nobody's ''that'' stupid. }}

* Happens a lot with Smiffy from ''[[The Beano]]''.

 

{{quote|'''Yami:''' Does anyone here really believe that guy is a ghost?

'''Tristan:''' I do!

''(pause)''

'''Tristan:''' I do! }}

{{quote|'''Brisbane:''' You can't mean that you're about to step on that map!

'''Yugi:''' No,I was just gonna leave.

'''Tristan:''' Yes, let's go get the candy!

''(cue Tristan and Tea dragging a protesting Yugi onto the map)'' }}

{{quote|'''Yugi:''' Man, Duke! I can't believe you actually thought that crappy little dice game would sell!

'''Joey:''' Yea, it was just a carbon copy of ''Duel Monsters''! You'd have to be as blind as my sister to not notice the similarities!

'''Tristan:''' ''(holds up dice)'' This is going straight up my nose! }}

 

* In ''[[Spaceballs]]'', the villains' plot relies on them discovering the pass code to the defenses protecting the heroine's planet. Dark Helmet eventually manages to get it:

{{quote|'''Dark Helmet:''' So the combination is 1 2 3 4 5? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! That's the kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage!

* When the Nazis demand that Indy hand over the Grail Diary in ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]'', Henry Jones Sr. laughs at the idea that they'd assume his son was stupid enough to bring it with him after he'd mailed the diary to him in the first place to keep it out of the Nazis' hands. Unfortunately, Indy didn't quite get the memo....

 

{{quote|"No one would be that stu--"

Susan stopped. Of course someone would be that stupid. Some humans would do anything to see if it was possible do it. If you put a switch in a cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying "[[The End of the World as We Know It|End-of-the-World]] switch. [[Schmuck Bait|PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH]]," the paint wouldn't even have time to dry. }}

{{quote|Any true wizard, faced with a sign like "Do not open this door. Really. We mean it. We're not kidding. Opening this door will mean the end of the universe," would ''automatically'' open the door in order to see what all the fuss was about.}}

* In ''[[Honor Harrington|Storm from the Shadows]]'', [[General Ripper|Admiral Byng]] says something to this effect, thinking that Michelle Henke and the Manticorans will not actually make good on their warnings to punish the Solarian aggression. It doesn't end well for him.

* In Norman Spinrad's [[Alternate History]] novel ''[[The Iron Dream]]'', the author analyzing the work of [[Meta Fiction]] around which Spinrad's story is framed notes that some fans may yearn for a decisive and iron-willed leader like the one depicted in the work of metafiction to save them from Soviet domination, but concludes that no rational person would ever stand such a clearly delusional, bloodthirsty tyrant. Considering that the in-universe author of the work of metafiction is ''[[Adolf Hitler]]'', well, I think you see Spinrad's point.

'''Dash Rendar''': Exactly what the guards would think. Who'd be that stupid?

'''Lando''': Us. Who else? }}

{{quote|"That's the problem with our opposition – they keep thinking nobody could possibly be as stupid as we are. Fools 'em every time."}}

* Michael gets hit with this a couple times in the ''[[Knight and Rogue Series]]''. On one occasion his reason for being at the scene of a murder (following orders to meet someone in an unadressed letter) isn't believed because the law enforcement ''can't'' believe anyone, especially someone without legal rights who knows something shifty is going on, would be stupid enough to get framed with such an obvious trick.

 

* In the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "World War Three", after Joseph Green delivers a speech about an alien threat with "[[Does This Remind You of Anything?|massive weapons of destruction]]", the following exchange occurs:

{{quote|'''The Doctor:''' He's making it up. There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it.

'''Harriet Jones:''' Do you think they'll believe him?

'''Rose:''' They did last time. }}

* On ''[[Top Gear]]'', while Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson are discussing a car which (theoretically) generates enough down force to drive upside-down (on the ceiling of a tunnel) at speed. Hammond mentions that the car's manufacturers have found the right tunnel and the right speed but they can't find a driver. Clarkson immediately volunteers Hammond to do it.

* In the "Fans vs. Favorites" season of ''[[Survivor (TV series)|Survivor]]'', the Black Widow Brigade (Natalie, Amanda, Cirie, and Parvati) run into a problem when the last remaining outsider, Erik, wins immunity which will force them to vote one of their allies out. Cirie suggests to Natalie that she try to get Erik to give the immunity necklace to her by telling him that he's annoyed them so much that he won't be able to get enough votes to win unless he makes some grand gesture to the jury, to which Natalie replies, "No one would fall for that. I mean, who would be that gullible?" Still, she doesn't have much of a choice, so she goes along with the plan. And it ''[[Crazy Enough to Work|works]]''.

 

 

 

* Any use of this type of question on ''[[The Goon Show]]'' is invariably a cue for Eccles and/or Bluebottle to show up. The audience will often start giggling in anticipation before the question can even be finished.

{{quote|'''Seagoon:''' Who would be idiot enough... Who would be idiot enough! To be dressed up as a German Admiral, and thrown overboard from a submarine?

'''Eccles:''' 'ello folks! }}

 

* In ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'', one of the earlier bosses is described as "basically invincible, as long as no crazed idiot gets the bright idea to run up and hack at the head with a sword." Guess how you beat it. Go on, guess.

** Although you don't need to hit the head at all. It's just that in the first play through you can't do enough damage to overcome its [[Healing Factor]].

* In ''[[Portal 2]]'', [[GLaDOS]]'s chamber features a back door labelled: "[[GLaDOS]] Emergency Shutdown and [[The Cake Is a Lie|Cake Dispensary]]". Naturally, there's [[But Thou Must!|nothing to do]] but try to open it. [[GLaDOS]] can't believe it when you fall for it.

 

* On ''[[Homestar Runner]]'', Homestar himself usually fills this role. For example, in the Strong Bad Email "candy product", Strong Bad designs a chocolate bar in the shape of a pair of pants with a bite taken out of them "for security, 'cause who's gonna steal a pair of half-eaten choco-pants?" At the end of the cartoon, an [[Easter Egg]] features Homestar, dressed in [[Burglar Wear]], finding one of said candy bars on the ground and remarking "Ooh, pay dirt! [[Strange Minds Think Alike|A pair of half-eaten choco-pants!]]"

** In "record book", Coach Z attempts to set a record for "longest time singing the 'I'm Just Me' song while hopping on one foot with nine pieces of bubblegum stuck to your face". While Strong Bad is in the middle of decrying the record as "random crap that nobody would ever do", we cut to Homsar doing exactly what Coach Z described.

 

* [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0697.html This page] of ''[[The Order of the Stick|Order of the Stick]]'':

{{quote|'''Roy:''' This desert is so unbelievably large that anyone with more than two brain cells would know better than to try searching the whole thing.

'''Kin & Forgath: ''MINMAX!'' '''

'''Minmax:''' ''(both legs sticking out of the carnivorous plant)'' MM! MMHMM! MMM! }}

 

 

* In an episode of ''[[Garfield and Friends]]'', Garfield gets a TV fitness guru kicked off the air by using cue cards from other shows to trick him into doing ridiculous things on camera, like wearing a dress and hopping on one leg while honking like a goose. As Garfield heads home, he asks himself "Who would be stupid enough to do all that stuff?" Once he gets home, he finds his dimwit owner wearing a dress and hopping up and down on one leg while honking like a goose.

** Throughout the series, Odie has repeatedly made his first appearance in an episode after the use of this trope, to the point that Garfield began lampshading it. "Six seasons and he's never missed a cue." Also lampshaded in a segment on comedy method, where at one point, Garfield talks about comedy timing, and demonstrates by using some variation on this trope, followed by Odie jumping in, with some kind of costume.

''(everyone else screams in terror)''

'''Bender:''' Moron! }}

{{quote|'''Leela:''' Who buys this crap?

'''Bender:''' Idiots who need gifts for other idiots.

''(Fry walks in from off screen, holding two moon-themed T-shirts)''

'''Fry:''' Hey, look what I got you guys! }}

{{quote|'''Fry:''' What kind of bozos would start a Bender protest group?

'''Prof. Farnsworth:''' Good news everyone, [[Ironic Echo Cut|Hermes and I have started a Bender protest group.]]

{{quote|'''Ratchet:''' You're gonna destroy the city! You wouldn't ''dare'' do something ''THAT'' stupid!!

'''Wreck-Gar:''' [[Verbal Tic|I am Wreck-Gar]]! [[Mythology Gag|I DARE to be stupid]]! '''[[Oh Crap|I WILL DESTROY THE WHOLE CITY!]]''' }}

{{quote|''(Megatron, Starscream, and Lugnut currently on board Omega Supreme without any weapons)''

'''Starscream:''' ''(to Shockwave)'' ''Lucky'' you! Meantime, we get to float up here and get picked off by the Cybertronian Defense cannons!

''(cut to Autobot Council meeting)''

'''[[Jerkass|Sentinel Prime]]:''' I say we fire on Omega Supreme! }}

{{quote|'''Bumblebee:''' Who'd be crazy enough to volunteer for that mission? ''(beat)'' Why's everyone looking at me? Why's everyone [[The Bait|always]] looking at me?}}

* In ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'' episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", we learn that his band's picture was put on a can of something called Funny Foam.

{{quote|'''Homer:''' Yeah, they pulled it off the market when they found out it was toxic. But I figure, if you're stupid enough to eat it, you deserve to die. ''BART!''

'''Bart:''' ''(spraying Funny Foam into his mouth)'' What? }}

{{quote|'''Lisa:''' There are a lot of religious watchdog groups out there [[Take That|keeping the world safe from the horror of free expression.]]

'''Bart:''' [[Truth in Television|You mean there are losers who spend all day watching TV looking for stuff to complain about?]] Who'd be lame enough to do that?

{{quote|'''Cameraman''': Naw, come on. D'ya really think anyone will fall for somethin' that stupid?

'''[[Answer Cut|Cartman]]''': Six hundred dollars, you guys! Come on, get your stuff together! }}

 

* The concept behind The [[Darwin Awards]] which collects such stories that [[Black Comedy|result in death]].

** Or removing themselves from the gene pool through... [[Groin Attack|other methods.]]

** Especially when it's winter in Russia (as was the case with Hitler).

*** Actually, he started the invasion in June. It took longer than expected. The Nazis actually expected to launch their attack on May 1, but had to delay for six weeks to conquer Yugoslavia. Many historians speculate that the extra six weeks of warm weather in Russia might have resulted in victory.

** Only one man has actually successfully conquered Russia. That was [[wikipedia:Batu Khan|Batu Khan]] (who was almost as [[Badass]] as [[The Scourge of God|his grandfather Genghis]]). And Russia wasn't united at the time.

* Somehow, people are still falling for the Nigerian Scam.

* Ditto for diploma mills—phony universities that thrive on the USA's legal voids and loopholes, which sell diplomas without even teaching anything. Google about "diploma mill" and you'll see ''many'' stories of people who actually ''believed'' they were now experts in computer science after buying their diplomas without even studying anything, who were shocked beyond belief when they found out their diploma was rendered null and void after the "university" was raided.

* Stalin himself invoked this trope almost word for word when aviation minister Mikhail Khrunichev and aircraft designer A. S. Yakovlev proposed to buy advanced jet engines from the British. "What fool will sell us his secrets?" At the time jet engines were revolutionary technology and selling them would be the equivalent of selling stealth technology to your worst enemy today. Turned out the British Labour government was that stupid. They sold the Rolls Royce Nene to the Soviets who put it in the [[Cool Plane|MIG 15]]. The Mig gave air superiority to the [[Dirty Communists|North Koreans]] during the first stages of [[The Korean War]], before the appearance of the F-86 Sabre. Just to add insult to injury, they never paid the British the licensing fees either.

* Battle of Leyte Gulf: The Japanese Navy's "Shō-Gō 1 Plan" was for a decoy fleet, the Northern Force, to get the attention of the US Navy's covering forces and draw them away so that their Center and Southern Forces could attack the American Landing Zones at Leyte Island. William F. Halsey, commander of the USN 3rd Fleet, fell for the ruse by speeding after them with all of his ships, leaving a handful of Destroyers and Escort Carriers at the mercy of attack by Takeo Kurita's Center Force which occurred near Samar Island.

 

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