Category:Contrived Stupidity Tropes

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."

- Albert Einstein

All too often, a plot thread depends on one or more characters doing something really stupid. They don't have any chance of doing the smart thing, because then the plot-driving conflicts wouldn't happen.

Even if the stupidity is an organic outgrowth of prior characterization, that doesn't necessarily make it contrivance-free. As addressed in The Movie and lampshaded in the "Homer's Enemy" episode of The Simpsons, the continued tolerance of Homer by his friends, his family, and his employer -- indeed, his very survival -- is simply unbelievable at this point. Then again, Rule of Funny.

Contrived stupidity commonly causes things like the collapse of A Simple Plan in a Sitcom or the effectiveness of Schmuck Bait in Slasher Movies. It is often accompanied by the meta-stupidity of the other characters' ignorance of Hanlon's Razor. It is vulnerable to Fridge Logic; however, do remember that Tropes Are Not Bad.

On the other hand, it should be noted that many Contrived Stupidity Tropes are also Truth in Television to some extent and have several Real Life examples.

Contrast with Intelligence Tropes.