History Main / WhoWouldBeStupidEnough

* The copy protection material (a joke newspaper) for ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestV'' has an advertisement that clearly invokes this trope: "Are you a complete moron? Do you anything people tell you to? That's great! Send a copy of all your banking information to..."

* A variant occurs during a StoryArc in the comic strip ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'', where Bill the Cat becomes a televangelist and claims if people send him $50 million, the Lord will [[NeverSayDie "call home"]] Jimmy Swaggert, Oral Roberts, Jerry Falwell, and Jim Bakker. In the last frame, Milo says "Wipe out the gang of four, eh? Who knows who would fall for such a seductive pitch!" just as Opus is rifling through a wad of dollar bills. (This was a parody of Oral Roberts' fundraising appeal claiming that God would "call him home" if he didn't get a certain amount of money in donations.)

* Rose of ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' is a StalkerWithACrush who goes to many extreme measures to stalk Charlie and/or get him to fall in love with her. Her plans have included staging a marriage to a [[InventedIndividual a groom who doesn't exist]], and moving to England while still returning to Malibu to observe Charlie in disguise. Such plans will be dismissed by both Charlie and the other characters because no one would be stupid enough to go to all that trouble (or, more accurately, [[RefugeInAudacity no one would be crazy enough]]; but of course, Rose really is obsessive enough to go to all that trouble.

-->'''Broken!Akira''': Someone did try to get me arrested. At the end of the last school year. I saw a man trying to assault a woman in my hometown. [''Shido, of course.'']] But then-- Someone came running in and punched him. Knocked the guy out and then ran off. Later, someone called the police and tried to get me arrested.\\
Akira's mind races as he tries to figure out what the implications of that are. He doesn't know who would have had a reason to attack Shido, exactly? Well, there are probably a lot of people that would want to punch him, but Akira's having a hard time imagining why anyone actually would. Even Akechi, he's pretty sure, is smarter than that. And Akechi hates Shido and is certified Bad At Plans, so that's saying something. [[labelnote:Context]]The Akechi who punched out Shido was a [[PeggySue time-displaced]] variant who had just been killed in Shido's Palace, and had no idea of where or when he was or the impact of what he was doing.[[/labelnote]]

'''Scaroth''' My dear, ''nobody'' could be as stupid as ''he'' seems.

* A variant appears in ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya''.

* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'', upon discovering that Sousuke plans to evacuate Jindai High School by having Atsunobu announce that "a student council aide I'm sure you're all well aware of" accidentally released a chemical weapon on school grounds, Kurama mocks him for thinking anyone would buy such a nonsense story. The answer, as Atsunobu helpfully points out, is a school dumb enough to let [[PersonOfMassDestruction Sousuke]] keep attending after he accidentally released that last biochemical weapon on campus.

** A RunningGag with Denji is him triumphing over opponents who are ''far'' more powerful (not to mention [[IdiotHero frequently smarter]]) than he is by either [[TooDumbToFool completely blowing past their attempts to deceive him]] or pulling out some insane plan that's so utterly ludicrous and impractical that no sane tactician would ever expect an opponent to try it (like ''setting himself on fire'').

* On ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'', our heroes visit a sanctuary for abandoned Pokémon which is protected by several traps, including pitfalls. Ash comments that you'd have to be pretty stupid to fall into one; cut to [[GoldfishPoopGang Team Rocket]] at the bottom of a pitfall.

--->'''Benoit:''' It's so dumb...

-->'''Birdie:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint It's so dumb, it's brilliant!]]\\
'''Benoit:''' [[NoJustNoReaction NO! It's just]] ''[[VillainBall dumb]]''!

* The entire plot of ''Film/GlassOnion'' hinges on this. The culprit of Andi's murder is obvious- ''too'' obvious. Benoit Blanc and Helen reason that [[spoiler: billionaire 'genius' Miles Bron]] can't be the real killer, because no one would be stupid enough to kill someone personally when they had so many (''very'' public and well-known) reasons to want them dead. As such, they dismiss [[spoiler: Bron]] as a suspect, only to find out after an entire movie's worth of investigating that it really ''was'' him - and to top it off, his methods of offing those who presented a threat to his plans, by their very concept [[CreativeSterility and their lack of originality]], only made it as clear as day (at least in hindsight) that only ''he'' could've been the culprit.
-->'''Birdie:''' It's so dumb, it's brilliant.\\
'''Benoit:''' NO! It's just ''dumb''!

* The entire plot of ''Film/GlassOnion'' hinges on this. The culprit of Andi's murder is obvious- ''too'' obvious. Benoit Blanc and Helen reason that [[spoiler: billionaire 'genius' Miles Bron]] can't be the real killer, because no one would be stupid enough to kill someone personally when they had so many (''very'' public and well-known) reasons to want them dead. As such, they dismiss [[spoiler: Bron]] as a suspect, only to find out after an entire movie's worth of investigating that it really ''was'' him... he's really just that much of an idiot.

!!Examples:

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* The pilot to ''WesternAnimation/The13GhostsOfScoobyDoo'':
-->'''Vincent van Ghoul:''' Fortunately, no one but a complete fool would ever open [[SealedEvilInACan that awful box]].\\
'''Flim-Flam:''' Yeah. No one but a real dodo, a cuckoo bird, a total loon.\\
'''Daphne:''' Which reminds me, where are Scooby and Shaggy?\\
'''Scrappy:''' [[OhCrap Uh-oh...]]
* Lampshaded in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' ("Finances with Wolves"). The family is in a mall and Hayley is griping about the consumerism run rampant. She asks what kind of idiot would buy into all this; [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall Steve sighs heavily and says]] [[ReadingTheStageDirectionsOutLoud "And we widen to reveal..."]], at which point Stan enters the scene covered in useless junk (and a jacket made of money).
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' version of ''Literature/TwasTheNightBeforeChristmas'', Thaddeus Plotz says exactly this about Ralph the Guard when deciding who should deliver presents to the Warner Bros. (and Sister):
-->'''Mr. Plotz:''' There must be someone who can deliver this stuff / But where can I find someone stupid enough?
* In the ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'' episode "Escape from Leprechaupolis", Frylock receives an obvious scam in his email.
-->'''Frylock:''' ''[reading email]'' "Go down to the park and step into the rainbow and you'll be [[GetRichQuickScheme rich with gold]]. [[ChainLetter Forward this to 20 people]] or '''[[DisproportionateRetribution we will burn your brain from the inside.]] Go down to the damn park'''." Man, Who would be stupid enough to check this out?\\
''[[[GilliganCut cut to Carl, waiting at the park]]]''\\
'''Carl:''' All right, I'm gonna give this rainbow thing another five minutes, and if it doesn't show up quick, then I am going down to the store and get a hot-rod magazine.
* Happens in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AtomicBetty'' after Maximus steals a decoy treasure chest. [[spoiler:It turns out to be Minimus instead.]]
-->'''Sparky:''' You really don't think Maximus is stupid enough to open that chest, do you?\\
''[Maximus' ship explodes]''\\
'''[=X5=]:''' Yes, apparently he ''is'' stupid enough.
* In the "Joker's Millions" episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', Harley Quinn finds out that Joker has replaced her, and decides to escape from Arkham to get her revenge. When they realize she's missing, the following exchange occurs:
-->'''Guard:''' Maybe she went down the laundry chute.\\
'''Other Guard:''' None of these yahoos are crazy enough to pull that old stunt.\\
'''Poison Ivy:''' ''[in her cell and upon hearing this]'' Ha!\\
''[[[GilliganCut cut to Harley Quinn in a washing machine]]]''\\
'''Harley Quinn:''' Help help! Ivy! Anybody! Get me out of here!
* Inverted in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' where Ten (of the Royal Flush Gang) robs The Derby, an annual high-stakes poker game held by big-name mobsters. When Terry questions why they didn't have better security, Bruce suggests, "Maybe they just didn't think anyone would be stupid enough."
* Minor example in ''WesternAnimation/ClassOf3000''. In the episode "Funky Monkey", the class attempts to hide a gorilla from their music teacher behind their backs. Sunny, of course, doesn't buy it.
-->'''Sunny:''' All I know is you can't expect to fool anyone but an idiot by hiding him behind your back.\\
''[Principal Luna walks in]''\\
'''Principal Luna:''' Good morning, students.\\
'''Sunny:''' Luna! Quick! Hide him behind your backs!
* ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'': D.M. gets wind of the Mexican bandit El Loco on the loose, having smuggled himself in our heroes' luggage. He addresses Colonel K:
-->'''D.M.:''' I mean, what sort of idiot would do such a thing?\\
'''Penfold:''' ''[sheepishly]'' How about a little fellow in a striped tie and glasses... and a tall fellow in a white suit and an eye patch?\\
'''D.M.:''' Yes. ''[beat]'' Penfold, that sounds very much like us. ''[Penfold nods]''
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Dogstar}}'': After the ad for servo-bots airs in "Robot Revolution", Simone says "What kind of idiot would buy something like that from a crook like Bob Santino?". The scene then cuts to her father arriving home to announce he's bought two.
* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'':
** A variant appears in the episode "[[Recap/DuckTalesS1E2Armstrong Armstrong]]". The triplets ask themselves "who would be crazy enough" to help them combat Armstrong. The three realize at the exact same moment and the next scene takes place at Launchpad's house.
** In "[[Recap/DuckTalesS1E33SphinxForTheMemories Sphinx for the Memories]]", Donald is being chased by followers of the Garbled One, who want to use his body to host his spirit, and hides behind a door. When one of them asks to look inside that room, another says "He wouldn't be foolish enough to hide in the jackal pit. He'd be torn to shreds." Donald then turns to see a bunch of jackals cornering him and promptly runs out.
** In "[[Recap/DuckTalesS1E57TheUncrashableHindentanic The Uncrashable Hindentanic]]", Scrooge needs some {{Mid Air Repair}}s done; "Who on board is smart enough to fix the propeller, but stupid enough to climb out there to do it?" [[GilliganCut Sure enough]], Launchpad is the prime candidate.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'':
** In "Back to Norm", Crocker creates a fake painting of Trixie against a hard wall and tries to lure Timmy over with an extremely obvious fake voice, even Norm the genie wonders what idiot would fall for it. Naturally, Timmy makes a full-speed, leading to a PaintedTunnelRealTrain scenario.
** In "Viral Vidiots", after Timmy uses magic to help his mother make a popular viral video, Wanda comments that she feels uneasy about magic being on the internet where someone might see it.
--->'''Timmy:''' What kind of loser would stay online all day trolling for magical creatures?\\
''(Cut to Mr. Crocker's)''\\
'''Mr. Crocker:''' I can't take you out of the tub now, Mother! I'm trolling for magical creatures!
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' hung a {{lampshade|Hanging}} on this trope in the episode "He's Too Sexy for His Fat," in which Lois responds to Chris' decision not to undergo liposuction: "That was a very grown-up decision. I mean, what kind of lazy, narcissistic, irresponsible ''moron'' would even consider doing something as unbelievably foolish as getting liposuction? Who, I ask you? ''Who?''" This line is immediately followed by the appearance of a newly svelte Peter.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'':
** In the episode "Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love?", the following exchange occurs after Zoidberg has gone berserk in a New New York City health club:
--->'''Leela:''' I wonder why Dr. Zoidberg is acting this way. Out of all of us, he always seemed the most normal.\\
'''Zoidberg:''' ''[with rubber bands holding his claws shut]'' I am normal. Amy, take off these rubber bands and I'll show you how normal I am!\\
'''Amy:''' ''[whose clothes have been ripped and torn]'' Fool me seven times, shame on you. Fool me eight or more times, shame on me.\\
''[[[BrickJoke later...]]]''\\
'''Amy:''' ''[holding two rubber bands]'' Dr. Zoidberg said I should hold these while he's gone.\\
'''Bender:''' ''[{{facepalm}}]''\\
'''Zoidberg:''' ''[warbles ferociously]''\\
''(everyone else screams in terror]''\\
'''Bender:''' [[YouFool Moron!]]
** Also, in the episode "The Series Has Landed", while they're at a theme park on the moon and browsing the souvenirs:
--->'''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!
** And again in "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on Television":
--->'''Fry:''' What kind of bozos would start a Bender protest group?\\
'''Prof. Farnsworth:''' Good news everyone, [[IronicEchoCut Hermes and I have started a Bender protest group]].\\
'''Zoidberg:''' [[LampshadeHanging That was uncanny!]]
* ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'':
** In one episode, Garfield gets a TV fitness guru kicked off the air [[ScriptSwap 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. On his way home, he contemplates if the guy getting cancelled over it was a little extreme, thinking that nobody would actually follow the things he read off the cards. Once he gets home, he finds Jon 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. "63 shows and he hasn't missed a cue yet." 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.
** However this is subverted at one point, when Garfield asks who would be dumb enough to be out in the middle of a blizzard... and Odie appears right beside him, causing Garfield to comment that [[NobodysThatDumb not even he was stupid enough to be out there]].
** It also happens several times in the U.S. Acres cartoons, such as in "Flop Goes the Weasel". Booker uses a [[BoxAndStickTrap box trap]] in order to try and catch a worm. When the alarm to his trap goes off, he rushes to check on it. When Roy asks, "Who's dumb enough to get caught in a trap like this?", [[CrossOver Odie]] comes out of the box.
** In U.S. Acres "Mystery Guest", Roy puts on a Mystery Guest Game, offering to give away the farmer's tractor if anyone can figure out who the mystery guest is. The mystery guest is none other than [[CrossOver Garfield]] [[PaperThinDisguise wearing only a mask over his eyes]].
--->'''Orson:''' Roy, there is no one in the world who is so stupid, they don't know who that is.\\
(''cut away to [[BigBrotherBully Orson's brothers]] watching the Mystery Guest Game on their TV'')\\
'''Wart:''' Gee, I wonder who that is.
* The reverse happens in ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy''. Grim gives Billy a gumball machine that yields a limitless supply of gum, but warns him never to swallow it; he does anyway, but Billy starts reacting oddly (not getting the "unimaginably horrible rash from another dimension" that Grim claimed it would cause). When Grim and Mandy tell him to hand the gumball machine over, he refuses, and threatens to eat the whole thing -- and he does. When Mandy asks what it will do to him, Grim says, "I don't know! No-one's ever been stupid enough to swallow the whole bottomless gumball machine!" [[spoiler:What happens is hilarious: It causes Billy to vomit a huge quantity of gum with such force that it propels him like a rocket, circling the Earth, and covering several major landmarks -- and Grim and Mandy -- with gum. When he finally lands, ''then'' he gets the rash.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheHairBearBunch'' episode "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" has [[AlphaBitch spoiled actress]] Twinkles Sunshine re-writing the fairy tale (with the Bunch in the movie) to accommodate an evil prince as a chew toy. The director asks where he can find somebody dumb enough for the part. Enter zookeeper Peevly.
* Used indirectly on ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim''. The episode "Bad Bad Rubber Piggy" opens on an episode of Professor Membrane's show about time travel. After demonstrating [[ButterflyOfDoom the consequences of time travel]], Membrane proclaims "anyone who would build a space-time object replacement device is a complete ''moron''!". Guess what Zim's doing at that exact moment?
* In the BeachEpisode of ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'', when seeing people dancing on TV, Heloise mutters "Who dances like that?" in a clearly condescending tone. Naturally, [[RightInFrontOfMe Jimmy and Beezy]] provide the answer.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'':
** Every time Kaeloo or Mr. Cat asks this question, the answer is revealed to be [[TheDitz Stumpy]].
** One episode had [[BigBad Mr. Cat]], [[AntiHero Stumpy]] and [[OutOfCharacterMoment Quack Quack]] scamming people by selling them "lucky underwear". When Kaeloo sees a commercial for it on TV, she laughs and asks who would be dumb enough to fall for that. She then looks around and sees that literally everyone except her is wearing a pair of "lucky underwear".
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': In ''A Star is Bored'', when Daffy goes to a studio casting director for a big part just as he's looking for a stunt double for Bugs' latest movie.
-->'''Casting Director:''' ''(on the phone)'' Yeah, I know we need a double on the Bugs Bunny picture, but where can I get anyone stupid enough to take the job?
-->'''Daffy:''' ''(bursts in)'' Okay, boss! Hang up! A star is born, and that star is me!
-->'''Casting Director:''' I'll call ya right back. I, uh, I think I've got a pigeon.
-->'''Daffy:''' ''Pigeon?'' I'm not a pigeon, I'm a ''duck''. D-U-K, duck! ''Loaded'' with talent! Do card tricks and impersonations; I work at weddings, bar mitzvahs. Have tux, will travel!
* ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'': In "The Return", after Coop defeats all of Magnanimous' initial line-up, he (unsurprisingly) announces on galactic television for all other fighters in the universe to BringIt. After Jamie and Kiva point out on what he just did, Coop proclaims that no one would be dumb enough to challenge the champion... just as hundred of competitors arrive to claim the belt.
* ''WesternAnimation/MiloMurphysLaw'': When Cavendish begins to suspect Milo is an agent working against them, it results in the following exchange:
-->'''Dakota:''' So, you think this kid is doing some undercover agent stuff at a middle school dance? Is that your theory?\\
'''Cavendish:''' What better cover is there? No one but an idiot would suspect it.\\
'''Dakota:''' ...I didn't say it.
* ''WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies1984'': In "Whose Tale Is It, Anyway", Baby Bean Bunny goes missing and young Janice suggests finding him using the old BoxAndStickTrap.
-->'''Skeeter:''' Wow! That's really neat-o, Janice.\\
'''Piggy:''' Are you kidding? Nobody's stupid enough to fall for a trap like that!\\
''(Scooter gets caught in the box)''\\
'''Scooter:''' Very clever.
* ''Franchise/{{Peanuts}}'':
** The special ''Charlie Brown's All-Stars'' recycles a joke (and the whole scene) from the comic strips as seen above:
--->'''Lucy:''' I've never seen it rain so hard for such a long time.\\
'''Linus:''' I'm just glad I'm inside.\\
'''Lucy:''' Well, good grief. Only a real blockhead would be out in a rain like this.\\
''[cut to Charlie Brown standing on the pitcher's mound]''\\
'''Charlie Brown:''' Where is everybody? We're supposed to have a ballgame today!
** In ''You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown'', the kids discuss the upcoming Junior Olympics, and how a student from their school is entered in every event except for the decathlon.
--->'''Linus:''' I sure don't want to enter ''that'' event. You have to compete in ten different things! That's too much work!\\
'''Lucy:''' Boy, who'd be that dumb, to want to enter the decathlon?\\
'''Charlie Brown:''' Hi, everybody!
* Happens in ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' episode "Best Laid Plantains". King Julien is tempted to try some of the plantains belonging to the [[KillerGorilla two thuggish gorillas, Bada and Bing]]. When asking others should he do it, everyone (except Mort) says no. Skipper says, [[NobodysThatDumb "Even you can't be that stupid."]] Later, Julien (and Marlene) wind up eating ''all'' of the plantains and running away. When Bada and Bing find out, they go on a rampage, but are stopped by the penguins. When they explain why they were rampaging, the penguins huddled up:
-->'''Skipper:''' Someone ate their plantains. Who would be so stupid?\\
'''Private, Kowalski, and Rico:''' Julien.\\
'''Skipper:''' Agreed!
* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbStarWars'', the title characters and a merchant are discussing the Death Star Plans and have just discovered the station's fatal flaw. The merchant asks, "What kind of idiot would design that?" Cut to Darthenshmirtz.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/PoundPuppies2010'' episode "Nightmare on Pound Street", Squirt wonders "what kind of goofball" would be afraid of the Halloween decorations Olaf is hanging up. Cue [[DumbMuscle Niblet]] cowering from some rubber spiders.
* ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'': At least once, the narrator would ask "But who would be stupid enough to [plot contrivance]?" as a lead-in to an entry by Bullwinkle -- "''I'' would!"
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretShow'', when a clown declares that he would rule the world, Victor dismisses the threat, stating that there's no way anyone should believe that a lone clown could ever rule the world. Cue GilliganCut to the whole planet taken over.
-->'''Daily:''' "Trust me" he said! Now, that Clown has taken over the blippin planet!!
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** In the episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", we learn that his band's picture was put on a can of something called Funny Foam.
--->'''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?
** "You said 'no one's dumb enough to pay a twenty dollar processing fee'!"
** Also from "You Kent Say What You Want"
--->'''Lisa:''' There are a lot of religious watchdog groups out there [[TakeThat keeping the world safe from the horror of free expression.]]\\
'''Bart:''' [[TruthInTelevision 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?\\
''[cut to Flanders doing just that]''
** From "Lisa's Pony":
--->'''Apu:''' Now, these hot dogs have been here for three years. They are strictly ornamental. There's only one bozo who comes in and buys them!\\
'''Homer:''' But I eat... oh.
** In "Homer and Apu", Apu finds some expired ham and decides to sell it at a reduced price instead of throwing it away:
--->'''Apu:''' No, this time I have gone too far. No one will fall for...\\
'''Homer:''' Woohoo! Cheap meat! Ooh! This one's already open!
** Homer pulls this on himself in "The Old Man and The C Student", when he acquires a surplus of springs and decides to sell them on.
--->'''Homer:''' I should have no problem selling a thousand springs.\\
'''Marge:''' To who?\\
'''Homer:''' Idiots. ''[begins absentmindedly playing with a spring]'' Ooh! These are fun!
* ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'': In "Alone Again, Unnaturally", Tails brags that one of his new inventions uses [[MythologyGag "blast processing"]]. While Sticks remarks that "blast processing" [[SelfDeprecation sounds like "phony-baloney buzz words]] [[TakeThatAudience to fool the simple-minded"]], [[DumbMuscle Knuckles]] is immediately fascinated.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "The Tooth Fairy's Tats 2000" the kids are running a tooth racket where they collect the money from under other kid's pillows. A sting operation is set up to catch them in the act, with a news report about a kid getting $600 and his exact location.
-->'''Cameraman:''' Naw, come on. D'ya really think anyone will fall for somethin' that stupid?\\
'''[[AnswerCut Cartman]]:''' Six hundred dollars, you guys! Come on, get your stuff together!
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' has this exchange, while Squidward is working the night shift and complaining about how pointless his job is.
-->'''Squidward:''' Open twenty-four hours a day; what a stupid idea! Who wants a Krabby Patty at three in the morning?\\
''[cut to Patrick, in his bed, as his alarm clock goes off]''
-->'''Patrick:''' Oh, boy! 3 AM! ''[he pulls a hamburger out from under his blanket and starts eating it]''
* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' has this exchange in "Ghost in the Machine":
-->'''Lois Lane:''' Sabotage?\\
'''Clark Kent:''' Had to be. Luthor's way too careful to foul up like that.\\
'''Lois Lane:''' Who'd want to destroy Luthor? ''(Clark stares at her incredulously)'' ...Well, yeah. But who'd be crazy enough to try?
%%* Invoked by Don Karnage in ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin''.
* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'': This dialogue from the episode "In Like Flynn":
-->'''The Captain:''' ''Your dad's lifetime rival King Trevor of Equis likes to play pranks on him.''
-->'''Rapunzel:''' ''By just drawing a silly face on dad's statue? I can't imagine any intelligent person finding this funny.''
-->'''Eugene:''' Ha ha ha ha ha.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}'' episode "Super Rocksteady and Mighty Bebop", Shredder complains to Krang when Krang's mind control device makes its victims act like children instead of becoming willing slaves, and Krang protests "only a complete idiot" would invent something like that. As he [[EurekaMoment realizes what he'd just said]] ("A complete idiot?"), he hollers at Rocksteady and Bebop, who sure enough had earlier accidentally damaged the device without telling their bosses.
* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'':
** From the episode "Garbage In, Garbage Out". Justified in Wreck-Gar's case since he would automatically assume the role of whatever was last said to him.
--->'''Ratchet:''' You glitchhead! You're gonna destroy the whole city! You wouldn't ''dare'' do something ''THAT'' stupid!!\\
'''Wreck-Gar:''' [[VerbalTic I am Wreck-Gar!]] [[MythologyGag I DARE to be stupid!]] '''[[OhCrap I WILL DESTROY THE WHOLE CITY!]]'''
** And from "This is Why I Hate Machines":
--->''[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!\\
'''Megatron:''' No Autobot would be foolish enough to fire on their greatest weapon.\\
''[[[IronicEchoCut cut to Autobot Council meeting]]]''\\
'''[[{{Jerkass}} Sentinel Prime]]:''' I say we fire on Omega Supreme!
** This happens at least twice to Bumblebee in season one ("You mean they actually sell spare parts on the open market? What kind of malfunction would be crass enough to buy this stuff?), and he does it to himself in the GrandFinale.
--->'''Bumblebee:''' Who'd be crazy enough to volunteer for that mission? ''[beat]'' Why's everyone looking at me? Why's everyone [[TheBait always]] looking at me?
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' Season 3 premiere, we learn in a flashback that The Monarch used to work as Phantom Limb's henchman while moonlighting as The Monarch and seduced Dr. Girlfriend during this period. When Phantom Limb catches them in the act, he doesn't recognize him (as he's off uniform) and demands he identify himself. The Monarch then makes up the name "Manotaur" on the spot after [[LineOfSightName looking at the big "M" on the hood of the Monarchmobile]]. Phantom Limb is then summoned by the Council and before leaving tells "Manotaur" he is now on Phantom Limb's "shit list". The present Dr. Girlfriend, who is learning of this via video footage, claims it's impossible that Phantom Limb (probably the most competent and intelligent villain on the show) would be stupid enough to fail to recognize his own henchman. [[BrickJoke In the episode's epilogue]], we see Phantom Limb descending on a retired, completely innocent, and looking-nothing-like-the-Monarch Manotaur...
-->'''Phantom Limb:''' ''No-one'' "retires" from Phantom Limb's ''shit list''!
* ''WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen2009'': Episode "Aces & Eights".
-->'''Wolverine:''' Man, what mutant would be stupid enough to go after Magneto's helmet anyway?\\
''[cut to Gambit disembarking in Genosha and whistling]''
[[/folder]]

Closely related is someone showing up unexpectedly and others refusing to be surprised. "Yeah! I know you did this! [[NoOneElseIsThatDumb Who]] ''[[NoOneElseIsThatDumb else]]'' [[NoOneElseIsThatDumb would be crazy/stupid enough to do this?]]" (In this case, the speaker has it exactly right. The culprit does turn out to be the person he named; not somebody else, nor does it turn out that nobody at all would be that stupid.) Another variation is the form "Not even (character) would be stupid enough to do that!" followed by [[DescriptionCut the reveal]] that, yes, he was.

* One town in ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV'' is filled with traps designed to scare away intruders. Fall for one particular trap and you'll be told by an amused villager that "not even the animals are dumb enough to fall for that one!"

* In ''Series/ItTakesAThief2005'', TheChick makes fun of her fellow thieves who got conned into buying useless stuff off of infomercials... and then immediately hides ''her'' useless bracelet.

* [[http://scp-wiki.net/scp-682 SCP-682]] of the ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' isn't called the [[NighInvulnerability "Hard To Destroy Reptile"]] for nothing. Able to shrug off any attempt to kill it. Which is why the suggestion of "Drop him from a high place" didn't amuse the head researcher.

* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'': During Part 2 of the manga, Chainsaw Man is now a popular and well-known being with a devoted fanbase. While his identity is meant to be a secret, Denji is reckless and desperate enough to be trying to use his secret identity to get a girlfriend. When he tells Asa that he is the Chainsaw Man, she rebukes him and leaves. Yoru comes to believe he might really be the real deal, but Yoru says that not only he was likely to lie to get her interest, but also that someone with such a dangerous job and massive public pressure as Chainsaw Man would be unlikely to be so stupid that he would just blurt out his identity to get a girl.

* On ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', our heroes visit a sanctuary for abandoned Pokémon which is protected by several traps, including pitfalls. Ash comments that you'd have to be pretty stupid to fall into one; cut to [[GoldfishPoopGang Team Rocket]] at the bottom of a pitfall.

* In ''ComicBook/CountdownToFinalCrisis'' Monarch asks "Who would be stupid enough to take a shot at me?" Turns out that would be Superboy Prime, who proceeds to rip apart Monarch's costume, destroying the universe.

** There's a comic where a truck driver is delivering a shipment of bunnies to Springfield Elementary, and a panther (well, Bart. [[ForcedTransformation Long story]]) to Springfield zoo. He tells Groundskeeper Willy that the rabbits are in the crate on the left, wonders if he should clarify which left he means, then reasons that no-one could mistake a panther for a rabbit. In the next panel, Willy is brawling with the Bart-panther, who apparently didn't take kindly to being fed carrots.

* ''Film/ScoobyDoo'': In the airport scene, Shaggy walks up to Fred and the girls without Scooby, prompting Velma to ask where is the dog. Shaggy explains big dogs aren't allowed on the plane. Cut to Scooby, wearing women's clothes.

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}''

** In [[Recap/ArrowS4E21MonumentPoint "Monument Point"]], Felicity Smoak wonders who in their right mind would think something like Rubicon--a device designed to seize total control over every nuclear weapon on Earth--would be an idea worth pursuing. To nobody's surprise, it turns out that it was ComicBook/AmandaWaller, the notoriously sociopathic and [[VillainBall inept]] ex-director of ARGUS.

* One episode of ''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'' starts with Benson and Tucker drinking in a bar when a cheesy reality show[[note]]a ''Series/TheBachelor'' knockoff called ''Heart's Desire''[[/note]] comes on the TV behind the bar. Benson snarkily wonders who would watch this garbage, and Tucker suggests throwing away the TV altogether. Cut to two of the detectives under Benson's command watching at home, and one of them tearfully declaring herself to be "Team Melanie".

* ''VideoGame/NeoTheWorldEndsWithYou'': In Another Day, [[spoiler:Kanon is selling an overpriced encyclopedia set -- so overpriced that Rindo remarks that only a moron would buy it. ''Immediately'' after he says this, Fret agrees to buy the thing.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' hung a {{lampshade|Hanging}} on this trope in the episode "Too Sexy for His Fat," in which Lois responds to Chris' decision not to undergo liposuction: "That was a very grown-up decision. I mean, what kind of lazy, narcissistic, irresponsible ''moron'' would even consider doing something as unbelievably foolish as getting liposuction? Who, I ask you? ''Who?''" This line is immediately followed by the appearance of a newly svelte Peter.

-->'''Orson:''' Roy, there is no one in the world who is so stupid, they don't know who that is.\\

* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'': This dialogue from the episode ''In Like Flynn'':

-->'''Eugene::''' Ha ha ha ha ha.

* On ''Series/FamiyLaw'', Rex is asked by a crook client to help his son out of a jam as "he'll never survive prison." Rex looks in the lobby to see the kid thinking he can stuff a ten-pound statue under his coat with no one noticing. The kid is accused of robbing a liquor store with a paper bag "disguise," which he kept lifting up to suck on a helium balloon to "alter" his voice and fled in his own car with a vanity license plate which he had reported stolen from himself. Rex is able to get the kid an acquittal by successfully convincing the jury that there's no way anyone could actually be this stupid when he knows this is the ''best'' plan this moron could come up with.

** There's a comic where a truck driver is delivering a shipment of bunnies to Springfield Elementary, and a panther (well, Bart. [[BalefulPolymorph Long story]]) to Springfield zoo. He tells Groundskeeper Willy that the rabbits are in the crate on the left, wonders if he should clarify which left he means, then reasons that no-one could mistake a panther for a rabbit. In the next panel, Willy is brawling with the Bart-panther, who apparently didn't take kindly to being fed carrots.