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1%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
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3[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stupidsbook.jpg]]
4''The Stupids'' are the title characters of a series of books written by Harry Allard and illustrated by James Marshall. It features an unusual family that is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin in that they are stupid and get easily mixed up when performing tasks, to the point that the dog and cat are smarter than them. It first debuted in 1977 with ''The Stupids Step out'' and ended with ''The Stupids Take Off'' in 1989, with four books in total.
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6* ''The Stupids Step Out'' (1974)
7* ''The Stupids Have a Ball'' (1978)
8* ''The Stupids Die'' (1981)
9* ''The Stupids Take Off'' (1989)
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11The books were made into [[TheFilmOfTheBook a film adaptation]] in 1996 directed by Creator/JohnLandis, starring Creator/TomArnold as the family's patriarch, Stanley Stupid.
12----
13!!The books features examples of the following tropes:
14* TheDitz: Much of the humor of the books is indeed a result of the mental acuity of the Stupids -- they are so inept they are unable to do even the simplest of tasks (e.g., falling asleep, ''breathing'') without being reminded how to do so.
15* HeadPet: Mrs. Stupid wears a cat on her head when she goes out with the family in one of the books.
16* TooDumbToLive: {{Subverted|Trope}} by ''The Stupids Die'', where they only thought to have died - but it was only the lights going out!
17----
18!!The film adaptation features examples of the following tropes:
19* ActorIsTheTitleCharacter: Tom Arnold is STUPID. (Stanley Stupid)
20%% * AdvertisedExtra: Creator/JennyMcCarthy was this in the film.
21* AlliterativeName: '''St'''anley '''St'''upid.
22* ApopheniaPlot: PlayedWith. The protagonists invent a bizarre conspiracy theory from everyday details, involving a villain who plans to steal all the mail and garbage from America. However, while they attempt to thwart the "sinister plot", they inadvertently uncover a very real sinister plot involving terrorists and contraband weaponry.
23* BeeBeeGun: Stanley Stupid is at one point assaulted by the dreaded Drive Bee, sent by his nemesis Mr. Sender to kill him. Or at least that's what he thinks, since he's a complete {{Cloudcuckoolander}}. It does make him drive off the road though.
24* TheCameo: In true Creator/JohnLandis fashion, many smaller roles and bit parts are filled by acclaimed film directors, including Creator/AtomEgoyan, Creator/NormanJewison, Creator/RobertWise, Creator/DavidCronenberg, and Creator/CostaGavras.
25%% * CoincidentalDodge: Stanley Stupid goes through this.
26* CorrelationCausationGag: Stanley takes off his shoe and uses the heel to smash a wasp on the hood of his car, just as a bomb inside the vehicle goes off and blows the body of the car to scrap (oddly leaving both the entire front of the car and Stanley completely untouched). Unsurprisingly (considering who Stanley and his family are, [[TheDitz see the title of the film]]) he thinks he did it.
27-->'''Stanley:''' That's a well-made shoe!
28* HandCannon: One of the corrupt air force officers selling weapons on the black market demonstrates a pistol that is essentially a handheld GrenadeLauncher.
29* InOneEarOutTheOther: One of [[https://www.pastposters.com/details.php?prodId=18375 the posters]] had the main character shining a flashlight through the ears of his entire family.
30* MilkmanConspiracy: {{Subverted|Trope}}. The [[TheDitz eponymous family of ditzes]] ''believe'' they've uncovered one of these, involving the police, garbage collectors, the New York Times, the local deli, the local Chinese restaurant, and bees to steal all the world's mail and deliver it to a man called "Sender" (Creator/ChristopherLee!) (because the father, who used to be a mailman, got suspicious about all those letters that said [[LiteralMinded "return to sender"]]). The twist is that, not only does this conspiracy not exist, but in their efforts to thwart it, the Stupids manage to [[SpannerInTheWorks mess up an actually dangerous conspiracy entirely by accident]]. Oh, and they find Sender, and he turns out to be, not Christopher Lee, but [[Series/CaptainKangaroo Bob Keeshan]]!
31* MistakenForAfterlife: Stanley and his daughter Petunia get lost and end up in an empty and dark movie theatre, and come to the conclusion that they've somehow died and gone to Heaven. When a custodian shows up to let them out, they assume he's God who's giving them a second chance at life.
32%% * MistakenForBadass: The film features ''a family'' like this foiling an arms deal between corrupt military officials of multiple nations. The family patriarch Stanley Stupid alone manages to inadvertently defeat at least three assassins.
33%% * MobileShrubbery: Stanley Stupid gets a bit… carried away.-->'''Stanley:''' This walking bush! He lives in two worlds, but is the master of both! OH, MAN-BUSH, YOU ARE NATURE'S GREATEST WONDEEEEEEEER!
34* MyOwnGrandpa: In the movie, Stanley goes to a PointAndLaughShow discussing family problems, and claims to be this, leading [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjd__U9RhkI to a performance of the]] TropeNamer song. It even becomes a CrowdSong in the last chorus.
35%% * SpannerInTheWorks: As one may guess, this is the family's role in the film against the villains.
36* VaporTrail: The pursuer shot Stanley's gas tank. Stanley proceeded to light the trail on fire, igniting the pursuer's car. [[TheDitz Of course, he had no idea what was going on]].
37%% * VideoCredits: Used at the close of the film.
38* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The main antagonist, the colonel, is last seen when Harvey Atkin's character hits him with a door, knocking him out. You never know what becomes of him later.

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