->''"What did he expect to find in a box marked 'TALBOT'? Immortality?"''
-->-- ''CodeNameHunter''

->''There are other factors to consider, of course. Orlando had the league's best defense last season, on a per-possession basis, and it has an emerging superstar in Howard plus three recent All-Stars -- VC, Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis -- and a deep bench surrounding D-12. And the Magic did, after all, beat the Celtics and Cavs on their way to the Finals.''


Most viewers have basic common sense, and one would usually expect characters on TV shows. [[PlotInducedStupidity Any deviation from such]] usually prompts the comment "What an idiot" or similar, thus the entry name.

It is also the usual reaction to a character demonstrating especially severe GenreBlindness.

Can also be a response to ineffectual contestants on a GameShow.

Common forms of the trope:
* ChainedToABed
* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse
* OnceIsNotEnough
* ThreeIsCompany
* any of the ContrivedStupidityTropes

And please, as tempting as it is to defend your favorite show from forcing the IdiotBall into its characters' hands, refrain from making {{Justifying Edit}}s. Or at very least, keep them to a minimum; for a CardCarryingVillain or Idiot Hero a few of these are to be expected. If the entire show has an IdiotPlot, it goes on that page instead.

There are also other examples which do not fit the standard idiocy.

For your ''own'' personal "What an Idiot" moments, please be smart and use the handy [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TroperTales/WhatAnIdiot Troper Tales]] page.

'''Warning: Spoilers ahead!'''
----
*[[{{WhatAnIdiot/Anime}} Anime and Manga]]
*[[WhatAnIdiot/ComicBooks Comics]]
*{{WhatAnIdiot/Film}}
*{{WhatAnIdiot/Literature}}
*WhatAnIdiot/LiveActionTV
*{{WhatAnIdiot/Others}}
*WhatAnIdiot/VideoGames
*[[WhatAnIdiot/WebOriginal Web Originals]]
*WhatAnIdiot/WesternAnimation
----
<<|BadWriting|>>
<<|ContrivedStupidityTropes|>>
<<|{{Fan-Speak}}|>>
<<|ImprobableBehaviorTropes|>>
<<|StockPhrases|>>
<<|SubjectiveTropes|>>
<<|IndexOverdosed|>>
<<|MultiPageTropes|>>