History Main / JustEatGilligan

* In the AllegedlyFreeGame for iOS and Android, ''State of Survival'', the ads for the game seem to present the zombies as fairly incompetent - the fast type, yet MadeOfPlasticine - and docile until someone gets their attention through excessive noise. The family in the ads own a pit bull who always seems to ruin their day, because the dog ''just won't shut up.'' Cue the dog drawing the attention of the zombies (represented by stolen ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' and ''VideoGame/SevenDaysToDie'' assets) and forcing the family to leave safety for a woefully unfortified area. Since this seems to happen so often, why don't the family either train their animal to have restraint, or just get rid of it altogether and look for a more reliable companion, ''or'' (more drastically) just leave it there [[EatTheDog and let the zombies take care of the animal]], if not [[ShootTheDog shoot the damn thing themselves]]? The animal never seems to offer any assistance to the family, since the inexplicably [[MoreDakka instantly-constructed gun towers]] (that you can't have unless you either wait an inordinate amount of time or cough up the cash) take care of the zombies anyway. To sum it up, this animal is a liability which puts its owners at risk constantly and never provides any real benefit in return, so getting rid of it would surely make their lives better.

* [[FridgeLogic It's been said]] that the quickest way to "win" ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' is to obtain the first PlotCoupon and then turn the game off. If a villain needs three {{MacGuffin}}s to make their evil plan work and the hero has obtained one, there's usually no real reason to go after the others and every reason not to (granted, if Link isn't doing ''anything'', Ganondorf can easily kill him and take the stone. That's not to mention the whole "destiny" thing). In fact, WordOfGod states that in the "Child" Timeline (the one Link is sent back to at the end of ''Ocarina''), this is exactly how Zelda and Link keep Ganondorf from invading the Sacred Realm.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' deserves some kind of reward for the stupid decision that doesn't just [[NiceJobBreakingItHero help this game's villain]], but makes about 85% of all misery in Hyrule ever possible. You spend about a third of the game trying to open a Gate of Time so you can find Zelda, where you learn nothing that Impa or Fi couldn't have just ''told'' you. Opening the Gate of Time is mandatory to [[spoiler:acquire the Triforce to obliterate the villain in the present by]] elevating the Master Sword to its full power, but rather than ask the old lady [[spoiler:(actually a future version of Impa)]] to dismiss the gate when you were done with it, the protagonists give Ghirahim the opportunity to haul Zelda through it and revive his master. Had the gate been dismissed on time, the BigBad would have been obliterated without undue drama and Ganondorf wouldn't be tearing Hyrule a new asshole time and again.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'': A ''lot'' of the events of the game's story could have been avoided if characters just simply talked to each other about their motivations and reasons instead of defaulting to not telling someone why they are doing the things they do. While some of the characters potentially wouldn't (Dimitri being consumed by hatred to the point he wouldn't listen, Rhea on ''Crimson Flower'', etc), others often never bother telling anyone why they are making choices, even when some outright ask. For example: Edelgard never bothers trying to tell Claude why she is doing what she is doing, despite them having very similar goals and views on the future of the world and Claude outright asking her to tell him why, Rhea never once tries telling anyone what she knows about Byleth's birth or nature despite doing so avoiding her seeming manipulative to people, and Dimitri never, even after walking back on his hatred, asks Edelgard what her involvement was with the Tragedy of Duscur. After a certain point, it becomes really clear that just having characters sit down and try to talk about the 'why' for their actions could have avoided so much drama or conflict, but many characters just never do so.
* A common criticism of ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'' is that the seeming BigBad of the EvilEmpire knows that a world ending threat is coming, and is trying to stop it, yet never once tries to just tell the heroes about this threat, even when he has them captured and at his mercy. Instead he goes out of his way to make it impossible for the heroes to know something is wrong until it is way too late for them to change course. At one point his daughter flat out ''asks'' him to just tell her what she apparently "wouldn't understand", and instead he walks away, making it eye-rolling that he never considers just telling the heroes.

* In the HD remake of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' this is {{lampshade|Hanging}}d; killing [[DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent Ocelot]] gets you the "Problem Solved, Series Over" trophy.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] is widely known for his PerpetualPoverty even though both fans and writers often point out many ways he could make plenty of cash.
** Peter can't hold down a full-time job due to his activities as Spider-Man. He could easily ask [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]], ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} or any of the other extremely wealthy people and organizations he's allies with for a job that's flexible enough for him to do superhero work. He has actually tried this, however, there's the issue of trust and Peter not being one who finds it easy to forgive others. He still doesn't trust Tony Stark after what he did during ''Civil War'' and S.H.I.E.L.D. once outright wiped his memory after "employing" him (never mind his parents were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who then got killed and framed for treason, adding an extra layer of issue), and when he joined an iteration of the Avengers that actually paid their members, Victoria Hand had became part of the infrastructure and refused to pay him without him disclosing his identity, and he wouldn't do that because Victoria Hand had previously worked for his arch-nemesis, [[Characters/MarvelComicsNormanOsborn Norman Osborn]].

Not to be confused with JustEatHim. When a villain falls prey to this trope, it is often NeverRecycleYourSchemes, WhyDontYouJustShootHim, or CutLexLuthorACheck. See also TheMillstone, when one character is the cause of this situation, FawltyTowersPlot, when the source is a lie, StoryBreakerPower, when a character's special abilities should be able to solve the conflict, and DuelsDecideEverything, when a fictional universe requires someone to win a sport against someone, even when there's no reason why they have to play, in order to do something of substance. If you were expecting this trope to be literal, i.e., if they ''did'' eat Gilligan, that would be an example of there being NoPartyLikeADonnerParty. Contrast with ForWantOfANail, WhoWillBellTheCat See also CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot, when characters acknowledge this mistake after the fact. For the many, many instances (InUniverse and out) where people argue "Just Kill [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]]!!!", please head to JokerImmunity. Contrast SimpleSolutionWontWork for when it's explained or shown why it isn't viable in-universe.

* [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] is widely known for his PerpetualPoverty even though both fans and writers often point out many ways he could make plenty of cash.
** Peter can't hold down a full time job due to his activities as Spider-Man. He could easily ask [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]], ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} or any of the other extremely wealthy people and organizations he's allies with for a job that's flexible enough for him to do superhero work. He has actually tried this, however there's the issue of trust and Peter not being one who finds it easy to forgive others. He still doesn't trust Tony Stark after what he did during ''Civil War'' and S.H.I.E.L.D. once outright wiped his memory after "employing" him (never mind his parents were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who then got killed and framed for treason, adding an extra layer of issue), and when he joined an iteration of the Avengers that actually paid their members, Victoria Hand had became part of the infrastructure and refused to pay him without him disclosing his identity, and he wouldn't do that because Victoria Hand had previously worked for his arch-nemesis, [[Characters/MarvelComicsNormanOsborn Norman Osborn]].
** Peter also often complains that he can't license his likeness or get paid for media appearances without revealing his true identity. However, when he guest taught a class at Avengers Academy his charges informed him that he could have started a LLC and made money hands over fist while still keeping his identity secret. Spidey is so flustered and taken aback that he immediately changes the subject.

** Why he doesn't find a way to make money ''as'' Spider-Man, outside of selling photos. In ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManNickSpencer'', this got touched on when Peter is employed by Jonah (who is now aware of his identity and has flipped into becoming his most ardent supporter, but in a typical Jonah manner), by having his suit record his actions as Spider-Man and livestream them for a viewing public. Though it's naturally popular and well-paying, it doesn't last long because this somewhat forces Peter to "play to a crowd", and he finds the experience too embarrassing and distracting. There's also the obvious risk of accidentally revealing his identity.

* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' several characters [[DespairEventHorizon gave up hope]] ([[HeroicBSOD at least temporarily]]) after learning that [[BigBad Salem]] has CompleteImmortality, and no one has any plan to defeat her. Thing is, even before her immortality was established, we learned of the Maiden Vaults that are effectively pocket dimensions she explicitly cannot open on her own. Later on, the show introduced the Relic of Creation, who may or may not have created the vaults, but can build almost anything, including structures utilizing the same space-bending magic. Incapacitating Salem long enough to put her in either a vault or a more-secure magical prison wouldn't be easy, but was established as possible in the backstory, and the Relic of Creation has even been shown to be able to create objects remotely, so one would just need good intel on Salem's location. Not to mention, Semblances such as memory erasure, MindControl, and power amplification exist, creating a multitude of possibilities for at least neutralizing her.

** However, the Vaults were created by someone with less magical power than Salem, making it quite likely that she could find a way to escape them. Also, the Relic of Creation can only make one thing at a time, meaning that if Salem's minions get a hold of the Relic, they could free her with a couple words.

* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' several characters [[DespairEventHorizon gave up hope]] ([[HeriucBSOD at least temporarily]]) after learning that [[BigBad Salem]] has CompleteImmortality, and no one has any plan to defeat her. Thing is, even before her immortality was established, we learned of the Maiden Vaults that are effectively pocket dimensions she explicitly cannot open on her own. Later on, the show introduced the Relic of Creation, who may or may not have created the vaults, but can build almost anything, including structures utilizing the same space-bending magic. Incapacitating Salem long enough to put her in either a vault or a more-secure magical prison wouldn't be easy, but was been established as possible in the backstory, and the Relic of Creation has even been shown to be able to create objects remotely, so one would just need good intel on Salem's location. Not to mention, Semblances such as memory erasure, MindControl, and power amplification exist, creating a multitude of possibilities for at least neutralizing her.

* The series ''WebAnimation/HowItShouldHaveEnded'' is pretty much dedicated to pointing these out. Examples are ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' (blindfold the eagles and fly them straight from Rivendell into Mordor), ''Film/{{Predator}}'' (if the Predator doesn't attack unarmed people because it's not good sport, just ditch all the weapons), and ''Franchise/StarWars'' (don't wait until the Death Star has gone all the way around the planet that the rebel base orbits, just blow up the planet - in the original video, or lightspeed around the planet to the appropriate side -in the updated version, and you'll have a clear shot at the base).

* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' several characters [[DespairEventHorizon gave up hope]] (at least temporarily) after learning that [[BigBad Salem]] has CompleteImmortality, and no one has any plan to defeat her. Thing is, even before her immortality was established, we learned of the Maiden Vaults that are effectively pocket dimensions she explicitly cannot open on her own. Later on, the show introduced the Relic of Creation, who may or may not have created the vaults, but can build almost anything, including structures utilizing the same space-bending magic. Incapacitating Salem long enough to put her in either a vault or a more-secure magical prison wouldn't be easy, but was been established as possible in the backstory, and the Relic of Creation has even been shown to be able to create objects remotely, so one would just need good intel on Salem's location. Not to mention, Semblances such as memory erasure, MindControl, and power amplification exist, creating a multitude of possibilities for at least neutralizing her.

** In ''Apollo Justice'', one case involves a young boy allegedly killing a man at a concert using a gun with recoil too strong for him to wield without severely injuring himself before dragging the 250-pound corpse to the middle of the stage for no apparent reason and the prosecution puts forth the idea that the teenage boy was able to accomplish all this by secretly being an Interpol agent with the defense never pointing out the ridiculousness of the accusations being presented.

* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' several characters [[DespairEventHorizon gave up hope]] (at least temporarily) after learning that [[BigBad Salem]] has CompleteImmortality, and no one has any plan to defeat her. Thing is, even before her immortality was established, we learned of the Maiden Vaults that are effectively pocket dimensions she explicitly cannot open on her own. Later on, it's also heavily implied the vaults were made by the Relic of Creation, who can build almost anything. Incapacitating her long enough to put her in either a vault or a more-secure magical prison wouldn't be easy, but has been proven possible. Not to mention, Semblances such as memory eraser, MindControl, and power amplification exist, creating a multitude of possibilities for at least neutralizing her.
* ''WebVideo/ExplainedByAnIdiot'': Frequently pointed out in videos.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'': At the beginning, when Russell wants to earn his badge, Carl could have just pretended that Russell helped him and signed off on the badge, meaning that Russell would earn it and leave Carl alone.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': In the first book Harry finds that he has inherited a lot of money, and feels really guilty since his friend Ron Weasley is stuck in PerpetualPoverty. In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets the second book,]] Ron breaks his wand early on so that it only works some of the time, and is stuck with this for the whole book since his family is too poor to buy a new one. While this [[spoiler: becomes important for a major plot point,]] it's never explained why, if Harry has so much more money, he doesn't just buy Ron a new one. Even if it's somehow embarrassing to have your friend buy you a replacement wand, he could just [[AnonymousBenefactor buy it and have it sent to him secretly.]] Possibly justified due to Harry being 12 when this was a problem.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie'' there is a massively popular ShowWithinAShow called ''Where Are My Pants?'' revolving around the single joke of the husband not being able to find his pants. This trope is parodied when Wyldstyle ends up on the set [[spoiler:in order to [[DoNotAdjustYourSet make a broadcast across the universe]]]] and she simply chucks a pair of pants at the lead actor, declaring that the series is now over.

-->'''Genie:''' Phenomenal cosmic powers, itty-bitty living space, ya know."