History Main / InspectorOblivious

Inspector Oblivious isn't aware he vanquished evil, protected the innocent or saved the world because he's [[CloudCuckooLander in one of his own]]. He's doing his own thing not recognizing the screaming coming from the [[RightHandCat cat-stroking]] archvillain who waves one fist angrily at the monitor as yet another plan is foiled and yet more minions are carted off to jail (or the morgue). It wouldn't be so bad if it was intentional, if he was facing an adversary worthy of their battle, but the hero is a complete [[TheFool doofus]] who's proud because he thinks he foiled a scheme to illegally sell fake [[MadeFromRealGirlScouts Girl Scout cookies]], ignoring the orbital DeathRay [[KillSat satellite]] plunging into the villain's volcano headquarters that resulted from Inspector Oblivious's pratfalls, mistakes and cluelessness. And he does it again and again.

* The ''Film/JamesBond'' parody in ''Film/CasinoRoyale1967'' has a whole cast of James Bonds (ItMakesSenseInContext -- British Intelligence gave all of its agents (even the ''women'') this name in an attempt at distraction) collectively demolishing a criminal scheme through sheer bumbling. [[spoiler:[[KillThemAll None of them make it out alive -- at least they took the villain with them.]]]]

* [[Franchise/ThePinkPanther Inspector Jacques Clouseau]] is capable of solving cases and in one film [[SequelEscalation even saving the world]] through his cluelessness. He is a WalkingDisasterArea of such caliber that he was the very reason the world was in danger to begin with, though...

* [[Anime/TenchiMuyo Detective First Class Mihoshi Kuramitsu]] is all but the textbook example. Her more than distinguished record in the Galactic Police is much more due to [[TheDitz her bumbling]] [[SpannerInTheWorks unraveling all and any evil plans]] and [[BornLucky sheer blind luck]] than any actual competence. At least in some versions, she also has an unfocused sort of HyperAwareness that results in her reports containing heaps of valuable information, most of which she never realised the significance of.
* ''Anime/IrresponsibleCaptainTylor'': Captain Justy Ueki Tylor -- ''[[ObfuscatingStupidity maybe.]]''

* The ''Film/JamesBond'' parody in ''Film/CasinoRoyale1967'' has a whole cast of James Bonds (ItMakesSenseInContext -- British Intelligence gave all of its agents (even the ''women'') this name in an attempt at distraction) collectively demolishing a criminal scheme through sheer bumbling. [[spoiler:[[KillThemAll None of them make it out alive -- at least they took the villain with them]]]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Phineas and Ferb}}'': If you consider Candace as 'evil' for trying to get them into trouble, Dr. Doofenschmirtz falls into this trope. He has only occasionally come into close contact with the boys, but his inventions inevitably get them out of trouble.

Often a SpannerInTheWorks. A subtrope of InvincibleIncompetent, TheFool, and CluelessDetective. See also AccidentalHero, MistakenForBadass.

Inspector Oblivious isn't aware he vanquished evil, protected the innocent or saved the world because he's [[CloudCuckooLander in one of his own]]. He's doing his own thing not recognizing the screaming coming from the [[RightHandCat cat-stroking]] archvillain who waves one fist angrily at the monitor as yet another plan is foiled and yet more minions are carted off to jail (or the morgue). It wouldn't be so bad if it was intentional, if he was facing an adversary worthy of their battle, but the hero is a complete [[TheFool doofus]] who's proud because he thinks he foiled a scheme to illegally sell fake [[MadeFromRealGirlScouts Girl Scout cookies]], ignoring the orbital DeathRay [[KillSat satellite]] plunging into the villain's volcano headquarters that resulted from InspectorOblivious's pratfalls, mistakes and cluelessness. And he does it again and again.

* The ''Film/JamesBond'' parody in ''Film/CasinoRoyale1967'' has a whole cast of James Bonds (ItMakesSenseInContext -- British Intelligence gave all of its agents (even the ''women'') this name in an attempt at distraction) collectively demolishing a criminal scheme through sheer bumbling. Not all of them make it out alive, though.

%%* [[Franchise/ThePinkPanther Inspector Clouseau]]
%%* The ''Film/JamesBond'' parody in ''Film/CasinoRoyale1967''.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Phineas and Ferb}}'': If you consider Candice as 'evil' for trying to get them into trouble, Dr. Doofenschmirtz falls into this trope. He has only occasionally come into close contact with the boys, but his inventions inevitably get them out of trouble.

* InspectorGadget, whom we honour for unintentionally saving the day.

* ''ComicBook{{Deadpool}}'': P.I. Wade is trying to solve a murder, and he's so oblivious that [[spoiler:he forgot '''HE''' was the one who killed the guy in the first place.]]

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

* [[Anime/IrresponsibleCaptainTylor Captain Justy Ueki Tylor]] - ''[[ObfuscatingStupidity maybe.]]''

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* {{Deadpool}}: P.I. Wade is trying to solve a murder, and he's so oblivious that [[spoiler:he forgot '''HE''' was the one who killed the guy in the first place.]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* The ''Film/JamesBond'' parody in ''Film/CasinoRoyale1967''.
* The plot behind ''Film/TheManWhoKnewTooLittle'' who belives he's in modern experimental play when in fact he's been mistaken for a spy and ends up disarming a bomb to Russian music in a middle of a embassy. Oh! While dancing, of course.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

* Sergeant Frank Drebin, Detective Lieutenant ''Series/PoliceSquad''. Yet another.
** He takes on this character type more in ''Film/TheNakedGun'' series than in ''Series/PoliceSquad''. If anything, in ''Series/PoliceSquad'' he is ridiculously competent and is a talented comedian, basketball player, brawler, agent, boxing coach, etc. ([[RunningGag That list might have continued to grow]] if the show had not been canceled so soon.)

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* PC Wodehouse's Ashe is an author trapped in a contract to write serials about the Detective Gridley Quayle, whom he describes as "so maddeningly blind to the fact that only the most amazing luck enabled him to detect anything." [[spoiler:Just like Ashe.]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* {{Deadpool}}: P.I. Wade is trying to solve a murder, and he's so oblivious that [[spoiler: he forgot '''HE''' was the one who killed the guy in the first place.]]

* [[Franchise/ThePinkPanther Inspector Clouseau]]

[[AC:Literature]]

* PC Wodehouse's Ashe is an author trapped in a contract to write serials about the Detective Gridley Quayle, whom he describes as "so maddeningly blind to the fact that only the most amazing luck enabled him to detect anything."[[spoiler: Just like Ashe.]]

InspectorOblivious isn't aware he vanquished evil, protected the innocent or saved the world because he's [[CloudCuckooLander in one of his own]]. He's doing his own thing not recognizing the screaming coming from the [[RightHandCat cat-stroking]] archvillain who waves one fist angrily at the monitor as yet another plan is foiled and yet more minions are carted off to jail (or the morgue). It wouldn't be so bad if it was intentional, if he was facing an adversary worthy of their battle, but the hero is a complete [[TheFool doofus]] who's proud because he thinks he foiled a scheme to illegally sell fake [[MadeFromRealGirlScouts Girl Scout cookies]], ignoring the orbital DeathRay [[KillSat satellite]] plunging into the villain's volcano headquarters that resulted from InspectorOblivious's pratfalls, mistakes and cluelessness. And he does it again and again.

* [[ThePinkPanther Inspector Clouseau]]

* [[TenchiMuyo Detective First Class Mihoshi Kuramitsu]] is all but the textbook example. Her more than distinguished record in the Galactic Police is much more due to [[TheDitz her bumbling]] [[SpannerInTheWorks unraveling all and any evil plans]] and [[BornLucky sheer blind luck]] than any actual competence. At least in some versions, she also has an unfocused sort of HyperAwareness that results in her reports containing heaps of valuable information, most of which she never realised the significance of.

* [[TenchiMuyo Detective First Class Mihoshi Kuramitsu]] is all but the textbook example. Her more than distinguished record in the Galactic Police is much more due to [[TheDitz her bumbling]] [[SpannerInTheWorks unraveling all and any evil plans]] and [[BornLucky sheer blind luck]] than any actual competence.
** At least in some versions, she also has an unfocused sort of HyperAwareness that results in her reports containing heaps of valuable information, most of which she never realised the significance of.

* The plot behind ''TheManWhoKnewTooLittle'' who belives he's in modern experimental play when in fact he's been mistaken for a spy and ends up disarming a bomb to Russian music in a middle of a embassy. Oh! While dancing, of course.

* [[IrresponsibleCaptainTylor Captain Justy Ueki Tylor]] - ''[[ObfuscatingStupidity maybe.]]''

!!Examples

* InspectorGadget, whom we honour for unintentionally saving the day.
* The original inspiration (and voice!) for Inspector Gadget, [[Series/GetSmart Maxwell Smart]].
* [[ThePinkPanther Inspector Clouseau]]
* The ''Film/JamesBond'' parody in ''Film/CasinoRoyale1967''.
* Sergeant Frank Drebin, Detective Lieutenant Police Squad. Yet another.
** He takes on this character type more in ''Film/TheNakedGun'' series than in PoliceSquad. If anything, in PoliceSquad he is ridiculously competent and is a talented comedian, basketball player, brawler, agent, boxing coach, etc. ([[RunningGag That list might have continued to grow]] if the show had not been canceled so soon.)

* The plot behind ''TheManWhoKnewTooLittle'' who belives he's in modern experimental play when in fact he's been mistaken for a spy and ends up disarming a bomb to Russian music in a middle of a embassy. Oh! While dancing, of course.

* {{Phineas and Ferb}}: If you consider Candice as 'evil' for trying to get them into trouble, Dr. Doofenschmirtz falls into this trope. He has only occasionally come into close contact with the boys, but his inventions inevitably get them out of trouble.

Often a SpannerInTheWorks. A subtrope of InvincibleIncompetent, TheFool, and DefectiveDetective. See also AccidentalHero, MistakenForBadass.

* The JamesBond parody in ''Film/CasinoRoyale1967''.

* The JamesBond parody in ''Casino Royale'' (1967 version).

** He takes on this character type more in ''Film/TheNakedGun'' series than in PoliceSquad. If anything, in PoliceSquad he is ridiculously competent and is a talented comedian, basketball player, brawler, agent, boxing coach, etc. ([[RunningGag That list might have continued to grow]] [[TooGoodToLast if the show had not been canceled so soon.]])