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** ''ForgottenRealms'' has something close -- {{canon}}ically, [[FictionalDocument Volo's Guides]] are an awful mix of brilliant investigations and silly hearsay. The most infamous was "Volo's Guide to All Things Magical", the "second edition" of which [[hottip:* :[[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads here]] it is]] claimed that v 1.0 contained a lot of [[AnarchistCookbook recipes how to kill oneself in a funny way]]. Though there also was so much of sensitive information that not only Volo hesitated to introduce himself in a hearing range of other wizards ever after, but [[CanonSue Elminster]] personally hunted down and destroyed every single copy.
** ''Arcana SRD'' from Infinite Dreamers cover art. If you'll [[http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=18135 download it]] (it's free), you'll see that the book horned green lad reads is ''"[[spoiler:13 Easy Steps To Overthrow Your Demonic Master]]"''. On its back cover it has readable annotation in a style traditional for this sort of literature.
** ''Arcana SRD'' from Infinite Dreamers cover art. If you'll [[http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=18135 download it]] (it's free), you'll see that the book horned green lad reads is ''"[[spoiler:13 Easy Steps To Overthrow Your Demonic Master]]"''. On its back cover it has readable annotation in a style traditional for this sort of literature.
to:
** ''ForgottenRealms'' has something close -- {{canon}}ically, [[FictionalDocument Volo's Guides]] are an awful mix of brilliant investigations and silly hearsay. The most infamous was "Volo's Guide to All Things Magical", Magical" [[hottip:*:[[http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13961 on Wizards' site]], free]], the "second edition" of which [[hottip:* :[[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads here]] it is]] claimed that v 1.0 contained a lot of [[AnarchistCookbook recipes how to kill oneself in a funny way]]. Though there also was way]] -- and so much of sensitive information that not only Volo hesitated to introduce himself in a hearing range of other wizards ever after, but [[CanonSue Elminster]] and Elminster had to personally hunted hunt down and destroyed destroy every single last copy.
** ''Arcana SRD'' from Infinite Dreamers coverart. If you'll art [[hottip:*:visible in full resolution if [[http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=18135 download it]] downloaded]] (it's free), you'll see that the book free)]] has a horned green greenish lad reads is reading ''"[[spoiler:13 Easy Steps To Overthrow Your Demonic Master]]"''. On its back cover it has Master]]"'', with a readable annotation in a style traditional for this sort of literature.
literature on its back cover.
** ''Arcana SRD'' from Infinite Dreamers cover
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* ''{{Sinfest}}'' has "War for Dummies" in its [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=1556 bestseller list]].
to:
* ''{{Sinfest}}'' has "War for Dummies" in its [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=1556 bestseller list]].
list]]. Also, Lil' E used "[[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2904 Black Magic for Dummies]]" to summon a savage demon {{hellhound}} (for dummies).
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* The Investigation Discovery channel has a commercial for their week of specials about {{Black Widow}}s that has a woman at the register with normal Thanksgiving stuff, but the last thing the cashier scans is a book called "Killing Your Husband for Dummies".
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* ''{{Sinfest}}'' has "War for Dummies" in its [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=1556 bestseller list]].
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* ''[[http://www.yip.org/dosmoron.html DOS For Complete and Utter Morons, Like You, Fuckhead]]''
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Okay, this is from memory of when I used to play Roblox a few years back. I may or may not have gotten the title of the book wrong.
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[[AC:VideoGames]]
* The [[BribingYourWayToVictory somewhat free]] MMO {{Roblox}} once had a hat for sale with the title ''Quantum Thermodynamics for Dummies''. It was, indeed, a "For Dummies"-style book that could be worn as a hat (just a mesh, though, so you couldn't read it or anything...).
* The [[BribingYourWayToVictory somewhat free]] MMO {{Roblox}} once had a hat for sale with the title ''Quantum Thermodynamics for Dummies''. It was, indeed, a "For Dummies"-style book that could be worn as a hat (just a mesh, though, so you couldn't read it or anything...).
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** Rose also mentions getting ''Knitting for Assholes'' after getting her yarn and knitting needles from John as a birthday gift.
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* ''YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic'' has "[[http://yafgc.net/?id=248 Dimensional Doors for Dummies]]".
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* In ''SuburbanKnights'', Ma-Ti showed up with a book to help 8-Bit Mickey's problem. It's "Goatf*cking for Dummies".
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* ''LooneyTunesBackInAction'' has Bugs Bunny fighting Marvin the Martian with lifesabers while Bugs reads "The Force For Dummies".
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* ''EvanAlmighty'': Ark Building for Dummies
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* ''EvanAlmighty'': God presents Evan with [[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1961597184/tt0413099 Ark Building for DummiesDummies]].
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not a take that, more of a reference
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* Slackerz has a great example. One of the characters attempted to program his own game called Matt's Kickass Game for Winners (itself a {{Take That}} at Strongbad's Cool Game for Attractive People.) However, he knows absolutely nothing about programming. So he consults a regular programming book, a For Dummies book, and a book called [[SesameStreet Grover's Magical C++ Garden]]. (He even denounces that as too difficult.)
to:
* Slackerz has a great example. One of the characters attempted to program his own game called Matt's Kickass Game for Winners (itself a {{Take That}} at Strongbad's (a reference to [[HomestarRunner Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People.) People]]) However, he knows absolutely nothing about programming. So he consults a regular programming book, a For Dummies book, and a book called [[SesameStreet Grover's Magical C++ Garden]]. (He even denounces that as too difficult.)
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[[caption-width:339:[[http://www.signgenerator.org/books/dummies/ They really do have a book for everything, don't they?]]]]
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[[caption-width:240:[[http://www.signgenerator.org/books/dummies/ They really do have a book for everything, don't they?]]]]
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This image is more appropriate.
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[[MagnificentBastard http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MBdummies.jpg]]
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The ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Dummies For Dummies]]'' series of books is a popular way of learning just about anything, from C++ programming to Divorce Law to African-American History, achieved by simple explanations.
to:
The ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Dummies For Dummies]]'' series of books is a popular way of learning just about anything, [[TheUniversalGenreSavvyGuide from C++ programming to Divorce Law to African-American History, History]], achieved by simple explanations.
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* ''"Astrophysics for Morons"'' from the ''"Shelf Life"'' episode of ''TheFairlyOddParents''.
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* ''ElGoonishShive'' once had Grace reading [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-12-05 Untying Knots For squirrels]] as a gag in a storyline cover.
to:
* ''ElGoonishShive'' once had Grace reading [[http://www."[[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-12-05 Untying Knots For squirrels]] Squirrels]]" as a gag in a storyline cover.
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* ''ElGoonishShive'' once had Grace reading [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-12-05 Untying Knots For squirrels]] as a gag in a storyline cover.
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* Disney's DirectToVideo Mickey-Donald-Goofy version of ''TheThreeMusketeers'' has Goofy reading a ''Complete Idiot's Guide''.
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* Disney's DirectToVideo Mickey-Donald-Goofy {{Mickey|Mouse}}-{{Donald|Duck}}-{{Goofy}} version of ''TheThreeMusketeers'' has Goofy reading a ''Complete Idiot's Guide''.
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* ''{{Shrek}} [[ChristmasSpecial the Halls]]'' with "Christmas For Village Idiots".
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Dummies == Cliffs
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** FridgeBrilliance: For Dummies and Cliffs Notes have the same publisher.
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* Slackerz has a great example. One of the characters attempted to program his own game called Matt's Kickass Game for Winners (itself a {{Take That}} at Strongbad's Cool Game for Attractive People.) However, he knows absolutely nothing about programming. So he consults a regular programming book, a For Dummies book, and a book called [[SesameStreet Grover's Magical C++ Garden]]. (He even denounces that as too difficult.)
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* In ''{{Dilbert}}'', when the company produces a product that doesn't work and its instruction manual is complete fiction. The Pointy-Headed Boss's reply: "Ship it and hope someone publishes a 'For Dummies' guide."
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* Fredrik K.T.Andersson, the author of ''{{Pawn}}'', in his equally NSFW gallery on Elfwood [[http://andersson.elfwood.com/Censoring-for-Dummies.3532623.html presents]] ''[[MoralGuardians Censoring]] for Dummies''.
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* In ''Discworld/{{Wintersmith}}'' one village of anti-witchcraft fanatics get their information on how to kill a witch from the ''Maganevatio Obtusis'', which the text helpfully translates as ''Witch-Hunting For Dumb People''.
to:
* In ''Discworld/{{Wintersmith}}'' one village of anti-witchcraft fanatics get their information on how to kill a witch from the ''Maganevatio Obtusis'', which the text [[FootnoteFever a footnote]] helpfully translates as ''Witch-Hunting For Dumb People''.
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*In ''Discworld/{{Wintersmith}}'' one village of anti-witchcraft fanatics get their information on how to kill a witch from the ''Maganevatio Obtusis'', which the text helpfully translates as ''Witch-Hunting For Dumb People''.
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* One of the naughty-scene-re-enactors in [[ThatGuyWithTheGlasses the Nostalgia Chick's]] review of ''{{Showgirls}}'' was reading ''Opera for Dummies'' throughout the whole thing.
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* One of the naughty-scene-re-enactors in [[ThatGuyWithTheGlasses the Nostalgia Chick's]] TheNostalgiaChick's review of ''{{Showgirls}}'' was reading ''Opera for Dummies'' throughout the whole thing.
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[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* One full book-length parody of both series was called ''Compleet Idoit's Guide for Dumies'' - misspellings theirs, and presumably intentional.
* One full book-length parody of both series was called ''Compleet Idoit's Guide for Dumies'' - misspellings theirs, and presumably intentional.
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* Roger in ''{{Foxtrot}}'' tries to buy an actual ''For Dummies'' book, but can't bring himself to pronounce the name and admit himself a "dummy."
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* Roger in ''{{Foxtrot}}'' tries to buy an actual ''For Dummies'' book, but can't bring himself to pronounce the name and admit himself a "dummy."dummy", instead asking for a book for "college-educated professionals who majored in the humanities before computers existed."
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Compare CorrespondenceCourse, its brother in self-education.
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The database hates you right now. The entry might exist or it might not exist. We would clear this mystery up for you, if we could get to the database. We tried to look it up, but the database puked up an error.
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[[quoteright:319:[[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dummies_8292.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:319:[[http://www.signgenerator.org/books/dummies/ They really do have a book for everything, don't they?]]]]
Thedatabase hates you right now. The entry might exist or it might not exist. We would clear this mystery up for you, if we could get ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Dummies For Dummies]]'' series of books is a popular way of learning just about anything, [[JustForFun/TheUniversalGenreSavvyGuide from C++ programming to Divorce Law to African-American History]], achieved by simple explanations.
As a result of their popularity, these books are often parodied, and fictional entries to thedatabase. We tried series are often conjured into existence. This is often done to look it up, show that a character knows next to nothing about a subject but is now trying to find out. They will occasionally be ludicrously specific to the task the character is attempting at the time.
Works created before the "For Dummies" series was started will use titles like "How to Do Tropes in N Easy Steps" or "You, Too, Can Trope!" or "Hey, You're not a Genius. Who Cares? Read This and You Won't Suck at X" or "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Tropes But Were Afraid to Ask." Often, titles may also parody the "Complete Idiot's Guide to _______" series as well.
Compare CorrespondenceCourse, its brother in self-education. Also compare {{Snowclone}} and TheJoyOfX, which lead to similar titling conventions.
----
!!Examples:
[[AC:FanFiction]]
* In "The Trouble With Timelines", SuzumiyaHaruhi goes searching for a missing [[MacGuffin jigsaw puzzle]] using techniques taken from a Dowsing for Dummies.
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''Film/EvanAlmighty'': God presents Evan with [[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1961597184/tt0413099 Ark Building for Dummies]].
* ''The Waterboy'' used the rival learning series "Complete Idiot's Guide" with "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Football" being read by the incompetent football coach, who is then mocked when the rival competent coach is seen reading the exact same book and laughing.
* ''BrideOfChucky'' has Tiffany resurrecting Chucky from the dead through knowledge from a "Voodoo for Dummies" book.
* [[TheMasterofDisguise The Master of Disguise]] [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MasterofDisguiseforDummies_4995.jpg for dummies.]]
* ''LooneyTunesBackInAction'' has Bugs Bunny fighting Marvin the Martian with lightsabers while Bugs reads "The Force For Dummies".
* ''{{Inspector Gadget}} 2'' had "Quantum Physics for Dimwits."
* Kirk, from ''{{Hoodwinked}}'', doesn't even know which part of an ax goes toward the wood. Fortunately, he finds a copy of ''Chopping For [[SelfDeprecation Actors]]''.
[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* One full book-length parody of both series was called ''Compleet Idoit's Guide for Dumies'' - misspellings theirs, and presumably intentional.
* In ''Discworld/{{Wintersmith}}'' one village of anti-witchcraft fanatics get their information from the ''Maganevatio Obtusis'', which [[FootnoteFever a footnote]] helpfully translates as ''Witch-Hunting For Dumb People''.
[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* In ''A Very Merry Muppet Christmas'', Daniel is given the book ''Performing Miracles for Dummies''.
* Eric of ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' defeats the witches who want to sacrifice the Hunters with the help of ''Witchcraft for Dumb-dumbs''.
* In ''CoryInTheHouse'' Cory procures a copy of "Horses for Numb-Nuts" (but with the stylized cover identical to the Dummies series).
* JD in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' reads "The Iraq War for Dummies"
** [[TakeThat "I just reached 'mission accomplished,' but there's still like 400 pages left!"]]
* In ''Series/{{Charmed}}'' season 6 episode ''"The Courtship of Wyatt's Father"'' Elder Gideon presents a page in a book titled "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Portals But Were Afraid to Ask."
* The Investigation Discovery channel has a commercial for their week of specials about {{Black Widow}}s that has a woman at the register with normal Thanksgiving stuff, but thedatabase puked last thing the cashier scans is a book called "Killing Your Husband for Dummies".
[[AC:NewspaperComics]]
* Roger in ''ComicStrip/{{Foxtrot}}'' tries to buy an actual ''For Dummies'' book, but can't bring himself to pronounce the name and admit himself a "dummy", instead asking for a book for "college-educated professionals who majored in the humanities before computers existed."
* In ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', when the company produces a product that doesn't work and its instruction manual is complete fiction. The Pointy-Headed Boss's reply: "Ship it and hope someone publishes a 'For Dummies' guide."
[[AC:TabletopRPG]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' worlds bless dummies with more literature:
** ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' has something close -- {{canon}}ically, [[FictionalDocument Volo's Guides]] are an awful mix of brilliant investigations and silly hearsay. The most infamous was "Volo's Guide to All Things Magical"[[note]] -- in free downloads [[http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13961 on Wizards' site]][[/note]], the "second edition" of which claimed that v 1.0 contained a lot of [[AnarchistCookbook recipes how to kill oneself in a funny way]] -- and so much of sensitive information that Volo hesitated to introduce himself in a hearing range of other wizards ever after, and Elminster had to personally hunt down and destroy every last copy.
** Cover art of ''d20 Modern Arcana SRD''[[note]]visible in full resolution if [[http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=18135 downloaded]] (it's free)[[/note]] from Infinite Dreamers has a horned greenish lad reading ''"[[spoiler:13 Easy Steps To Overthrow Your Demonic Master]]"'', with a readable annotation traditional for this sort of literature on its back cover.
[[AC:VideoGames]]
* The [[BribingYourWayToVictory somewhat free]] MMO {{Roblox}} once had a hat for sale with the title ''Quantum Thermodynamics for Dummies''. It was, indeed, a "For Dummies"-style book that could be worn as a hat (just a mesh, though, so you couldn't read it or anything...).
* VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac features the "Telepathy For Dummies" power-up, granting homing tears for a single room upon use.
* The {{Interactive Fiction}} game ''Unraveling God'' had a bookshelf which, along with a couple more serious-sounding books, sported a copy of ''Cellular Molecular Biology for Dummies, Volume 1''.
[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' has "Data Structures for Assholes", which parodies many of the elements associated with programming manuals that bill themselves as accessible to the novice: [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=002291 lengthy explanations of simple topics, clip art, diagrams...]]
** Rose also mentions getting ''Knitting for Assholes'' after getting her yarn and knitting needles from John as a birthday gift.
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Vaarsuvius is looking for a way to regain spellcasting power without sleeping, due to a recurring nightmare. The rules of the OOTS universe says a spellcaster needs to ''rest'' rather than ''sleep'' to regain spells, so Vaarsuvius needs something not mentally taxing that would still help his/her ongoing research into finding Haley. ''[[TakeThat Finding Plot Holes]] [[FanDumb for Dummies]]'' does the trick.
** Also, Xykon's line from ''Start of Darkness'': "This magic is in my bones, not cribbed off of ''Magic for Dummies''."
* ''WebComic/EightBitTheater'' has ''[[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2009/02/26/episode-1099-more-like-borrissey/ Necromantic Arts for Dummies]]''.
* Slackerz has a great example. One of the characters attempted to program his own game called Matt's Kickass Game for Winners (a reference to VideoGame/StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople) However, he knows absolutely nothing about programming. So he consults a regular programming book, a For Dummies book, and a book called [[SesameStreet Grover's Magical C++ Garden]]. (He even denounces that as too difficult.)
* ''Webcomic/UserFriendly'' - [[http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=19980726 Evil Geniuses for Dummies]]. ''Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell'' later became the title of the second print collection.
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' presents: "[[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030519 Advanced mechanics for the mad]]".
* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' once had Grace reading "[[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-12-05 Untying Knots For Squirrels]]" as a gag in a storyline cover.
* ''YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic'' has "[[http://yafgc.net/?id=248 Dimensional Doors for Dummies]]".
* ''[[http://www.yip.org/dosmoron.html DOS For Complete and Utter Morons, Like You, Fuckhead]]''
* ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'' has "War for Dummies" in its [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=1556 bestseller list]]. Also, Lil' E used "[[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2904 Black Magic for Dummies]]" to summon a savage demon {{hellhound}} (for dummies). Later he reads "[[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4291 World Domination Manual]]".
* ''Webcomic/{{Bug}}'' has "[[http://www.bugcomic.com/comics/read-between-the-whines/ The Complete Idiot's Guide to Musical Belching]]".
* ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'' got "[[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20090315 Gothic Romance For Dummies]]".
* In ''Webcomic/KevinAndKell'' when Ralph started programming he tried "For Dummies", "The Complete Idiot's Guide", and finally "For Ralph Dewclaw". Surprisingly he proved rather competent.
* ''{{Webcomic/Roommates}}''' in world books series is "[[TheWikiRule Wiki]]'s _____ for Beginners" for example "[[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-309-Astronomy-362859230 Wiki's Astronomy for Beginners]]".
[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* ''The Emperor's New Clones'', the second StarWars parody from BackyardProductions, features Vader reading "The Dark Side for Dummies", and Han Solo's father checking "The Star Wars Guide to Techno-Babble".
* One of the naughty-scene-re-enactors in WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick's review of ''{{Showgirls}}'' was reading ''Opera for Dummies'' throughout the whole thing.
* Fredrik K.T.Andersson, the author of ''{{Pawn}}'', in his equally NSFW gallery on Elfwood [[http://andersson.elfwood.com/Censoring-for-Dummies.3532623.html presents]]: ''[[MoralGuardians Censoring]] for Dummies''.
* In ''WebVideo/SuburbanKnights'', Ma-Ti showed up with a book to help 8-Bit Mickey's problem. It's "Goatf*cking for Dummies".
[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' has a whole bookstore shelf full of "...for Blockheads" books.
* ''MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers'' has Goofy reading a ''Complete Idiot's Guide''.
* On WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons: MobyDick for Dummies.
-->'''Bart:''' ''Call me Ishmael, Dummy!''
** FridgeBrilliance: For Dummies and Cliffs Notes have the same publisher.
** One episode has Homer going to a book fair, with anerror.entire ''library'' of Books for Dummies where he is quite at home.
* MegasXLR with ''The Complete Moron's Guide To Picking Up Space Chicks''.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} [[ChristmasSpecial the Halls]]'' with "Christmas For Village Idiots".
* ''"Astrophysics for Morons"'' from the ''"Shelf Life"'' episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents''.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'', in episode "Rodeo Daze", has a book titled ''How to Open Things''. Spongebob can't open Sandy's door, but Patrick brings out the book. It conveniently has a whole page about Sandy's door. Also, Spongebob claims to have seen TheFilmOfTheBook of ''How to Open Things''.
----
[[caption-width-right:319:[[http://www.signgenerator.org/books/dummies/ They really do have a book for everything, don't they?]]]]
The
As a result of their popularity, these books are often parodied, and fictional entries to the
Works created before the "For Dummies" series was started will use titles like "How to Do Tropes in N Easy Steps" or "You, Too, Can Trope!" or "Hey, You're not a Genius. Who Cares? Read This and You Won't Suck at X" or "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Tropes But Were Afraid to Ask." Often, titles may also parody the "Complete Idiot's Guide to _______" series as well.
Compare CorrespondenceCourse, its brother in self-education. Also compare {{Snowclone}} and TheJoyOfX, which lead to similar titling conventions.
----
!!Examples:
[[AC:FanFiction]]
* In "The Trouble With Timelines", SuzumiyaHaruhi goes searching for a missing [[MacGuffin jigsaw puzzle]] using techniques taken from a Dowsing for Dummies.
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''Film/EvanAlmighty'': God presents Evan with [[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1961597184/tt0413099 Ark Building for Dummies]].
* ''The Waterboy'' used the rival learning series "Complete Idiot's Guide" with "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Football" being read by the incompetent football coach, who is then mocked when the rival competent coach is seen reading the exact same book and laughing.
* ''BrideOfChucky'' has Tiffany resurrecting Chucky from the dead through knowledge from a "Voodoo for Dummies" book.
* [[TheMasterofDisguise The Master of Disguise]] [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MasterofDisguiseforDummies_4995.jpg for dummies.]]
* ''LooneyTunesBackInAction'' has Bugs Bunny fighting Marvin the Martian with lightsabers while Bugs reads "The Force For Dummies".
* ''{{Inspector Gadget}} 2'' had "Quantum Physics for Dimwits."
* Kirk, from ''{{Hoodwinked}}'', doesn't even know which part of an ax goes toward the wood. Fortunately, he finds a copy of ''Chopping For [[SelfDeprecation Actors]]''.
[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* One full book-length parody of both series was called ''Compleet Idoit's Guide for Dumies'' - misspellings theirs, and presumably intentional.
* In ''Discworld/{{Wintersmith}}'' one village of anti-witchcraft fanatics get their information from the ''Maganevatio Obtusis'', which [[FootnoteFever a footnote]] helpfully translates as ''Witch-Hunting For Dumb People''.
[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* In ''A Very Merry Muppet Christmas'', Daniel is given the book ''Performing Miracles for Dummies''.
* Eric of ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' defeats the witches who want to sacrifice the Hunters with the help of ''Witchcraft for Dumb-dumbs''.
* In ''CoryInTheHouse'' Cory procures a copy of "Horses for Numb-Nuts" (but with the stylized cover identical to the Dummies series).
* JD in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' reads "The Iraq War for Dummies"
** [[TakeThat "I just reached 'mission accomplished,' but there's still like 400 pages left!"]]
* In ''Series/{{Charmed}}'' season 6 episode ''"The Courtship of Wyatt's Father"'' Elder Gideon presents a page in a book titled "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Portals But Were Afraid to Ask."
* The Investigation Discovery channel has a commercial for their week of specials about {{Black Widow}}s that has a woman at the register with normal Thanksgiving stuff, but the
[[AC:NewspaperComics]]
* Roger in ''ComicStrip/{{Foxtrot}}'' tries to buy an actual ''For Dummies'' book, but can't bring himself to pronounce the name and admit himself a "dummy", instead asking for a book for "college-educated professionals who majored in the humanities before computers existed."
* In ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', when the company produces a product that doesn't work and its instruction manual is complete fiction. The Pointy-Headed Boss's reply: "Ship it and hope someone publishes a 'For Dummies' guide."
[[AC:TabletopRPG]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' worlds bless dummies with more literature:
** ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' has something close -- {{canon}}ically, [[FictionalDocument Volo's Guides]] are an awful mix of brilliant investigations and silly hearsay. The most infamous was "Volo's Guide to All Things Magical"[[note]] -- in free downloads [[http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13961 on Wizards' site]][[/note]], the "second edition" of which claimed that v 1.0 contained a lot of [[AnarchistCookbook recipes how to kill oneself in a funny way]] -- and so much of sensitive information that Volo hesitated to introduce himself in a hearing range of other wizards ever after, and Elminster had to personally hunt down and destroy every last copy.
** Cover art of ''d20 Modern Arcana SRD''[[note]]visible in full resolution if [[http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=18135 downloaded]] (it's free)[[/note]] from Infinite Dreamers has a horned greenish lad reading ''"[[spoiler:13 Easy Steps To Overthrow Your Demonic Master]]"'', with a readable annotation traditional for this sort of literature on its back cover.
[[AC:VideoGames]]
* The [[BribingYourWayToVictory somewhat free]] MMO {{Roblox}} once had a hat for sale with the title ''Quantum Thermodynamics for Dummies''. It was, indeed, a "For Dummies"-style book that could be worn as a hat (just a mesh, though, so you couldn't read it or anything...).
* VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac features the "Telepathy For Dummies" power-up, granting homing tears for a single room upon use.
* The {{Interactive Fiction}} game ''Unraveling God'' had a bookshelf which, along with a couple more serious-sounding books, sported a copy of ''Cellular Molecular Biology for Dummies, Volume 1''.
[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' has "Data Structures for Assholes", which parodies many of the elements associated with programming manuals that bill themselves as accessible to the novice: [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=002291 lengthy explanations of simple topics, clip art, diagrams...]]
** Rose also mentions getting ''Knitting for Assholes'' after getting her yarn and knitting needles from John as a birthday gift.
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Vaarsuvius is looking for a way to regain spellcasting power without sleeping, due to a recurring nightmare. The rules of the OOTS universe says a spellcaster needs to ''rest'' rather than ''sleep'' to regain spells, so Vaarsuvius needs something not mentally taxing that would still help his/her ongoing research into finding Haley. ''[[TakeThat Finding Plot Holes]] [[FanDumb for Dummies]]'' does the trick.
** Also, Xykon's line from ''Start of Darkness'': "This magic is in my bones, not cribbed off of ''Magic for Dummies''."
* ''WebComic/EightBitTheater'' has ''[[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2009/02/26/episode-1099-more-like-borrissey/ Necromantic Arts for Dummies]]''.
* Slackerz has a great example. One of the characters attempted to program his own game called Matt's Kickass Game for Winners (a reference to VideoGame/StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople) However, he knows absolutely nothing about programming. So he consults a regular programming book, a For Dummies book, and a book called [[SesameStreet Grover's Magical C++ Garden]]. (He even denounces that as too difficult.)
* ''Webcomic/UserFriendly'' - [[http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=19980726 Evil Geniuses for Dummies]]. ''Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell'' later became the title of the second print collection.
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' presents: "[[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030519 Advanced mechanics for the mad]]".
* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' once had Grace reading "[[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-12-05 Untying Knots For Squirrels]]" as a gag in a storyline cover.
* ''YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic'' has "[[http://yafgc.net/?id=248 Dimensional Doors for Dummies]]".
* ''[[http://www.yip.org/dosmoron.html DOS For Complete and Utter Morons, Like You, Fuckhead]]''
* ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'' has "War for Dummies" in its [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=1556 bestseller list]]. Also, Lil' E used "[[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2904 Black Magic for Dummies]]" to summon a savage demon {{hellhound}} (for dummies). Later he reads "[[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4291 World Domination Manual]]".
* ''Webcomic/{{Bug}}'' has "[[http://www.bugcomic.com/comics/read-between-the-whines/ The Complete Idiot's Guide to Musical Belching]]".
* ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'' got "[[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20090315 Gothic Romance For Dummies]]".
* In ''Webcomic/KevinAndKell'' when Ralph started programming he tried "For Dummies", "The Complete Idiot's Guide", and finally "For Ralph Dewclaw". Surprisingly he proved rather competent.
* ''{{Webcomic/Roommates}}''' in world books series is "[[TheWikiRule Wiki]]'s _____ for Beginners" for example "[[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-309-Astronomy-362859230 Wiki's Astronomy for Beginners]]".
[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* ''The Emperor's New Clones'', the second StarWars parody from BackyardProductions, features Vader reading "The Dark Side for Dummies", and Han Solo's father checking "The Star Wars Guide to Techno-Babble".
* One of the naughty-scene-re-enactors in WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick's review of ''{{Showgirls}}'' was reading ''Opera for Dummies'' throughout the whole thing.
* Fredrik K.T.Andersson, the author of ''{{Pawn}}'', in his equally NSFW gallery on Elfwood [[http://andersson.elfwood.com/Censoring-for-Dummies.3532623.html presents]]: ''[[MoralGuardians Censoring]] for Dummies''.
* In ''WebVideo/SuburbanKnights'', Ma-Ti showed up with a book to help 8-Bit Mickey's problem. It's "Goatf*cking for Dummies".
[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' has a whole bookstore shelf full of "...for Blockheads" books.
* ''MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers'' has Goofy reading a ''Complete Idiot's Guide''.
* On WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons: MobyDick for Dummies.
-->'''Bart:''' ''Call me Ishmael, Dummy!''
** FridgeBrilliance: For Dummies and Cliffs Notes have the same publisher.
** One episode has Homer going to a book fair, with an
* MegasXLR with ''The Complete Moron's Guide To Picking Up Space Chicks''.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} [[ChristmasSpecial the Halls]]'' with "Christmas For Village Idiots".
* ''"Astrophysics for Morons"'' from the ''"Shelf Life"'' episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents''.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'', in episode "Rodeo Daze", has a book titled ''How to Open Things''. Spongebob can't open Sandy's door, but Patrick brings out the book. It conveniently has a whole page about Sandy's door. Also, Spongebob claims to have seen TheFilmOfTheBook of ''How to Open Things''.
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