History Main / PopularIsDumb

* In the ''Series/ColdCase'' episode "Stand Up And Holler", the VictimOfTheWeek begins slacking off in class in order to fit in with the popular girls.

** Averted with Libby, who was cunning and quite intelligent, albeit not to Sabrina's level.

* ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'': Sabrina's college roommate Morgan is a good example, being both tremendously dim and very popular.

See also: AlphaBitch, BeautyIsBad, TheCheerleader, JerkJock, TheDitz, TheBrainlessBeauty. Compare PopularIsEvil, which can overlap, but mean and stupid are two different things. This is often the cause of FutureLoser. The counterpart of this trope is IntelligenceEqualsIsolation. These two tropes often coexist in the same universe because they hinge on the same principle.

** Marissa is implied of this, She's popular but a total airhead, she's kind of cool of having C's and D's in her report card. Averted, she gets help by Lane with her project and her homework. But She's still a dumbass in the popular clique.

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' is an aversion, as she is a popular cheerleader and gets good grades. Her rival Bonnie seems to be a close second in popularity, but while she's obviously not as intelligent as Kim, she isn't exactly dumb either--she has more average intelligence at best (although she did once mistakenly call Cincinnati a country).

* Most who are popular in ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan''. Played for laughs when Peter is forced to tutor [[DefrostingIceQueen Liz Allen]] in order to raise her grades

* Mandy in ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies''. It was always implied that she did poorly in school, such as failing chemistry, and at one point in the fourth season, got ''straight F's'' on her report card [[spoiler:which got mixed up with [[TomboyWithAGirlyStreak Alex's]] report card, which had A's and B's]].

See also: AlphaBitch, BeautyIsBad, TheCheerleader, JerkJock, TheDitz, TheBrainlessBeauty. This is often the cause of FutureLoser. The counterpart of this trope is IntelligenceEqualsIsolation. These two tropes often coexist in the same universe because they hinge on the same principle.

* Cheerleader of ''WebAnimation/TeenGirlSquad'', a spin-off of sorts of ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner''. While the entire group is [[TooDumbToLive too dumb to live]] and all have multiple gory on-screen deaths, Cheerleader is dumber than at least her "pity friend," What's her face, who is unpopular and shows a glimmer of intelligence. She has been described as merely "acting like" a cheerleader, ie. like an Alpha Bitch, so there's that aspect to her as well.
* A one-time example from ''WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail'' is a 5th grade boy named Gene, who looks almost exactly like Strong Bad himself. Gene is popular but gets bad grades in school, such as a G- on one of his tests.

* The full trope is explained in “WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo”. Robin explains that your level of knowledge does have an effect on your popularity, using himself and the team, minus Starfire, as examples. Cyborg and Beast Boy know virtually nothing, and everyone loves them, a comment which they are flattered by, despite practically being called idiots. Robin has average intelligence, and average popularity to match. Raven has a vast amount of knowledge, and is regarded as a bummer by her peers.

-->--'''Lisa Simpson''', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "Bart of Darkness"

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* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Bart of Darkness", the family gets a pool and Lisa instantly becomes popular; when her brain points out that they're just using her, she delivers the page quote. At the end of the episode, the kids abandon Lisa because Martin built an even larger pool, leaving her stranded at the bottom of a now-empty pool.

* ''Series/SabrinatheTeenageWitch'': Sabrina's college roommate Morgan is a good example, being both tremendously dim and very popular.

->''"Shut up brain! I got friends now, I don't need you anymore!"''

A particularly common trope in movies and television shows made during the '80s and early/mid 90's. It still crops up from time to time but with much less frequency than before due to such cultural changes as the mainstream acceptance of nerd culture and the dawning of the digital age.

See also: AlphaBitch, BeautyIsBad, TheCheerleader, JerkJock, TheDitz, TheBrainlessBeauty. This is often the cause of FutureLoser. The counter part of this tropes is IntelligenceEqualsIsolation. These two tropes often coexist in the same universe because they hinge on the same principle.

* ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' gives us STEVE HOLT!!! who has had to retake his final year of school twice.

* Webcomic/OzyAndMillie plays with this in an AndIMustScream-ish way. It's implied that Felicia actually has normal intellegence, but has to constantly play dumb because her friends would see her as a nerd if they found out she wasn't as shallow as them.

When a character is a JerkJock, AlphaBitch, or member of the GirlPosse, they'll likely be beautiful, rich, and, to a certain extent at least, charismatic enough to be envied by many of their schoolmates. However, at the same time, they're typically depicted as being unintelligent--sometimes to the point of TooDumbToLive--but rarely seem to suffer the ill effects of this as they are either:

Unlike DumbIsGood, this is an example of the dim bulbs on a show being the mean ones. The exception to this is when the cool kids are seen as nice, where if this trope is in play they'll become TheDitz, or TheBrainlessBeauty (though a mean popular kid could be a BrainlessBeauty too). This is a trope that rarely shows up in anime, because in anime the popular kids tend to be intelligent, unrealistically beautiful, aloof and [[LonersAreFreaks wouldn't be popular]] in the [[ValuesDissonance real life Western World.]]

A particularly common trope in movies and television shows made during the 80's and early/mid 90's. It still crops up from time to time but with much less frequency than before due to such cultural changes as the mainstream acceptance of nerd culture and the dawning of the digital age.

* ''Film/MeanGirls''. None of the Plastics (the clique of the most popular girls in school) seem overly intelligent, with Karen in particular being an outright airhead. Even Regina, the arrogant and ultra-powerful AlphaBitch, turns out to be pretty easy to manipulate (though calling her "dumb" as such is probably going too far, and once she realises what is going on she has a trick or two of her own up her sleeve).

* Averted in the Kate Brian novel, '''''[[http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweet-16-kate-brian/1100363242?ean=9781416900337 Sweet 16]]'''''. The main character, [[ItsAllAboutMe an egocentric]], [[SpoiledBrat spoiled]] [[RichBitch rich snob]] named Teagan Phillips, is said to be a straight-A student ''and'' one of the most popular girls at her ultra-exclusive private school. Teagan [[HeelFaceTurn learns to be]] a kinder and friendlier person [[HeelRealization after realizing how her life would end up if she didn't change her ways]]--thanks to being visited by [[FutureLoser the ghost of her future self]].

** Cordelia's follower Harmony on the other hand is genuinely dumb.

* Initially played straight on ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle''--the normal kids keep several metres away from the gifted kids at all times, and the most popular kids aren't all that bright. A later episode [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] this when Malcolm met a another gifted boy who was the most popular person in his school and was invited to several parties a week. Also, as time went on, Reese, the stupidest boy in the school, ended up even less popular than Malcolm.
** Got subverted in another episode, when Malcolm started dating a popular girl whose biggest secret was that she was quite smart and actually enjoyed studying. However played straight as the main reason she acts like an Air Head is to stay with the popular crowd.

* Holly Fischer from ''Series/TheOC'' (especially in her later appearances when she is leader of a pack of young brides and very much the stereotypical [[TheBrainlessBeauty Brainless Beauty]]). To a lesser extent Luke Ward, though he was a bit deeper than the usual JerkJock. Summer Roberts very much fitted this trope at the start of the series, but evolved into more of a GeniusDitz as the show progressed.

* Subverted in ''Webcomic/PennyAndAggie''. Turns out Penny is just as smart as Aggie--giving Aggie another reason to hate her, since she doesn't use her influence in the way Aggie thinks she should.

* Averted with [[AlphaBitch Nina Harper]] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Braceface}}'', who's not only the most popular girl in her grade, but is also one of the top students.

** This is also subverted by Jodie Landon and Mack Mackenzie; the former is most likely the most popular girl in Lawndale High and the latter is the captain of the football team, and they're two of the smartest and most well-adjusted characters in the series. Played much straighter with Brittany and Kevin, though. Though even Brittany shows alarming tactical knowledge and scheming ability when the situation calls for it or she's sufficiantly provoked.

* ''WesternAnimation/LesSisters'': Inverted. Rachel and Wendy, who are the most popular girls at their school, are actually much smarter than those around them (though Wendy does occasionally do some idiotic things).

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' is a subversion, as she is both [[TheSmartGuy the smartest]] ''and'' [[LovableAlphaBitch most popular girl in school]]. Her rival Bonnie seems to be a close second in popularity, but while she's obviously not as intelligent as Kim, she isn't exactly dumb either--she has more average intelligence at best (although she did once mistakenly call Cincinnati a country).

It has been noted that generally, popular people actually have an about average amount of intelligence in their population as any group of people. Some are blindingly stupid, but some are actually smart. It also should be noted that generally, while some popular people are cruel and exclusive, some actually are nice people. (One wonders how a total bitch/[[MagnificentBastard bastard]] would ''get'' to be popular.)

* Solange, of the WhateleyUniverse. On the other hand, Kodiak, the new head of the Alphas, is turning out to be a lot smarter than anyone thought.