History Main / WisdomFromTheGutter

* In the film version of ''Film/{{Rent}}'', a homeless woman whom Mark is filming for his "movie" gets angry at him and points out in no uncertain terms that he's selfishly exploiting her misfortune for his own ego and benefit without actually doing anything that would legitimately aid her. While he does seem to feel some guilt in the moment, the core point she's trying to make, that misfortune isn't artistic and treating it as such doesn't help those suffering, goes over his head as he shifts from the homeless to his friends battling HIV/AIDS.

* Comedian Kat Williams claims he never expected to learn anything from someone wearing a viking helmet and a giant clock pendant with the wrong time on it until Flava Flav said, "Who cares what they say about me [at the roast]? THEY GOT TO PAY ME, BOY-EE!"

* In Literature/TheBible, many of the prophets were wilderness-dwelling wild men seen as [[MadOracle]]s by their peers.

* ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon'': Ichiban, proves capable of supplying this when circumstances force him into local politics. In spite of being a homeless ex-yakuza who is just out after serving an 18-year stretch for murder, he manages to debate the [[FictionalPoliticalParty Citizen's Liberal Party]] candidate to a standstill, and deliver a passionate defense of the rights of the homeless, sex workers, illegal immigrants and other marginalized groups that goes viral almost immediately.

* Subverted in ''Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic: The Second Raid'' when a floozy Kaname-look-alike gives Sousuke some very bad advice (mixed in with a few minuscule truths). Furthermore two episodes later Sousuke is spouting the wisdom of ''Gauron''! HeroicBSOD is not fun.

* ''ComicBook/BatmanRIP'' had an amnesiac Bruce Wayne receive guidance (and a [[ChekhovsGun Chekov's Gun]]) from a homeless man, or quite possibly said homeless man's ghost. He also receives helpful advice from a drug-induced hallucination Bat-Mite.

[[folder:Fan Fics]]

* Tieragon of Redern, the main protagonist of Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs, is so wise and so charismatic that his commanding general in the army often consulted him in matters of tactics and tried to convince him to stay on as a trainer for new recruits when it was time for him to retire, the eldest members of his home town treat him as their intellectual peer despite being less than half their age, and the freaking king of the country the book is based in came to him for advice on many subjects while he was in prison. All despite the fact he was born the son of a baker, and retired to the life of a farmer after he was done being in the military.

* In ''WebComic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', the Doctor got advice from a frozen turkey. That should be unsuspecting enough.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'': In the episode ''Him Diddle Riddle'' the girls must solve [[{{Satan}} Him's]] riddles to save the [[DistressedDude kidnapped Professor]]. Him's final riddle is [[NintendoHard ridiculously difficult]], but [[DeusExMachina luckily]], The Mayor ([[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} yes]], ''[[TheDitz THAT]]'' [[TheDitz Mayor]]) appears and explains the answer with ease. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Cue the girls exchanging blank glances]].

'''Chaplain:''' [[WhatAnIdiot Uh... he was a teacher, a good man...]]\\

* John the Baptist was known for wearing a camel pelt and eating locusts.

* A quest in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' involves finding out who sold Boone's wife into slavery. One of the most useful sources in the quest is No-Bark Noonan, the local insane man who tells you exactly who did it: [[spoiler:the motel owner]]. Although he thinks the wife who disappeared was kidnapped by Mole people who wanted to steal her hair and that there's an invisible chupacabra with a spinning blunderbuss raoming through town (a major clue to an unmarked quest), he's still of more use in the quest than ''any other person in town.''

See also DumbassHasAPoint, JerkassHasAPoint, SimplemindedWisdom. If the source of wisdom isn't just poor, but also oppressed, uneducated, and/or mentally challenged, it may be a WhoopiEpiphanySpeech. Compare ArmorPiercingResponse when it's the response, rather than the responder, that is shocking.

See also DumbassHasAPoint and JerkassHasAPoint. If the source of wisdom isn't just poor, but also oppressed, uneducated, and/or mentally challenged, it may be a WhoopiEpiphanySpeech. Compare ArmorPiercingResponse when it's the response, rather than the responder, that is shocking.

[[folder:Theatre]]
* In ''Theatre/YesVirginiaTheMusical'', Scraggly Santa is responsible for both pointing Virginia in the right direction in her quest to prove Santa Claus is real, but also plants the seeds for Frank Church to give her a positive answer in the interest of inspiring.

** Then again, not necessarily so surprising, considering he has [[WorldOfCardboardSpeech "seen the fall of empires and the murder of millions"]], [[http://www.misfile.com/?date=2008-05-08 as suggested here]]. Problem is, he's still a lazy bum.

* [[TheStoner Rumisiel]] in ''Webcomic/{{Misfile}}'' is usually surprisingly accurate when he's commenting on human nature, so much so you might be excused wondering if he [[ObfuscatingStupidity really is that daft]]. [[http://www.misfile.com/?date=2005-08-26 Exhibit A]] and [[http://www.misfile.com/?date=2008-06-02 Exhibit B]].

* {{SelfDemonstrating/Deadpool}} once got a pep talk from [[PsychoForHire Bullseye!]]

* Similarly PlayedForLaughs in ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd's'' review of ''Life of Black Tiger'' when Fred Fucks gives some unsurprisingly wise, if {{Family Unfriendly|Aesop}}, advice:

* The [[http://randomactsofshark.blogspot.com/ The Obamadämmerung]] plays with this by turning the concept just as EPIC as it turns the rest of the 2008 election.

* A quest in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' involves finding out who sold Boone's wife into slavery. One of the most useful sources in the quest is the local insane man who tells you exactly who did it. Although he thinks the wife who disappeared was kidnapped by Mole people who wanted to steal her hair, he's still of more use in the quest than ''any other person in town.''

* Bourbon in ''VideoGame/Metro2033'' is more crooked than a dog's hind leg and deals with every shady character of the setting, but every single bit of advice about how to deal with the environment he gives you is legit.

* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', Inosuke who had been pretty oblivious, borderline insensitive early on, till then on how to react to death happening around him due living like a WildChild alone in the mountains, stepped up to give a pretty rousing speech once [[spoiler:Kyoujurou died against Akaza, Tanjiro was feeling devastated over his death, thinking Kyoujurou lost only because he had to look out for hunters weaker than him and all 200 passagers on the train, Tanjiro thought it would have been better if he died instead of Kyoujurou; Inosuke steps up, telling Tanjiro to remember Kyoujurou's words of trust towards them, he trusted that all three boys will become great hunters even better than he was, so Tanjiro shouldn't ever think about dying, it would invalidate all hopes for the future placed on him]].

* ''VideoGame/WolfensteinTheNewOrder'''s Max Haus is a victim of Nazi experiments with lobotomy, and his intelligence is visibly stunted as a result[note]All his attempts to write and talk end in PokemonSpeak[/note]. This does not stop him from solving philosophical questions at a glance or beating Set Roth, the most intelligent person in Blazkowitz' party, at ''chess''.

** In ''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'', A creepy teenager obsessed with SerialKiller's, so much so that the detectives first suspect him of being the one they're looking for, ultimately gives them the advice they need to catch the elusive killer by telling them he likes to keep trophies and even gives them a hint on where to look. They figure it out.

* In the film version of ''Theater/{{Rent}}'', a homeless woman whom Mark is filming for his "movie" gets angry at him and points out in no uncertain terms that he's selfishly exploiting her misfortune for his own ego and benefit without actually doing anything that would legitimately aid her. While he does seem to feel some guilt in the moment, the core point she's trying to make, that misfortune isn't artistic and treating it as such doesn't help those suffering, goes over his head as he shifts from the homeless to his friends battling HIV/AIDS.

* In the film version of ''Theater/[[Rent]]'', a homeless woman whom Mark is filming for his "movie" gets angry at him and points out in no uncertain terms that he's selfishly exploiting her misfortune for his own ego and benefit without actually doing anything that would legitimately aid her. While he does seem to feel some guilt in the moment, the core point she's trying to make, that misfortune isn't artistic and treating it as such doesn't help those suffering, goes over his head as he shifts from the homeless to his friends battling HIV/AIDS.