History Website / DarwinAwards

* CripplingCastration: The one outcome other than death that can serve as a qualification for an award. Self-inflicted attacks of this type are the general cause of a person exiting the gene pool without exiting this mortal coil. [[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2007-07.html Here]] [[http://darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid1998-10.html and here]] are just two of a fairly large number of examples.

* CripplingCastration: The other eligibility condition aside from death. Self-inflicted attacks of this type are the general cause of a person exiting the gene pool without exiting this mortal coil. [[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2007-07.html Here]] [[http://darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid1998-10.html and here]] are just two of a fairly large number of examples.

* UrbanLegends: Sometimes end up being submitted by people who mistake them as true, though they're almost always proven false if they are. This includes one of the most popular Darwin Awards, [[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-04.html the famous JATO story]], which was so popular that the {{series/Mythbusters}} did ''three'' shows involving it, two of which were made after it was pretty widely known to be an Urban Legend (though admittedly the reason there are three is that the second one ended with the car [[EpicFail blowing up as the test began]]. The third was successfully excecuted).

* UrbanLegends: Sometimes end up being submitted by people who mistake them as true, though they're almost always proven false if they are. This includes one of the most popular Darwin Awards, [[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-04.html the famous JATO story]], which was so popular that the series/Mythbusters did ''three'' shows involving it, two of which were made after it was pretty widely known to be an Urban Legend (though admittedly the reason there are three is that the second one ended with the car [[EpicFail blowing up as the test began]]. The third was successfully excecuted).

* UrbanLegends: Sometimes end up being submitted by people who mistake them as true, though they're almost always proven false if they are. This includes one of the most popular Darwin Awards, [[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-04.html the famous JATO story]], which was so popular that the series/{{Mythbusters}} did ''three'' shows involving it, two of which were made after it was pretty widely known to be an Urban Legend (though admittedly the reason there are three is that the second one ended with the car [[EpicFail blowing up as the test began]]. The third was successfully excecuted).

* UrbanLegends: Sometimes end up being submitted by people who mistake them as true, though they're almost always proven false if they are. This includes one of the most popular Darwin Awards, [[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-04.html the famous JATO story]], which was so popular that the {{Mythbusters}} did ''three'' shows involving it, two of which were made after it was pretty widely known to be an Urban Legend (though admittedly the reason there are three is that the second one ended with the car [[EpicFail blowing up as the test began]]. The third was successfully excecuted).

* UrbanLegends: Sometimes end up being submitted by people who mistake them as true, though they're almost always proven false if they are. This includes one of the most popular Darwin Awards, [[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-04.html the famous JATO story.]]

** The moron who decided the best way to determine whether a grizzly bear in a zoo was male or female was by entering its enclosure and [[GroinAttack kicking it between the legs]]. The bear turned out to be male (and needless to say, reacted in much the same way the male of any species would to that particular injury).

* ImprovisedZipline: One award winner decided to use a karabiner clip to slide done the cable of a disused chairlift. Too late he discovered that he had no way to arrest his acceleration and no to disengage himself from the karabiner. He collided fatally with a pylon. Prefaced by the FamousLastWords "Hey, watch this!"

* ImprovisedZipline: One award winner decided to use a karabiner clip to slide done the cable of a disused chairlift. Too late he discovered that he had no way to arrest his acceleration and now to disengage himself from the karabiner. He collided fatally with a pylon. Prefaced by the FamousLastWords "Hey, watch this!"

* MileHighClub: [[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1994-19.html Two pilots]] decided to have sex in the cockpit of the plane they were flying. It worked out about as well as you'd expect.

* EpicFail: Whatever it was they were trying to do, it ended up in their deaths

** The moron who decided the best way to determine whether a grizzly bear in a zoo was male or female was by entering its enclosure and [[GroinAttack kicking it between the legs]]. The bear turned out to be male (and needless to say, [[BerserkButton reacted in much the same way the male of any species would to that particular injury]]).

*** Extra stupid points allocated considering that the end would still be the same (if arguably potentially less gruesome) if they had jumped in an enclosure with a perfectly domesticated guard dog that was as unfamiliar with them as the tiger was.

* OutWithABang: Considered textbook examples since the victims are stopped from procreating while making the attempt. [[http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2003-04.html Like so.]] \

* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: For example, [[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2010-06.html in a car parked the middle of a highway, at night][. Or in a [phttp://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-08.htmlrunning hearse inside a garage][. Or [phttp://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2007-05.html on a steep rooftop.][ Or p[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2000-21.html in a moving car while driving at high speeds]], or a moving plane while piloting (see below).

* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: For example, [http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2010-06.html in a car parked the middle of a highway, at night]. Or in a [http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-08.htmlrunning hearse inside a garage]. Or [http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2007-05.html on a steep rooftop.] Or [http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2000-21.html in a move car while driving], or a moving plane while piloting (see below).

* OutWithABang: Considered textbook examples since the victims are stopped from procreating while making the attempt. [[http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2003-04.html Like so.]]

* DeathByIrony: Protesting motorcycle helmet laws, an Onondaga, NY man was participating in a bare-noggin protest ride when he was killed via flipping over the handlebars.[[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2011-03.html Read about it here.]]

* ConsolationWorldRecord: A great many winners were ''trying'' to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. Instead they kill or neutered themselves and ended up here.

* TelevisionIsTryingToKillUs: Many Darwin Award winners have died attempting to re-enact things they saw on TV.

** As well as many of the Award "winners", founder Wendy Northcutt considers herself a klutz and a "potential Darwin Award candidate", which would be this trope (and cruelly ironic) if it happens.[[http://www.darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid2009-11.html She's come close.]]

* IJustShotMarvinInTheFace: Naturally, irresponsible use of firearms is an extremely common way for people to get themselves killed or injured, normally by geniuses deciding that James Yeager is right and that instead of checking their weapons normally by working the action, that the best way to determine if a gun is safe or not is to point it at themselves and pull the trigger!: see [[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2000-45.html here,]] [[http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1994-10.html here]] and [[http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1994-07.html here]] for just a few examples.

[[caption-width-right:345:Even [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Wile E. Coyote]] wouldn't do that. [[note]] [[ComicallyMissingThePoint He would cut from the other end]]. [[CartoonPhysics The branch would then stay and the tree would plummet.]] [[/note]][[note]]Also see Ralph Wolf.[[/note]]]]

* Darwin Award winners: Those killed or unable to reproduce [[note]]Also occasionally includes people who are in jail for life or other long settings for similar reasons[[/note]]. Further being classed as;

** Unconfirmed by Darwin: Unable to find reliable sources however not proved to be false.

* [[strike:Honorable Mentions]] At Risk Survivors: Those that did their idiotic best to kill or sterilize themselves yet defied the odds and failed to do so.

See also ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie'', which is based on a similar premise (the major difference is that ''1000 Ways To Die'' doesn't really care about the death being due to stupidity [[CruelAndUnusualDeath if it's spectacular enough]].)

'''NOTE:''' People who take out innocents in the process of removing themselves from the gene pool are expressly disqualified from Darwin Awards consideration by the website, thus '''instantly''' disqualifying all drunk drivers if they hit someone. (This rule was not in the first version of their ruleset, thus some of the early Darwin Awards did mention the death or injury of bystanders) This rule has its own exception, namely: if anyone in their right mind would flee the area if they saw what the contender was doing, and a bystander stays to watch, then the contender can still get nominated on the grounds that the bystander will probably also get nominated. People with mental disorders are also disqualified as Wendy sees these deaths as tragic. Youths under the age of 16 are generally disqualified unless a majority of the youth's peers agree the action taken by the nominee was incredibly stupid. Anyone who won before a rule change, that would have disqualified them, gets to keep the award as part of a GrandfatherClause. Finally, there was a unofficial rule change that says the nominees must have unintentionally caused the incident as to prevent people from [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity harming themselves to try to win]]. There are a few exceptions due the aforementioned grandfather clause.

*** Extra stupid points allocated considering that the end would still be the same if they had jumped in an enclosure with a perfectly domesticated guard dog that was as unfamiliar with them as the tiger was.

** [[http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1994-08.html A report of a crook who stole a World War II vet's gun]] and used it in a robbery, not realizing it had the same ammo in it from almost fifty years before. Then, when it didn't fire, he ''looked down the barrel''--just as the hang-fire resolved itself. One wonders what effect witnessing such a messy death had on the cashier and customers.

* BlackComedyRape: There are a few stories dealing with attempted rapes that went horribly, horribly wrong. Like the story of the woman who ''bit her assailant's balls off''. Then took off with them, and ''handed them in to the police'', which meant her assailant was arrested when he checked into the hospital with a matching injury. The evidence proceedings for ''that'' case must have been interesting.

* BullyingTheDragon: Often leads contenders to their nasty ends. Such examples include the guy who kicked a bear in the balls, the man who deliberately challenged his son to stab him to death, and the famous incident where a robber decided to rob a gun store filled with gun users and a cop.

[[caption-width-right:345:Even [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Wile E. Coyote]] wouldn't do that. [[note]] [[ComicallyMissingThePoint He would cut from the other end, which the branch would then stay and the tree would plummet.]] [[/note]][[note]]Also see Ralph Wolf.[[/note]]]]