| 1 | [[quoteright:319:[[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dummies_8292.png]]]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:319:They really do have a book for everything, don't they?]] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | ->'''Harmony:''' I'm not gonna make the same mistakes you did. I've been doing my homework, reading books and stuff.\ |
| 5 | '''Spike:''' What, ''Evil for Dummies?'' |
| 6 | -->-- ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E2RealMe Real Me]]" |
| 7 | |
| 8 | The ''[[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. They also provide a very useful quick reference for those already familiar with the subject. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | As a result of their popularity, these books are often parodied, and fictional entries to the series are often conjured into existence. This is often done to 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. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Works created before the "For Dummies" series was started (or from authors or publishers who are wary of trademark laws) 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 parody the "Complete Idiot's Guide to _______" series as well. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | Parodies often lean into the mildly AbusiveAdvertising connotations of calling one's readers "Dummies", showing a title that doubles down on it as in "[Subject] for Stupid Idiotic Morons" or the like. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | SisterTrope to CorrespondenceCourse and SpecificSituationBooks. Also compare {{Snowclone}} and TheJoyOfX, which lead to similar titling conventions. If it's bad enough that only a dummy would fail to realize how useless it is, it's a FauxToGuide. |
| 17 | ---- |
| 18 | !!Examples: |
| 19 | |
| 20 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 21 | |
| 22 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 23 | * ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': During the Provisional License exams, All Might goes around telling the students simple advice that helps with their training. Aizawa then immediately notices All Might's back pocket holding a book that's titled "Even Dummies Can Be Teachers!", much to his surprise. |
| 24 | * ''Manga/YuuutsuKunToSuccubusSan'': |
| 25 | ** Chapter 33 shows Sakuma the succubus gave Eru the angel a book to read on helping people who have Depression, such as Yuu, titled "Even a Monkey Could Do It: How to Heal a Heart". She learns enough from it to call Sakuma out on forcing Yuu to leave his job, as the book suggests serious life changes can cause exactly the kind of stress that should be avoided. Sakuma acknowledges this and explains she felt Yuu's case needed more drastic measures. Eru then immediately tries to use the book to tell Yuu he's supposed to be working, prompting Sakuma to tell her she's failed as a monkey. |
| 26 | ** On the back of the "How to Heal a Heart" book is an advertisement for "Even A Cat Could Do It: Quantum Mechanics!". |
| 27 | [[/folder]] |
| 28 | |
| 29 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 30 | * ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'' #26 has Pinkie Pie reading a book entitled ''Ventriloquism for [[SuperSpeedReading Speed Readers]]''. |
| 31 | * ''{{ComicBook/Zannablu}}'': In a ''Franchise/StarWars'' parody, the protagonists boasts that he is "an expert at driving spaceships", but just before takeoff he's seen reading "Spaceship piloting for dummies" ''while in the pilot's seat''. [[BrickJoke Later yet]] we see him with a copy of "Spaceship piloting for dummies vol. 2: [[SerialEscalation Starting the ship]]". |
| 32 | [[/folder]] |
| 33 | |
| 34 | [[folder:Comic Strips]] |
| 35 | * ''ComicStrip/{{Foxtrot}}'': |
| 36 | ** Roger tries to buy an actual ''For Dummies'' book about computers (since he's a WalkingTechbane), 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." |
| 37 | --> '''Roger:''' What about "University-educated?"\ |
| 38 | '''Jason:''' Just ''buy the book'', Dad. |
| 39 | ** In another strip, Jason comments while browsing the "For Dummies" section of the library: |
| 40 | --->'''Jason:''' [[ChildProdigy I'm starting to feel really left out of this culture.]] |
| 41 | * In ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', 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." |
| 42 | * ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'' has ''[[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20090315 Gothic Romance for Dummies.]]'' |
| 43 | [[/folder]] |
| 44 | |
| 45 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 46 | * In ''Fanfic/HatchYaLater'', Nagisa gives Mepple a book called "First-Time Parenting For Fools", thinking it suits a goofy guy like him. |
| 47 | * In ''The Trouble with Timelines'' Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya goes searching for a missing [[MacGuffin jigsaw puzzle]] using techniques taken from ''Dowsing for Dummies''. |
| 48 | * In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4740990/3/The-Master-s-Gambit The Master's Gambit]]'' a recently-freed Dobby steals Lucius' library and one of the few books left behind is ''Spell-Creation for Dummies''. |
| 49 | * In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2876785/6/It-Only-Takes-A-Drop-of-Blood It Only Takes a Drop of Blood]]'' Harry searches the Black library for books on transportation and comes across one called ''Magical Transportation for Trolls''. |
| 50 | * In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3127854/4/Harry-Potter-and-the-Pack-of-Shadows Harry Potter and the Pack of Shadows]]'' Hermione sends Harry ''Occlumency for Dummies'' as a birthday gift. |
| 51 | * In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9578599/5/Whence-Magic Whence Magic]]'' Draco leaves Harry a dark book disguised as ''Simple Spells for the Spectacularly Stupid''. |
| 52 | * In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8286766/1/Coach-Granger Coach Granger]]'' Harry gives Draco ''Snappy Put-Downs for Dummies''. |
| 53 | * In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9104885/9/It-s-OK-Not-To-Be-OK-But-I-Promise-I-m-Trying It's OK Not to Be OK (But I Promise I'm Trying)]]'' [=McGonagall=] picks out some instructional guides on Potions for Harry, one of which is ''Potion Making for Dummies''. |
| 54 | * In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4945904/9/Living-My-Life-Harry-s-Beginning Living My Life: Harry's Beginning]]'' Harry comes across ''Bondings and Rituals for Dummies''. |
| 55 | * In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8912494/15/The-Son-of-Prongs-and-the-Snitch-and-Stone The Son of Prongs and the Snitch and Stone]]'' Harry receives ''Dueling for Dummies'' for Christmas. |
| 56 | * In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3426676/5/Rising-Phoenix Rising Phoenix]]'' Scrimgeour throws Harry in jail and Hermione has Harry's phoenix bring him ''Beginning and Intermediate Sex for Witch and Wizard Dummies'' to keep him busy. |
| 57 | * In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9946888/5/Black-and-White Black and White]]'' Hermione reads a copy of ''Broom Flying for Nimrods'' before their first flying lesson. |
| 58 | * In ''[[http://www.potionsandsnitches.org/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=3180&textsize=0&chapter=2 Sealed with Lies]]'' a newly-turned Harry wonders if there's a book like ''Becoming a Vampire for Dummies''. |
| 59 | * In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12048619/8/The-Ilvermorny-Champion The Ilvermorny Champion]]'' Lily asks Ted to translate the Triwizard Tournament rulebook into non-jargon and he says she must be looking for the equivalent of ''Triwizard Tournaments for Dummies''. |
| 60 | * In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12089693/2/The-Last-Straw The Last Straw]]'' Harry buys a copy of ''Sex for Dummies''. |
| 61 | * [[TheGadfly Doctor Strange]] gives Harry a reading list, including a copy of ''Everything You Wanted To Know About Vampires But Were Too Afraid To Ask'' and ''Blood Magic For Morons'' in ''FanFic/ChildOfTheStorm,'' the latter [[StealthInsult right after Harry did something particularly stupid.]] Harry notices and lampshades the latter to Carol. |
| 62 | * In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12397961/1/Childish-Tantrum Childish Tantrum]]'' one of the Occlumency books Harry looks at is called ''Mind Shield 101 For Dummies''. |
| 63 | * ''[[Fanfic/TheManyDatesOfDannyFenton After Many Dates: Danny and Kim]]'': ''Sounding Cool for Dimwits''. |
| 64 | * ''Fanfic/WhiteSheepRWBY'': After Jaune runs away, his mother Salem, immortal Queen of the Grimm and eternal enemy of humanity, is seen seeking answers in a book titled ''Parenting for the Parentally Inadequate''. |
| 65 | * In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13766417/11/Bone-s-to-Pick Bone(s) to Pick]]'' Harry mockingly asks Voldemort if there's a book like ''Becoming a Dark Lord for Dummies''. |
| 66 | * ''Fanfic/PhineasAndFerbInDimmsdale'': ''Double Dating Danger'' features "How to Act Like a Refined Person for Nitwits". |
| 67 | * In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13698514/21/The-Darkening-Of-Your-Soul The Darkening of Your Soul]]'' Barty gives Tom a copy of ''Anger Management for Dummies''. |
| 68 | [[/folder]] |
| 69 | |
| 70 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 71 | * Kirk, from ''WesternAnimation/{{Hoodwinked}}'', doesn't even know which part of an ax goes toward the wood. Fortunately, he finds a copy of ''Chopping for [[SelfDeprecation Actors]]''. |
| 72 | * ''WesternAnimation/MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers'' has WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}} reading a ''Complete Idiot's Guide''. |
| 73 | * ''WesternAnimation/ShrekTheHalls'' has ''Christmas for Village Idiots''. |
| 74 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Planes}}'': Chug briefly reads ''Air Racing for Dummies'' at the beginning. |
| 75 | [[/folder]] |
| 76 | |
| 77 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 78 | * ''Film/EvanAlmighty'': God presents Evan with ''[[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1961597184/tt0413099 Ark Building for Dummies.]]'' |
| 79 | * ''Film/TheWaterboy'' 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. |
| 80 | * ''Film/BrideOfChucky'' has Tiffany resurrecting Chucky from the dead through knowledge from a ''Voodoo for Dummies'' book. |
| 81 | * ''Film/TheMasterOfDisguise'' features ''[[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MasterofDisguiseforDummies_4995.jpg The Master of Disguise for dummies.]]'' |
| 82 | * ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'' has WesternAnimation/BugsBunny fighting Marvin the Martian with [[Franchise/StarWars lightsabers]] while Bugs reads ''The Force for Dummies''. |
| 83 | * ''Film/InspectorGadget2'' has ''Quantum Physics for Dimwits''. |
| 84 | * An UrExample could be the 1968 British comedy film ''The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom''.[[note]]23 years older than the actual ''For Dummies'' series![[/note]] The main character's lover -- who lives secretly in her attic -- uses a series of dubious Do-It-Yourself manuals to build all sorts of items there, including a room-size mainframe computer. |
| 85 | * In ''Film/TheSkeletonKey'', the family's lawyer has an "Estate Law for Dummies" book on his desk, which is a subtle foreshadowing that he may not be quite what he appears. |
| 86 | [[/folder]] |
| 87 | |
| 88 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 89 | * One full book-length parody of both series is called ''Compleet Idoit's Guide for Dumies'' -- misspellings theirs, and presumably intentional. |
| 90 | * Literature/{{Discworld}}: |
| 91 | ** In ''Literature/{{Wintersmith}}'', one village of anti-witchcraft fanatics get their information from the ''Magavenatio Obtusis'', which [[FootnoteFever a footnote]] helpfully translates as ''Witch-Hunting for Dumb People''. For bonus points, it is actually written by a witch[[spoiler:, who did it to ensure whenever she is caught they give her a hot meal and a comfortable room for the night, stuff two sixpences in her boots and then dump her in the river with easily-untied ropes round her arms and legs, rather than - say - burning her at the stake, which could be a little inconvenient]]. |
| 92 | ** ''Literature/SoulMusic'' has ''Blert Wheedown's Guitar Primer: Play Your Way to Success in Three Easy Lessons and Eighteen Hard Lessons''. |
| 93 | * ''Literature/LivInTheFuture'': One of the books Liv checks out from the library is ''Portals for Dummies'', providing an InfoDump about how portals function and some of the roles the government takes on. The sections on how portals are sustained long-term and what kind of research the government does with them are blanked out. |
| 94 | [[/folder]] |
| 95 | |
| 96 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 97 | * ''{{Series/Bones}}'': One episode had ''Forensics for Knuckleheads'' on Aubrey’s desk. This is a bit odd since Booth used ''Plumbing for Dummies'' in an earlier episode. ''Forensics for Dummies'' is a real book so why they didn’t use it is unknown. |
| 98 | * Eric of ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' defeats the witches who want to sacrifice the Hunters with the help of ''Witchcraft for Dumb-dumbs''. |
| 99 | * ''Series/TheBrittasEmpire'': At one point in “[=Http://etc=]”, Brittas can be seen briefly consulting ''The Idiot's Guide to 4.1 Computer Operating Manual'' whilst talking to Councilor Drugget. |
| 100 | * In ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' 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''. |
| 101 | * In ''Series/CoryInTheHouse'', Cory procures a copy of ''Horses for Numb-Nuts'' (but with the stylized cover identical to the Dummies series). |
| 102 | * J.D. in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' reads ''The Iraq War for Dummies''. |
| 103 | -->'''J.D.:''' [[TakeThat I just reached "mission accomplished", but there's still like 400 pages left!]] |
| 104 | * 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''. |
| 105 | * ''Series/ColdCase'': The episode "Andy in C Minor" has a book called "Sign Language for Dummies". |
| 106 | * ''Series/DoctorWho''. In "War of the Sontarans", a floating triangle thingy keeps demanding that Yasmin Khan repair the damaged Temple of Atropos. |
| 107 | -->'''Yasmin:''' I'm going to need more information. Take us through the basics. Idiot's guide. |
| 108 | -->'''Triangle:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Repair must not be undertaken by idiots!]] |
| 109 | [[/folder]] |
| 110 | |
| 111 | [[folder:Magazines]] |
| 112 | * One issue of ''Magazine/{{Cracked}}'' (Collectors Edition #119) came with an insert titled ''Franchise/StarWars for Dummies''. |
| 113 | [[/folder]] |
| 114 | |
| 115 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 116 | * Budgie's "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" (later CoveredUp by Music/{{Metallica}}). |
| 117 | * Music/TimMcGraw's "Back When": |
| 118 | -->I read ''Street Slang for Dummies''\ |
| 119 | 'Cause they put pop in my country... |
| 120 | [[/folder]] |
| 121 | |
| 122 | [[folder:Puppet Shows]] |
| 123 | * In ''Film/ItsAVeryMerryMuppetChristmasMovie'', Daniel is given the book ''Performing Miracles for Dummies''. |
| 124 | * Upon Dorothy's arrival in Munchkinland in ''Film/TheMuppetsWizardOfOz'', the Munchkins quiz her on exactly what they are using the book ''Oz for Dummies''. |
| 125 | [[/folder]] |
| 126 | |
| 127 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 128 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' worlds bless dummies with more literature: |
| 129 | ** ''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", the "second edition" of which claimed that v 1.0 contained a lot of [[Literature/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. |
| 130 | ** 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. |
| 131 | * ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Bio-Tech'' includes several quotes from ''Nanovirus for Dummies'' by possible MadScientist Dr. Lucien Locke. One excerpt has Dr. Locke assuring the reader that a GreyGoo scenario can't possibly happen unless you intend it to. And if you ''do'' intend it to, here's what you do... |
| 132 | [[/folder]] |
| 133 | |
| 134 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 135 | * ''VideoGame/{{Coromon}}'': The FlavorText of the "Coromon Basics" key item: |
| 136 | --> This book is basically Coromon for Dummies. |
| 137 | * In ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'', one of the collectible items that can be found is a book owned by Peter that's titled "Work/Life Balance For Idiots", it notably has sold over three million copies. Peter notes that, ironically, he never found the time to read it. |
| 138 | * ''VideoGame/GrimFandango'': The beatniks at the Blue Casket in Year 2 have a copy of "Labor Organization and Revolt Made Easy". Part of a puzzle involves Manny having to borrow it in order to convince the Sea Bees to unionize. |
| 139 | * ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' features "Intermediate Mathematics For Dummies" used by Emma, despite scoring the highest at the entrance exams, she feels its more simpler to understand than the more complex ones. The main reason she uses this book is to tutor her fellow classmate Fie, a girl who is two years younger than the rest of the class, and thus behind everyone when it comes to the school's curriculum. |
| 140 | * The [[BribingYourWayToVictory somewhat free]] MMO ''VideoGame/{{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...). |
| 141 | * ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' features the "Telepathy For Dummies" power-up, granting homing tears for a single room upon use. |
| 142 | * ''Unraveling God'' has a bookshelf which, along with a couple more serious-sounding books, sports a copy of ''Cellular Molecular Biology for Dummies, Volume 1''. |
| 143 | * A bookshelf in a private home in ''VideoGame/DinkSmallwood'' mod ''Terrania'' has a copy of ''Etiquette for Dummies''. |
| 144 | * The introduction to ''Magic Life'' shows a student making a potion while reading ''Alchemy for Dummies''. |
| 145 | * In ''Cartographer'' one of the books on Reuben's desk at the inn he runs is ''Managing Inns for Dummies: Version 3.2''. |
| 146 | * ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' has some entertaining in-universe examples created through ProceduralGeneration, producing titles that sound like vaguely pretentious self-help guides ("Start Your Day With X", "X For The Beginning Practitioner" etc.) applied to every subject from medicine and engineering to [[TomeOfEldritchLore necromancy]]. |
| 147 | * ''VideoGame/{{Cataclysm}}'' has a book called "Self-Esteem for Dummies" that trains your Speaking skill. The joke being that by reading a "For Dummies" book, you are admitting you are a dummy, and calling yourself a dummy is a sign of poor self-esteem. |
| 148 | * ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'': Getting really good Feng shui in your dwelling requires a decorative fountain, wind chimes, and a book called "Feng Shui for Big Dumb Idiots" to figure out how to arrange them. |
| 149 | * ''VideoGame/KnightBewitched'': Instead of helping them, Morgoth gives the party a book called "Enchanting For Dummies" when he is unable to do the enchanting. Meredith is slightly offended by what he is implying with that book. |
| 150 | * ''Videogame/StyxShardsOfDarkness'': One the GameOverMan scenes has Styx suggest you read "Infiltration For Dummies" while holding a book titled "Stealth for noobs" (with his face standing in for the guy on the cover). |
| 151 | * ''Dr. Ludwig and the Devil'' mentions that one of the books written by Theophrastus the Wise is ''Exorcisms for Dummyes''. |
| 152 | [[/folder]] |
| 153 | |
| 154 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 155 | * ''WebAnimation/PrincessNatasha'': In "Zoravian Lightning - Part 2", Greg reads a book titled "Moron's Guide to Driving" to study for a driving test. |
| 156 | * ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': In their first meeting, Weiss is furious when Ruby's sneeze triggers an explosion of [[GreenRocks Fire Dust]]. When they next meet, Weiss shoves a pamphlet in Ruby's face titled "Dust for Dummies and Other Inadequate Individuals"; she recites the disclaimer in a voice that becomes comically fast and high-pitched before ordering Ruby to read it and never speak to her again. |
| 157 | [[/folder]] |
| 158 | |
| 159 | [[folder:Web Comics]] |
| 160 | * ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': Early in the comic, John consults ''[[https://www.homestuck.com/story/116 Data Structures for Assholes]]'' when he needs help with his InventoryManagementPuzzle. The [[https://www.homestuck.com/story/391 page he turns to]] is a spot-on parody of the style, format and clip-art used in such guides. However, instead of providing advice useful to a novice, the book berates its reader in the tone of an obnoxious, abusive jerk. |
| 161 | ** When Rose receives knitting needles and yarn as a gift, she mentions she will seek a copy of ''Knitting for Assholes''. Apparently the series covers many topics. |
| 162 | * ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': |
| 163 | ** Vaarsuvius is looking for a way to regain spellcasting power without sleeping, due to a recurring nightmare. [[note]] Trancing, technically, since they're an elf, but trancing is functionally equivalent to sleeping in most ways.[[/note]] The rules of this ''D&D''-based universe says a spellcaster needs to ''rest'' rather than ''sleep'' to regain spells, so Vaarsuvius needs something not mentally taxing that would still help their ongoing research into finding Haley. ''[[TakeThat Finding Plot Holes]] [[FanDumb for Dummies]]'' does the trick. |
| 164 | ** In ''[[Recap/TheOrderOfTheStickStartOfDarkness Start of Darkness]]'', Xykon points out that [[UnequalRites as a sorcerer rather than a wizard]], "This magic is in my bones, not cribbed off of ''Magic for Dummies''." |
| 165 | * ''Webcomic/{{Slackerz}}'': One of the characters attempts 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 [[Series/SesameStreet Grover's Magical C++ Garden]]. (He even denounces that as too difficult.) |
| 166 | * ''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. |
| 167 | * ''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. |
| 168 | * 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. |
| 169 | * ''Webcomic/{{Roommates}}''' in-world books series is ''Wiki's _____ for Beginners'', for example ''[[http://asherhyder.deviantart.com/art/Roommates-309-Astronomy-362859230 Wiki's Astronomy for Beginners.]]' |
| 170 | * ''Webcomic/LatchkeyKingdom'' features "Titans and You", a guide on how to kill [[VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus multi-story giants]] written in YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe. |
| 171 | [[/folder]] |
| 172 | |
| 173 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 174 | * ''The Emperor's New Clones'', the second ''Franchise/StarWars'' parody from Creator/BackyardProductions, features Vader reading ''The Dark Side for Dummies'', and Han Solo's father checking ''The Star Wars Guide to Techno-Babble''. |
| 175 | * One of the naughty-scene-re-enactors in WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick's review of ''Film/{{Showgirls}}'' is reading ''Opera for Dummies'' throughout the whole thing. |
| 176 | * Fredrik K.T.Andersson, the author of ''Webcomic/{{Pawn}}'', in his equally NSFW gallery on Elfwood [[http://www.elfwood.com/u/andersson2/image/4ead9c30-26ee-11e4-b4db-0dd96224e40a/censoring-for-dummies presents]]: ''[[MoralGuardians Censoring]] for Dummies''. |
| 177 | * One of the things that [[spoiler:[[WalkingSpoiler Remus]]]] does while ignoring Logan during the ''WebVideo/SandersSides'' episode ''Working Through Intrusive Thoughts'' is a book called ''Ignoring Dummies for Dummies'', which, to further illustrate the point, has an image of Logan on the front cover. |
| 178 | * In ''WebVideo/SuburbanKnights'', Ma-Ti showed up with a book to help 8-Bit Mickey's problem. It's ''Goatf*cking for Dummies''. |
| 179 | [[/folder]] |
| 180 | |
| 181 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 182 | * In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'', Frylock lends "Mummies for Dummies" from the library to learn how to escape a mummy's curse. |
| 183 | * ''WesternAnimation/BunsenIsABeast'': |
| 184 | ** Mikey and Bunsen consult a book titled ''Minks for Morons'' in the episode "Braces for Disaster". |
| 185 | ** The episode "Beast Halloween Ever" has Amanda and Beverly read a book titled ''Dummies' Guide to Beasts'', which has a very similar cover design to the ''For Dummies'' books. |
| 186 | * ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': |
| 187 | ** When Valerie takes interest in hunting ghosts, she checks out a library book titled ''Ghost Killing for Dimwits''. |
| 188 | ** In ''WesternAnimation/RealityTrip'', there's a book titled ''Ghost Envy for Dimwits''. |
| 189 | * ''WesternAnimation/DanVs'': In the episode "Dan Vs. Dan", while Dan is impersonating Chris, he pulls out a copy of ''Pancakes for Morons'', complete with black and yellow cover. |
| 190 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': |
| 191 | ** In "Shelf Life", Timmy and his fairies try to stop [[Literature/TheAdventuresOfTomSawyer Tom Sawyer]] from magically altering various books, especially because one of them, ''Astrophysics for Morons'', is a nonfiction book and can allow him to [[RewritingReality alter reality]]. |
| 192 | ** "Booby Trapped" has Crocker and his mother owning a book titled ''Poaching for Dum-Dums''. |
| 193 | * ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'': "Berry Scary" has a whole bookstore shelf full of "Blockheads Guide to" books, including the one Bloo and Mac are looking for, "Blockheads Guide to World Records". |
| 194 | * ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo'': Johnny reads a book titled ''Modeling for Dummies'' in "Cover Boy". |
| 195 | * ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'' with ''The Complete Moron's Guide to Picking Up Space Chicks''. |
| 196 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'': One episode had a scene where kids are checking out books from a bookmobile, a dopey looking boy with a hillbilly accent asks the librarian for ''The Dunderheads Guide to Idiocy''. |
| 197 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Look Before You Sleep", Twilight Sparkle hosts a slumber party, but has no idea how, so she relies on a book titled ''Slumber 101: [[Creator/WoodyAllen All You've Ever Wanted to Know About Slumber Parties But Were Afraid to Ask]])''. |
| 198 | * On ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': |
| 199 | ** From "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS12E3InsaneClownPoppy Insane Clown Poppy]]": ''Literature/MobyDick for Dummies''. FridgeBrilliance: For Dummies and Cliffs Notes have the same publisher. |
| 200 | --->'''Bart:''' "Call me Ishmael, Dummy!" |
| 201 | ** One episode has Homer going to a book fair, with an entire ''library'' of Books for Dummies where he is quite at home. |
| 202 | ** When the Simpsons go to Brazil in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS13E15BlameItOnLisa Blame it on Lisa]]", Bart learns Spanish on the flight there, which is ''Español para Dummies'' with Bumblebee Man as the instructor. Marge is quick to point out that Brazilians speak Portuguese, causing Bart to fly off in an angry rant in Spanish. |
| 203 | * ''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''. |
| 204 | ** It makes sense [=SpongeBob=] would have had to see the film. How would he have been able to read the book without opening it? |
| 205 | * ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': One of Star's reasons to believe Gustav isn't a real Scandinavian is the fact he has a book titled "Scandinavian for Doofuses". |
| 206 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Stoked}}'': The Big Kahuna owns a book called "The Peabrain's Guide to Fish Funerals", which actually turned out to be "[[HollywoodVoodoo The Peabrain's Guide to Bringing Your Dead Fish Back to Life]]". |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 210 | * ISIS recruits are often so ignorant about Islam that they have (or are ordered) to buy [[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-documents-leak-recruits-islam-sharia-religion-faith-syria-iraq-a7193086.html Islam for Dummies.]] |
| 211 | [[/folder]] |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Main / ParodiesForDummies
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
