Line #83 Main/StupidestThingIveEverHeard


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8	->''"Mr. Madison, what you've just said... is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point, in your rambling, incoherent response, were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."''
9	-->-- '''High School Principal''', ''Film/BillyMadison''
10
11	Sometimes when a plan or idea is proposed, the regular insults and even a {{facepalm}} just don't cut it. Nope, they've crossed the line into what can be called a Crowning Moment of Stupidity, and the witness feels the need to comment on this.
12
13	Variations can include "dumbest", "most idiotic", "most ridiculous" etc., but the same basic message applies. Sometimes, a verbal response isn't even necessary, and FacialDialogue does all the work.
14
15	However, if it's said too liberally or about something that everyone in-universe knows actually isn't stupid, they, in turn, open themselves to ridicule, as seen on TheInternet where it's [[DiscreditedTrope become so overused that it's turning into the]] ImYourWorstNightmare of insults.
16
17	May be combined with WhoWouldBeStupidEnough. Contrast CrazyEnoughToWork. If the person being castigated winds up being correct, this can become TheCloudcuckoolanderWasRight. If a prediction we know comes true is met with this, it's a form of ItWillNeverCatchOn.
18
19	----
20	!!Examples:
21
22	[[foldercontrol]]
23
24	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
25	* In the dub of ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'', Haman says this when Kamille suggests that killing Earthnoids isn't justified.
26	* In ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', Kurapika says this when Leorio asks why he would need to be a Hunter to take revenge on the Phantom Troupe, ignoring all the benefits exclusive to a Hunter that would help him.
27	* In the dub of ''Manga/TheDisappearanceOfNagatoYukiChan'', Haruhi says this verbatim about Ryōko worrying that if Yuki gets closer to Kyon, she'll drift away from Ryōko. Haruhi says Ryōko and Yuki are close enough that they shouldn't worry about that.
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Comic Books]]
31	* ''ComicBook/XMen'':
32	** Danielle Moonstar uses this against Cyclops early in ''[[ComicBook/NewMutants New X-Men: Academy X]]'', when the latter suggests keeping from their students that the corpse of their recently deceased teacher has been stolen and that he might return as a brainwashed zombie.
33	** Not the ExactWords, but in ''Astonishing X-Men'', Kitty Pryde attempts to inspire one of the students with a heartfelt speech about how mutantkind would never want a cure for their mutation. The kid's response, [[JustifiedTrope understandably]], is "Ms. Pryde, [[PrecisionFStrike are you fucking retarded?]]" since mutants in Marvel are the subject of ''bitter'' FantasticRacism (to the point where we've once seen mutant ''children'' being ''lynched'' by fundamentalist anti-mutant bigots), and, to cap it all off, mutation is quite often BlessedWithSuck in its own right, dipping into either BodyHorror, WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway, or both at the same time.
34	* ComicBook/AmbushBug once told Superman about his origin -- an alien scientist decided to save his greatest possession from his exploding planet and loaded it into a rocket, sending it into outer space. [[HypocriticalHumor Supes thought it was the dumbest thing he'd ever heard]].
35	* In the Creator/GailSimone run on ''ComicBook/RedSonja'', Red Sonja reacts with this sentiment upon meeting Osric the Untouched, who basically has her traditional background of divinely-granted swordsmanship skills in exchange for having to be the subject of a gender-inverted BestHerToBedHer vow. Doubles as a DiscontinuityNod and/or a TakeThat, since the idea that Sonja basically can't have sex unless she's beaten or else lose her warrior skills has long been a controversial aspect to the character.
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
39	* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'':
40	** The PointyHairedBoss [[http://dilbert.com/strip/2012-03-11 asks an employee]] a question using a nonsensical mashup of technical jargon. The bewildered employee replies that his question makes no sense, adding, "What the heck is wrong with you?". Dilbert satisfies the PHB by giving him an even ''bigger'' trainwreck of technical jargon, which [[SuckinessIsPainful stuns the co-worker into traumatized silence]].
41	** In [[https://dilbert.com/strip/1994-11-04 this strip]], the PHB declares that he's going to smack people who say stupid things to him. Dilbert responds with the trope's title, which causes the boss to smack himself and convinces Dilbert that maybe he should give it a shot.
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Fan Works]]
45	* ''[[Fanfic/OhGodNotAgain Oh God, Not Again!]]'' has some:
46	-->'''Harry:''' [Dobby's] apparently gotten it into his head that Hogwarts is a walking death trap and therefore I'm better off with my Muggle relatives and in particular my Muggle uncle who could snap at any time and try and strangle me. Therefore, he sealed the portal to the platform and Ron and I got bored so we decided not to wait for everyone to fix the mess and just fly here.\
47	'''Draco:''' That has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard.\
48	'''George:''' Besides, the Slytherin team apparently couldn't find anybody to spy as they showed up in person. And full Quidditch gear.\
49	'''Harry:''' Why in the world are they wearing their Quidditch robes to practice in? That has got to be the stupidest thing I've seen all day.\
50	'''Fred:''' All day isn't very long, Harry. It can't be more than ten.
51	* From ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'':
52	--> '''Yugi:''' Tristan, I'm going to regret asking this, but why do you have a motorbike?\
53	'''Tristan:''' Because in the future, card games will be played on motorbikes.\
54	'''Yugi:''' That is the stupidest thing that's ever come out of your mouth. [[ItWillNeverCatchOn Card games on motorbikes]] -- come on!\
55	(''promotional image of ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'' displays'')
56	* ''WebAnimation/TurnaboutStorm'' has a double example: [[Franchise/AceAttorney Phoenix]] pulls this out the moment [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Trixie]] brings up a storm cloud as "decisive evidence". It bites him back when he discovers that yes, that cloud could perfectly be moved around by the defendant, [[InUniverseFactoidFailure and this is common knowledge in Equestria]].
57	-->'''Phoenix:''' She can't honestly think someone can control weather. It's ludicrous!\
58	'''Trixie:''' You have to be the biggest imbecile [[ThirdPersonPerson Trixie]] has ever laid eyes on!
59	* ''Fanfic/DextersLabEquestria'': This is the titular ''[[WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory boy genius]]'' response to the Canterlot Wedding story, actually to a ''lot'' of things [[KnowNothingKnowItAll that are common knowledge]] in Equestria. [[spoiler:That is until he encounters a Changeling himself that targets him over his diagnostic machine]].
60	* When Harry Potter hears the rumors of how he got so many sphinxes on his island in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11669575/43/For-Love-of-Magic For Love of Magic]]'', he's shocked by the sheer idiocy of them.
61	-->'''Adrastia:''' They say you engaged in a battle for dominance with the males and denied them mating rights unless they entered your service. That is also one of the more popular rumors about how you got your facial scars by the way. Oh, and there is some amusing speculation as to whether you take advantage of your dominant position with the females.\
62	'''Harry:''' What the actual fuck? Have people even seen the size of the sphinxes? They're almost twice as big as a full-grown tiger! [[BaitAndSwitch Even if I was into the kind of thing, their twats would be way too big for either of us to get anything out of it]].
63	* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3796738/5/Harry-Potter-Rogue Harry Potter: Rogue]]'':
64	-->'''Harry:''' Along with hiring incompetent Defense teachers, you knew the Prophecy and what I will have to face. So why haven't you made sure I have as much extra training as I can handle? You've known all along that I am going to need it.\
65	'''Dumbledore:''' I wanted you to have a childhood; and there hasn't been the need, you have time.\
66	'''Harry:''' That was the '''stupidest''' thing I've ever heard you say! What do you think I was doing in the graveyard with Voldemort at the end of my fourth year? Having tea? The point is no one knows when I'll have to fight him, so I must always be ready. It started in my first year here, for goodness sakes. Don't you see a pattern here? I've faced Voldemort in some form every year I've been at school, except for the one year I faced a Death Eater and Dementors.
67	* ''FanFic/EscapeFromTheMoon'': In the sequel ''The Mare From the Moon'', this is Spliced Genome's reaction to learning that being an alicorn automatically puts you in a position of leadership in this world, especially if they try to make ''her'' a princess - she admits that she would make a terrible leader, having killed every plant she's ever owned out of negligence. Even a ''cactus''.
68	* In ''Fanfic/NewHopeUniversityMajorInMurder'', Monokuma has all the students hooked up into a lie-detecting machine called the Cricket, and asks them to talk for the next ten minutes. Jane complains that "this is the stupidest thing (she's) ever heard"... only for the machine to register that statement as a lie.
69	[[/folder]]
70
71	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
72	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie'':
73	-->'''Marge Simpson:''' Homer, in every marriage you get one chance to say, "I need you to do this with me."\
74	'''Homer Simpson:''' [[HypocriticalHumor That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard]].
75	** Note that this is HypocriticalHumor since Homer delivered ''the exact same line'' to Marge not half an hour earlier in the movie. Quite a very cruel subversion to MeaningfulEcho.
76	* In ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutronBoyGenius'', this exchange occurs after Sheen relates the current situation to an episode of Ultra Lord:
77	-->'''Nick:''' Well I'm convinced folks, that is just about [[SuddenlyShouting THE STUPIDEST THING I EVER HEARD!]]\
78	'''Sheen:''' No, ''this'' is the stupidest thing you've ever heard! (''starts jabbering'')
79	* Played for laughs in ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994''.
80	-->'''Pumbaa:''' Maybe he'll be on our side?\
81	'''Timon:''' That's the stupidest thing I ever heard, "maybe he'll be on..." [[GladIThoughtOfIt Hey, I got it! What if he's on]] ''[[GladIThoughtOfIt our]]'' [[GladIThoughtOfIt side?]]
82	* When Kris Kringle hears about the toy-ban in ''WesternAnimation/SantaClausIsCominToTown'', he rolls his eyes and remarks, "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard of!"
83	* In ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc1'' when Mike tells Sulley to watch Boo in the locker room while he gets the card-key to her closet.
84	-->'''Sulley:''' But she can't stay here. ''This is the men's room.''\
85	'''Mike:''' (''beat'') That is the weirdest thing you have ever said.
86	* Almost everyone's opinion towards Emmett's Double-Decker Couch in ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie''.
87	-->'''Wyldstyle:''' That is ''literally'' the dumbest thing I've ever heard.\
88	'''Vitruvius:''' Please, Wyldstyle, let me handle this. (''to Emmett'') That idea is just the worst.
89	* In ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'' after Farquaad realizes that Shrek is in love with Fiona, Farquaad laughs at him for having the idea of a princess and an ogre being together.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
93	* ''Film/BillyMadison'' provides the page quote, which was a response to Billy comparing the Industrial Revolution to a completely unrelated children's book that dawdles on into a tangent, and the question wasn't even about comparing it to a book, it was about discussing modern novels that got their influence from the Revolution. The applause Billy got [[CheapHeat after showing support for the school's football team]] did nothing to mask his "insanely idiotic" answer.
94	* In ''Film/XMen1'', after Professor X tells Wolverine about the X-Men and their mission to protect the humans who hate and fear them, then tells him several of the team's code names:
95	-->'''Wolverine:''' What do they call you? "Wheels"? This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
96	* In ''Film/DrStrangelove'', after they get the codes from the psycho GeneralRipper to trigger a nuclear strike on Soviet Russia:
97	-->'''Major T. J. "King" Kong:''' Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones. You sure you got today's codes?
98	* ''Film/FightClub'':
99	-->'''Guy #1:''' I heard Tyler Durden was born in a mental hospital and sleeps only one hour a night.\
100	'''Guy #2:''' I heard he has full facial reconstructive surgery every three years.\
101	'''Narrator:''' (''deadpan'') That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.
102	* ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'': [[BrickJoke It later turns out that this is, in fact, the combination President Skroob has on his luggage]].
103	-->'''Dark Helmet:''' So the combination is... [[ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish one, two, three, four, five]]? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! The kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage!
104	* From ''Film/DungeonsAndDragons2000'':
105	-->'''Snails:''' I got a new name for "dumb": "Ridley"! This is the Ridleyest thing I've ever heard!
106	* ''Film/MurderByDeath'' has Sidney Wang after Dick Charleston presents the theory that Lionel Twain murdered himself.
107	-->'''Sidney Wang:''' Very interesting theory, but leave out one very important point.\
108	'''Dick Charleston:''' And that is?\
109	'''Sidney Wang:''' Is stupid. (''laughing'') Is most stupid theory I ever heard.
110	* At the end of the film ''Film/WhatsUpDoc''[[note]]Also an ActorAllusion, since Howard is played by Ryan O'Neal, who starred in ''Film/LoveStory'', where the line comes from.[[/note]]:
111	-->'''Judy:''' Love means never having to say you're sorry.\
112	'''Howard:''' That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
113	* In ''Film/{{Heathers}}'':
114	-->'''Veronica Sawyer:''' I'd like to ask you a stupid question.\
115	'''Jason Dean:''' There are no stupid questions.\
116	'''Veronica:''' Okay. So, aliens land on the Earth and say they're going to blow the whole place up. The same day, you win the lottery. What do you do with the money?\
117	(''beat'')\
118	'''J.D.:''' That's the stupidest question I've ever heard.
119	* ''Film/TaxiDriver'':
120	-->'''Wizard:''' Look at it this way. A man takes a job, you know? And that job - I mean, like that - That becomes what he is. You know, like - You do a thing and that's what you are. Like I've been a cabbie for thirteen years. Ten years at night. I still don't own my own cab. You know why? Because I don't want to. That must be what I want. To be on the night shift drivin' somebody else's cab. You understand? I mean, you become - You get a job, you become the job. One guy lives in Brooklyn. One guy lives in Sutton Place. You got a lawyer. Another guy's a doctor. Another guy dies. Another guy gets well. People are born, y'know? I envy you, your youth. Go on, get laid, get drunk. Do anything. You got no choice, anyway. I mean, we're all fucked. More or less, ya know..\
121	(''beat'')\
122	'''Travis Bickle:''' I don't know. That's about the dumbest thing I ever heard.
123	* In ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'', Chekov has traveled back in time to the 20th century and been captured by the Feds. But they don't quite know what to make of him:
124	-->'''Agent #1:''' What do you think?\
125	'''Agent #2:''' He's a Russkie.\
126	'''Agent #1:''' That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. Of course, he's a Russkie, but he's a retard or something.
127	* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfSharkboyAndLavagirl'' is often thought of as one of those movies that's SoBadItsGood by viewers, but one line at the end is rather hilarious:
128	-->'''Mr. Electricidad:''' OK, kids, who's next? Remember, there are no dumb ideas.\
129	'''Linus:''' Maybe we can freeze his circuits!\
130	'''Mr. Electricidad:''' [[ImmediateSelfContradiction That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard.]] We're in the middle of Texas in August!
131	* In ''Film/DirtyDancing'', this is Johnny's response when inexperienced Baby suggests to fill in for Penny.
132	* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', although he doesn't say it, this is clearly Lucius Fox's reaction to Wayne Enterprises' lead accountant threatening to expose Bruce Wayne as Batman. The deadpan delivery of Creator/MorganFreeman sells it perfectly.
133	-->'''Lucius:''' {{Let me get this straight}}. You think that your client—one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the world—is secretly a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands, and your plan... [[BullyingADragon is to]] ''[[BullyingADragon blackmail]]'' [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} this person]]? Good luck!
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	[[folder:Literature]]
137	* Used in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix''. Of course, [[spoiler:Harry decides to do exactly that, train his fellow students in a group he calls "Dumbledore's Army". Not that they are going to take on the Ministry of Magic, but Voldemort]].
138	-->'''Sirius:''' Our information from inside the Ministry is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat.\
139	'''Harry:''' ''Trained in combat?'' What does he think we're doing here, forming some sort of wizard army?\
140	'''Sirius:''' That's exactly what he thinks you're doing. Or rather, that's exactly what he's afraid Dumbledore's doing -- forming his own private army with which he will be able to take on the Ministry of Magic.\
141	'''Ron:''' That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, including all the stuff that [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Luna Lovegood]] comes out with.
142	* Sean Devine in ''Literature/MysticRiver'' says this when his partner Whitey suggests a theory for the murder they're investigating, that Dave Boyle, Sean's childhood friend, killed Katie Marcus. In this case, the theory itself isn't actually that stupid, as there's a good deal of evidence suggesting it, but Sean simply doesn't want to consider the possibility. At the end [[spoiler:Sean was right, and while Dave did kill someone, it wasn't Katie]].
143	* ''Literature/WordsOfRadiance'' (second book of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive''): Lopen suggests that Kaladin patch things up with Syl by buying her a hat. Syl is a spren, so she's incorporeal and couldn't even wear a hat. Kaladin's response is "That's the most ridiculous piece of advice I've ever been given." Lopen promptly suggests something stupider and says that the hat thing is now only the ''second'' most ridiculous, so Kaladin should try it.
144	* ''Literature/TressOfTheEmeraldSea'': One of Tress' new shipmates is Ann, an avid gun aficionado. Except, for ''some'' reason, every time she pulls out one of her many guns the rest of the crew physically restrains her because they are terrified of what happens when she tries to shoot anything. Therefore, when Tress suggests Ann fire the cannon, everyone is even more horrified than usual. Including [[MysteriousStranger Hoid]], who is narrating.
145	-->'''Hoid:''' That is probably the craziest, most reckless thing I've ever heard someone say--and I was literally part of a secret plot to kill God.
146
147	[[/folder]]
148
149	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
150	* Even the mild-mannered Gil Grissom of ''Series/{{CSI}}'' once said this. Grissom's tone while saying the line is quite possibly the closest thing to facepalming in vocal form:
151	-->'''Brass:''' Let me get this straight, Larry. An old man refuses to let you steal his money, so you jack a Hummer and try to run over his taco stand?\
152	'''Lawrence Lafontaine:''' Maybe.\
153	'''Grissom:''' I think this is the dumbest thing we've ever heard.
154	* From the ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' episode "Little Sister, Don't Cha":
155	-->'''Sam Malone:''' She can do whatever she wants with her sex life. It's in the Bill of Rights.\
156	'''Diane Chambers:''' Where is it in the Bill of Rights?\
157	'''Sam Malone:''' Well, you know, the part about the right to assemble and bear arms.\
158	'''Diane Chambers:''' That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
159	* ''Series/{{Felicity}}'' had Megan propose a long theory about how Felicity's song preferences show she likes Ben, at which point Ben delivered this line.
160	* From the ''Full Frys'' episode "Inga delikatesser"
161	-->'''Sture Bergholm:''' [re: the shop's alarm systems] This is the most stupid thing I've ever heard of!
162	* ''Series/MagnumPI'' episode "Memories Are Forever: Part 1" :
163	-->'''Rick:''' I would like to propose a toast... to the luckiest couple in Saigon. Me and TC.\
164	'''Magnum:''' (''laughs'')\
165	'''Rick:''' No I mean it, we are the last of the bachelors. Everyone else we know is married.\
166	'''TC:''' Orville, I've heard you say some dumb things in my life, but that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say.
167	* ''Series/MorkAndMindy'':
168	-->'''Exidor:''' Look, business is a little slow but we're gonna have our two-for-one sale. Buy two, get one. Who could resist that?\
169	'''Mindy:''' That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
170	* In ''Series/TheCosbyShow'', when Cliff confronts Theo about his grades, Theo goes into a spiel about how being an educated professional was fine for his parents, but that wasn't the path he wanted in life and his family should accept him the way he is. The anticipated "Awww" hug scene is averted when Cliff tells him "Son... that's the DUMBEST thing I ever heard in my entire LIFE! No WONDER you get Ds in everything!" The audience was supposed to realize that Theo was talking nonsense. Mr Cosby [[ThrowItIn ad-libbed]] the line to shift their reaction.[[note]]This scene becomes HarsherInHindsight in later seasons, after Theo is diagnosed with learning disabilities.[[/note]]
171	* ''Series/That70sShow'' has a scene where Kelso explains to Jackie that he cheated on her because she would always insult his intelligence. She responds that it was the dumbest thing she ever heard. Surprisingly, however, Kelso realizes she's still insulting him, and then states that he isn't sorry he cheated on her, and proceeds to break up with her.
172	* ''Series/TheColbertReport'' has an occasional feature called "The Craziest F#@king Thing I've Ever Heard," a parody of Bill O'Reilly's "Most Ridiculous Item of the Day." One example was an event where strongmen pulled trucks by their ear-lobes, prompting Colbert to speculate on the future of "ear-powered" transportation, and the inclusion of "ear-only" traffic lanes. A one-time variant was called [[SophisticatedAsHell "The Most Poetic F#@king Thing I've Ever Heard."]]
173	* In an episode of ''Series/{{House}}'', Thirteen says something profound and House tells her "that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." As soon as she leaves the room, he adds two extra points to her score, even though she was already on maximum points.
174	* Subverted in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "Graduation Day":
175	-->'''Cordelia:''' I personally don't think it's possible to come up with a crazier plan.\
176	'''Oz:''' We attack the Mayor with hummus.\
177	'''Cordelia:''' I stand corrected.
178	** And brought around again a minute later, after Cordelia outlines her own plan:
179	--->'''Xander:''' I'm starting to lean towards the hummus offensive.\
180	'''Oz:''' He'll never see it coming.
181	* From ''Series/{{Chuck}}'', the title character has an antidote for a deadly poison in his blood, and the needle broke. So he kisses his (male) infected friend.
182	-->'''Jill:''' What are you ''doing?''\
183	'''Chuck:''' I had a theory that the cure might be able to spread by saliva!\
184	'''Jill:''' ...that is the ''stupidest'' thing I have ever heard. [[ArtisticLicenseBiology No wonder you failed bio]].
185	* From ''Series/{{Coupling}}'':
186	-->'''Bartender:''' Have you actually told her that you're gonna marry her?\
187	'''Steve:''' In my own way...\
188	'''Bartender:''' Your own way?\
189	'''Steve:''' She accidentally overheard me saying it on the phone, when I thought I was talking to my ex-girlfriend.\
190	'''Bartender:''' No offence, and, of course, it's none of my business, but that could be the worst proposal in human history.\
191	'''Sally:''' [[ItMakesSenseInContext Steve, you're gonna have to be my husband. Patrick prefers blondes!]]\
192	'''Bartender:''' (''laughing'') I love this bar!
193	* ''Series/SuperHumanSamuraiSyberSquad'': In one episode, Amp's idea to prepare himself for a test was literally eating the books. Malcolm stated it was the dumbest idea he ever heard and that's considering Malcolm heard Amp saying really dumb stuff before.
194	%%* Line spoken at least twice per week by ''Series/JudgeJudy''.
195	* In the sixth episode of the eight season of ''Series/GameOfThrones'', when it becomes apparent that [[spoiler: there is no ruler of the Seven Kingdoms,]] due to [[spoiler: Jon, (aka Amon Targaryen) killing Daenerys, and thus being condemned for killing the queen,]] it is proposed that the best way to rectify the situation is to choose [[spoiler: a new ruler amongst the most powerful nobles of Westeros. Sam recommends that if the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms will represent everyone, then everyone, from peasant to nobles, should be able to (democratically) chose the ruler.]] Cue mocking laughter from everyone else.
196	* ''Series/YoungSheldon'': Said by Connie in "Stuffed Animals and a Sweet Southern Syzygy" when Georgie tells her his plan to get the backroom casino running again. A talk with Dale makes her reconsider.
197	[[/folder]]
198
199	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
200	* ''Series/TheMuppetShow:'' One Muppet Newsflash has the newsreader read out a report about a disease going around suddenly turning people into ducks. He starts saying this, and... [[TemptingFate well...]] quack.
201	* ''Series/SesameStreet:'' Bert asks Ernie to go to Mr. Hooper's Store and buy a newspaper, so Ernie decides to plan for the trip. After getting his scarf and hat and earmuffs (in case there's a sudden cold spell), his umbrella (in case there's a sudden storm), sunglasses and suntan lotion (because he gets sunburned easily), and a flashlight (in case it gets dark), Ernie says he needs bubble gum, in case he meets a bear on the way.
202	-->'''Bert:''' Ernie, there are no bears on Sesame Street!\
203	'''Ernie:''' Well, you never know, Bert. You know, better safe than sorry, I always say.\
204	'''Bert:''' All right, all right. So maybe you'll meet a bear on the way to get a newspaper. Now, what good will the bubble gum do?\
205	'''Ernie:''' Well, you see, you give the bear a piece of bubble gum...\
206	'''Bert:''' Yeah...?\
207	'''Ernie:''' ...and he's so busy chewing that he can't bite you.\
208	''[{{Beat}}]''\
209	'''Bert:''' That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard!
210	[[/folder]]
211
212	[[folder:Radio]]
213	* ''Series/DeadRingers:'' When Gary Lineker interrupts ''Match of the Day'' to point out the new host, Gabby Logan, isn't making inane sports commentary, she suggests maybe football coverage doesn't ''need'' inane commentary, Gary declares this the dumbest thing he's heard all day, and therefore proof Gabby's getting the hang of it.
214	[[/folder]]
215
216	[[folder:Stand-Up Comedy]]
217	* Creator/LewisBlack used this as one of his most iconic bits, in which he recounts the time he overheard a young woman say, "[[ARareSentence If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college]]," and nearly has an aneurysm trying to comprehend just what the hell she meant by it.
218	[[/folder]]
219
220	[[folder: Theatre]]
221	* In ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'', Hippolyta's reaction to the ShowWithinAShow (specifically, that the wall seperating the lovers has exited the stage once his purpose was fulfilled) is "This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard."
222	[[/folder]]
223
224	[[folder:Video Games]]
225	* Subverted in ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2''. Coach comes up with an idea to start up a band's pyrotechnics in order to call for a helicopter. After hearing this, Nick drops this line.
226	-->'''Nick:''' Coach, that has got to be the stupidest idea [[CrazyEnoughToWork I have ever agreed with.]]
227	* In ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxHitTheRoad'', after hooking it up so he can do so, Sam proudly declares that he can [[ItMakesSenseInContext control the rotation of a rotating restaurant on top of the world's largest ball of twine via a pair of mounted binoculars]]. Max informs him that this is the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard, and gets a shock of static electricity for his troubles.
228	* Most of Black Whirlwind's stories in ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' allows your main character to respond with this line.
229	* ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'':
230	** In ''VideoGame/EscapeFromMonkeyIsland'', Guybrush talks with Ignatius Cheese, who tells him that keeping Ozzie Mandrill out of the Scumm Bar has taken all of his Insult Arm-Wrestling skills. Guybrush comments that "If it weren't for the whole, 'Wife being declared dead' thing, I'd say that was the strangest story I'd heard all week." This gets a CallBack later when Meathook tells him how he taught himself to paint using his hooks and coloured candle wax. Guybrush replies "That's the silliest story I've heard in hours."
231	** A funny bit also comes in ''VideoGame/TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland'', when Guybrush Threepwood introduces himself to a pirate in the Scumm Bar.
232	--->'''Pirate:''' Guybrush Threepwood? (''laughs'') That's the stupidest name I've ever heard!\
233	'''Guybrush:''' What's your name?\
234	'''Pirate:''' (''beat'') My name is Mancomb Seepgood.
235	** In ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland'', we have "You want me, an officer of the court, to aid in a jailbreak? Why, the mere idea is so preposterous that it's practically postposterous!"
236	* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', Shepard uncovers [[spoiler:a hanar diplomat selling out its planet to the Reapers]]. Upon being informed of the hanar's [[InsaneTrollLogic rationale]] (Hanar worship the Protheans → the Protheans were turned into the Collectors and obey the Reapers → thus the Hanar must worship the Reapers):
237	-->'''Shepard:''' You [[PunctuatedForEmphasis BIG! STUPID! JELLYFISH!]]\
238	'''Kasumi:''' I support religious freedom for all species, but that's just ''crazy''.
239	[[/folder]]
240
241	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
242	* ''VisualNovel/KissedByTheBaddestBidder'': Mamoru's response to hearing Aida claim that he was born to [[spoiler:kill Mamoru and the protagonist]]: "That's the stupidest reason I ever heard for bein' born!"
243	[[/folder]]
244
245	[[folder:Web Animation]]
246	* From ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' episode "Heavy Metal", when Sarge proposes charging the enemy base single file:
247	-->'''Grif:''' Sarge, while that's the most retarded idea I've ever heard, I just wanted to thank you for not putting me in front of the line.
248	* ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'': In "Warp Grumbling", [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} the God-Emperor of Mankind]] has this reaction when Magnus the Red tells him [[spoiler:that he's been creating a Chaos god of Unbelief and becoming his champion]].
249	-->'''The Emperor:''' [[AC:That has got to be the single dumbest thing I have ever heard in my entire life, and that is coming from a half-dead skeleton that has been stuck on a life-sustaining god-couche for the past 10,000 years.]]
250	[[/folder]]
251
252	[[folder:Web Comics]]
253	* ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'':
254	** Red Mage tends to trigger this in his "comrades", but the best example may be [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2009/07/09/episode-1150-stuck-in-the-middle-with-you/ 1150]]. "That is quite literally the least practical plan put together by an '''allegedly''' thinking creature." According to Black Mage, it's the stupidest thing anyone has ever heard, not just him.
255	** Earlier, in [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2001/08/15/episode-068-it-sounds-like-a-good-idea-to-me/ #68]], the weapon shop owner in Corneria mocks Fighter's idea of "swordchucks" as "the worst idea anyone has ever had."
256	* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': At one point Pandora travels into the dreams of one of the main characters and sees [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=2217 this.]] The very next page she claims that "Well, ''this'' is among the stupidest things I've ever seen." And coming from an Immortal who's seen just about everything, that's saying a lot.
257	* ''[[https://web.archive.org/web/20100819104546/http://www.hamletothehamster.com/2008/10/hamleto-on-road-part-18.html Hamleto the Hamster]]'':
258	-->'''Orazio:''' You know, we should do something to protect us against predators!\
259	'''Laerte:''' Why don't we dig a moat around our tent and fill it with crocodiles?\
260	'''Orazio:''' This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard!\
261	'''Hamleto:''' That's right! Where do we get crocodiles at this hour?
262	* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', Vriska reveals that she was behind [[spoiler:Jack Noir]] becoming omnipotent and extremely dangerous, saying that she created him because she plans to kill him. John's reaction is as follows:
263	-->EB: that is the dumbest thing i have ever heard.
264	* ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'': Used verbatim in [[https://thepunchlineismachismo.com/archives/comic/its-not-stupid-if-it-gets-results this strip]], in response to a plan to entrap Franchise/SailorMoon:
265	-->I'm just going to stage a 'Best Moon Princess' contest and see if that draws her out.
266	* Uttered by a villain in a strip of ''Webcomic/SuperStupor'' in response to a minion warning him about the resident LittleMissBadass, and how heroes don't send out kids unless they can kick serious ass. He ignores the warning and promptly gets fried.
267	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0199.html "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night"]]:
268	-->'''Roy:''' Well, I would say that's the dumbest thing I've heard all day, but as I've been talking to Elan since morning, it might not even crack the top ten.
269	[[/folder]]
270
271	[[folder:Web Original]]
272	* WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd, when reviewing the godawful ''Superman'' video game (not [[VideoGame/{{Superman64}} that one]], one for the NES) and realizing that he has to buy a subway ticket [[FridgeLogic when Superman can fly]].
273	* ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'':
274	** On the ''ComicBook/XMen'' story "Holy War":
275	--->'''Linkara:''' This is quite possibly the ''dumbest'' plan I've ever heard in my life, and I've seen [[ComicBook/SupermanAtEarthsEnd someone deciding to make twin clones of Hitler!]]
276	** Ironically, he would then say the same thing about the evil plan in ''Future 5'': Dr. Know plans on becoming the smartest and most powerful man on Earth by... convincing everyone to not go to college. Linkara saying this is TemptingFate in its purest form.
277	* ''WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment'':
278	** The villain from the 1970s ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' serial get this reaction from Spoony when it's revealed that he wants to nuke Phoenix, Arizona to get at the gold repository under the city.
279	** And again when Wakka in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' compares the destruction of the Al Bhed's Home to "happy festival fireworks":
280	--->'''Spoony:''' ...Happy... Festival... Fireworks!? That could be the STUPIDEST, MOST INSENSITIVE, IDIOT THING any character has ever said in ANY WORK OF FICTION! That's like trying to cheer people up after Hurricane Katrina.... by saying it's a giant happy waterpark!
281	* [[https://www.nsfwcorp.com/dispatch/war-nerd-obamas-wars Not too surprisingly,]] Creator/GaryBrecher isn't adverse to this kind of hyperbole:
282	-->'''The War Nerd:''' There's this Australian wannabe war nerd who says the drones make us look weak, like we're supposed to go in there and hack it out with scimitars like real men. This is about the stupidest fucking thing I have ever heard, and considering I've been reading war news all through the Cheney years, that's saying something.
283	* Rational Wiki refers to it with two pages. "[[https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Not_even_wrong Not Even Wrong]]," and "[[http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Fractal_wrongness Fractal Wrongness]]."
284	* In ''WebAnimation/PerfectKirby'', Kirby learns that the BigBad of Episode III wants to TakeOverTheWorld in order to get rid of a coworker he doesn't like, simply because the person in question makes terrible coffee.
285	-->'''Kirby''': That has got to be, by far, the stupidest reason for world domination I have ever heard!
286	[[/folder]]
287
288	[[folder:Western Animation]]
289	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''
290	** During "Lisa on Ice", Lisa declares an academic alert saying she's failing gym is the dumbest thing she's ever heard. She then attempts to scrunch it up and throw it in a nearby trashcan. [[IResembleThatRemark She fails.]]
291	** "In Marge We Trust", Rev. Lovejoy has a vision with four Saints:
292	-->'''St. Lucian:''' Tell us, good Reverend, what great deeds have you done to inspire the hearts of men?\
293	'''Reverend Lovejoy:''' Well, I had the vestibule recarpeted.\
294	'''St. Donickus:''' (''angry'') I've appeared in over eight thousand visions, and that's the lamest reply I've ever heard!
295	* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'':
296	** "Finances with Wolves":
297	--->'''Francine:''' If you gave me $5,000 of your bonus, I could start a business selling my muffins.\
298	'''Stan:''' ...this is the worst idea I've ever heard.
299	** "[[Recap/AmericanDadS2E16TearsofaClooney Tears of a Clooney]]":
300	--->'''Stan:''' Francine, I'm sorry, but that is the craziest, most unsettling thing I've ever heard in my entire life. (''beat'') And we're totally gonna make it happen!
301	* From the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "Panic in the Sky":
302	-->'''Batman:''' This is the single dumbest plan I've ever heard!
303	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
304	** This as a stock line delivered whenever Cartman gets an idea.
305	** "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe"
306	--->'''Farmer:''' People's been saying they've been seeing UFO's around the black Army, CIA helicopters and trucks.\
307	'''Officer Barbrady:''' That is the silliest thing I've ever heard.
308	** As well as:
309	--->'''Mayor:''' [[MythologyGag An animated Christmas card?]] [[SelfDeprecation Kids, that just might be the dumbest idea I've ever heard, ever!]]
310	** In the 6th season episode "Red Hot Catholic Love":
311	--->'''Kyle:''' Cartman, that's the dumbest thing you've ever said... this week.
312	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}'': Freakazoid gets this opportunity after The Lobe [[JustBetweenYouAndMe tells him all about his plan]] to use a giant cloud to turn people into zombie clowns. Freakazoid scowls, and simply replies, "Well, if you don't mind me saying so, ''that is the stupidest plan I've ever heard of!"'' and rants about its ridiculousness until the Lobe is reduced to tears. This is almost immediately {{subverted\|Trope}} when, after the Lobe leaves, Freakazoid immediately starts laughing and exclaiming that the plan is a brilliant one.
313	* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'': Helga treated everyone to dinner at ''Chez Paris'' and didn't realize until they received the check at the end that her coupon was for ''Chez Pierre'' across the street.
314	-->'''Phoebe:''' The wrong restaurant?! Well, Helga, I suppose the only thing to do would be to tell the management the truth.\
315	(''{{beat}}'')\
316	'''Helga:''' Phoebe, that is the ''stupidest'' idea I have ever heard in my ''entire life!''
317	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': In "Chuckie's First Haircut", Chuckie is terrified at the thought of getting his hair cut. Tommy suggests that he just go through with it instead of living in fear.
318	-->'''Chuckie:''' You know something, Tommy? That's the dumbest thing I ever heard.
319	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretShow'': When Doctor Doctor infiltrated a contest to pick a world anthem, Victor Volt theorized she intended to hypnotize everyone with her song. His fellow agents scolded him for believing someone would use such a ridiculous idea. [[TheCloudcuckoolanderWasRight Doctor Doctor proved him right]].
320	* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "The Cyber House Rules", when Leela says that she's getting an eye surgery:
321	-->'''Zoidberg:''' Wonderful. And while you're under the knife, you could also get an ink pouch to help you escape your enemies.\
322	'''Fansworth:''' That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard, you imbecile! (''raises a rolled-up newspaper to hit Zoidberg, Zoidberg sprays ink at his face and runs off'')
323	** Later on in the episode, Fry asks Leela if she'd rather be like the rest of the Planet Express crew, or have no "severe mental or social disabilities whatsoever". Leela declares this the dumbest thing she's ever heard, and everyone else agrees with her.
324	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'', this is Jay Sherman's reaction when he learns about the "Cabbie Exchange Program", where cab drivers from New York are switched with drivers from Iraq, to ensure that no cabbie speaks the language of the city they're in.
325	* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'':
326	** In the episode "Operation: L.O.C.K.D.O.W.N.", a lockdown of the Treehouse has been enacted, [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Count Spankulot]] had supposedly escaped from jail and is loose in the Treehouse, [[spoiler:but the real culprit turns out to be Numbuh One transformed into a Spank-Happy Vampire,]] having already spanked Numbuhs Two and Three, and the lockdown will only last until morning... unless you use the Quadruple Emergency Bypass Code, which can override any Treehouse computer command and can lift the lockdown earlier. Numbuh Two remembers the code after Numbuh Four, fearful he will be the Count's next victim, chews him out for forgetting to put in an emergency exit, which leads to this exchange:
327	--->'''Numbuh Four:''' Why didn't you say so before!? You have to use that code so we get out of here!\
328	'''Numbuh Two:''' I can't! Only Numbuh Five has the code, and ''she's'' not even allowed to use it.\
329	'''Numbuh Four:''' Why in the name of crud not?!\
330	'''Numbuh Two:''' It's the rule! The code's so important, no one's allowed to use it!\
331	'''Numbuh Four:''' THAT'S THE STUPIDEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD!
332	** Subverted in Operation: "F.L.A.V.O.R.". After Numbuh Five is kidnapped by the Delightful Children's ice cream men mooks, she is taken to the legendary Temple of the Fourth Flavor, where several mooks have tried - and failed - to get inside by guessing the "Flavor of the Day". After watching the rather unpleasant fate of one mook who gets it wrong (by saying "bannilla minty ripple", obviously a wild guess), the Delightful Children make Numbuh Five try it. After thinking for a minute, her guess is "sundae". At first, the Delightful Children think that's the stupidest guess yet, but they are interrupted in the middle of saying so by the door rumbling open. (Clearly, Numbuh Five's guess wasn't so stupid, as it was the right answer, and she may have well told them that YouWereTryingTooHard if she didn't have to take that chance to run into the temple ahead of them.)
333	* Subverted in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy''. Billy, Mandy, and Nergal Jr are training for a track meet. Junior is doing excellent (having demonic powers helps) but Billy isn't doing so great. Then Billy remembers that Junior can shapeshift, and asks if he can turn himself into anything. When Junior says yes, Billy suggests he turn into a pair of pants so that the two can win the hundred-yard dash together. Prompting this response from Mandy:
334	-->'''Mandy:''' Billy, that has got to be the dumbest idea... (''[[BeatPanel beat]]'') Actually, Billy, [[DumbassHasAPoint that has got to be the smartest idea you've ever had.]]\
335	'''Billy:''' I know, that's why I wanna do it.
336	* From the ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' episode "Hilloween", when Luanne has been brainwashed by a delusional MoralGuardian.
337	-->'''Luanne:''' Miss Harper says that haunted houses are the Devil's mousetraps, and that fun is the cheese.\
338	'''Hank:''' (''beat'') Just when I thought you've said the stupidest thing ever, you keep talking.
339	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':
340	** Similar to the ''Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'' example above, the episode "I Had an Accident" has this exchange when [=SpongeBob=] announces that he's never going outside again for his own protection.
341	--->'''Sandy:''' That's crazy talk!\
342	'''Patrick:''' That's not crazy talk. ''This'' is crazy talk. (''babbles incoherently'')
343	** Said word for word by Squidward in the "The Camping Episode", when they talk about Sea Bears.
344	--->'''Squidward:''' That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!\
345	'''Patrick:''' Well maybe it is stupid, but it's also dumb!
346	* ''WesternAnimation/KingLeonardoAndHisShortSubjects'': When King Leonardo hears something outrageous or silly, he'd quip "That's the most unheard of thing I've ever heard of!"
347	* In the ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' episode "Sleep Spells", Marco and Star react this way to the villain outlining her plan to swap faces with Star, because ''somehow'' said villain has gotten the idea that her body is indistinguishable from Star's.
348	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E3LessonZero "Lesson Zero"]], Twilight Sparkle fearing that Princess Celestia would send her back to magic kindergarten is the most ridiculous thing Spike has ever heard.
349	* In the ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' episode "Her Chance to Dream", Rebecca was waiting for Baloo, who's at Louie's having a party, to return. Then the ghost wreaks havoc, chasing everyone away. Baloo comes back all shaken up with his "dumbest excuse" yet.
350	-->'''Rebecca:''' You lowlife excuse for a pilot! When you said Molly had eaten your maps, that was cute. When you said a big hurricane blew your plane to Louie's, that was mildly amusing. But ''this'' is stupid!!
351	* In the pilot for ''WesternAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls2019'', the evil plan involving destroying various buildings while everyone is stuck in virtual reality is revealed to be not the work of Lex Luthor, but his little sister, Lena. At her MotiveRant about doing away with ''everything teenager-related'' so that ''kids'' will run free and rule the city, there's a silence only filled by her childish evil laughter, the collected superhero girls (obviously still there to stop her and her HumongousMecha) look at a loss for words, or ''concerned,'' until Supergirl finally says:
352	-->'''Supergirl:''' ...That's the dumbest plan I've ever heard.\
353	'''Lena:''' (over the loudspeaker) ''[[NoYou You're]]'' [[NoYou the dumbest plan]] ''[[NoYou I've]]'' [[NoYou ever heard!]]
354	* In ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' Bradford declares Huey and Louie's suggestion for LoopholeAbuse on the Papyrus of Binding-[[spoiler: that the clause that says Scrooge can keep his family if he gives up adventuring is flawed because ''family'' is the greatest adventure of all]]-was the stupidest thing he ever heard. He's flabbergasted when the Papyrus accepts the loophole and dissolves, absolving Scrooge of being bound to the contract.
355	[[/folder]]
356
357	[[folder:Real Life]]
358	* During a question and answer segment after a debate about porn and ethics, Ron Jeremy was asked how the pornography industry can continue functioning despite it resulting in things like bestiality and child pornography. Ron Jeremy's response was simply that that was the stupidest question he had ever heard in his life.
359	* A judge used the ''Billy Madison'' line above in his closing words of a case where [[AFoolForAClient the man (incompetently) defended himself at his own trial]].
360	* During one town hall meeting, Congressman [[DeadpanSnarker Barney Frank]] interrupted a woman who was comparing a government health care program to Nazism by informing her that it was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard and that the table he was at was capable of more rational comments. Not the people at the table, mind you, but ''the table itself''. To realize how absurd the comparison to Nazism is, recall that Barney Frank is both Jewish and gay.
361	* Minecraft Youtuber [[https://www.youtube.com/user/ThatMumboJumbo Mumbo Jumbo]] uses this phrase often in his videos.
362	* In July of 2017, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham claimed that President UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump's idea of a "cybersecurity task force" with Russia (who had been accused of meddling in [electronic] election results) was [[http://www.postandcourier.com/politics/lindsey-graham-blasts-u-s--russia-cyber-security-task/article_127ad448-64b3-11e7-9275-abe3a0be225e.html "not the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard, but it’s pretty close."]] (Note that Graham has been in politics since his days as a judge advocate for the U.S. Air Force in 1982. He's been at it a while.)
363	[[/folder]]

Context Main / StupidestThingIveEverHeard