The "people are stupid" cliche

[Tom Mewer]

I think the cliche that all but a few humans are stupid has gone too far.

Lilo & Stitch: Jumba, Pleakley and Gantu wear really bad disguises, but no human is smart enough to work out that they're aliens.

Invader Zim: Zim's usual disguise is pretty good, but I have seen him in a bad disguise once and it fooled everyone except Dib.

Pet Alien: The humans are so stupid that the aliens don't need disguises.

[Captain C]

What cliche? People ARE stupid. ;)

[Lonestarr]

The City of Townsville...is populated with nitwits. Witness the "Powerpuff Girls" episode where the girls were exhausted with performing every single task for the helpless masses. Then again, given how their mayor functions, it shouldn't be too surprising.

[Quincy Archer]

Sonic X if aint a Sonic character there a MORON:gir:

[Juu-kuchi]

One could say that the people of Metropolis are nitwits.

"Superman is Clark Kent!"
"How would you know?"
"Clark Kent takes off the glasses and becomes Superman!"
"...But how can HE see?"

My mistake

[lostrune]

One could say that the people of Metropolis are nitwits.

"Superman is Clark Kent!"
"How would you know?"
"Clark Kent takes off the glasses and becomes Superman!"
"...But how can I see?"
Stupid people. "But how can he see?" :D

[Monkey12]

I think the cast of Sailor Moon anime are pretty retarded, too.

[Tom Mewer]

I think the cast of Sailor Moon anime are pretty retarded, too. Yeah! Usagi's own family can't recognise her when she's Sailor Moon!

[Behonkiss]

To add to the list:

Fairly Oddparents
South Park (Probably the worst offender)
Simpsons
Clerks

[Jave]

Yeah! Usagi's own family can't recognise her when she's Sailor Moon!Either that, or that costume really does its work.

[Rover_Wow]

Yeah, especially when it happens to characters who should be smart by the nature of their occupation. The Cow and Chicken ep with the astronauts and SuperCow, and the PPG ep with the curfew come to mind. And someone here cited in an earlier thread that the police commisioner once withdrew reinforcements while Batman was fighting Bane (so he's too dumb to recognize a numerical advantage?). Tish Katsufrakis in "Tish's Hair" is a big offender too.

[Hordesman]

"Oh look, it's 2 helpless-looking salespeople with a mysterious Meowth that can talk!"
"Yeah...Hahah. Wouldja like ta come with us?"
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Ash."
"Yeah, Ash, they might be Team Rocket in disguise."
"Oh what're you talking about? They're not Team Rocket. Ohoho"
"Oh, but we are!..."

[Sharklady]

> "But how can he see?" <

Because Superman isn't actually nearsighted; those glasses are just a disguise.

>"Yeah, Ash, they might be Team Rocket in disguise."
"Oh what're you talking about? They're not Team Rocket. Ohoho"
"Oh, but we are!..." <

Aye, it's a running joke for Ash & Co. to fail to see through Team Rocket's disguises. Even the pathetically inadequate ones.

Rocky and Bulwinkle had a similar inability to recognize Boris and Natashia, so apparently it's not just people who are stupid.

[shoujoaifan]

What cliche? People ARE stupid. ;)Amen.

Sure, some things are exaggerated, like the PPG having to hold Townville's hand, but real life stupidity more than makes up for not being a goofy-acting cartoon character and not being able to figure out that certain things will a monster.

Most people would run around in panic, even when the thing is trapped.

[Draven]

Invader Zim: Zim's usual disguise is pretty good, but I have seen him in a bad disguise once and it fooled everyone except Dib. Since I am a fan of the show, and of Jhonen Vasquez in general, I thought it was important to point out some things about him.

Jhonen is an artist and an individual, so therefore he not only agrees with the concept he LOVES to point out humanity's stupidy. He's done this sevral times thoughout his work. From Johnny The Homicadal Maniac, to Squee!, to I FEEL SICK! There are both subtle and obvious jokes on people, and the moronic sheep they tend to be.

Case in Point: During the Invader Zim episode "The Wettening" it begins to rain outside, of course the whole school piles out to play in the rain. While Zim watches this phemonion, a few stragilers run by. Baa! Baa! can be heard when they do this.

Now, it's clear Zim's disguise is basic at best. A wig, some contacts, BOOM! Instant human. Dib sees right through this, because he is actually an intelligent person, who obsesses with alien life. The only reason why the whole school doesn't join "popular opinion" in the fact that Zim is an alien, is because there is a pre-existing popular opinion that Dib is just crazy.

It due to these facts that a green man, with big eyes, and no ears can walk around freely, with a robot in a dog suit, who is walking up right, and nobody notices.

Humanity is a baffling thing. Don't get offended when it's mocked.

Now, as for the Pokemon, and Sailor Moon points, both these shows are in the Anime Universe and are subjects to it's laws...

Law of Anime #46

Law of Flimsy Incognition

Simply changing into a costume or wearing a teensy mask can make you utterly unrecognizable to even your closest friends and relatives. This is also known as the "fake mustache rule".

[lostrune]

> "But how can he see?" <

Because Superman isn't actually nearsighted; those glasses are just a disguise.
You missed the joke.... :p

[Sharklady]

^ Well, it's not like I haven't heard similar questions asked in complete seriousness.

[90'sCartoonMan]

Now, as for the Pokemon, and Sailor Moon points, both these shows are in the Anime Universe and are subjects to it's laws...

Law of Anime #46

Law of Flimsy Incognition
Are there actually a bunch of anime laws (with at least 46) or is that just a generalization?

Anyway, let us not forget Animaniacs' Chicken Boo, a giant chicken who regularly disguises himself as a human, usually with something ridiculous like a mustache and shoes. He's always found out at the end, though.

[Scythemantis]

The poor recognition skills of animated characters is commonplace even when it's not part of the storyline or humor...so much so that I come to expect it by default. If a character notices that behind a moustache, hat, and trenchcoat is a bunch of scaly green skin, it pretty much blows my mind. Part of me expects such a frail disguise to work in real life

I always did like the "Isz" in the Maxx for making this an actual "power", appearing to humans as anything they're dressed as...until one of them is killed, that is.

[lostrune]

Are there actually a bunch of anime laws (with at least 46) or is that just a generalization?
There is: The Laws of Anime (http://www.abcb.com/laws/). :)
And as you can read from its history (http://www.abcb.com/ency/l/lawsofan.htm), it's not something built overnight but over the years from many contributors of all corners of fandom.

There are some others who compiled their own versions (http://www.tapanime.com/fun/animelaws.html) of the Anime Laws too that are also quite funny. :D

[Draven]

Are there actually a bunch of anime laws (with at least 46) or is that just a generalization?Yes. This is an ACTUAL law of anime. The other laws are written here: http://www.abcb.com/laws/

If you watch a lot of anime, like me, you'll find some of these quite hilarious, as they are undeniably true.

And something struck me, as I thought about the fact that simply putting on a pair of glasses will transform you into a diffrent person.

We are taught from an early age, everyone is ok, regardless of diffrent skin, hair, height weight, or sexual orientation. We are taught that it is ok to be diffrent, and we should treat all others, no matter how strange as friends.

So perhaps it's this mental conditioning that makes the general public in animation simply not CARE that a two foot.....thing....with big razor sharp teeth, and a pair of feet is wearing a hat, and grinning at them. After all, he may be diffrent, but he still has feelings!

[Tom Mewer]

I just remembered another one.

When Timmy Turner makes a wish like "I wish life was like a comic book" or "I wish everyone looked exactly the same" and the wish is granted, everyone in Dimmsdale sees it as normal and they just go along with it.

[Tash]

"Oh look, it's 2 helpless-looking salespeople with a mysterious Meowth that can talk!"
"Yeah...Hahah. Wouldja like ta come with us?"
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Ash."
"Yeah, Ash, they might be Team Rocket in disguise."
"Oh what're you talking about? They're not Team Rocket. Ohoho"
"Oh, but we are!..."Where did that come from anyway?

Anyhow, they aren't stupid. They've seen team rocket every episode for 400 episodes. Now, they see team rocket and don't even make the connection anymore. They're so used to seeing them, they don't think that they're out of the ordinary. :p

[Scythemantis]

That comes from the "pokemon in a nutshell" sound file. I don't know who made it, but there was originally just one for Dragonball Z and more followed. They're high-pitched, hyper fast and amusing accurate summaries of entire animes.


I just remembered another one.

When Timmy Turner makes a wish like "I wish life was like a comic book" or "I wish everyone looked exactly the same" and the wish is granted, everyone in Dimmsdale sees it as normal and they just go along with it.

That's not stupidity, that's an intentional of their magic. A world-changing wish wouldn't work if the world actually noticed the change (which would mean chaos).

[devon rehab]

I love the laws of anime, some funny stuff. This one is one of my favorites

42.Law of Juvenile Omnipotence
Always send a boy to do a man's job. He'll get it done in half the time and twice the angst.
This seems to be the law Gundam Seed(acutaly nearly all of the various Gundam series) works off of.

[Hordesman]

That comes from the "pokemon in a nutshell" sound file. I don't know who made it, but there was originally just one for Dragonball Z and more followed. They're high-pitched, hyper fast and amusing accurate summaries of entire animes.
For some reason, all the ones I have (DBZ, Pokemon, Digimon and Power Rangers) are all attributed to Invader Zim or labelled [Name of Show]vs. Invader Zim. They're awesome.

Mmm, yeah, I wonder how Team Rocket would fare going up against Count Olaf's group.

[Dudley]

Law 45: Law of Uninteruptable Metamorphis, is a true show of stupidity, because no one takes the samrt of enought to to keep the hero from changing.

THe only time I've seen this law broken, was in Digimon the Movie, where Greymon and Kabuterimon were in the middle of evolving to the Ultimate level, but were stopped by the virus Digimon (I forgot his name.)
Making him/it, the smartest villian ever.;)

[Hordesman]

Law 45: Law of Uninteruptable Metamorphis, is a true show of stupidity, because no one takes the samrt of enought to to keep the hero from changing.

THe only time I've seen this law broken, was in Digimon the Movie, where Greymon and Kabuterimon were in the middle of evolving to the Ultimate level, but were stopped by the virus Digimon (I forgot his name.)
Making him/it, the smartest villian ever.;)
You think those evolutions/transformations you see in anime, or even the MOTU/PoP shows, really take place in real time? I always figured they were instanteous, just shown in slo-mo to clear it up for the audience and/or sell the transformation theme.

[Tom Mewer]

You think those evolutions/transformations you see in anime, or even the MOTU/PoP shows, really take place in real time? I always figured they were instanteous, just shown in slo-mo to clear it up for the audience and/or sell the transformation theme. Yeah, and don't forget that they said Diaboromon was super-fast.