History Main / EasilySwayedPopulation

May overlap with CloudCuckoolander, ApatheticCitizens, UngratefulTownsfolk, LawfulStupid, and TooDumbToLive. See also EasyEvangelism, GullibleLemmings, DemocracyIsFlawed, and DemocracyIsBad.

* PlayedForDrama in ''VideoGame/Persona5'' as the people of Japan are so unwilling to think for themselves that they will believe anyone, even when those people confess their crimes. It isn't until the [[PhantomThief Phantom Thieves]] [[spoiler:steal the hearts of everyone in Japan]] in the final dungeon that things change. [[spoiler: It is later revealed that this is due to a [[GodIsEvil god.]] ]]

** In "Marge vs. the Monorail", a civil forum is held by Springfield townsfolk concerned with inept management and ballooning taxes. A pitchman, Lyle Lanley, takes the floor and hawks a solution to their problems: a monorail. After a catchy tune, everyone present is convinced that a monorail will usher in a golden age for Springfield. Everyone except Marge Simpson, that is.

** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E14TheStoryteller The Storyteller]]", a village on Bajor was in such disarray that the people needed a storyteller to uplift their spirits, and to bring forth the idea that their village is strong in-unity, to fight a mythical energy being known as the "Dal'Rok". The problem is, the way that this is done is all a performance farce: The Dal'Rok is no more than a puppet; a collection of energy that has no sentience or sapience, and is controlled by a Bajoran orb fragment in a bracelet. The "strength" that comes from the villagers to fight off the Dal'Rok is no more than lights from an energy emitter.

May overlap with CloudCuckoolander, ApatheticCitizens, UngratefulTownsfolk, and LawfulStupid. See also EasyEvangelism, GullibleLemmings, DemocracyIsFlawed and DemocracyIsBad.

-->'''Peter Parker''': How could you do all of this?\\
TheBigBad: You'll see, Peter. People... need to believe. And nowadays, they'll believe anything.

** The later films show the Purge is actually a subversion of this trope; the murders committed on Purge Night are rigged by the New Founding Fathers, who drop off loads of weapons and paramilitary killers in vulnerable areas because people won't dish out enough violence on their own. Additionally they plant false news on the Purge's economic benefits, and use it as a way of keeping various ethnic groups divided from each other.

And

* may change their opinion at the drop of a hat to their, or the main characters', detriment, and...

* may frustrate the television audience,

May overlap with CloudCuckoolander, ApatheicCitizens, UngratefulTownsfolk, and LawfulStupid. See also EasyEvangelism, GullibleLemmings, DemocracyIsFlawed and DemocracyIsBad.

* may change their opinion at the drop of a hat to their, or the main characters', detriment,
And...

and it's a wonder that this population still exists, as they probably would have been destroyed by their own stupidity long ago.

May overlap with CloudCuckoolander, UngratefulTownsfolk, and LawfulStupid. See also EasyEvangelism, GullibleLemmings, DemocracyIsFlawed and DemocracyIsBad.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'': The citizens of Metro City latch on to the idea that Metro Man is, and always will be their savior. For him, though, this creates an existential crisis, in that he and Megamind were performing the same villain-hero performance moves over and over day-in and day-out, and it was getting extremely tiresome for him. So, [[spoiler:he fakes his own death]]. When Roxanne finds out [[spoiler:that he's still alive]], she's completely furious, [[spoiler:breaking not just his trophies, but his guitars and even a person-sized '''''speaker''''' over his head, claiming that he let the city down and cowardly deserted them, while Metro Man is completely unfazed, and has a completely drained and exasperated expression on his face that just says "You're just proving my point... Why are you doing this?"]]

::And later, Sarris forces Jason Nesmith, the "Captain Kirk" analogue on the show, to tell Mathesar he's an actor[=:=]

--->'''Mathesar:'''''[weakened by Sarris, looking at the computer screen]'' But there it is...

--->'''Mathesar:''' But why...?

* may change their opinion at the drop of a hat,

* A rather sad instance in ''Film/GalaxyQuest'', as an alien race, the Thermians, that the television stars of the titular [[ShowWithinAShow show]] help, are completely pacifistic, take everything at face value, and have no concept of fiction. They believe it is a form of deception and lying, which they do know, as they've seen in their gruesome encounters with an insectoid warlord, Sarris, who is bent on the genocide of the Thermians. Because of this, the Thermians believe that the crew of the fictional show are the real deal, and that the show itself is an "historical record" of their travels and explorations.

--->'''Jason Nesmith:''' I'm not a commander. There's no "National Space Exploration Administration." We don't have a ship.

--->'''Jason Nesmith:''' Mathesar, I am so sorry. God, I am so sorry.

** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E23ATasteOfArmageddon A Taste of Armageddon]]", [[ForeverWar a war has been raging between two planets, Vendikar and Eminiar VII, for 500 years]]. The only odd part? [[AMillionIsAStatistic The war is computerized. No missiles, no bombs, no ground infantry/army/invasion. The "attacks" are recorded within the computer, and probable deaths are counted.]] The treaty between the two planets stipulates that those "affected" must report to disintegration chambers within 24 hours, and even one miscount means that either side will begin attacking with real weapons. (The alternative being that the culture and infrastructure survives with the computerized war.) What makes this especially stupid is that seemingly every single individual on the planet "has a deep sense of duty" (implied for the other planet too) and will walk straight into euthanization without question, or others will allow their friends, family, and colleagues to do the same. It's only after [[CuttingTheKnot Kirk destroys the computers on Eminiar VII]] and explains that [[WarIsHell war is]] ''[[WarIsHell supposed to be]]'' [[WarIsHell Hell]] that they finally put an end to it.

** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E23ATasteOfArmageddon A Taste of Armageddon]]", [[ForeverWar a war has been raging between two planets, Vendikar and Eminiar VII, for 500 years]]. The only odd part? [[AMillionIsAStatistic The war is computerized. No missiles, no bombs, no ground infantry/army/ invasion. The "attacks" are recorded within the computer, and probable deaths are counted.]] The treaty between the two planets stipulates that those "affected" must report to disintegration chambers within 24 hours, and even one miscount means that either side will begin attacking with real weapons. (The alternative being that the culture and infrastructure survives with the computerized war.) What makes this especially stupid is that seemingly every single individual on the planet "has a deep sense of duty" (implied for the other planet too) and will walk straight into euthanization without question, or others will allow their friends, family, and colleagues to do the same. It's only after [[CuttingTheKnot Kirk destroys the computers on Eminiar VII]] and explains that [[WarIsHell war is]] ''[[WarIsHell supposed to be]]'' [[WarIsHell Hell]] that they finally put an end to it.

::and later, Sarris forces Jason Nesmith, the "Captain Kirk" analogue on the show, to tell Mathesar he's an actor[=:=]

--->'''Jason Nesmith:''' [gesturing with his fingers, three inches across] The ship is that big.

* A rather sad instance in Film/GalaxyQuest, as an alien race, the Thermians, that the television stars of the titular [[ShowWithinAShow show]] help, are completely pacifistic, take everything at face value, and have no concept of fiction. They believe it is a form of deception and lying, which they do know, as they've seen in their gruesome encounters with an insectoid warlord, Sarris, who is bent on the genocide of the Thermians. Because of this, the Thermians believe that the crew of the fictional show are the real deal, and that the show itself is an "historical record" of their travels and explorations.

::and later, Sarris forces Jason Nesmith, the "Captain Kirk" analogue on the show, to tell Mathesar he's an actor:\\\

--->'''Gwen DeMarco:''' They're not ALL "historical documents." Surely, you don't think Gilligan's Island is a...

::and later, Sarris forces Jason Nesmith, the "Captain Kirk" analogue on the show, to tell Mathesar he's an actor:

'''Jason Nesmith:''' You've seen plywood sets that look like the inside. Our beryllium sphere is... is wire with plaster around it. And our digital conveyor is... it's Christmas tree lights. It's a decoration. It's all fake. Just like me.