History Main / SeeminglyProfoundFool

* In TheTenthKingdom, the dog impersonating Prince Wendell is asked a number of tricky questions to test whether he was worthy of being king. First, his bravery is challenged, and he describes tearing the troll king's throat out with his teeth. Next, he is asked for wisdom, and he describes finding a hundred bones and burying most of them, which the audience takes as a metaphor for conserving precious resources. Finally, Cinderella asks if he's really Wendell White. He breaks down, admits he's unworthy of the name, describes himself as not a leader but rather a "retriever," and says he will never be as great as Snow White and should not be named king. Cinderella thus pronounces that he has passed the test by showing humility.

* In one episode of {{Leverage}}, the entire crew (save Nate, of course) is convinced that a museum's head of security is a obsessive, nearly militant force to be reckoned with. Instead, it turns out he's a bumbling [[TheWoobie Woobie]] with a crush on Sophie.

* JamesThurber's ''Fables for our Time'' has "The Owl Who Was God", where a bunch of forest animals make an owl their leader when this trope makes them think he's TheOwlKnowingOne, with the result that most of them (including the owl) get killed by being run over by a truck.

* An episode of ''[[IrresponsibleCaptainTylor The Irresponsible Captain Tylor]]'' features this. Several of the ship's female crew members come in to ask for advice while Tylor is preoccupied and takes his comments regarding his task as the desired advice. In truth, all Tylor was doing was desperately trying to stop his VCR from recording over the porno tape the ship's marines had given him with explicit instructions to return intact.
** Or was he?

* Mr. Dick serves in this capacity to some extent to Betsey Trotwood in ''DavidCopperfield''.

** It's worth noting that Sellers wanted to play the role upon reading the novel because he saw himself in it. The film's ending wasn't in the book or script, but was conceived by director Hal Ashby as a response to how the film was developing, especially Sellers' performance. ([[spoiler: It was entirely believable that Chance would be able to walk on water, if only for lack of knowing that it wasn't possible]]).

[[folder: Anime ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]


* Subverted twice in the ''{{Discworld}}'' novel "Interesting Times", when Rincewind is claimed as the Great Wizzard, who will lead the Red Army to victory. Firstly, because Rincewind ''does'' understand the question and knows he doesn't have the answer, but can't convince anyone of this; and second, because the leader of the Red Army knows this as well, but thinks they need a symbol. And, of course, [[DoubleSubversion double-subverted]] when he does, though a combination of chance and cowardly cunning.

** One gets the impression that the tests were a formality and everyone was looking for an excuse to pass him.

[[folder: Theater ]]

** It's worth noting that Sellers wanted to play the role upon reading the novel because he saw himself in it. The film's ending wasn't in the book or script, but was conceived by director Hal Ashby as a response to how the film was developing, especially Sellers' performance. ([[spoiler: It was believable that Chance would walk on water]]).

* One of the deleted scenes of GalaxyQuest fully exemplifies this, but it's pretty much the whole point of the movie.

* In the {{Gintama}} episode "Dango Over Flowers", local homeless man Musashi is presented as a "famous gourmet" and the judge for a sweets-eating competition. The Andromeda team raises three objections, and Musashi's response each time - "You better eat while you can!" - is interpreted differently in each context.

* ''ArrestedDevelopment'' invokes this trope, ending with an homage to ''Being There''. Michael, stunned, asks GOB if that was just one of his tricks, to which GOB responds it was not. [[spoiler:It was his [[InsistentTerminology ILLUSION!]] (A trick is something a whore does for money.)]]

* Raz in ''{{Psychonauts}}'' believes that the absent-minded but constantly-babbling Crueller is actually undergoing some kind of secret assignment. However, he really is just that impaired. [[spoiler: Or rather, his split personalities are. Crueller himself is still a sensible and powerful psychic.]]

* JohnCandy played exactly this character in ''Who's Harry Crumb?''. Harry (Candy) is almost in [[RalphWiggum Ralph Wiggum's]] league. He was sent in by the CorruptCorporateExecutive because the executive wanted to send the worst possible detective in the world. Eventually, some characters do catch on to Crumb's stupidity, but by the end are wondering if it was ObfuscatingStupidity. It [[spoiler: probably was not.]]

* ''TheSimpsons'': In "E Pluribus Wiggum", the Republicans and Democrats battle to secure Ralph -- the eight-year-old so dumb, they [[RalphWiggum named a trope after him]] -- as a ''presidential candidate.''

* In ''[[Literature/JeevesAndWooster The Inimitable Jeeves]]'', Bertie's friend Bingo Little claims that Bertie is the true author of his uncle's favorite series of romance novels. The uncle spends the rest of the book thinking Bertie is a literary genius with unparalleled insight into the human condition, [[spoiler:until the real author shows up and Jeeves [[EsotericHappyEnding saves the day by telling everyone Bertie is insane]]]].

* In ''[[Literature/JeevesAndWooster The Inimitable Jeeves]]'', Bertie's friend Bingo Little claims that Bertie is the true author of his uncle's favorite series of romance novels. The uncle spends the rest of the book thinking Bertie is a literary genius with unparalleled insight into the human condition, [[spoiler:until the real author shows up and Jeeves saves the day by telling everyone Bertie is insane]].

* In ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster The Inimitable Jeeves'', Bertie's friend Bingo Little claims that Bertie is the true author of his uncle's favorite series of romance novels. The uncle spends the rest of the book thinking Bertie is a literary genius with unparalleled insight into the human condition, [[spoiler:until the real author shows up and Jeeves saves the day by telling everyone Bertie is insane]].

* This is also the basic premise of the Chicken Boo sketches from ''{{Animaniacs}}''.

--> Bishop Facks: So, Father. Do you ever have any doubts about the religious life? Is your faith ever tested? Anything you would be worried about? Any doubts you've been having about any aspects of belief? Anything like that?
--> Father Dougal: Well, you know the way God made us all, right? And he's looking down at us from heaven and everything?
--> Bishop Facks: Uh-huh.
--> Father Dougal: And then his son came down and saved everyone and all that?
--> Bishop Facks: Yes.
--> Father Dougal: And when we die we're all going to go to heaven?
--> Bishop Facks: Yes. What about it?
--> Father Dougal: Well, that's the bit I have trouble with.

* JohnCandy played exactly this character in ''Who's Harry Crumb?''. Harry (Candy) is almost in [[RalphWiggum Ralph Wiggum's]] league. He was sent in by the CorruptCorporateExecutive because the executive wanted to send the worst possible detective in the world. Eventually, somce characters do catch on to Crumb's stupidity, but by the end are wondering if it was ObfuscatingStupidity. It [[spoiler: probably was not.]]

* JohnCandy played exactly this character in WhoIsHarryCrumb. Harry (Candy) is almost in [[RalphWiggum Ralph Wiggum's]] league. He was sent in by the CorruptCorporateExecutive because the executive wanted to send the worst possible detective in the world. Eventually, somce characters do catch on to Crumb's stupidity, but by the end are wondering if it was ObfuscatingStupidity. It [[spoiler: probably was not.]]