Line #73 Main/ArousedByIdiocy


1	->''"Oh, sweet potato, I love you ''because'' you're an idiot! You make me feel like a genius!"''
2	-->-- '''Lady Rainicorn''' to '''Jake''', ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', "[[Recap/AdventureTimeS1E9MyTwoFavoritePeople My Two Favorite People]]"
3
4	For most people seeking a serious relationship, [[TheDitz unintelligent people]] are very much ''not'' ideal romantic partners; although [[BrainlessBeauty stupid people can be physically attractive]], their lack of brains tends to be a turn-off for people seeking a long-term relationship. Still, there are ''some'' people for whom stupidity is not a turn-off or a flaw, but a desirable trait in a partner.
5
6	For characters who are Aroused by Idiocy, a lack of intelligence is something that they actively seek when looking for relationships. There are numerous reasons for this; perhaps they think stupid people are easy and don't take much effort to seduce or impress. Another reason is {{pride}}; they want to make themselves feel smarter by dating/marrying someone of inferior intelligence and enjoy having someone depend on them. Alternatively, they might not be attracted to low intelligence per se, but turned off by high intelligence; after all, smart people are less likely to fall for TerriblePickupLines, more likely to have high standards, and are willing to challenge and stand up to mistreatment. They may also find stupidity charming as well.
7
8	While this trope is sometimes portrayed as a humorous quirk, some works portray this sort of attraction as predatory; since less intelligent people are easier to manipulate and abuse, it only makes sense that they would be easy prey for potential predators. Characters portrayed in this light tend to not see the targets of their affections as actual people but as [[TrophyWife trophies]] and/or playthings. Naturally, which tone this takes usually [[DoubleStandard depends on the gender]]; men who desire dumb women are more likely to be portrayed as predatory than vice-versa.
9
10	'''Note: A character who just so happens to be attracted to a stupid person or who is attracted to someone despite their stupidity is not this trope; this trope is for characters who are attracted to someone ''because'' of their low intelligence similar to how GeekyTurnOn involves someone being attracted to someone for their brains.'''
11
12	InvertedTrope to GeekyTurnOn, which is about characters being attracted to smart people.
13
14	See also BrainlessBeauty, who are commonly targeted by these characters. Compare CrazyInTheHeadCrazyInTheBed, which like this trope but with mental illness rather than stupidity. Compare WeWantOurIdiotBack for platonic examples. Compare AllGirlsWantBadBoys, which also involves a generally undesirable trait (immorality) being considered attractive.
15
16	Contrast EnragedByIdiocy and SurroundedByIdiots, who are very much ''not'' attracted to stupid people. Also contrast ILoveYouBecauseICantControlYou, which is about people being attracted to those who can challenge them, something an unintelligent person is unlikely to do.
17	----
18	!!Examples:
19	[[foldercontrol]]
20	[[folder:Comic Books]]
21	* ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'': [[ManicPixieDreamGirl Ramona Flowers]] is explicitly noted in the early volumes to be attracted to Scott because of his "simple-mindedness." Later, as both of their {{Character Development}}s begin to take hold, it turns into genuine affection and love because of his willingness to fight for her and his growing self-awareness and self-improvement.
22	[[/folder]]
23
24	[[folder:Fan Works]]
25	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' fanfic ''[[https://theloudhouse.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Thomperfan/Sleuth_or_Consequences_(my_version) Sleuth or Consequences (My Version)]]'', [[OriginalCharacter Nolan]] thinks that Leni thinking "zebra" is a colour is "cute".
26	* In [[https://www.deviantart.com/the-gneech/art/Proudly-Morosexual-844795921 this She-Ra]] fan comic, Catra declares she's a proud "Moronosexual."
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
30	* ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'': Gaston plays with this trope a bit; on the one hand, he desires Belle, who is [[BrainyBrunette far from stupid]], as his wife for her beauty. On the other hand, he is a [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain sexist]] and [[AntiIntellectualism anti-intellectual]] guy who thinks that women shouldn't read, think, or have ideas, and tries to convince Belle to give up her love of books and [[StayInTheKitchen become a housewife]].
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
34	* This trope is invoked by ''Film/BodyHeat'''s FemmeFatale Matty as she tries to seduce AmoralAttorney Ned so he [[spoiler:kills her husband]]:
35	-->'''Matty:''' You aren't too smart, are you? I like that in a man.
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
39	* ''Series/{{SCTV}}'': The series did an AffectionateParody of the preview for ''Film/BodyHeat'', called ''Prickley Heat'', starring Edith Prickley (Creator/AndreaMartin) in the role of Matty, and E. Charles Bronson (Creator/JoeFlaherty) in the role of Ned.
40	-->'''Edith:''' Boy, are you stupid! I like that in a man.
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:Video Games]]
44	* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': Suguru Kamoshida is a PlayedForHorror example; he's a CreepyGymCoach who sexually harasses his female students, and his [[MentalWorld Palace]] shows that he views them as nothing but mindless bimbos who exist solely to satisfy his urges. It's also played with a bit as two of the girls he lusts after, Ann and Shiho, are reasonably intelligent and repulsed by him, but Kamoshida's cognitions (clones that represent how a Palace ruler views a person) of them show that he simply thinks of them this way.
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Web Animation]]
48	* ''WebAnimation/EtraChanSawIt'': [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SRZj-O05cRU&pp=ygUZaHVzYmFuZCBjaGVhdGVkIGV0cmEgY2hhIA%3D%3D Akamatsu]] cheats on and later divorces Karin to be with Akane because Karin isn't reliant on him in regards to household tasks, while Akane is. [[LaserGuidedKarma Karma soon bites him]] when Akane's [[MsRedInk wasteful spending]] and inability to do household chores cause him to regret his decision, and he's unable to divorce Akane without having to pay a huge settlement fee to Karin.
49	* ''WebAnimation/MangaSoprano'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOmKmZoKXIo Yui]] and [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wMrrE2oDY20 Mai]] attempt to exploit this trope by [[ObfuscatingStupidity pretending to be airheaded]] in order to be popular with guys, only to end up being rejected for being fake and unpleasant. Meanwhile, Kanade, [[TheDitz a natural airhead]], ends up winning the affections of the guys without trying to because they find her antics amusing.
50	* ''WebAnimation/{{Otakebi}}'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG2bfVH0Vjo Sayaka's brother-in-law]] combines this trope with BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor; he openly admits that he hates smart women and prefers stupid women; as a result of his thinking, he marries a {{Womanchild}} who is extremely dependent on him and lacks a lot of common sense. This [[DeconstructedTrope trope is deconstructed]] when his wife puts them in debt as a result of destroying an expensive kimono [[ItMakesSenseInContext for being made of silk]] and she refuses to [[NeverMyFault take responsibility]] and her parents don't want to take her back because of her stupidity. [[{{Reconstruction}} Reconstructed]] when the husband decides that dealing with her stupidity is simply the price of having an unintelligent wife.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Web Comics]]
54	* ''Webcomic/CyanideAndHappiness'' features a comic where a man and a woman are having sex, and as the woman approaches orgasm, she says "Talk to me like you're a fucking idiot!" When the man responds with a bewildered "Huh?" she screams "That's '''perfect'''!" and climaxes.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Web Original]]
58	* ''Literature/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero'': The women in Motoyasu's party mix this trope with GoldDigger and PrettyFreeloaders; part of the reason why they join him is that he's an [[IdiotHero idiot]] who [[HandsomeLech thinks with his libido]], which makes him easy to leech off of and manipulate. [[BrainlessBeauty Motoyasu]] is so blind to the fact that the women in his party are manipulating him [[spoiler:that he doesn't realize it until they ''say so directly'' to his face once he's [[YouHaveOutLivedYourUsefulness become too much of a liability]] that they couldn't stand him.]]
59	* ''WebVideo/SwordArtOnlineAbridged'': [[PlayedForLaughs Played For]] BlackComedy with Nobuyuki Sugou, who plans to brainwash his future wife/SexSlave Asuna, who while not brilliant is certainly not a BrainlessBeauty in addition to [[DefiantCaptive being extremely strong-willed]], and rewrite her personality to a mixture of "''Series/LeaveItToBeaver'' and hardcore porn." Naturally, this is played as a predatory act and drives in how [[HateSink despicable]] Sugou is.
60	* A ''Website/{{Tumblr}}'' [[https://i.redd.it/0yhsio3yn7621.jpg post]] explains how a user started dreaming of kissing a person after they asked them what the Spanish word for "tortilla" was. The same person then asked the user what kind of animal Franchise/ThePinkPanther is.
61	-->'''me, already taking off my clothes:''' benjamin you're so fucking stupid
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Web Videos]]
65	* ''[=MacAir Texts=]''
66	** [[https://youtu.be/goul1_l2H6E?feature=shared Marcus]] downplays this trope; while he does like smart girls, he doesn't want a girl that's smarter than him, and he states that if he had a choice between marrying a girl who's smarter than him, and an airhead, he would choose the latter. It's because of this preference cheats on his intelligent girlfriend Bea with tbe less intelligent Rachel. He's also a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction of this trope]], as Bea's greater intelligence actually helped him on his work, yet rather than appreciating it, [[TheResenter he resented her]] because of his fragile {{pride}}, and when Rachel's stupidity proves to be a liability, he wants to dump her. All-in-all, a person who would date stupid people to stroke their own ego probably isn't too smart themselves.
67	** [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MjnpWP-AUOY Alex]] cheated on and dumped his fiance Catherine to be with her sister Nicole. His reason for doing so is that he felt pressured by the fact that Catherine was "too perfect", as she went to a better college than him, makes more money than him, and is good at housework on top of that. By contrast, Nicole is less competent and more reliant on him, which makes him feel more manly. His choice soon bites him in the ass, when Nicole's incompetence is too much for him to handle, and [[FairWeatherEx he actually has the gall to beg Catherine to get back together with him so he can leech off of her]], only to find out too late that Catherine has moved on from him for another man who actually appreciates her intelligence and thinks Alex is an idiot leaving Catherine rather than improve himself.
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Western Animation]]
71	* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': {{Discussed\|Trope}}; In "[[Recap/FamilyGuy8E7JeromeIsTheNewBlack Jerome Is the New Black]]", [[Characters/FamilyGuyGlennQuagmire Glenn Quagmire]] accuses [[Characters/FamilyGuyBrianGriffin Brian Griffin]] of the manipulative version of this during his ReasonYouSuckSpeech:
72	-->"And what really bothers me is you pretend you're this deep guy who loves women for their souls when all you do is date bimbos. [[AtLeastIAdmitIt Yeah, I date women for their bodies but at least I'm honest about it.]] I don't buy them a copy of ''[[Literature/TheCatcherInTheRye Catcher in the Rye]]'' and then lecture them with some seventh grade interpretation of how Holden Caulfield is some profound, intellectual. He wasn't! He was a spoiled brat! And that's why you like him so much...he's you!"
73	* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': {{Downplayed\|Trope}}; in "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS1E17WingItLikeWitches Wing It Like Witches]]" where [[Characters/TheOwlHouseAmityBlight Amity Blight]] has a FreudianSlip and admits that she finds [[spoiler: [[Characters/TheOwlHouseLuzNoceda Luz Noceda]]]]'s reckless stupidity attractive, though it's clear that her being a nice person plays a much bigger role in Amity's crush.
74	-->'''Amity:''' She can be so stupid, which I love, ''(blushes)'' [[VerbalBackspace I mean hate]]! In any case, she needs you right now, which is sweet, ''(blushes again)'' [[VerbalBackspace I mean, I hate it, and it's dumb]]!
75	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ArousedByIdiocy