Tropescilloscope: Obfuscating Stupidity
Smart enough to intentionally act dumb. (read more at tvtropes.org)
More Tropes
Market-Based Title
The Chick
Everyone Has Standards
Important Haircut
Did Not Get the Girl
Red Eyes, Take Warning
Pay Evil unto Evil
Scary Black Man
Dies Wide Open
Facial Horror
Up to Eleven
Improbable Infant Survival
aka: Infant Immortality
Music Stories
Catapult Nightmare
Composite Character
Groin Attack
timeperiod
Silence Is Golden
Cowboy Cop
Exact Words
Fainting
Hollywood Law
Crazy Jealous Guy
Authority Equals Asskicking
Historical Hero Upgrade
Crazy-Prepared
Super Strength
Wretched Hive
Epic Fail
As Long as It Sounds Foreign
Disguised in Drag
Establishing Character Moment
Loads and Loads of Characters
Took a Level in Badass
Fate Worse than Death
Animated Credits Opening
Made of Explodium
Sassy Black Woman
How We Got Here
Russian Films
Heroic BSoD
'80s Hair
Dark Is Not Evil
Babies Ever After
Credits Gag
Pragmatic Villainy
Big-Bad Ensemble
Neck Snap
Naïve Newcomer
Sequel Escalation
After the End
Fatal Flaw
Brick Joke
Lighter and Softer
Final Girl
The X of Y
It Can Think
Slasher Movie
Chase Scene
Belligerent Sexual Tension
Dark Action Girl
Deconstruction
Self-Deprecation
Wrong Genre Savvy
Creepy Child
Irony
Spell My Name with an "S"
Intergenerational Friendship
Vomit Indiscretion Shot
A Date with Rosie Palms
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!
Random Events Plot
You Killed My Father
Department of Redundancy Department
Mugging the Monster
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil
FaceHeel Turn
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness
Cool Guns
Adapted Out
Parental Incest
Actor Allusion
Manchild
Reality Has No Subtitles
Small Name, Big Ego
Armor-Piercing Question
Anyone Can Die
Morality Pet
Knight Templar
Annoying Younger Sibling
Papa Wolf
Developing Doomed Characters
Black Comedy
Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other
Not Quite Dead
Christmas Movies Index
Gainax Ending
This Is Gonna Suck
Tap on the Head
Unspoken Plan Guarantee
Overprotective Dad
Mr. Exposition
Token Minority
The '50s
Retired Badass
Four-Temperament Ensemble
Hypocritical Humor
Red Shirt
Bloodless Carnage
Taking You with Me
Expy
Eagleland
Bait-and-Switch
What You Are in the Dark
She Cleans Up Nicely
Decoy Protagonist
The Stinger
Sadistic Choice
Depraved Bisexual
Never Found the Body
One Steve Limit
Cain and Abel
Nice Hat
Never Trust a Trailer
Time Skip
Foreshadowing
Villain Song
Funny Foreigner
Totally Radical
Not What It Looks Like
Police Brutality
Toilet Humour
aka: Toilet Humor
Slap-Slap-Kiss
The Mole
Bolivian Army Ending
True Companions
The Power of Love
Spanner in the Works
Line-of-Sight Name
Domestic Abuse
Nothing Is Scarier
Woman Scorned
Wicked Cultured
Faux Affably Evil
Sinister Minister
Fire-Forged Friends
Madness Mantra
My God, What Have I Done?
The Alleged Car
Whole Plot Reference
Bittersweet Ending
Bury Your Gays
More Dakka
Rule of Funny
Loophole Abuse
Manic Pixie Dream Girl
Mundane Made Awesome
Does Not Like Shoes
I Need a Freaking Drink
Not So Stoic
Framing Device
Those Wacky Nazis
Once More, with Clarity!
Public Domain Feature Films
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good
He Knows Too Much
Ms. Fanservice
Be Careful What You Wish For
Skewed Priorities
Politically Incorrect Villain
Good Is Not Nice
Extreme Doormat
Bald of Evil
Stealth Pun
Only Sane Man
Punch-Clock Villain
Asshole Victim
Suspiciously Similar Substitute
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!
Say My Name
Vomit Discretion Shot
French Films
Death by Irony
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking
Leave the Camera Running
Country Matters
War Is Hell
Ungrateful Bastard
The Dreaded
One-Man Army
Ass Shove
Screw This, I'm Outta Here!
Villain Opening Scene
Romantic False Lead
Exactly What It Says on the Tin
Obviously Evil
Male Gaze
Those Two Guys
Dressing as the Enemy
Meaningful Echo
Take a Third Option
Police are Useless
Gold Digger
Adaptation Distillation
The Mafia
Broken Bird
Dual Wielding
Pre-Asskicking One-Liner
Evil Laugh
Chiaroscuro
Logo Joke
Show Within a Show
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Alpha Bitch
Man on Fire
Improbable Aiming Skills
Vacation Films
The '70s
Stylistic Suck
Novelization
Determinator
Cruel and Unusual Death
Death of a Child
As Himself
Expository Hairstyle Change
Punctuated! For! Emphasis!
Evil vs. Evil
An Arm and a Leg
Age Lift
Sports Stories
Major Injury Underreaction
Adaptation Name Change
Arc Words
Would Hit a Girl
Action Prologue
The Un-Reveal
Sacrificial Lion
Award-Bait Song
The Ditz
Shirtless Scene
Product Placement
No-Sell
Villain Ball
Bloody Hilarious
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane
The Place
Immune to Bullets
The Oner
Kubrick Stare
Suddenly SHOUTING!
HeelFace Turn
Honor Before Reason
"The Reason You Suck" Speech
Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism
Damsel in Distress
Anti-Villain
Punny Name
Break the Haughty
Bullying a Dragon
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown
Large Ham
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?
Meaningful Background Event
Five-Man Band
Big Fancy House
Arch-Enemy
Our Zombies Are Different
As You Know
Took a Level in Jerkass
The Lancer
Visual Pun
Dutch Angle
Room Full of Crazy
Rule of Cool
Rape as Drama
The End... Or Is It?
Funny Background Event
Jump Scare
Didn't Think This Through
I Just Shot Marvin in the Face
Cat Scare
Death by Sex
Film Noir Index
Fantasy Films
Recycled IN SPACE!
Happily Married
Stepford Smiler
Central Theme
All There in the Manual
Romantic Comedy
Corrupt Corporate Executive
Historical In-Joke
Easily Forgiven
Pet the Dog
Serial Killer
Fake Shemp
Berserk Button
Fiery Redhead
Creative Closing Credits
Camp Gay
Redemption Equals Death
Black and Gray Morality
Drugs Are Bad
The Casanova
Driven to Suicide
Mystery and Detective Films
Bilingual Bonus
"Shaggy Dog" Story
Captain Obvious
Spared by the Adaptation
Actually Pretty Funny
In the Back
Cluster F-Bomb
Even Evil Has Loved Ones
Ambiguously Gay
All Men Are Perverts
Agony of the Feet
Very Loosely Based on a True Story
BFG
MayDecember Romance
The Atoner
Ominous Latin Chanting
Reality Ensues
Ghost Fiction
The '90s
Mr. Fanservice
Would Hurt a Child
Really Gets Around
Pun
aka: Incredibly Lame Pun
A.I. Is a Crapshoot
Animal Title Index
Laser-Guided Karma
Sexy Discretion Shot
Off-into-the-Distance Ending
Anguished Declaration of Love
Needs Wiki Magic Love
Abhorrent Admirer
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold
Sanity Slippage
Artistic License Geography
Every Car Is a Pinto
Outrun the Fireball
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!
Badass in a Nice Suit
Brainless Beauty
Badass Normal
Psycho for Hire
Beta Couple
Bland-Name Product
Death Glare
Breaking the Fourth Wall
Shoot the Shaggy Dog
Artistic License Biology
Brutal Honesty
Your Cheating Heart
Make It Look Like an Accident
Implacable Man
Hooker with a Heart of Gold
Sealed Evil in a Can
Woman in White
Gender Flip
Unresolved Sexual Tension
Film Series
Deliberately Monochrome
Take That!
Horror Comedy
Chekhov's Gunman
I Did What I Had to Do
From Bad to Worse
Dirty Old Man
Light Is Not Good
Jerkass Has a Point
Our Vampires Are Different
Awesome, but Impractical
Character Development
Only One Name
Offscreen Teleportation
Setting Update
Sir Swears-a-Lot
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice
Kick the Son of a Bitch
Works Set in World War II
Fantastic Racism
Hair-Trigger Temper
Big "NO!"
Eyepatch of Power
Insane Troll Logic
Artistic License Military
Peek-a-Boo Corpse
Victoria's Secret Compartment
Pre-Mortem One-Liner
Bad Boss
Body Horror
Badass Boast
Antagonist Title
Fanservice
Overly Long Gag
Due to the Dead
Black Comedy Rape
Malevolent Masked Men
NO INDOOR VOICE
Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?
Revenge
Cool Car
Suspiciously Specific Denial
Missing Mom
World of Ham
Evil Counterpart
Here We Go Again!
Zombie Stories
Eye Scream
Kick the Dog
Blood Knight
Cloudcuckoolander
Hope Spot
Epic Movie
Slashed Throat
Monumental Damage
Bottomless Magazines
Retcon
Title Drop
For the Evulz
Fourth Date Marriage
Anti-Hero
Historical-Domain Character
Made of Iron
Martial Arts Movie
Last-Name Basis
Femme Fatale
Riddle for the Ages
Abusive Parents
Earn Your Happy Ending
Artistic License Law
Darkest Hour
The Film of the Book
Fish out of Water
Deal with the Devil
Wham Line
La Résistance
Break the Cutie
An Aesop
She's Got Legs
Disney Villain Death
In Medias Res
Shut Up, Hannibal!
Unreliable Narrator
Hero Antagonist
N-Word Privileges
Crucified Hero Shot
Big Bad Duumvirate
Villain with Good Publicity
The Ace
Cool Old Guy
Adaptational Badass
Big Eater
Thriller
Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome
Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique
Instant Death Bullet
Apocalypse How
Hollywood Darkness
Evil Sounds Deep
The Ghost
Paper-Thin Disguise
Fingore
Face Death with Dignity
Mooks
Non-Indicative Name
Improbable Weapon User
Historical Villain Upgrade
Early Installment Weirdness
Cat Fight
Shout-Out
My Greatest Failure
Blatant Lies
Red Oni, Blue Oni
Broken Pedestal
Poor Communication Kills
Corpsing
Cool Shades
Defrosting Ice Queen
The Remake
Hell Is That Noise
No Ending
Catch-Phrase
Captain Ersatz
Have a Gay Old Time
The Starscream
Fan Disservice
Dull Surprise
Butt-Monkey
Dramatic Gun Cock
Alas, Poor Villain
Jitter Cam
Leitmotif
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife
Love Triangle
Scenery Porn
Love at First Sight
Ambiguous Ending
Drowning My Sorrows
The Cameo
Jerkass
Rasputinian Death
Rated M for Manly
Mood Whiplash
Never My Fault
Smoking Is Cool
Coming-of-Age Story
Reckless Gun Usage
Covers Always Lie
Vitriolic Best Buds
Frame-Up
The Sociopath
Disappeared Dad
Affectionate Parody
Auto Erotica
The Stoic
The Chessmaster
Action Survivor
I'm a Humanitarian
Costume Porn
Documentary
Reasonable Authority Figure
Bavarian Fire Drill
British Films
Rule of Symbolism
Dramedy
Retirony
Demonic Possession
Informed Ability
Unusual Euphemism
Bunny-Ears Lawyer
Taking the Bullet
Determinator
aka: The Determinator
Bring My Brown Pants
Translation Convention
Nice Guy
Animal Motifs
Italian Films
Throwing Your Sword Always Works
Plucky Comic Relief
Death by Adaptation
Eiffel Tower Effect
Evil Is Hammy
Bare Your Midriff
Continuity Nod
Eureka Moment
Mythology Gag
Bound and Gagged
Re-Cut
Anachronism Stew
Wounded Gazelle Gambit
Too Dumb to Live
Mexican Standoff
Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene
Contrived Coincidence
Ambiguous Disorder
Genre Throwback
Naked People Are Funny
Biopic
Heroes Want Redheads
The '60s
The Reveal
Shell-Shocked Veteran
Pyrrhic Victory
Almost Kiss
Card-Carrying Villain
The Hero
Accidental Misnaming
Big Brother Instinct
It's All About Me
What Happened to the Mouse?
Guile Hero
Sci-Fi Horror
Bowdlerise
Early-Bird Cameo
Noodle Incident
Attempted Rape
Beauty Is Never Tarnished
Big Bad
Adaptational Attractiveness
Japanese Films
Distracted by the Sexy
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
Curb-Stomp Battle
It Will Never Catch On
Freeze-Frame Bonus
Blonde, Brunette, Redhead
Handicapped Badass
Vampire Fiction
Not Even Bothering with the Accent
Rich Bitch
Broken Aesop
All There in the Script
The Smart Guy
Scenery Gorn
The Smurfette Principle
Silent Movie
Genre Shift
Evil Brit
Evil Plan
Mama Bear
Dark Reprise
Flashback
Hidden Depths
Insistent Terminology
Fat Bastard
Amusing Injuries
Double-Meaning Title
The Brute
Soft Glass
Faking the Dead
Ascended Extra
Bond One-Liner
Death Seeker
Get Out!
Redshirt Army
Bond Villain Stupidity
Girl-on-Girl Is Hot
Black Dude Dies First
Roaring Rampage of Revenge
Danny Peary Cult Movies List
What the Hell, Hero?
Amoral Attorney
Stealth Hi/Bye
Arranged Marriage
Spiritual Successor
Alliterative Name
Meet Cute
Artistic License Physics
The Quiet One
Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy
Author Appeal
Left the Background Music On
Knife Nut
Hero of Another Story
Pragmatic Adaptation
Not So Above It All
The Alcoholic
Adult Fear
Chewing the Scenery
Rule of Three
Rousing Speech
Deliberate Values Dissonance
Ship Tease
Children Are Innocent
Bi the Way
Match Cut
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas
Worthy Opponent
Motor Mouth
Hate Sink
Put on a Bus
Psychological Thriller
"Awesome McCool" Name
Dramatic Irony
Bar Brawl
There Is No Kill Like Overkill
Author Avatar
Boom, Headshot!
And the Adventure Continues
Truth in Television
All Girls Want Bad Boys
Greater-Scope Villain
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
Despair Event Horizon
Star-Crossed Lovers
Undying Loyalty
I Have Your Wife
Red Right Hand
Names to Run Away from Really Fast
Failed a Spot Check
Red Herring
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
Tranquil Fury
Same Language Dub
The Un-Favourite
aka: The Un Favorite
Let's Get Dangerous!
Grey and Gray Morality
Car Fu
Psychopathic Manchild
Not Using the "Z" Word
Twist Ending
Fun with Acronyms
Precision F-Strike
The Dragon
Badass Longcoat
Canadian Movies
Only Known by Their Nickname
The Bad Guy Wins
Unwitting Instigator of Doom
Dirty Coward
B-Movie
Film Noir
Trailers Always Spoil
Race Lift
Dirty Cop
Screw the Money, I Have Rules!
Heroic Sacrifice
Unusually Uninteresting Sight
Fatal Family Photo
Demoted to Extra
And I Must Scream
My Beloved Smother
Kill It with Fire
The Lost Lenore
Protagonist Title
Batman Gambit
Well-Intentioned Extremist
MacGuffin
Bad "Bad Acting"
Married to the Job
From Nobody to Nightmare
Badass Bookworm
Advertised Extra
Action Genre
Mercy Kill
Hypocrite
Race Against the Clock
Anachronic Order
Serious Business
Disproportionate Retribution
Aside Glance
Dissonant Serenity
No Name Given
Back from the Dead
Combat Pragmatist
Fanservice Extra
It's Personal
Heterosexual Life-Partners
Shower Scene
The Vamp
Extremely Short Timespan
Chekhov's Skill
Manly Tears
Camera Abuse
Pimped-Out Dress
Villain Protagonist
Improvised Weapon
Real Life
Intrepid Reporter
Eldritch Abomination
Karmic Death
Betty and Veronica
Adults Are Useless
Only a Flesh Wound
The Load
Male Frontal Nudity
Adaptational Heroism
Green-Eyed Monster
Australian Movies
Mind Screw
Foregone Conclusion
Calling the Old Man Out
BrotherSister Incest
Beard of Evil
Obfuscating Stupidity
Shipper on Deck
As the Good Book Says...
No OSHA Compliance
And Starring
Neck Lift
Double Entendre
Disney Death
Leaning on the Fourth Wall
A God Am I
Freudian Excuse
Stalker with a Crush
Roger Ebert: Great Movies List
Word of God
Drives Like Crazy
Empathic Environment
Dumb Blonde
Playing Gertrude
Jerk Jock
Dark and Troubled Past
Toplessness from the Back
Training Montage
Mad Scientist
Killed Mid-Sentence
Mighty Whitey
Genre Savvy
Adaptational Villainy
Air-Vent Passageway
The Musical
Scare Chord
Villainous Breakdown
Adaptation Dye-Job
Superhero
German Films
Together in Death
All Just a Dream
Darker and Edgier
Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping
Recap /
RiffTrax
aka: Riff Trax Movies
The Voiceless
Aluminum Christmas Trees
Insult Backfire
Book-Ends
Gilligan Cut
Humans Are Bastards
Downer Ending
Getting Crap Past the Radar
Meaningful Name
Properly Paranoid
Lampshade Hanging
Parental Abandonment
Refuge in Audacity
Canon Foreigner
Storming the Castle
Your Head A-Splode
Blackmail
The Bully
Straight Gay
Based on a True Story
Dying Moment of Awesome
Oh, Crap!
Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday
Becoming the Mask
Tagline
Even Evil Has Standards
Daylight Horror
Sole Survivor
Humiliation Conga
Only in It for the Money
Karma Houdini
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy
Ironic Echo
Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer
In Name Only
An Axe to Grind
Laughing Mad
Hoist by His Own Petard
The Faceless
Plot Hole
Destination Defenestration
Real Life Writes the Plot
Reality Is Unrealistic
Conspicuous CG
The '80s
No Celebrities Were Harmed
Stock Footage
He Who Fights Monsters
Manipulative Bastard
Science Fiction Films
No Antagonist
Soundtrack Dissonance
folderlabel
Older Than They Look
Cold-Blooded Torture
Idiot Ball
Television Movie Index
Crapsack World
Call-Back
The Stoner
Slasher Smile
Never Trust a Trailer
aka: Trailers Always Lie
Guns Akimbo
Affably Evil
The Cavalry
Deadpan Snarker
Sequel Hook
Blood from the Mouth
Video Credits
Drill Sergeant Nasty
Gratuitous English
Big Applesauce
Adorkable
Grievous Bottley Harm
Spiteful Spit
Homage
Bloodier and Gorier
One-Word Title
Hong Kong Films
Curse Cut Short
"Well Done, Son!" Guy
Accidental Murder
Defiant to the End
Imagine Spot
Offscreen Moment of Awesome
The Dog Bites Back
A Minor Kidroduction
Parental Substitute
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!
Ax-Crazy
Casting Gag
Obstructive Bureaucrat
Cool Old Lady
Gorn
Gone Horribly Right
Kill 'em All
Gory Discretion Shot
Dropped a Bridge on Him
Beware the Nice Ones
Daddy's Girl
Stuff Blowing Up
Kids Are Cruel
Henpecked Husband
Horror Films
Shown Their Work
Those Two Bad Guys
Comically Missing the Point
"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue
20 Minutes into the Future
The Big Guy
Creator Cameo
Narrator
Famous Last Words
Friend to All Children
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits
Diabolus ex Machina
Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds
Artistic License History
Action Girl
Heel Realization
You Have Got to Be Kidding Me!
Big Damn Heroes
Chekhov's Gun
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome
Dogged Nice Guy
Does This Remind You of Anything?
Lock and Load Montage
Pretty in Mink
Evil Is Petty
Posthumous Character
Parental Neglect
A Father to His Men
Enemy Mine
For Want of a Nail
O.O.C. Is Serious Business
Call-Forward
Artistic License Gun Safety
Running Gag
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"
You Have Failed Me
Wham Shot
Smug Snake
Ripped from the Headlines
Cassandra Truth
Evil-Detecting Dog
Colour-Coded for Your Convenience
aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience
Half the Man He Used to Be
Adaptation Expansion
Deus ex Machina
Foil
Celebrity Paradox
Dwindling Party
Closed Circle
Tempting Fate
Interrupted Suicide
Better to Die than Be Killed
Pretty Little Headshots
Mistaken for Gay
Badass Grandpa
The Hero Dies
Moment Killer
All for Nothing
Yandere
Not So Different
Index of Film Westerns
Rewatch Bonus
Military and Warfare Films
Off with His Head!
The Great Depression
Flipping the Bird
Maybe Ever After
Black Best Friend
Men Are the Expendable Gender