Dumb Is Good/Playing With

Basic Trope: Smart people are mean, dumb people are nice.

• Straight: The intelligent Smith is an Insufferable Genius who is quick to anger and has a permanent scowl on his face; Dunsworth is slow-witted but is a very nice and gentle person.
• Exaggerated: Smith is an Evil Genius; Dunsworth is practically The Messiah.
• Up to Eleven: What is considered good disappears at the moment one has an IQ higher than 100. Every single genius in the world is a Nietzsche Wannabe Complete Monster who is willing to exploit the inherent good of the dumb for their own nefarious purposes.
• Downplayed: Both characters aren't outright good or evil. Smith just wears Jade-Colored Glasses while Dunsworth is a bit of a Wide-Eyed Idealist.
• Justified:
  • Smith is unhappy because his intelligence allows him to perceive the half-empty reality. Dunsworth, being ignorant, has no reason to be anything but blissfully happy.
  • Smith and Dunsworth are in a Crapsack World, where being neutral or downright evil are expected. Dunsworth simply wasn't smart enough to understand said norm.
• Inverted: Dunsworth is dumb but is incredibly rude; Smith is intelligent and incredibly nice to people.
• Subverted: Smith seems to be a far better person than Dunsworth.
• Double Subverted: ...But Smith is really a an Evil Genius and a Villain with Good Publicity, whereas Dunsworth is the hero who is trying to stop him, and has gained some undeserved bad publicity in the process, making him seem meaner.
• Parodied: The two men are literally only defined by their intelligences.
• Deconstructed: We get to see an inside look at both men; Smith is incredibly unhappy because everyone hates him for his intelligence; Dunsworth isn't particularly happy himself, because he'd much rather be smart like Smith.
• Reconstructed: Both men realize that they've got to utilize their gifts. Dunsworth realizes that while he's not too bright, he enjoys being liked by people around him; and Smith realizes that while he's not the most popular guy on the face of the earth, he is incredibly intelligent and should value that.
• Zig Zagged: Smith seems better than Dunsworth - but that's just because he's a Villain with Good Publicity. At least, that's the excuse that Dunsworth makes up...
• Averted: Intelligence is not a determinant of kindness.
• Enforced: "We need a comedy duo! The smart angry guy will smack around the dumb guy."
• Lampshaded:
  • "Why's Smith bad? 'cause he's smart! It's a good thing I'm dumb, otherwise I'd know better than to be prejudiced!"
  • "Why yes Dunsworth, I am aware of the hypocrisy that for all the things I know, I never learned to be happy or good."
• Invoked: Dunsworth hates Smith's guts, so he incites his bar buddies against Smith by saying how smart people keep normal Joe's down.
• Defied: Smith decides to become a nicer person; or Dunsworth decides to become smarter.
• Discussed: "Despite what the rumors may imply, intelligence has little to do with happiness and character."
• Conversed: "I'd ask if the writers have self-esteem issues for hating on smart people, but that would imply they're smart."

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