Fiction Business Savvy

Oh yeah. It's the best part. It's crunchy, it's explosive, it's where the muffin breaks free of the pan and sort of (makes hand motions) does it's own thing. I'll tell you. That's a million dollar idea right there. Just sell the tops.

—Elaine, Seinfeld, "Muffin Tops"

In a work of fiction, characters often come up with a great business idea that will make them rich or get that promotion. However, by using a bit of Fridge Logic, the audience may realize that this business idea is actually terrible. The idea may display a poor sense of fashion or design, or may just ignore customer psychology or economic realities.

The general dubiousness of the business idea is probably a result of the fact that if the idea was any good while still being original, then whoever came up with the idea would be a millionaire entrepreneur instead of a writer.

Examples of Fiction Business Savvy include:

Film

• In How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, one protagonist advertising professional thinks a great new slogan for the diamond industry group is "Go frost yourself." The boss in the meeting really likes it.
• In the second Oh, God! movie, a great slogan to get the world's population to have more faith is "Think God." And write it on a bunch of signs.
• At the end of Other People's Money the corporate raider played by Danny Devito does a mild Heel Face Turn, by setting up a deal so that the almost defunct family corporation can use its obsolete copper cable factory to instead manufacture airbags thus saving the employees. Not sure there were any real-life analogous successful conversions in that industry during the 1980's/1990's.
• In Big when Tom Hanks' character gets called up to the toy company's executive meeting, he impresses the boss by spearheading a new toy brainstorming session. He questions the appeal of a building transformer and instead suggests bug transformers. Another executive chimes in, "Transformers for girls!"
• Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead has Christina Applegate's character help shape a fashion design company's new line of apparel. Even during the 1990's, the resulting outfits look ridiculous even when compared to real-life wacked-out fashion.

Live-Action TV

• Repeatedly played straight and subverted in numerous Seinfeld episodes which have characters coming up with "ingenious" business ideas that include a beach fragrance, muffin tops, a coffee table book about coffee tables, a brassiere for men, a bladder system for oil tankers, restaurant relaunches, and more.
• Subverted in an episode of The Simpsons when Homer designs a car for his brother's company. His brother trusts him as "the everyman." Homer designs it with a cornucopia of what he deems to be conveniences. When the car is unveiled to the public it resembles a freakish UFO on wheels. Needless to say, it was not a business success.
• In one Gilmore Girls episode Rory and her Chilton frenemies work on school project competition for the best business plan with prototype. The group that wins is a car alarm for lockers. Rory's group doesn't do much better - bedazzled first-aid kits.