Idiot Ball (TVtropes)
Quote:A moment where a character's stupidity fuels an episode, or a small plot line. If the character does this the entire time then the character is Too Dumb To Live, if multiple characters have the Idiot Ball it becomes an Idiot Plot.-- Acyl
Coined by Hank Azaria on Hermans Head: Azaria would ask the writing staff, "Who's carrying the idiot ball this week?" This is not a compliment. The person carrying the idiot ball is often acting out of character, or misunderstanding something that could be cleared up by a single reasonable question that he isn't asking solely because the writers don't want him to ask. It's almost as if the character is being willfully stupid or obtuse. Unsurprisingly, this provokes a What An Idiot response from the audience.