# Mad Magazine's 20 Dumbest People, Events, and Things of 2015 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2015, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193 "2015-12-02T06:10:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/21 "2015-12-02T19:11:14Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > My first instinct was to say VW, but I went with Kim Davis for creating a constitutional crisis instead of resigning the cushy job she didn’t want to do. Trump ain’t stupid. He’s created an entirely new type of campaign, or at least resurrected George Wallace’s style. What constitutional crisis? Kim Davis had exactly zero effect, except a few people got to posture for the cameras. Gay marriage is legal in all 50 states, and it will continue to be legal in all 50 states. Kim Davis didn’t stop that, or slow it down, or even actually prevent any actual same sex marriages from taking place. Sure, it was dumb, but completely inconsequential in the final analysis. Trump however, is extremely concerning. Not Trump himself, but the Trump phenomenon. The only difference between a buffoon and a fascist is that the buffoon doesn’t hold political power. Your crazy Uncle Bill who rants about the Jews and the Fags isn’t scary, because he hasn’t left the house ever since he got on disability. Make your crazy Uncle Bill president, and that’s scary. Not just that Uncle Bill is president, but that things have reached the point where enough people have decided to make Uncle Bill their leader. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/22 "2015-12-02T20:16:18Z")
I’d have said anti-vax, but while no smarter than ever they lost big in California this year. Dumbest thing of the decade so far, yes. Trump is a liar and a bully, not dumb. If his supporters were listed, I’d have chosen them. VW made a lot of money through cheating, selling miracle cars which met pollution standards while acting like cars which didn’t. Evil, not dumb. I gotta go with Ben Carson, who really believes his shit and is a creationist also. When your advisers say you are too stupid to learn foreign policy, that is some first class dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/23 "2015-12-02T20:24:40Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > What constitutional crisis? Kim Davis had exactly zero effect, except a few people got to posture for the cameras. Gay marriage is legal in all 50 states, and it will continue to be legal in all 50 states. Kim Davis didn’t stop that, or slow it down, or even actually prevent any actual same sex marriages from taking place. Sure, it was dumb, but completely inconsequential in the final analysis. Kentucky constitution, not federal constitution, as to the validity of the Davis-modified licenses that were ultimately issued. And Davis delayed dozens of weddings. Maybe you weren’t following the story but couples trying to obtain marriage licenses in her county had to go to federal court _twice_. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/24 "2015-12-02T20:49:32Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > VW made a lot of money through cheating, selling miracle cars which met pollution standards while acting like cars which didn’t. Evil, not dumb. I thought they were dumb for thinking they could get away with it indefinitely. I agree that anti-vaxxers are among the dumbest things of the decade. ---
**Author:** ![inedible\_knapsack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/49beb7/32.png) [@inedible\_knapsack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inedible_knapsack)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/25 "2015-12-02T21:34:46Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Trump however, is extremely concerning. Not Trump himself, but the Trump phenomenon. The only difference between a buffoon and a fascist is that the buffoon doesn’t hold political power. Your crazy Uncle Bill who rants about the Jews and the Fags isn’t scary, because he hasn’t left the house ever since he got on disability. Make your crazy Uncle Bill president, and that’s scary. Not just that Uncle Bill is president, but that things have reached the point where enough people have decided to make Uncle Bill their leader. This. Trump isn’t dumb, but the revelation that so many people think his ideology and behavior is presidential is spectacularly dumb and terrifying. This is an impressive list of fails. 2015 is a stupid year. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/26 "2015-12-02T21:57:29Z")
I actually voted for anti-vaxxers, but had I thought longer, I would have chosen climate change deniers. As it happens, yesterday’s Science Times had an article that said that children who caught whooping cough had about double the chance of developing epilepsy! (2% vs. 1%, and even the latter is larger than I realized.) My doctor calls refusal to allow your children to be vaccinated child abuse. ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/27 "2015-12-02T22:24:08Z")
I voted College Students. No way it’s Trump. I’m all-in on that guy knowing exactly what he’s doing. Anti-vaxxers are infuriating, and I hate them, but they’re just run of the mill idiots like Kim Davis and Ben Carson. Volkswagen almost got my vote, because come on, but for me the “safe rooms” beat that handily. Sadly it’s not really their fault, it’s the shitty parenting that leads to that, so I guess I vote for Other and say those kid’s parents. Ashley Madison users and Tom Brady shouldn’t even be on there. (I hate the Patriots.) Athough…maybe the subset of users who signed up with their work emails and/or that Dugga(e?)r dude. Ooooooh…I CHANGE MY VOTE ONE FINAL TIME!!! I CHOOSE: The fake-reverse-pregnancy-reveal-fake-we-miscarried-viral-video-ashley-madison-user-shithead-couple. I should win something for remembering and voting for them. Goddamn. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/28 "2015-12-02T22:39:03Z")
Trump absolutely belongs in a discussion of the Stupidest Things of the Year, but he himself isn’t stupid. Carson is stupid, but he’s not the stupidest. What’s stupid is all the people who support either and/or both for President. When you’ve got candidates competing over who’s the most inexperienced, and winning voters by doing so, something is seriously wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/29 "2015-12-03T00:04:11Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I thought they were dumb for thinking they could get away with it indefinitely. From articles I’ve read in the Times it seems that cheating on emissions is quite common in Europe, and the car companies get away with it. They got caught in the US. Not to mention that Bavaria owns a big chunk of VW, which probably made them feel that they would get a slap on the wrist at most if caught. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/30 "2015-12-03T00:37:12Z")
I had to go with Ben Carson. A neurosurgeon who believes that Earth was created 6,000 years ago? Good God! I guess that he must then also believe that dinosaurs and humans coexisted. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/31 "2015-12-03T01:09:07Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Yeah, this one. Of the options listed, it’s the only one that has actually caused deaths. The VW thing has doubtlessly caused some deaths. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/32 "2015-12-03T02:19:08Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Where do the nominees come from? The OP? Or from Mad magazine? It’s just my guess for what might be in the issue. The actual issue of _Mad_ isn’t out yet. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/33 "2015-12-03T02:24:25Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > it takes a special kind of stupid to think that Trump is a viable candidate for the White House. Tell us that once he drops out of the lead, okay? The answer is: Anti-vaxxers. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/34 "2015-12-03T03:14:49Z")
From the OP: > [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Personally I think that Donald Trump has the inside track. Trump might not be so dumb. The people who are his supporters, however, . . . DUMB! [Donald Trump Believes His Supporters Are Morons. He’s Right](http://gawker.com/donald-trump-believes-his-supporters-are-morons-hes-ri-1729279807), Hamilton Nolan, Gawker, 9/8/2015. > [@](#): > > Hello, Donald Trump supporters. Donald Trump believes that you are very fucking dumb. And you are proving him correct. ETA: > [@Shodan](#): > > Gotta go with Trump. Anti-vaxx we always have, but it takes a special kind of stupid to think that Trump is a viable candidate for the White House. > > Regards, > Shodan See, this and several similar posts are just what I and Hamilton Nolan are saying. It’s not Trump who’s necessarily so dumb; it’s the people who are stupid enough to support him. ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/35 "2015-12-04T13:31:08Z")
I picked the college students. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/36 "2015-12-04T14:27:18Z")
It was a tough choice between anti-vaxxers and Ben Carson. Both deny science. Went with anti-vaxxers because there’s more of them and they’ll still be relevant in three months. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/37 "2015-12-04T20:21:09Z")
The college students who oppose offensive but factually true free speech. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/38 "2015-12-04T21:54:48Z")
I voted for those who got caught on Ashley Madison because they, more than any others listed, are truly dumb. The others, while I disagree with them, are motivated to do what they’re doing. But the AM users, really, you have to be dumb to use the site, not stay anonymous and not expect exactly what happened. The VW folks are probably next because they, too, should have known they’d get caught. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/39 "2015-12-04T22:54:06Z")
I went with Trump. You guys are right in saying that he shows certain kinds of savvy, skill, intelligence, etc. in what he does… but I have to ask what he’s using it for? I don’t see how a Trump victory could possibly be good for anyone in the long run, Trump included. It’s a special kind of dumb to be ingeniously cunning about killing the goose that lays gold eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193/40 "2015-12-05T02:35:17Z")
Trump. I don’t think he’s dumb, but the fact that he is a major contender for the office of President of the United States is collossally dumb. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-magazines-20-dumbest-people-events-and-things-of-2015/739193.md?page=1)