Too Stupid to Live?

Readers of romance use the term "too stupid to live" (TSTL) to describe
a character, usually the heroine, who does incredibly dumb things to
further the plot.


These characters are equivalent to the scantily clad bimbo in a horror
movie who leaves a perfectly good locked house to wander around outside
bellowing, "Is anyone there?"


You're not sure if the heroine is too stupid to live?  Here are
some examples.


A heroine may be too-stupid-to-live if she

• Doesn't change her locks or improve security after a serial
  killer breaks in her home and leaves a threatening note.  Nor does
  she consider staying elsewhere.


• Sends her guards home after the so-far inept police decide they
  have captured the serial killer.


• The heroine gets hot for the hero and does something about it
  when the bad guys are near.


• The trained assassin is sneaking up on her professional bodyguard
  so the heroine, with no fighting training, attacks him herself rather
  than yelling a warning.


• The "Full Moon Killer" is savaging locals.  The creepy guy
  next door reeks of Nair, wears flea collars, and buys large boxes of
  Milk Bones although he doesn't own a dog, but the heroine isn't
  suspicious because "werewolves don't exist."


• The heroine has an entire troop of bad guys after her, but she
  doesn't call in reinforcements, seek help from the police, or tell the
  hero she's in trouble.  


• She has the only copy of some incriminating documents, and she
  doesn't make copies, or put them in a safety deposit box in her
  bank.  Instead, she leaves them in her apartment.


• The heroine's blind date drinks really red Bloody Marys, has a
  bad overbite, and stares at her jugular vein instead of her large
  boobs, but she isn't suspicious because "vampires don't exist."


• The bad guy asks her to meet him to exchange the documents for
  the hero, and she goes without back up or a weapon.


• Bad guys are after the heroine so she picks high heels instead of
  running shoes because she'd rather die than be unfashionable.


• The heroine starts a verbal battle with the hero while they are
  trying to sneak up on the bad guys.

Do you have a great example of a TSTL heroine?  Please tell us.




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