Who Is Dumb And Who Is Dumber?
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Who Is Dumb And Who Is Dumber?

The Question That Has Caused Controversy For 21 Years

14446
Who Is Dumb And Who Is Dumber?

There comes a time when someone has to ask themselves a potentially life shattering question. For some that question might be "Who am I?", "Can I continue pursuing my passion?" or "Do I really love my significant other?" However, for me that question is "Who is the dumber main character in the hit 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber?" Some readers think that a mere college freshman isn't capable of answering such a controversial question. They are probably right, but I am dumb enough to try.

I will only be using the original movie as a source to determine the answer to this question. This is solely for my own convenience, and because Dumb and Dumberer and Dumb and Dumber To are very bad movies. To start off then an introduction of our two contestants and main characters.


This is Lloyd Christmas, played by Jim Carrey, a limousine driver who lives with his roommate in Rhode Island. While on his job he quickly becomes infatuated with a woman he is taking to the airport. This woman intentionally leaves a briefcase full of ransom money to be picked up by her husband's kidnappers. Lloyd prevents this exchange though by taking the briefcase for himself under the impression the woman accidentally left it unaccompanied. He then embarks on his quest to return the briefcase and gain the woman's affection.

This is Harry Dunne, played by Jeff Daniels. He is Lloyd's roommate and works as a dog groomer, and as such he decorated his van to look like a dog as well. As Lloyd's briefcase situation unfolds the audience gets to see Harry work at his job as he tries to get the dogs he has groomed to the dog show. This is of course interrupted by the process of getting fast food for each dog, which eventually results in them getting messy before they arrive to the dog show. He gets fired for that and joins Lloyd on his quest to deliver the briefcase .

So now to decide who is dumb and who is dumber. Well when it comes to social situations Harry is definitely more successful than Lloyd. When they are at a high end social event in Aspen with the woman Lloyd is interested in, Lloyd asks Harry to get her attention for him. This results in Harry successfully fumbling his way into a date with the woman. To be fair to Lloyd though Harry does almost injure the woman in a snowball fight during the date. Lloyd never redeems himself with this woman though because when they finally have another one on one conversation he blows it by scaring her even more than he did the first time they met.

When it comes to more academic knowledge Harry also wins. Lloyd is near illiterate which is kind of where this argument ends. There is a scene where he is having trouble reading the word "the" and asks Harry for help. He also doesn't know much about history either because he gets super excited and surprised when he reads a framed newspaper article from 1969 about the U.S. moon landing. Harry doesn't get much of an opportunity to demonstrate his own academic prowess, but at least he can read the word "the."

Does any of this really matter though when Harry is constantly the second in command of the two? Lloyd is the one who calls all the shots. He is the one who sets them on their adventure in the first place. Their is only one time where Harry gets mad at Lloyd, and that is when Lloyd ends up driving the wrong direction to Aspen. Lloyd then ends up trading their car for a high MPG scooter which in Harry's opinion totally redeems his actions. They later go on to almost freeze when they arrive in Aspen. So is Lloyd really dumber than Harry when Harry goes along with Lloyd's idiotic moves?

The answer is yes because Lloyd probably kills a lot of people in one of the first scenes in the movie by running a bunch of red lights and causing an explosion he doesn't notice.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

70956
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

132520
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments