r/clevercomebacks 2d ago

Wouldn't hurt to hear them out.

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u/Meanderer_Me 2d ago

When is it ever expressed that The Brain cannot read? Don't most of his plans involve reading vast reams of information about humanity to know how to navigate their world?

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u/Kazeite 1d ago

Maybe not "can't read", but in one episode, when they were taking part in a quiz show, Brain (unlike Pinky) could barely spell his name.

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u/Am_Snarky 19h ago

Pinky reads a newspaper headline and Brain exclaims “you can read?” or “wait you understand that?” something along those lines, I haven’t seen the show in decades though so it’s a little fuzzy

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u/Meanderer_Me 19h ago

The Brain reads a letter to Santa

This scene can't happen if The Brain can't read. There are numerous other scenes where he's reading technical documents and newspaper clippings and the like for his plans, but this is the first one I happened across.

With regards to Brain being surprised that Pinky can read, this is less shock at the ability existing than it is that Pinky is doing something that he doesn't expect Pinky to be able to do. Which doesn't look that different, as Pinky has telekinesis - an ability that Brain doesn't - and Brain notices it, asks about it, and then continues on with his plan once Pinky gives his answer. That is, it's not that Brain is surprised that Pinky can do things that Brain can't, it's that Brain rarely pays proper attention to Pinky, and is surprised that Pinky can do things besides say "narf" at all.