Why do Ash and his friends never recognize Team Rocket in their disguises?

[Teddiursa of the Sky]

Why don't you all just upgrade the damn forum so we have spam protection? Would that pose any problems?

[Perish by Ice]

Originally Posted by changoo

I mean it's so obvious, why are they so dumb.

I have pondered this too a lot, but I assume that as already stated it is purely for ability to have a story. Think about it TR actually nearly succeed every time before they are caught. That's what builds up the majority of several episodes throughout the original generations.

Although they really could have made the disguises more convincing in that case. Why not fool the audience too?

[Teddiursa of the Sky]

Originally Posted by Perish by Ice

I have pondered this too a lot, but I assume that as already stated it is purely for ability to have a story. Although they really could have made the disguises more convincing in that case. Why not fool the audience too?

Team Rocket is the comedic relief, it is a form of irony that the audience enjoys.

[RocketMeowth]

Originally Posted by Pe2k Voices

Team Rocket is the comedic relief, it is a form of irony that the audience enjoys.

They aren't really comedic relief anymore. I love that. But yes, I can only assume that was the reason for their silly looking disguises.

Plus, how can you hide a talking Meowth? Unless he'd just never appear until the reveal...

=^^= Nya

[3m0d0ll]

Originally Posted by RocketMeowth

They aren't really comedic relief anymore. I love that.

This. I verily like how bad-ass they are now.

[SCX]

It's understandable if Team Rocket's wearing disguises. I'm speaking on the behalf that these disguises are persuadable. Especially for a ten year old who thinks it is just as great to use strength over mentality. However, there are moments when Team Rocket is just too obvious. Fortunately, I do have one episode where it occurs that Ash really plays with his stupidity as well Team Rocket being obvious to anyone. That is the episode Entei at Your Own Risk. Ash and Co. find a hot spring and try to get Larvitar use to all of Ash's Pokemon that are on him. A nerd is there who they run into who is wanting to see Entei, so he has a trap set up at the hot spring.

Team Rocket arrives in a van of some sorts and are disguised as these breeders who are giving out smoothies in the back of their van. The back of the van is empty and it is quite obvious this is Team Rocket. No one else is asked to join with Ash and he goes into the van. Clearly, his parents - er PARENT (my bad), never taught him to never go into a stranger's car. Especially if it is a van, which by all means brings on more suspicion. It isn't until a little while that Ash does realize it is Team Rocket. Even if I enjoyed that episode for Larvitar, that made me head/desk at some of the moments where Ash revealed his gullible, naive character.

Children, if someone ask you to come into their van for whatever reason, decline.

Jessie should be quite easy to identify when Team Rocket are in disguises and even Meowth sometimes. Her red hair sticks out and even when she used her alias in contest battles. You'd think that with how well Team Rocket finds that their disguises work, they would constantly change it in a complete capture of Pikachu. Heck, mix his Pikachu with another Pikachu (fake one is a possibility too).

I will be pissed if they go through Unova and turns out they didn't do much with Team Rocket. Not just the team in general, I could care less for them. But for Jessie, James, and Meowth. If they are doing all these top secret missions and all that, but turn out not to in the end, I'd be ticked. It's like how you read a book and want to find out what happens, but you don't when you get to the end and it wasn't anything that exciting. I am curious as to how it is that Giovanni decided to use them when they have been fired before and failed countless times. Oh yeah, thousandth time the charm, aye?

[Moe2]

Because it's a kids show and with each new generation of pokemon comes a new crowed of kids that watch the show. So if they stopped getting tricked then the show wouldn't be... well there wouldnt be a point I guess. I mean the real question is why is ash still a kid, he was 10 when he started he should be like 23 by now right?

[Giratina]

All that money Jessie, James, and Meowth supposedly mooch off of Team Rocket? It's spent on some kind of device that cloaks them much, much better than any of their lame disguises ever could (the disguises themselves are a backup). Except the device can't work if something is being filmed, which is why we see them in their shoddy disguises, but Ash and company are totally fooled.

[Machampion]

Originally Posted by Moe2

I mean the real question is why is ash still a kid, he was 10 when he started he should be like 23 by now right?

Amen.