History BaitAndSwitch / TheSimpsons

** When the children arrive at Springfield Elementary School, Principal Skinner tells them that he's going to put on a movie about "[[WesternAnimation/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas a Grinchy fellow who tries to steal Christmas]]". The film they see instead is ''The Christmas That Almost Wasn't, But Then Was''.

--->'''Dr. Nick''': ''[holding a syringe]'' These drugs will make the operation seem like a beautiful dream\\

-->'''Edison Museum Tour Guide''': Now behind that door is Edison's actual preserved brain. Ordinarily, folks, tour groups are not allowed to see it...''[unhooks the rope barrier]''...and of course, today will be no exception! ''[re-attaches it]''

BaitAndSwitch examples from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.

* "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS14E1TreehouseOfHorrorXIII Treehouse of Horror XIII]]": in "The Fright to Creep and Scare Harms," when UsefulNotes/BillyTheKid comes back from the dead to take over Springfield, he's accompanied by an undead gang consisting of Frank and Jesse James, the Sundance Kid, and "the most evil German of all time...[[UsefulNotes/PrussianKings Kaiser Wilhelm]]!"[[note]][[ExactWords This makes sense, as]] [[FridgeBrilliance Hitler was Austrian.]][[/note]]

** At an art show Mr. Burns explains that he gave up a painting of Pablo Picasso's very valuable ''Guernica'' to buy a song. While at first that seems like a foolish move on his part, he then continues by saying how "that song" was the rights to the classic "White Christmas"[[note]]''the'' most valuable and successful song in history[[/note]] and made him exceedingly richer.

* In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E17HomerTheSmithers Homer the Smithers]]", Smithers, forced to take a vacation, decides to find the worst option for his replacement, so Mr Burns will realise he's irreplaceable. He searches the employee database for a variety of familiar-sounding negative traits, but when this fails to narrow his options down much, he just decides to ask Homer.

** When Homer attempts to build a DIY barbecue pit, but accidentally drops the instructions in the cement, rendering them illegible. In a fit of panic and rage he just starts to stick the various bits together in a random arrangement. The scene then jumps ahead and it seems he's somehow managed to pull it off, with Homer proudly saying "Yeah, that's one fine-looking barbecue pit!". But then it's revealed he's actually just looking at the illustration on the box, and his attempt at a barbecue pit is still [[DoomItYourself a complete mess]].

** After Homer attempts to build a barbecue pit from a kit he bought at the hardware store, the next scene shows the pit appear to be completed, with Homer proudly saying "Yeah, that's one fine-looking barbecue pit", but then it's revealed he's actually just looking at the illustration on the box, and his attempt at a barbecue pit is still [[DoomItYourself a complete mess]].

** After Homer attempts to build a barbecue pit from a kit he bought at the hardware store, the next scene shows the pit appear to be completed, and Homer says "Yeah, that's one-fine looking barbecue pit." However, it is soon revealed that Homer is merely looking at an illustration of the completed barbecue pit on the box. Homer's actual barbecue pit is revealed to be [[DoomItYourself a complete mess]], to which Homer shouts "Why doesn't mine look like that?!"

** A man going by the suspicious name "Guy Incognito" enters Moe's Tavern for a drink. He looks and sounds just like Homer, only with a fancy suit, top hat, and mustache. Having been previously banned from the establishment, the patrons beat him up and throw him out...just in time for Homer to walk by and catch his [[IdenticalStranger double]] lying unconscious on the pavement.

-->'''Edison Museum Tour Guide''': Now behind that door is Edison's actual preserved brain. Ordinarily, folks, tour groups are not allowed to see it ''[unhooks the rope barrier]'' - and, of course... today will be no exception ''[re-attaches it]''.

** In the ''JustForFun/TheItchyAndScratchyShow'' cartoon within the episode, Itchy tricks Scratchy into cutting up and eating himself by disguising his own belly as rare steak. This isn't what kills Scratchy though, in fact he actually seems to enjoy his meal and never notices the ruse, what really kills Scratchy is seeing the bill. [[YourHeadAsplode His head explodes]].

** The Springfield Elementary students, on their way to Fort Springfield, are trying to slow the dilapidated old bus by holding their coats out the window. Cut to a Fort Springfield tour guide showing people a cannon, explaining it's "fully restored and is in ready-to-fire condition" but won't be fired since it's aimed directly at a manned lookout tower, and adding that these old cannons can easily go off if they get a slight shock. The bus crashes straight into it... and nothing happens. "Of course, for safety reasons, we don't keep the cannon loaded. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome That's just common sense]]."

** Also at the end when Bart and the fly are turned back to normal, Homer decides to pick up a fire axe and does "something [he] should have done a long time ago"...
-->'''Homer:''' (looks Bart dead in the eye) '''I'll teach you to mess with my machine!''' (cue the episode ending with Homer chasing Bart with the fire axe back and forth across the living room)

-->'''Edison Museum Tour Guide''': Now behind that door is Edison's actual preserved brain. Ordinarily, folks, tour groups are not allowed to see it - and, of course... today will be no exception.