History Main / BerateAndSwitch

A character assesses the current situation. They list what would presumably be unpleasant, unfavorable, or immoral qualities, actions, or ideas, but the conclusion drawn is the opposite of what you expect: they are very favorable and happy about it. The comedy comes from the fact that obsession and revulsion can result in a similar level of enthusiasm. Beauty, fashion sense, cuisine choice, and other preferences are all in the eye of the beholder.

An alternate version of this trope happens when a character gives advice to another: at first they seem to be warning or deterring the other away from a course of action that could have gruesome or disastrous consequences, but instead they are encouraging exactly those actions and hoping for those outcomes. Depending on how bad it is, an onlooker may overhear this conversation with shock or disgust.

Can be inverted: the character describes pleasant or desirable things, like a beautiful sunny day, flowers, and puppies. It turns out the character is disgusted by them.

Compare and contrast BileFascination and GuiltyPleasure, where a character knows something is bad or that they should not enjoy it, but they feel curiously or shamefully attracted to it anyway.

Compare and contrast BileFascination, where a character knows something is bad, but their curiosity attracts them to it anyway.

Not to be confused with EvilVirtues, which are about honest to goodness virtues applied to evil. Compare BaitAndSwitchComment, IHaveJustOneThingToSay, ArsonMurderAndAdmiration, ILikeThoseOdds. See also TooKinkyToTorture.

->''"Greasy walls. Rickety bed. Crazy neighbors. [{{beat}}] I love it!"''

A comedic trope where a character assesses the current situation, listing typically unpleasant, unfavorable, or immoral actions or thoughts, and the conclusion drawn is the opposite of what you expect: they are very favorable and happy about it. The comedy can come from the fact that obsession and revulsion can result in a similar level of enthusiasm. Beauty, fashion sense, cuisine choice, etc. are all in the eye of the beholder.

Unlike BadIsGoodAndGoodIsBad, this trope is used for comedy. Expect sitcoms to cue the LaughTrack. For example:

->'''Bob:''' Look at this car! It's covered in rust, the stuffing's coming out of the seats, and you have to kick the trunk to get it to open...beautiful, isn't it?

An alternate version of this trope happens when a character gives advice to another, and what is seemingly a situation they want to deflect or have the receiver turn away from instead turns out to be encouragement. Depending on the situation, the more conservative outsider may look on such a conversation with shock or disgust.

Can be inverted by describing typically pleasant things, such as a beautiful sunny day, flowers, and puppies and it turns out the character is disgusted by them.

Not to be confused with EvilVirtues, which are about honest to goodness virtues applied to evil. Compare IHaveJustOneThingToSay, ArsonMurderAndAdmiration, ILikeThoseOdds. See also TooKinkyToTorture.

''(BeatPanel. Cap grins.)'' \\

-->'''Harry''': Just when I think you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you do something like this...''and totally redeem yourself!''

* In one episode of ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', Sergeant Jeffords catches one of his detectives wasting time judging pies from two stores even though the entire squad is in a RaceAgainstTheClock. Jeffords deems this unacceptable - then gets everyone else to join in.

* On ''Series/GilmoreGirls,'' when Lorelai finds out Rory was the cause of a fistfight between her boyfriend and her ex at a WildTeenParty that ended with the cops being called.

* ''Series/ElChavoDelOcho'': In an episode, Don Ramón got in trouble with Doña Florinda because el Chavo accidentally hit Quico [[BratsWithSlingshots with his slingshot]]. El Chavo asks for his slingshot back, and Don Ramón tells him this:
-->"Look Chavo, I'm warning ya. If you hit Quico with the slingshot... ''(smiles)'' I'll give you a prize."

* One of the Shadowknight's quotes from ''VideoGame/ChampionsOfNorrath'' hints at this:

* In one episode of ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', Sergeant Jeffords catches one of his detectives wasting time judging pies from two stores even though the entire squad is in a RaceAgainstTheClock. Jeffords is deems this unacceptable - then gets everyone else to join in.

* ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'': In order to beat Edward van Helgen at the banjo duel, you have to shoot his instrument while he's in the middle of a wild solo. He's sputter about what a low-down dirty trick that was... then say "I completely misjudged you. You are a pirate, after all!"

[[folder:Literature]]
* In book 6 of ''Literature/RangersApprentice'', a knight is sizing up a group of [[HornyVikings Skandian pirates]] he's been put in charge of. [[CoveredInScars Scars]], [[TattooedCrook nasty tattoos]], [[BeardOfBarbarism long greasy beards]], [[FatBastard beer guts]]; all in all as untidy, rank-smelling and rough-tongued a bunch of pirates as one could be unlucky enough to run into...
-->'''Sir Horace:''' They're beautiful.
[[/folder]]

* In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', after Fry is unfrozen in the future, he reflects on how his girlfriend, parents, and everyone he's ever known is dead, pauses and says "Woo-hoo!"

* In the ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' episode "The Letter," a haughty older couple, the Armstrongs, examine, and analyze, a painting of Kramer. The woman reads admirable qualities into his character while the man describes him as a "parasite," a "sexually depraved miscreant," and a "loathsome, offensive brute," concluding in a mutual decision to buy the painting:
-->'''Mrs. Armstrong:''' He bends time and space!
-->'''Mr. Armstrong:''' He sickens me!
-->'''Mrs. Armstrong:''' I ''love'' it.
-->'''Mr. Armstrong:''' ...Me too.

* In the ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' episode "The Letter," a haughty older couple, the Armstrongs, examine, and analyze, a painting of Kramer. The woman reads admirable qualities into his character while the man describes him as a "parasite," a "sexually depraved miscreant," and a "loathsome, offensive brute," concluding in the following:

* In the ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' episode "The Note," a haughty older couple examine, and analyze, a painting of Kramer. The woman reads admirable qualities into his character while the man describes him as a "parasite," a "sexually depraved miscreant," and a "loathsome, offensive brute," concluding in the following:
-->'''Woman:''' He bends time and space!
-->'''Man:''' He sickens me!
-->'''Woman:''' I ''love'' it.
-->'''Man:''' ...Me too.

-->'''Man:''' [[SincerityMode ...Me too]].

-->'''Man:''' ...Me too.

* In the ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' episode "The Note," a haughty older couple examine, and analyze, a painting of Kramer. The woman reads admirable qualities into his character based on his expression while the man describes him as a "parasite," a "sexually depraved miscreant," and a "loathsome, offensive brute," concluding in the following:

* In ''Discworld/MonstrousRegiment'', Igor at one point says that a bar's beer [[ATankardOfMooseUrine tastes like horse piss]], and [[{{Squick}} he should know]]. After the other troopers make the bartender give them better beer, Igor sticks with the bad stuff.

-->-- '''Judy''', ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}''

!!Examples

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC: {{Literature}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}} - Animated]]
* In ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', Gaston tells the asylum warden of his plan to force Belle to marry him by threatening to commit her father. He says "That's despicable... ''I love it''!".
* In ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'', Judy's assessment and conclusion of her situation when she moves into her rather small and tacky apartment at the titular city:
-->"Greasy walls. Rickety bed. Crazy neighbors. [{{beat}}] I love it!"

[[AC:{{Film}} - Live Action]]

-->''' Reverend Mother:''' I hold you responsible for all of this. For introducing a lounge act into my convent, for utterly disrupting our lives, and exposing us all to mortal danger.\\

-->'''Menzies''': "Maintain a conspiracy of lies ... at the highest levels of government!? ...(pause)... Sounds right up my alley.

--> '''Turing''': "This distraction is completely unacceptable ...(pause)... Please take a seat so we can begin."

-->'''Pentecost''': (frowning) In all of my years fighting I've never... (smile appears on his face) ... seen anything like that. Well done.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

-->'''Spike''': And my robot?\\
'''Buffy''': The robot was gone. The robot was gross and obscene.\\
'''Spike''': It wasn't supposed to-\\
'''Buffy''': Don't. That ''[[ItIsDehumanizing thing]]'', it... it wasn't even real.\\
[''she turns to go, then turns back to Spike for a minute'']\\
'''Buffy''': What you did for me and Dawn... ''that'' was real. I won't forget it.

[[AC:TabletopGames]]
* The ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' sourcebook ''Codex: Catachans'' has some flavor text in which a member of the Catachan Jungle Fighters Imperial Guard Regiment describes the DeathWorld of Varestus Prime:

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WebComics]]

[[AC:WebAnimation]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

-->'''Carl:''' Uh, normal Jimmy seems kind of stupid.
-->'''Sheen:''' Yeah, he's pretty messed up.
-->''[beat]''
-->'''Sheen:''' I like him!
-->'''Carl:''' Me too!

!!Inversions
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* In ''Film/AddamsFamilyValues'', the family is shocked when the baby turns out to enjoy hearing pleasant stories read to him and that he has curly blonde hair.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': In "Normal Boy":