History Main / DiscriminateAndSwitch

A form of BaitAndSwitch comedy that teases with prejudice and discrimination, where one party looks like they're about to (or are) discriminating against someone for some [[NewSpeak doubleplusungood]] reason that is not [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad PC]], but in reality[[DramaticPause ...]] it's because they like avocado ice cream. (What? Don't judge it 'till you try it!)

->'''OJ Simpson:''' The f*** do you mean, "your kind?"

* Pratchett's ''[[Discworld/MenAtArms Men at Arms]],'' when Angua says "is it because I'm a w..." and you think she's saying "woman" until it turns out she's also a [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf]].

** Another {{Discworld}} one that might count- in ''[[Discworld/SoulMusic Soul Music]]'', a raven comments to Susan about his dislike for the "[[TWordEuphemism N-word]]"- he means [[NeverHeardThatOneBefore "nevermore"]].

* Vlad Taltos, of the {{Dragaera}} novels, is occasionally shocked when a Dragaeran despises him for being a Jhereg, as opposed to being an Easterner.
* In the {{Dalziel and Pascoe}} novels, DC Shirley Novello discovers that when the CID team go to the pub, she is always expected to fetch the drinks no matter whose round it was and assumes this is because she is a woman. She later discovers that it is simply a custom that the lowest ranking officer present has to get the drinks in.

* In ''{{Reaper}}'', Sock says "Yes, Steve and Tony smell terrific, and yeah, they've got great taste in beer, but They. Are. [[DramaticPause * oh-so-short pause* ]] Demons." They're also gay...

* In FlightOfTheConchords Bret and Jemaine are "racially" abused for being New Zealanders by a fruit-seller. Finally they stand up to him with a stirring speech about the rights of all human beings, whereupon it all turns out to be a big misunderstanding - the man thought they were Australian! So then they all go and make offensive gestures outside the Australian Embassy together.
** * Snif* It's... Beautiful.
* On "VeronicaMars", when Veronica's BlackBestFriend Wallace moves in with his new roommate, the roommate acts uncomfortable. He explains, "I specifically said I didn't want a roommate who was...uh, you know...better looking than me."
* On MyNameIsEarl, Joy feels like she has to hide her second (black) husband from her father because in high school, he wouldn't let her date a black guy. Turns out Dad loves black people ([[IfYouKnowWhatIMean especially black women]])...and he didn't want her dating anyone that [[BrotherSisterIncest might just be her brother]].

* Used on BlueCollarTV in the "Fat Family" sketch, when the daughter brings home her boyfriend: "It's not that we don't like you because you're ''Jewish''...it's because you're-" * look of disgust* "-''skinny''."
* Played with in ''Everybody Hates Chris'', when the white coach informs Chris that he hates "people". The narration snarks "''black'' people", but as the coach continues, it becomes clear he's a misanthrope. He mentions several negative stereotypes applied to black people, concluding with "they're lazy. White people are so lazy that they needed slaves to do the work for 'em."

* In DesperateHousewives, Carlos knows his wife is having an affair, but not with whom. Suspecting the TV repairman, he breaks into his house and beats him up. Then he looks around and notices the artwork... it's pretty clear the man is gay. The same thing happens to Carlos ''again''. Carlos goes to jail for hate crimes. He actually gets off, but lost his temper at the trial on an unrelated matter and went to jail anyway. Temper, temper.
** Oh, it's even ''better.'' IIRC, the second gay man he beats up is a friend of their gardener, who Carlos thinks is a swell young man. Carlos winds up losing his temper at the trial because the gardener wonders aloud [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean why it takes him so much longer to do their garden then anyone else's...]]
* In the pilot episode of {{Stargate SG-1}}, Captain Samantha Carter, Stargate Command's new astrophysics expert, eventually loses her cool over Colonel O'Neill's poor attitude towards her and gives a "just because my reproductive organs are in the inside" lecture that would itself become ripe for [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] in later seasons. Afterward, O'Neill kindly explains that he has no problem serving with women. It's ''scientists'' he doesn't like.

* In episode 12 of the third season of {{News Radio}}, Lisa gets the nod for "Cutest Reporter in New York." Catherine gets upset that Lisa was picked over her and explains that every time she's gotten a promotion, it was because of "you know what." "Because you're black?" Lisa asks innocently. Catherine responds: "What? No, because of these! And this!" (as she points to her bosom and behind, respectively.)

* On {{Psych}}

* Played with in ThePigsEar. When Barkeep is looking for some hired help, a couple of the rejected applicants assume they didn't get the job because of their race, even though poor Barkeep was thinking of something completely different (like the black guy with a pair of hooks instead of hands).

* FamilyGuy had Peter telling a crowd of black men at the Million Man March that they were responsible for most of the crime in the world, not aiming at them being black but men (he had temporarily become a StrawFeminist). They didn't really get it...

* In a fairly recent episode of the Simpsons, Moe starts dating a "Little Person". Moe at one point claims to need to prepare a "car seat". Turns out he took out the passenger-side seat to save on petrol.

* ''RockosModernLife'': In the episode where Filbert (a turtle) and Hutch (a cat) get married, Hutch's mom repeatedly lectures her how cats and turtles are natural enemies and can never get along. In the end, it turns out she only thinks so because [[spoiler:she's always angry with Hutch's dad (who's ''a turtle'')]].

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* Pratchett's ''[[Discworld/MenAtArms Men at Arms]],'' when Angua says "is it because I'm a w..." and you think she's saying "woman" until it turns out she's also a [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf]].

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<<|RaceTropes|>>

-->JD: "Hi, Snoop Dogg Intern."
-->Black Doctor: "Hey!"
-->JD: "Sorry, Snoop Dogg Resident."
-->Black Doctor: "HEY!"
-->JD: "Snoop Dogg ''Attending''?"
-->Black Doctor: (internal monologue) "Why doesn't anybody call me ''Ronald''?"

* JD from Scrubs: "Snoop Dogg intern", Black Docter: "HEY!", JD: "Sorry, Snoop Dogg resident."

* When Francine of ''AmericanDad'' kicks out a classmate of Steven, they think it was because she was black, but it turned out to be because she was left-handed, and she'd been taught by the nun that raised her that lefties were evil (even though she was one). At the end of the episode, they get her to start using he left hand, even though by now she's so used to using her right that it doesn't work.
** Also in an earlier episode when Francine becomes a real estate agent Stan chastises her for selling her house to a gay couple. She is about to defend it but it turns out he doesn't like them because they are reporters. He doesn't even seem to know they are gay, he thinks they're just two young guys who live together.
-->"''Do you know what those two are? '''Reporters!''' That's right Francine, members of the liberal media!''"
*** Stan has a classic line about this: "There goes the neighbourhood. See what I did there? It sounded like a racist comment, but actually I've done something ''much'' worse." (He'd gotten all his neighbours kicked out 'so he could use their houses for anti-terrorism reasons'.)

* In DeepSpace9, a Cardassian scientist tells O'Brien that she's 'not used to your kind being good engineers'. 'You mean humans?' 'I mean males.'

** Which has got to be its own trope.

--->Beat. Finbar and Olivia exchange glances.

* Another {{Discworld}} one that might count- in ''[[Discworld/SoulMusic Soul Music]]'', a raven comments to Susan about his dislike for the "N-word"- he means [[NeverHeardThatOneBefore "nevermore"]].

->Doorman: Holy crap! It is you! Sorry for the mix-up, Tan.
->Shawn Spencer: I beg your pardon? My name is Black. His (Gus) name is Tan. I can't believe you just ->made that assumption. You should be ashamed of yourself and your family.

** This troper got the idea that he was in fact refering to the fact that he's black. Starfire assumed he meant because he was a cyborg and he just said "SureWhyNot" so as to avoid that particular discussion.
*** Sure, because no one would ever look askance at a teenager who's '''half-machine'''.

Doorman: Holy crap! It is you! Sorry for the mix-up, Tan.
Shawn Spencer: I beg your pardon? My name is Black. His (Gus) name is Tan. I can't believe you just made that assumption. You should be ashamed of yourself and your family.

* JD from Scrubs: "Snoop Dogg intern", Black Docter: "HEY!" JD: "Sorry, Snoop Dogg resident."

* JD from Scrubs: "Snoop Dogg intern", Black Docter: "HEY! JD: "Sorry, Snoop Dogg resident."

* On MyNameIsEarl, Joy feels like she has to hide her second (black) husband from her father because in high school, he wouldn't let her date a black guy. Turns out Dad loves black people...and he didn't want her dating anyone that [[BrotherSisterIncest might just be her brother]].