History Main / InnocentBigot

* The infamous ''Tokyo Breakfast'', a spoof sitcom pilot produced for Japan One Television, is all about this trope. It features a family of Japanese hip-hop fans who keep addressing each other as "[[NWordPrivileges my nigga]]." Since Japan is pretty racially homogeneous, they clearly have no grasp at all of the connotations and history that word has in English. At the end, [[ItGotWorse a black delivery guy comes to ask if anyone there ordered a case of beer, and they all look up at him and joyfully shout, "We did, nigga!"]]

* In ''MassEffect'', Garrus will do this in conversations with other alien party members (although it might be more NobleBigot, depending on how you interpret what's going on in his head) -- smugly telling Wrex that he'd expected all krogans to be stupid thugs, and rather snidely asking Tali whether the quarians feel bad about unleashing the [[AIIsACrapshoot geth]] on the galaxy. He doesn't apologize, but he seems to be over it by the second game, possibly as a result of working with Shepard's crew and then his own multi-species team.

->''"But [[YouAreACreditToYourRace you're not like other gypsies]]. They're...evil!"''

* From ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' Zelos's [[FantasticRacism feelings toward half-elves]] are like this. A bit of a subversion in that he isn't quite "innocent," in the traditional way, however the game shows his feelings as inevitably derived from a society that feels the same way he does. Even with the friction between him and [[spoiler: [[BrattyHalfPint Genis]],]] though he thinks that [[spoiler: Genis and [[StaffChick Raine]]]] seem like nice enough people and never protests to them being in Lloyd's group, finding common ground in that the Church isn't fond of ''him'' either. Over the course of the game you can see his development--by the end he is even willing to risk his life to save a half elf named [[spoiler: Kate]] from execution by her father ([[spoiler: the Pope]]). When the group is talking to her after the rescue, he tells her "it's a good thing [she] takes after [her] mother." This culminates in a Z-Skit where he and Regal are discussing the racism against half-elves in Tethe'alla.

* In ''[[BlastFromThePast Blast from the Past]]'', the main character (who was raised in a fallout shelter and has social mores calibrated for the early 1960's as a result) greets a black postal worker by calling her a "Negro" without any malicious intent whatsoever.
** The offensive part wasn't so much that he called her a "Negro" as it was his idea that it was a diverting novelty to see a person of color. ("Oh, my lucky stars!") Although, since he was raised with only his two white parents around, for him, it really was a novel experience.

** Of course, with the game actually being set in Africa, the controversy begs the question whether an artificially mixed race zombie horde would have been appropriate or just inaccurate and insulting to the intelligence of customers for the sake of political correctness. UnfortunateImplications aside, a zombie outbreak in Africa ''would'' result in a horde made up of dark-skinned zombies.

** The offensive part wasn't so much that he called her a "Negro" as it was his idea that it was a diverting novelty to see a person of color. ("Oh, my lucky stars!")

--> ''[[JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack How about "Boo Boo Kitty Fuck?"]]''

* Chris' teacher from EverybodyHatesChris often cites things about "Chris' people", but she is very compassionate and supportive.

* [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Fire Emblem Path of Radiance]]: Ike refers to the [[FantasticRacism Laguz]] as sub-human, but only because he'd never met one before and it was the only name he knew for them. When one gets angry at him, he immediately apologizes.

* Princess Clara of DrawnTogether was this, although the "innocent" part started to dissolve as the series went on.

** Given the apparent ages of the characters the 'son' could have been entirely innocent as well, as it wasn't uncommon for an older male to call a younger male 'son' in such a situation.

* [[FireEmblemTellius Fire Emblem Path of Radiance]]: Ike refers to the [[FantasticRacism Laguz]] as sub-human, but only because he'd never met one before and it was the only name he knew for them. When one gets angry at him, he immediately apologizes.
* From ''TalesOfSymphonia'' Zelos's [[FantasticRacism feelings toward half-elves]] are like this. A bit of a subversion in that he isn't quite "innocent," in the traditional way, however the game shows his feelings as inevitably derived from a society that feels the same way he does. Even with the friction between him and [[spoiler: [[BrattyHalfPint Genis]],]] though he thinks that [[spoiler: Genis and [[StaffChick Raine]]]] seem like nice enough people and never protests to them being in Lloyd's group, finding common ground in that the Church isn't fond of ''him'' either. Over the course of the game you can see his development--by the end he is even willing to risk his life to save a half elf named [[spoiler: Kate]] from execution by her father ([[spoiler: the Pope]]). When the group is talking to her after the rescue, he tells her "it's a good thing [she] takes after [her] mother." This culminates in a Z-Skit where he and Regal are discussing the racism against half-elves in Tethe'alla.

So you've got a really nice character who comes from a sheltered background. They could be TheWhitePrince or SpoiledSweet, or maybe they just grew up in a community that happened to not be very diverse, or they could even be a time traveler from a period when [[ValuesDissonance people from different backgrounds just didn't associate with each other]]. They're not used to dealing with characters from other ethnic/religious/etc. groups, but that doesn't mean they have a problem with people from those groups. Far from it! In fact, they probably think other cultures are really exotic and cool and wouldn't it be awesome to have a BlackBestFriend? This is part of the problem.

When the Innocent Bigot leaves their sheltered homeland and meets characters who don't share their background, their ignorance will lead them to say and do things that are insensitive or downright offensive without realizing it. "Wow, I thought [members of group X] would be [insert stereotype here], but [[YouAreACreditToYourRace you sure are different]]!" Or, "I've never met a [member of indigenous group Y] before! It's really cool how you guys [[NobleSavage live in harmony with nature and stuff]]!" Another common variant is the male character who was taught to be [[KnightInShiningArmor chivalrous]] toward women and is surprised to learn that [[ActionGirl Action Girls]] find it insulting to be told to StayInTheKitchen while he protects them.

Very often TruthInTelevision. NobleBigot is a closely related trope. The difference is that the Noble Bigot has attitudes that are outright bigoted and probably understands perfectly well that their beliefs would be considered offensive by many people, but is a fundamentally good person otherwise. The Innocent Bigot holds absolutely no malice toward the people they offend, and sincerely has no idea that their ideas about other cultures are ignorant, insensitive or harmful. It is not quite this simple in RealLife, where the Innocent Bigot and the Noble Bigot can subtly overlap (i.e., a character ''really'' wants to be kind to people who are different and tries their best, but harbors feelings of fear or resentment deep down which occasionally manifest themselves as crude comments).

InnocentlyInsensitive is the supertrope. The character might grow into a TroubledSympatheticBigot, especially if CerebusSyndrome ensues. Other related tropes include PityingPerversion, PositiveDiscrimination, FairForItsDay, TheIngenue, MistakenForRacist, ObliviouslyEvil, RacistGrandma, ValuesDissonance, VirginityMakesYouStupid, [[YouKnowImBlackRight You Know I'm Black, Right?]] and YouAreACreditToYourRace.

* Clement [=McDonald=] from ''{{Torchwood}}''. Seeing as he was institutionalized, and therefore pretty effectively cut off from the outside world, for 40 odd years, it's not surprising that some of his language comes of as... unsavoury.

* Chris' teacher from EverybodyHatesChris cites things about "Chris' people", but she is very compassionate and supportive.

** In a softer version we have Lloyd, who at first seems to equate Desians with half-elves (as the pool of reference is mostly NPCs, the player may feel this way too, depending on how GenreSavvy they are). When the group goes out into the world, he learns that while Desians are half-elves, not all half-elves are Desians. Being the innocent, good-hearted idiot he is, his acceptance of this is quick. When it is [[TheReveal revealed]] that [[spoiler: both Genis and Raine are both half-elves]], he is surprised by the fact, but couldn't care less what their race is. [[spoiler: He only cares about saving his best friend and teacher from being put to death by the Imperial Knights.]]

* [[FireEmblemTellius Fire Emblem Path of Radiance]]: Ike refers to the [[FantasticRacism Laguz]] as sub-human, but only because he'd never met one before and it was the only name he knew for them. When one gets angry at him, he immediately apologizes.

!Examples

* In the {{Dragaera}} books, Aliera (an elf, [[OurElvesAreDifferent sort of]]) considers Vlad ([[FantasticRacism a human]]) one of her closest friends and has put her life on the line for him more than once. That doesn't stop her from obliviously having conversations about invading the human homeland right in front of him, without giving the slightest indication that it's occurred to her that might bother him. Aliera is a powerful, aristocratic MagicKnight [[spoiler:and demigod]] with a HairTriggerTemper, so she doesn't get called on this sort of thing much.

* On {{Babylon 5}} Vir's [[ArrangedMarriage wife]] Lyndisty is lovely and sweet but has been raised to think of Narns as vicious, dangerous animals. When she is attacked in retaliation for her father's many crimes she disposes of the Narns in quick order - then sweetly and submissively leaves the coup de grace to Vir, as the head of their family. Since we never see her again we don't know if she ever learned better.
** Somewhat [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], though, when we learn that [[spoiler: she's helped her father commit mass genocide, enjoys watching Narns burn, and is personally responsible for hundreds of deaths.]]
* From {{Torchwood}}, Clement McDonald. Seeing as he was institutionalized, and therefore pretty effectively cut off from the outside world, for 40 odd years, it's not surprising that some of his language comes of as... unsavoury.
--> 'Who's the ''queer''?'

* SarahSilverman, or rather [[AlterEgoActing her character.]]

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* In ''DumbingOfAge'', Joyce frequently makes offensive remarks to non-Christians (especially atheists), due to her sheltered, homeschooled environment.

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Very often TruthInTelevision. NobleBigot is a closely related trope. The difference is that the Noble Bigot has attitudes that are outright bigoted and probably understands perfectly well that their beliefs would be considered offensive by many people, but is a fundamentally good person otherwise. The Innocent Bigot holds absolutely no malice toward the people they offend, and sincerely has no idea that their ideas about other cultures are ignorant, insensitive or harmful. It is not quite this simple in RealLife, where the Innocent Bigot and the Noble Bigot can subtly overlap (i.e., a character ''really'' wants to be kind to people who are different and tries their best, but harbors feelings of fear or resentment deep down which occasionally manifest themselves as crude comments).

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* On {{Babylon 5}} Vir's [[ArrangedMarriage wife]] Lyndisty is lovely and sweet but has been raised to think of Narns as vicious, dangerous animals. When she is attacked in retaliation for her father's many crimes she disposes of the Narns in quick order - then sweetly and submissively leaves the coup de grace to Vir, as the head of their family. Since we never see her again we don't know if she ever learned better.

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* SarahSilverman, or rather [[AlterEgoActing her character.]]

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