History Main / MistakenforRacist

* ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'': One factor in the PoorCommunicationKills between Dys and Tang is that twins started drifting apart right around the time Tang got gene therapy to get a body of the right sex, and everyone assumed that Dys had a problem with it. In reality, as Dys himself puts it, he knew Tang was a girl "five minutes after she knew" and considered her his sister long before anyone else did. What really happened is that Tang's already prolific intelligence latched onto the science behind her transition and gave her a newfound motivation to excel academically, with the nasty side effect of truning her into an InsufferableGenius. This interacted badly with their family's history of chronic depression, worsening a bad patch Dys was having independently.

!!Examples:

** Viktor Krum mistakes Xenophillius Lovegood for a neo-Grindelwald sympathizer for wearing the Deathly Hallows symbol, which is a fantasy take on a UsefulNotes/NonNaziSwastika.

* Criticizing Islam often ends in accusations of racism, it does not help that [[AllMuslimsAreArab Islam is linked exclusively with Arabs]] and the people of the Middle East in general, even though not all Arabs are Muslims and most Muslims are not Arabs. [[https://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2524-im-liberal-ex-muslim-this-my-life.html This article by Cracked]] -written by a liberal ex-Muslim- explains in detail how valid criticism of Islam is often-erroneously or intentionally-branded as racist, and at the same time valid criticism of Islam is hijacked and distorted by racist groups. On the other hand, the stereotypical association of Muslims with turbans has led to a rise of Sikhs getting discriminated against and even attacked.
* A similar situation exists with linking any criticism of Israel, no matter what the substance of it, to being racist against Jews. In extreme cases this can extend to being at all sympathetic to Palestinians. Such accusations will even be leveled at ''Jewish'' critics of Israel, including those who are themselves Israeli citizens. It doesn't help that some of the criticism actually ''is'' anti-Semitic.

* One episode of ''Machinima/TheStrangerhood'' parodied black-and-white detective films, with everything changing color in shades of grey. Sam refers to the color scheme as black and white, which causes Chalmers, the African resident, to think Sam has issues.

* Criticizing Islam often ends in accusations of racism, it does not help that [[AllMuslimsAreArab Islam is linked exclusively with Arabs]] and the people of the Middle East in general, even though not all Arabs are Muslims or all Muslims are Arabs. [[https://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2524-im-liberal-ex-muslim-this-my-life.html This article by Cracked]] -written by a liberal ex-Muslim- explains in detail how valid criticism of Islam is often-erroneously or intentionally-branded as racist, and at the same time valid criticism of Islam is hijacked and distorted by racist groups. On the other hand, the stereotypical association of Muslims with turbans has led to a rise of Sikhs getting discriminated against and even attacked.

* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' was accused of racism in the '90s, in the [[http://berkeleyplacecomics.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/avengers-326-328-first-appearance-of-rage/ issue that introduced]] the "Harlem hero" [[AngryBlackMan Rage]]. He got in Cap's face to angrily demand why "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" were almost entirely white people.

** A sketch has Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/{{Robin}} playing checkers, with the latter stating his distaste for playing the black side. Unfortunately, ComicBook/TheFalcon walks by just as Robin yells out "I hate black!", leading to some [[AngryBlackMan awkwardness, to put it mildly]].

* In ''ComicBook/JLA1997'', a Neo-Nazi supervillainess hits on The Key, attracted to his "purest white" skin. He's disgusted and tells her he's not a racist and doesn't want to look the way he does.

* In ''ComicBook/JLA1997'', a Neo-Nazi supervillainess hits on The Key, attracted to his [[EvilAlbino "purest white"]] skin. He's disgusted and tells her he's not a racist and doesn't want to look the way he does.

* There is that one viral [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG4iTGjuoKw Chinese song]] overflowing with [[TastesLikeDiabetes sugary imagery]] and rife with [[PepTalkSong positive messages]] in the lyrics... except that the main reason it went viral is the unfortunately-sounding (to anglophone ears, at least) chorus. How unfortunately, you ask? To those without grasp of Mandarin, it sounds like constant repetition of the N-word. One professor was even [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sunshine-rainbow-white-pony-nae-nigga-nae-nae fired]] after using that particular Mandarin word.

* AV Club [[https://tv.avclub.com/south-park-black-friday-1798178674 criticized]] the 2013 WesternAnimation/SouthPark episode "Black Friday" for "having the mangled pronunciation of the 'Black Friday Bundle' repeated over and over" by Japanese characters, the article author citing it as an "unfortunate" example of how the show "mocked foreign cultures in un-PC ways." However, the phrase, "burakkufuraidē bandoru" is in fact correct Japanese ("ブラックフライデーバンドル") for "Black Friday Bundle." If anything, the way it's pronounced in the episode is due to Americans mangling the pronunciation of a Japanese phrase, not vice versa.

* Ends up being the punchline of one ''WesternAnimation/SmilingFriends'' episode; while everyone's getting ready for the office Halloween party Charlie states that he doesn't wear costumes for fear of ending up in this trope. The episode then revolves around Pim being terrorized by a [[NatureSpirit forest demon]] with tree bark for skin, who chases him all the way back to the office. When the two end up in the middle of the party, the demon is accused of wearing {{blackface}} in spite of him SuddenlySpeaking to explain this is his ''actual skin color'', and is beaten to death and eviscerated by the partygoers. [[BrickJoke Charlie then calmly points out this is exactly why he doesn't dress up.]]

** At one point in ''Comicbook/SpiderVerse'', [[Comicbook/UltimateSpiderMan Miles Morales]] and the Spider-Man from the ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'' TV show team up with the Spider-Man from the [[WesternAnimation/SpiderMan1967 '60s animated series]]. When Miles unmasks, the '60s Spider-Man is visibly shocked, causing the animated Ultimate Spidey to think he's a racist. Instead, it turns out that '60s Spidey is proud to learn that the Spider-Man legacy has lived on, and was actually expressing shock at the fact that the new Spider-Man is so young.

* A notable incident that contributed to the great Prince Philip Mountbatten-Windsor's public image as "Gaff Man" was his interaction with neighboring Aborigine tribes in Australia in 2002. One tribe admitted they and the other tribe used to exchange spears in the martial sense, and the Duke of Edinburgh had one question for the leader of said other tribe as a result: "Do you still chuck spears at each other?" The whole tribe thought that one was ActuallyPrettyFunny, but it subsequently ended up being one of many Duke of Edinburgh quips the [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad Daily Mail]] and similar tabloids took out of context.

** Hank is thought to be subconsciously Afrophobic after his dog attacks a black repairman. It's later revealed the dog attack stems from his innate dislike of repairmen, irrespective of ethnicity.
** The Church's less-than-subtle approach of conveying that "[[CaptainObviousAesop racism is bad]]", culminating in a group of churchgoers and the female Priest singing on Hank's lawn with a big cross, points out the hypocrisy of condemning racism yet taking a similar attitude towards those who don't share the same viewpoint.

** Ever since the events of ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen and ComicBook/DeathOfX, The Avengers' relationship with the ComicBook/XMen has been pretty heated, especially with [[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Cyclops]]. This has caused Marvel's Mutants and their Fanbase to develop a, quite frankly justified, AlternativeCharacterInterpretation [[FantasticRacism of the opposing team's views on Mutant rights]]. ComicBook/CaptainAmerica especially. From defending the Inhumans who were [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything gassing mutants to death]], to policing a hate rally of mutants in an Issue of Uncanny X-Men (2019). Captain America claims that he believes in the sanctity of the individual, to make up your own opinions and thoughts, even if they are those of a bigot. His mind hasn't changed even after Magneto [[ItMakesSenseInContext used his mind altering helmet to erase any Anti-Mutant thoughts]], revealing that there weren't any in the first place. Nevertheless, in an issue of Uncanny X-Men (2013), Cyclops delivers a well deserved ReasonYouSuckSpeech to Captain America and the Avengers for their inaction towards hate crimes commited against Mutants, stating they're just as bad as the people opressing them.

** ''Not Always Learning'' has [[https://notalwaysright.com/royal-colors/ a kindergardener]] explain to her teacher that she really doesn't like [[WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog Tiana]]'s color. The teacher is a bit worried before the girl elaborates that she really doesn't like green.

* A similar situation exists with linking any criticism of Israel, no matter what the substance of it, to being racist against Jews. In extreme cases this can extend to being at all sympathetic to Palestinians. Such accusations will even be leveled at ''Jewish'' critics of Israel, including those who are themselves Israeli citizens. It doesn't help that some of the criticism actually ''is'' antisemitic.

** From "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS10E23ThirtyMinutesOverTokyo Thirty Minutes over Tokyo]]", once the family had arrived in Japan (it's the cheapest vacation they could afford, long story) and have wandered for a while, Homer is bored...
--->'''Homer:''' If we wanted to see Japanese people, we could have gone to the zoo.\\

** Dumbledore’s long-dead father is believed to have been a Muggle-hater due to attacking three Muggle boys. Harry finds out the truth is much more complicated than that [[note]] The boys “attacked” (in a way that’s never truly explained) his daughter and not because they were Muggles[[/note]] and comes to realize it’s silly to even think that because he was married to and had three kids with a Muggleborn witch.