History Main / RushedInvertedReading

* In ''Film/{{Alvin and the Chipmunks}}'', all 3 chipmunks did something wrong in their cover-up of their inappropriate behaviour. Simon was holding a book upside-down and Dave corrects him.

* Occasionally books and comics are sold with their innards flipped upside down, creating the impression of this.

* There's a possibly apocryphal story about Underground Railroad leader Harriett Tubman related to this. She was traveling on a train and holding a book when she heard one of the men on the train asking if it was her, but another said that it couldn't be since the wanted posters said she was illiterate. The entire time Harriett was praying that she was holding the book correctly, since she really ''couldn't'' read.

** There's a possibly apocryphal story about Underground Railroad leader Harriett Tubman and this trope. As a wanted woman she was traveling on a train and holding a book. She heard one of the men on the train asking if it was her, but another said that it couldn't be since the wanted posters said she was illiterate. The entire time Harriett was praying that she was holding the book correctly, since she really ''couldn't'' read.

** There's a possibly apocryphal story about Underground Railroad leader Harriett Tubman using this trope. As a wanted woman she was traveling on a train and holding a book. She heard one of the men on the train asking if it was her, but another man said that it couldn't be her since the wanted posters said she couldn't read. The entire time Harriett was praying that she was holding the book correctly, since she really ''couldn't'' read.

-->'''Pirate King''': No, by your twenty-first.. [picks up contract and reads] ...yadhtrib. [flips it over] ''birthday''!

'''Eddie:''' ...so are my eyes. ''[rolls eyes about independently of each other]''

-->'''Bart''': "Boy, time sure flies when you're reading ''(looks at what he's holding)'' THE BIBLE?!!

-->'''Marge:''' Um...I'm just reading up on ''["Tanks of the Third Reich"]'' artillery.
-->'''Homer:''' Yes, and I'm pursuing my interest in ''["Mapplethorpe"]'' AAH!

-->'''Arthur:''' D.W., if you know how to read, how come your book was upside down?
-->'''D.W.:''' I can read in all directions.

-->'''Stan:''' Whatcha readin there slick?
-->'''Dipper:''' (hides the journal and grabs a magazine) Oh, I was just catching up on-"Gold Chains for Old Men Magazine?"
-->'''Stan:''' That's a good issue.

* In the third chapter of ''Minimum'', the protagonist holds up his phone so his little sister doesn't find out that he was actually talking to a [[LittlePeople miniature girl.]] His little sister points out that he's holding his phone upside-down.

* In the third Chapter of ''Minimum'', the protagonist holds up his phone so his little sister doesn't find out that he was actually talking to a [[LittlePeople miniature girl.]] His sister points out that he's holding his phone upside-down.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/DefendersOfTheEarth'' episode "A Demon in His Pocket", Kshin turns to Mandrake's collection of sorcery books (which he is forbidden to touch) in the hope of finding a spell he can use on the school bullies. Later, Mandrake comes into the library to check on Kshin, but Zuffy delays Mandrake long enough for Kshin to put the sorcery book he was reading back on its shelf, find the scroll containing the spell for summoning the titular demon and grab another book at random. The book in question is about "Wallpapering your Kitchen".

* In Chapter 3 of ''Minimum'' the protagonist holds up his phone so his little sister doesn't find out that he was actually talking to a [[LittlePeople miniature girl.]] His sister points out that he's holding his phone upside-down.

* ''Literature/TheDogsOfWar''. A CorruptCorporateExecutive gives an African dictator a mining contract to sign, but deliberately inverts a page to see if he can actually read it -- the dictator turns the page without reacting. A customs official in his country checks a mercenary's passpost, even the photograph, but doesn't realise he's holding it upside down until he looks at the insignia on the cover.

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* Happens to Peter in one ''FoxTrot'' strip. Peter and Steve are discussing a fight Peter had gotten into when the principal appears behind them. Peter hurriedly pretends to be talking about an algebra problem but is holding his textbook upside down.

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* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', Dr. Henry Jones, Sr. tries to hide himself from the Nazi Colonel Vogel [[NewspaperThinDisguise using his newspaper]]. Unfortunately, he's holding it upside down, which is how Vogel sees right through this.

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* Happened in ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' in the episode ''Time's Arrow, part 2''. In his defense, Geordi had his VISOR removed at the time and is completely blind without it.

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** There's a possibly apocryphal story about Underground Railroad leader Harriett Tubman. As a wanted woman she was traveling on a train and holding a book. She heard one of the men on the train asking if it was her, but another man said that it couldn't be her since the wanted posters said she couldn't read. The entire time Harriett was praying that she was holding the book correctly, since she really ''couldn't'' read.

* There's an UrbanLegend about an African American slave during the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar who could read and hid the illegal skill. He was reading a newspaper with good news about the Union when he spotted his master approaching. Thinking fast, he flipped the paper over to make it appear he was attempting to read the paper and didn't know it was upside down.

* In the first episode of ''GravityFalls'' when Dipper hides [[GreatBigBookOfEverything the journal]] from Stan.

* ''Literature/TheDogsOfWar''. A CorruptCorporateExecutive gives an African dictator a mining contract to sign, but deliberately inverts a page to see if he can actually read it -- the dictator turns the page without reacting. A customs official in his country checks the mercenary's passpost, even the photograph, but doesn't realise he's holding it upside down until he looks at the insignia on the cover.

* ''Literature/TheDogsOfWar''. A CorruptCorporateExecutive gives an exiled African dictator a mining contract to sign, but deliberately inverts a page to see if he can actually read it -- the dictator turns the page without reacting.

* Kimmy from ''{{Sym-Bionic Titan}}'' does it in "Lessons in Love" when Lance and Ilana interupt her and Newton when they were about to kiss.

* There's an UrbanLegend about an African American slave during the AmericanCivilWar who could read and hid the illegal skill. He was reading a newspaper with good news about the Union when he spotted his master approaching. Thinking fast, he flipped the paper over to make it appear he was attempting to read the paper and didn't know it was upside down.