History Main / StripperCopConfusion

* On ''{{Series/Castle}}'' one victim was, apparently, a police officer. Yeah, you know where it's going.

* [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7833167.stm Has happened at least once.]] The police do not appreciate this sort of thing.

* [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7833167.stm Has happened at least once.]] [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome The police do not appreciate this sort of thing.]]

* In the Season 4 episode "A.C.H" of ''Series/TheRookie'', Grey and Bradford remind their fellow officers to be extra diligent on Halloween night. Poor Bradford is pushed by Grey to reveal that on a previous Halloween, he was dispatched to a loud party only to be mistaken as a stripper by the partygoers, resulting in a torn uniform. Cue laughter from ''everyone'' in the room.

* Breacher and his team give Det. Brentwood this treatment in ''Film/{{Sabotage}}'' when she arrives at his house to get a statement from one of them. She's plainclothes and not dressed in anything resembling a police uniform, so it seems like the gang are mocking her just to be dicks (which, to be fair, [[VillainProtagonist they are]]). Then, of course, a ''real'' stripper shows up in a sexy cop outfit just as she is leaving.

* Breacher and his team give Det. Brentwood this treatment in ''Film/{{Sabotage}}'' when she arrives at his house to get a statement from one of them. She's plainclothes and not dressed in anything resembling a police uniform, so it seems like the gang are mocking her just to be dicks (which, to be fair, [[VillainProtagonists they are]]). Then, of course, a ''real'' stripper shows up in a sexy cop outfit just as she is leaving.

* Breacher and his team give Det. Brentwood this treatment in ''Film/{{Sabotage}}'' when she arrives at his house to get a statement from one of them. She's plainclothes and not dressed in anything resembling a police uniform, so it seems like the gang are mocking her just to be dicks (which, to be fair, [[VillainProtagonists they are). Then, of course, a ''real'' stripper shows up in a sexy cop outfit just as she is leaving.

[[folder: Radio]]

* Happens to Officer Minogue in ''Series/WellingtonParanormal'' when he follows what he thinks is a zombie only to discover she's just going to a zombie themed HenParty. He frantically calls for backup when they try to get him to strip, and when we see him next it's clear they at least got his shirt off.

* [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7833167.stm Has happened at least once.]] [[RealityEnsues The police do not appreciate this sort of thing.]]

* In ''VideoGame/DeadRising2: Off the Record'', Frank West mistakes Deidre Sanchez for a policewoman when he first sees her. She quickly explains that she's actually a dancer at The Peephole, and that's just her costume.

* Implied in ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' when [[MisterBig Mr. Big]] sees Judy Hopps in clearly a police uniform and asks if she's "[[GettingCrapPastTheRadar some kind of performer]]" hanging around with [[ConMan Nick Wilde]]. Judy [[BullyingADragon rather unwisely]] takes serious offense to a ''mob boss'' refusing to believe she's a real cop.

* Implied in ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' when [[MisterBig Mr. Big]] sees Judy Hopps in clearly a police uniform and asks if she's "some kind of performer" hanging around with [[ConMan Nick Wilde]]. Judy [[BullyingADragon rather unwisely]] takes serious offense to a ''mob boss'' refusing to believe she's a real cop.

* In ''LetsBeCops'' it happens to the guys ''impersonating'' police.

* Jane and Michael have this as a MeetCute on ''Series/JaneTheVirgin''. They met when he was sent to break up her rowdy 21st birthday party while on duty. She mistook him for a stripper and then grabbed his gun (assuming it was fake) and fired it at the ceiling. The dust falling from the hole in the ceiling became a 'SnowMeansLove' symbol for their first kiss.
* In ''Series/SpinCity'', Stuart sends a priest to the girls' bachelorette party whom they mistake for a stripper and rip his shirt open. The women get revenge by sending a real male stripper to the guys, whom they mistake for a cop. At least [[StraightGay Carter]] enjoys it.
* ''{{Series/Frasier}}'': The title character ends up handcuffed to the lovely Officer Nasty (hired for Donnie's bachelor party) while he is demonstrating to her how she can make her dancing sexier. Daphne was convinced she was a cop the whole time.
* ''{{Series/Wings}}'': Helen is handcuffed to the stripping cop hired for her bachelorette party.
* ''{{Series/Friends}}'': Phoebe's stripper is Officer Goodbody, played by Danny [=DeVito=].
* ''{{Series/Reno 911}}''
** One episode in Season One has the female cops hire stripper cops for Clementine's bachelorette party. One of the stripper cops turns out to be Officer Jones.
** A later episode has Deputy Garcia show up for a noise complaint at a bachelorette party, and be mistaken for a stripper. He gives the partygoers a stern lecture about respect for the uniform, and how this is the third time someone from the sheriff's department has been called out to their party. Enter, from the restroom, Lt. Dangle and Deputy Junior dancing in their underwear.
* ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'': A real cop shows up at Dorothy's bachelorette party. Blanche gropes him thinking he's the stripper, then slaps him one more time even after the real stripper (also dressed as a cop) arrives. Then we are told, "the stripper used to be a cop and the cop always wanted to be a dancer. Now they're both wearing each other's hats and it's starting to get weird."
* In the 1988 ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses'' Christmas special "Dates", a stripper dressed as a naval officer is hired for Uncle Albert's birthday party. Much to Del's horror, she turns out to be the woman he's dating, Raquel. Later in the episode, a policewoman tries to question Del about his van, and he assumes that she is a stripper hired by Albert to get back at him, so he impatiently rips her blouse open. He eventually [[OhCrap realizes his mistake]], too late.
* In the ''{{Series/Blackadder}} II'' episode "Beer", Blackadder's puritanical relatives are mistaken for strippers, as is Queen Elizabeth herself.
* In ''Series/TheCommish'', one episode's [[TheTeaser teaser]] featured a gentleman who had ordered a prostitute dressed for a cop, waiting to meet her in a hotel lobby. He encounters a real (female) cop instead. We never get to see the payoff -- roll opening credits and commercial; when the episode "proper" starts, we get a glimpse of him handcuffed to a chair in the booking area as the camera pans by.
* ''Series/TheBill''. A going-away party for an officer being transferred includes the requisite stripper dressed (undressed?) as a WPC. As she leaves the party the stripper sees two real policewomen turning up (in uniform) to see their colleague off, and threatens to complain to her union about the apparent double-booking.
* An episode of ''{{Series/Monk}}'' has the title detective mistake a stripper for an actual cop and force the poor man down to the crime scene.

* Invoked on ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' duging a game of ''Newsflash''. The footage behind Colin is obviously a stripper dressed (at first) as a cop, but after all the hints are dropped Colin's best guess is "naked... ops?"
* Even ''Series/DoctorWho'' got in a (mild) version of this. The adult Amy Pond debuts in a police uniform, which she winds up revealing is a costume for her job as a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kissogram "kissogram."]]
* On ''{{Series/Castle}}'' one victim was, apparently, a police officer. Yeah, you know where it's going.
** Later in the same episode when Ryan and Esposito go to question the stripper's boss he assumes that they are there to audition for a job.
* Happens in ''Series/TheNewAdventuresOfOldChristine''. A muscular young cop named Officer Johnson arrives on Christine's doorstep to warn her of a prowler in the neighbourhood. However, it happens to be Christine's birthday and she thinks Barb has sent her a stripper. Cue one increasingly confused conversation between Christine and Officer Johnson.
* In an episode of ''{{Series/Coach}}'' Christine is at a bachelorette party where a real cop shows up and is mistaken for the male stripper.
* ''Series/TheThinBlueLine'' had two officers investigate a man who had the curtains closed for a few days, causing neighbors to be worried about him. Since he was hiring prostitutes, he thought the police officer was one of them, and was better choice than the nurse.

* ''Series/{{Ellen}}'': In "Go Girlz," during the slumber party, Ellen mistakes a cop for a stripper, who in turn enjoys the mix-up and plays along.
* In an episode of ''Series/GroundedForLife'': Claudia is throwing a bachelorette party for one of her girlfriends while Sean incites a mob of angry Yankees fans for catching a fly ball still in play. A cop shows up who Sean thinks is here to control the mob outside the house, but he is a stripper.

* ''Series/TheGlades'' The whole substation rushes out to a report of an officer found dead. No-one recognizes him and Daniel is trying to run his badge number. Jim reveals the man's actual profession by stripping the pants off him.
* ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' - "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSGEbG8CX0I I know they do policeman strippers,]] I've run into this problem before..."
* On ''Series/TwoBrokeGirls'', the bridal shower Max throws for Sofie is interrupted by a uniformed FBI agent responding to reports of a man in the building holding three captives. Just then Sofie returns from the bathroom...
* In ''Series/LondonsBurning'' Geoff Pearce, a fireman rather than a policeman, is mistaken for a stripper by a group of rowdy women at a hen party, who proceed to start undressing him. Moments later, a policeman appears. Pearce assumes he's a real policeman, but he turns out to be the stripper they hired.
* In ''Series/{{Psych}}'' the girls order a male stripper for Marlowe's bachelorette party who comes in dressed like a cop, and turns out to be an actual cop, Buzz from Santa Barbara PD, who took it as a side job mistaking it for a security job.
* A skit in ''Series/MadTV'' had a cop show up to a birthday party, where he was mistaken for a stripper by the birthday girl. Eventually, he was able to inform her that he was a cop sent to tell her about her son's tragic death in an accident - only to reveal that no, he actually ''is'' the stripper! [[MoodWhiplash Cue him and the other ladies cheering while the woman stands there speechless]].
** Played with in another skit in the same episode. A utility worker later shows up to the same party to warn them about a gas leak. Unfortunately for him, everyone mistakes him for another stripper, and his warnings for innuendo - until the house they're all in explodes.
* Inverted in the ''Series/InsideNo9'' episode "Nana's Party." When elderly Nana begins choking at her birthday party, her daughter Angela screams for someone to call an ambulance - and a paramedic shows up at the door moments later. Everyone's confused, because they hadn't had time to make the call yet, but it turns out he's a stripper who was hired for the party as a prank.
* ''Series/PersonOfInterest''. In "A More Perfect Union", John Reese (in his "Detective Riley" cover) and a stripper hired for the bachelorette party (dressed as a uniformed cop) assume the other shares their profession. After finding out the truth, Reese improvises by pretending to be the stripper's security.
* Discussed in ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' when Amy and Bernadette go to see strippers in Vegas. Penny tells them to find a police officer if they get in trouble, but not one who's taking off his pants.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In one episode where the guys [[LaserGuidedAmnesia lose their memories]], Joe sees the cop uniforms in his house and assumes that means that he's a stripper. Even near the end of the episode, he's still convinced of that.

* Implied in ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'' when [[MisterBig Mr. Big]] sees Judy Hopps in clearly a police uniform and asks if she's "some kind of performer" hanging around with [[ConMan Nick Wilde]]. Judy [[BullyingADragon rather unwisely]] takes serious offense to a ''mob boss'' refusing to believe she's a real cop.

* In ''Series/{{Psych}}'' the girls order a male stripper for Marlowe's bachelorette party who comes in dressed like a cop, and turns out to be an actual cop, Buzz from Santa Barbara PD, who has a side job.

Compare DirtyHarriet where a character poses as a sex worker to solve a case.

* Implied in ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'' when [[MisterBig Mr. Big]] sees Judy Hopps in clearly a police uniform and asks if she's "some kind of performer" hanging around with Nick Wilde. Judy [[BullyingADragon rather unwisely]] takes serious offense to a ''mob boss'' refusing to believe she's a real cop.

* A sketch on ''[[Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook That Mitchell & Webb Sound]]'' involves two play-writes struggling to find inspiration for a new farce, while the typical events of one unfold around them. This includes mistaking a policeman for a stripper (and then vice versa).

* Implied in ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'' when [[MisterBig Mr. Big]] sees Judy Hopps in clearly a police uniform and asks if she's "some kind of performer" hanging around with Nick Wilde.

* In ''TheCommish'', one episode's [[TheTeaser teaser]] featured a gentleman who had ordered a prostitute dressed for a cop, waiting to meet her in a hotel lobby. He encounters a real (female) cop instead. We never get to see the payoff -- roll opening credits and commercial; when the episode "proper" starts, we get a glimpse of him handcuffed to a chair in the booking area as the camera pans by.