Basic Trope: Someone accidentally gives a gesture that is obscene or insulting, often when trying to make a neutral or friendly gesture, and usually causes offense.
- Straight: Tom, an alien, arrives on Earth and tries to greet people with his planet's version of saying hello... which unfortunately looks a lot like Flipping the Bird, causing a lot of people to become offended.
- Exaggerated: The planet Tom lives on has releasing a Cluster F-Bomb as a friendly gesture to them.
- Downplayed: Tom's idea of a "friendly greeting" has some unfortunate similarity to Flipping the Bird, but it's done with the ring finger, not the middle finger.
- Justified:
- Can be Truth in Television due to Values Dissonance.
- Tom has no idea that Flipping the Bird is offensive to Earth people.
- Tom received a guide on polite Earth gestures, but it gives incorrect information.
- Inverted: Tom tries to insult someone, but ends up giving them a friendly thumbs up gesture instead.note
- Subverted: Tom appears to be about to give an obscene or insulting gesture, but at the last moment, he stops himself and instead gives a polite and friendly greeting, surprising everyone.
- Double Subverted: After initially subverting the trope by not giving an offensive gesture, Tom later accidentally gives the gesture anyway, playing the trope straight.
- Parodied: Tom's idea of a "friendly gesture" is to perform the filthiest, most audacious version of The Aristocrats joke. He's surprised when people give him weird looks.
- Zig-Zagged: Tom's gestures constantly fluctuate between being accidentally offensive and non-offensive, creating a pattern of alternating between playing the trope straight and subverting it.
- Averted: Tom does not give accidental offensive gestures.
- Enforced: To show how much of a Fish out of Water Tom is.
- Lampshaded: Another character notices Tom's awkward gestures and remarks, "Wow, you really have a talent for unintentional insults, don't you?"
- Invoked: Another character deliberately teaches Tom offensive gestures as a prank, knowing that he will unknowingly use them and cause offense.
- Exploited: Tom realizes that his unintentional offensive gestures can be used to his advantage. He purposely uses them to distract or manipulate others while pretending to be innocent.
- Defied: Tom learns about what is offensive and what isn't before visiting Earth to avoid giving the wrong assumptions.
- Discussed: Tom and a friend have a conversation about cultural differences in gestures, discussing the potential for accidental offense and how to avoid it.
- Conversed: Tom and a friend have a completely unrelated conversation about food, but Tom's gestures inadvertently resemble offensive gestures, causing confusion and amusement.
- Implied: What Tom did is unknown, but a group of people appear offended while Tom is trying to apologize.
- Played for Laughs: Cringe Comedy
- Played for Drama: Tom's accidental offensive gestures lead to a serious conflict with another character, causing emotional distress and strained relationships.
- Deconstructed: The consequences of Tom's accidental obscene gestures are explored in a realistic and negative light. The story delves into the social repercussions, misunderstandings, and conflicts that arise from his actions. It highlights the harm caused by unintentional offense and examines the cultural sensitivity required when interacting with different societies.
- Reconstructed: After deconstructing the trope, the story rebuilds it in a positive manner. Tom learns from his mistakes and takes steps to rectify the situation. He engages in cross-cultural education, seeks understanding, and bridges the gap between his own culture and Earth's. By doing so, he promotes tolerance, empathy, and open communication, ultimately resolving the initial conflicts caused by his accidental gestures.
- Played for Horror: The accidental obscene gestures take on a horrifying and unsettling tone in the story. The offensive nature of the gestures is magnified, and the reactions of the offended individuals become intense and fearful. The situation escalates into a nightmarish scenario, where Tom's gestures lead to dire consequences, causing fear, panic, or even a supernatural curse to befall him and those around him.
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