History Main / CrossCulturalKerfluffle

** These issues were the reason why ''VideoGame/FarCry2'' managed to get around such controversy by putting in a greater number of white Caucasian mooks for the player character to kill instead of black mooks (though there are no shortages of hostile black people you can encounter in the game and one of the playable characters you get to choose at the start of the game is black) despite the game actually taking place in a fictional nondescript location in Africa; the game developers justifying that these mooks are foreign mercenaries for hire.

* Happens InUniverse in ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'', and is an InvokedTrope to boot. If an empire sends a diplomatic envoy to another empire to improve their diplomatic relations, said diplomatic envoy may have their TranslatorMicrobes hacked so that instead of uttering the magnanimous platitudes expected of a diplomatic envoy, they slung [[FantasticSlurs xeno-slurs]] to the rulers. The insulted empire can either take it with good humor (resulting in improved diplomatic relations for a short while as well as a temporary happiness increase as the people laugh at the unintentional comedy fodder), or demand an apology (for an Influence gain and temporarily harmed relations.)

** In the Japanese version of ''Videogame/SuperMarioRPG'', Bowser's victory pose is a BicepPolishingGesture. However, western audiences weren't familiar with the gesture, and to them, it looked like slap-the-crook-of-your-elbow, which has roughly the same meaning as FlippingTheBird. His victory pose was changed to a double fist clench in international releases of the game.
** In ''VideoGame/MarioKart8 Deluxe'', [[Franchise/{{Splatoon}} the female Inkling]] would make a BicepPolishingGesture whenever she hit someone with an item. This was patched out in the game's first patch: now the Inkling simply fist-pumps.

* In the Japanese version of ''Videogame/SuperMarioRPG'', Bowser's victory pose is a BicepPolishingGesture. However, western audiences weren't familiar with the gesture, and to them, it looked like slap-the-crook-of-your-elbow, which has roughly the same meaning as FlippingTheBird. His victory pose was changed to a double fist clench in international releases of the game.
** A near identical kerfuffle happened again within [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros the same franchise]] just over twenty years later: In ''VideoGame/MarioKart8 Deluxe'', [[Franchise/{{Splatoon}} the female Inkling]] would make this same gesture whenever she hit someone with an item. This was patched out in the game's first patch: now the Inkling simply fist-pumps.

[[folder:Light Novels]]
* ''LightNovel/WorldEndWhatDoYouDoAtTheEndOfTheWorldAreYouBusyWillYouSaveUs'' didn't sell well in Russia and other Slavic-speaking countries, since its Japanese title in its suffix, ''Sukasuka'', means "bitch"[[note]]implying "[[PrisonRape prison bitch]]" or "[[TheStoolPigeon informer]]", in Russian underworld slang, to make it even worse[[/note]] in their native tongue. When considering the existence of [[TheMafiya a certain criminal organization]] that has a major foothold in these countries, this naturally got the author and publishers of the novel in trouble. Also, in some Italian dialects ''Sukasuka'' sounds like "suck it, suck it".
[[/folder]]

* A shop display featuring a clarification that outfits depicted are not meant to resemble members of the Ku Klux Klan can be found here. [[http://i.imgur.com/xOaNxR7.jpg Thanks for the clarification.]][[note]]It's because the Klan stole the design originally.[[/note]]

** And the second member of the Schutz Heiliggruppe is ''Blitzkrieger'' (''Lightning Warrior''): A member of a group which is [[NaziHunter dedicated to exterminating Nazism]], is named after... [[CriticalResearchFailure an infamous war tactic, invented by the Nazis.]] (The translation published in Germany just went with ''Generator'', due to his [[ElementalPowers electricity-related powers]]).

* ''LightNovel/HeavyObject'' has a minor character named Putana Highball. Presumably she's named after a Hindu demonness, but unfortunately in Spanish putana means prostitute.

** Similarly to Jynx from ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', Mr. Popo is often pointed at as a racist character, being a tubby [[Main/{{Blackface}} Blackface]]-looking character in Arabic clothing who acts as a caretaker and, more pertinently, servant to the Guardian of Earth, leading to black slavery connotations. Outside of the home releases of the show, he is often digitally coloured blue with his big pink lips removed, the latter of which the [=ViZ=] translation of the manga also follows.

* There's always some well-meaning GrammarNazi wiki editors [[SeparatedByACommonLanguage going back and forth on regional spellings of words]] here on the site, for instance, Americans correcting "colour" to "color" and Brits switching it right back. Eventually, they realize that on an international site like this either spelling is fine. It gets worse over on Wiki/TheOtherWiki, which attempts to have guidelines regarding when and where to use Commonwealth versus American spelling, guidelines that have angered more than a few people and led to at least one "rival" wiki.[[note]] In a nutshell, Wikipedia - despite being hosted in the US - has a marked preference for Commonwealth spelling. All Commonwealth-related articles must use that convention, which makes sense. All scientific articles must also use Commonwealth spelling... even if the research in question was carried out by Americans. The only articles where American spelling is allowed to be used exclusively are ones that directly relate to the United States and its people.[[/note]]

* Similarly, "rubber" has different meanings [[SeparatedByACommonLanguage depending on which English-speaking country you're referring to]]. In the US, it means a pencil eraser and is where the material they're made of gets its name internationally. In the UK, it's slang for a condom, so asking for a rubber will make people think you're about to get lucky.

* Similarly, "rubber" has different meanings [[SeparatedByACommonLanguage depending on which English-speaking country you're referring to]]. In the UK, it means a pencil eraser and is where the material they're made of gets its name internationally. In the US, it's slang for a condom, so asking for a rubber will make people think you're about to get lucky.

* The Nintendo Game ''VideoGame/FestersQuest'' was released more than two decades after ''Series/TheAddamsFamily'' was off the air. It was also about three years before the big movie revival. American kids may not have recognized him or the name Uncle Fester, especially since the ''Addams' Family'' connection was mentioned nowhere on the box and at the time reruns of the show were rare. In the U.K, while they may have been marginally familiar with ''The Addams Family''. However "Uncle Fester" (or just "Fester" for short) is also widely known in the UK as rhyming cockney slang for "child molester". Without the proper context, put the word "Fester" together with "Quest", along with the character's leering expression on [[https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/563413-festers-quest/images/145496 the cover]] and see what happens.

* In ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'', many a Japanese Let's Player, reactor, or commentator will laugh at how Sayori's room has an [[https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EHTXtBd5KYE/maxresdefault.jpg air conditioner type]] that's much smaller than what [[https://i0.wp.com/gogonihon.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Air-conditioner.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&ssl=1 it's supposed to be]], due to the background artist not properly [[SciFiWritersHave/NoSenseOfMass scaling the appliance]] in accordance to the room. In contrast, "local" players of the game won't even notice it.

** A near identical kerfuffle happened again within [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros the same franchise]] just over twenty years later: In ''VideoGame/MarioKart8 Deluxe'', [[VideoGame/{{Splatoon}} the female Inkling]] would make this same gesture whenever she hit someone with an item. This was patched out in the game's first patch: now the Inkling simply fist-pumps.

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': In Gimmelshtump's neighborhood country Stumblegimp. Turning to the side before someone is considered insulting.

See also: BiteTheWaxTadpole (for advertising examples), CultureClash, FeeFiFauxPas, AccidentalProposal, AccidentalMarriage, FumblingTheGauntlet, HarsherInHindsight, ValuesDissonance, DeliberateValuesDissonance, VSign, and DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch. A CleanDubName might be related to this.

* In the first ''{{Literature/Dune}}'' novel, after meeting Duke Atreides the Fremen representative spits on the floor, and before the Atreides' guards can go for their weapons because of the insult someone familiar with the Fremen culture steps in to explain this is actually a sign of deep respect -- Arrakis is a desert planet and water is so scarce (to the point that dead bodies have their water recycled) that "offering up one's water" is an almost sacred act. Both sides laugh it off and continue introductions.
** Inverted later. . . Paul kills a Fremen warrior in an honor duel and is so shook up at the man's funeral he cries. The Fremen are awed that "he gives water to the dead," helping to cement Paul's place in their messianic prophecy.

One of the most famous examples could be the swastika--in Buddhist countries, it's a benevolent symbol of the sun. In the West... [[ThoseWackyNazis not so much]]. See UsefulNotes/NonNaziSwastika for more on that.

One of the most famous examples could be the [[NoSwastikas swastika]] - in Buddhist countries, it's a benevolent symbol of the sun. In the West... [[ThoseWackyNazis not so much]]. See UsefulNotes/NonNaziSwastika for more on that.

A Cross-Cultural Kerfluffle is sort of meeting between HarsherInHindsight and ValuesDissonance. It's different from ValuesDissonance in that it isn't a case of different cultural values which makes for the potential wince, but rather when an accidental reference to something negative and well known in one country or culture is made unknowingly in another.

See also: BiteTheWaxTadpole (for advertising examples), CultureClash, FeeFiFauxPas, AccidentalProposal, AccidentalMarriage, FumblingTheGauntlet, FunnyAneurysmMoment, ValuesDissonance, DeliberateValuesDissonance, VSign, and DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch. A CleanDubName might be related to this.