History Main / CultureBlind

Of course, people like this do exist in RealLife, although probably not to the extreme degree that they do in fiction; some people, for whatever reason, just don't get out much, listen to the radio, or watch the news. In addition, people with [[UsefulNotes/HighFunctioningAutism [=Autism=]]] or UsefulNotes/AspergersSyndrome may not understand acceptable forms of behaviour due to the very nature of their conditions.

*** His stiff nature is itself lampshaded and explained in a later episode of Deep Space Nine, when he explains that as a youth living among humans, he accidentally killed another boy with a head-butt during a soccer match. It was accepted as an accident by everyone involved, but he realized how [[WorldOfCardboardSpeech frail humans were compared to him and decided that to live among them, he had to always stay in control of himself.]]

* Ash Ketchum from ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' knows surprisingly little about Pokémon, considering that the entire world is obsessed with them, and he's more obsessed with them than anybody else. Notably, Iris calls him out on this quite a bit during his stay in Unova.

** At least Naruto himself is a dumbass, but one wonders exactly what they've been studying for years prior to the beginning of the show since ''every single thing'' needs to be explained. Naruto didn't just skip classes, he put his ninja skills to use in order to ''escape'' in the middle of lessons. He also grew up as a social outcast. His lack of knowledge is his case is partially justified.

* In ''Disney/MulanII'', Mulan is shocked when she hears that three princesses have been betrothed in an arranged marriage. This shouldn't surprise her, as it is most likely one of the most normal things in the world where and when she lives, and her own marriage to Shang for love is probably a huge exception. Especially considering that [[Disney/{{Mulan}} the first film]] begins with Mulan flubbing her meeting with the Matchmaker in an attempt to get an arranged marriage ''herself''. That's why [[FanonDiscontinuity fans don't really talk about the sequel.]]

** This is especially strange since she is an anthropologist, meaning she studies cultures, both past and present. And yet she's completely ignorant of her own culture. When they go to New Jersey, she treats the local crows like a backward tribe of some sort, claiming to have watched something on TV about this culture (i.e. ''Series/JerseyShore'') and tries to put some of the "rituals" she saw to use. Booth is both confused and embarrassed.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. At least Naruto himself is a dumbass, but one wonders exactly what they've been studying for years prior to the beginning of the show since ''every single thing'' needs to be explained.
** Naruto didn't just skip classes, he put his ninja skills to use in order to ''escape'' in the middle of lessons. He also grew up as a social outcast. His lack of knowledge is actually partially justified.
*** The ''other'' characters, though, have no excuse for their apparent lack of knowledge about the abilities of the other clans from their own village, which is most evident during the Chuunin Exam arc.

* Exists in ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'', as the anime is about American football, something relatively unknown in Japan. One big example is a news reporter who came to the Devil Bats vs. White Knights game solely to cover athlete/model Haruto Sakuraba, and kept asking questions about how things worked. And on more than occasion an outsider has mistaken the game for rugby. Additionally, NASA Aliens receiver Jeremy Watt is an OccidentalOtaku whose actual knowledge of Japanese language and culture is extremely limited, and often hilariously flawed.
** The fact that it's set in Japan justifies a lot of the explanations given in the story. The commentators, for example, are mostly there to explain basic rules to the audience (in-story), who often mistake the game for rugby. Had the story taken place in America or been aimed at Americans, having to explain something as basic as "what is a touchdown" would seem downright insulting.
** Jeremy Watt, however, is just a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}.

* ''FanFic/FantasyOfUtterRidiculousness:'' Alice realizes this about Coop when he, not only as a visitor to her home but also to Gensokyo as a whole, gave her something to drink instead of the other way around.

-->'''Flynn''': They're new to life and they're still learning the system. Given time, they'll integrate. I'm sure of it.”
-->'''Tron:''': You are sure?
-->'''Flynn:''' Dude, how awkward was I when I first got zapped in here?
-->'''Tron:''' Let's see? First words out of your mouth were blasphemy, you completely ignored the rules of the light-cycle matches, you had no idea what to do with an energy spring, and you made a pass at Yori.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'', Omega Zell wants to become the next top player of the game, and part of his plan is to join his faction's top guild. However, he has several times shown to completely ignore the requirments to join beyond being level 100, such as actually learning high-level play strategies, having the best gear he can manage and being maxed out at the game's reputation system. There has been an occasion or two upon which his rival in all but name Gaea has shown to know more about these requirements than he does.
* Although alot of the characters in ''WebVideo/DeagleNation'' are slightly oblivious of other cultures, Eli is so culture blind that he barely seems to understand his own culture.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''Disney/MulanII'', Mulan is shocked when she hears that three princesses have been betrothed in an arranged marriage. This shouldn't surprise her, as it is most likely one of the most normal things in the world where and when she lives, and her own marriage to Shang for love is probably a huge exception.
** Especially considering that [[Disney/{{Mulan}} the first film]] begins with Mulan flubbing her meeting with the Matchmaker in an attempt to get an arranged marriage ''herself''. That's why [[FanonDiscontinuity fans don't really talk about the sequel.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

** Especially considering that the first film begins with Mulan flubbing her meeting with the Matchmaker in an attempt to get an arranged marriage ''herself''. That's why [[FanonDisContinuity fans don't really talk about the sequel.]]

d[[folder:Literature]]

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]
* Mr. Miyagi of ''Film/TheKarateKid'' movies is an example of this trope to an extent. In the first movie, having him use broken English was acceptable because we didn't get to learn very much about him beyond being the wise old Asian man who helps the main character learn self-confidence as well as self-defense. After learning in the second movie that he emigrated to the USA at the age of 18, 45 years earlier, his broken English makes quite a bit less sense. On the flipside, there is a layer of TruthInTelevision there, as it is a well-established phenomenon that some people just have zero linguistic aptitudes, and will keep their broken speech-patterns even if they can understand a second language just fine.

[[folder:Literature]]
* A rather fatal example comes from the series ''Literature/TheTamuli'' by Creator/DavidEddings. The church of Elenia continuously sends missionaries to the Rendors in order to try to convert them to their beliefs. Mind you, the Rendors aren't bad people, but they take their religion ''very'' seriously, and while they usually don't go around slaughtering nonbelievers, they are very easily angered, especially when it comes to religion. And unfortunately, the missionaries that the Elenes send tend to be the screaming zealot type, and go around ripping the veils off of women, and screaming that they're all heretics and damned to burn in hell. The end result is a small riot, and a lynched missionary, for very obvious reasons.
** One knight, who had been assigned to be the bodyguard of a missionary that ended up this way, was asked why he didn't stop the crowd from lynching his charge. His reply is that he was supposed to protect the man from ''unprovoked'' attacks, and when a man runs through the streets of a foreign city, ripping the veils off of women, and screaming out that they're all heretics, he's not only provoked them, but is obviously [[TooDumbToLive too stupid]] to risk himself and his men trying to save him.
[[/folder]]

** This is especially strange since she is an anthropologist, meaning she studies cultures, both past and present. And yet she's completely ignorant of her own culture. When they go to New Jersey, she treats the local crows like a backward tribe of some sort, claiming to have watched something on TV about this culture (i.e. ''JerseyShore'') and tries to put some of the "rituals" she saw to use. Booth is both confused and embarrassed.

*** Alternatively, his attitude is fairly standard for a [[MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong stereotypical]] [[RussianGuySuffersMost Russian]], and his adoptive parents are indeed Russian.

** Justified, Nen is a closely guarded secret, learning it exists and how to use it is [[spoiler:part of the hunter trial secret test]]. Killua is also justified in not knowing about it because this is a world in which CharlesAtlasSuperPowers are a real thing for a person's physical strength as well as their Nen.

* Every ''single'' Christian propaganda film will act as if everyone in '''America''' has never heard of Christianity or God except the lone protagonist who will convert everyone at the end (willing or not). As well as treat Christianity as if it was a minority in America and being unjustly persecuted. In real life Christianity makes up around 80% of the population.

Like PingPongNaivete, except instead of back-and-forth, it's stalled completely except when the character's in front of a camera. The alternative to AsYouKnow; since it's bizarrely "As You Don't Know." See also GenreBlind, which is similar to Culture Blind except that it extends to a character's entire reality.

* Although alot of the characters in ''WebOriginal/DeagleNation'' are slightly oblivious of other cultures, Eli is so culture blind that he barely seems to understand his own culture.

[[folder:Comics]]
* Averted in ''AlleyOop.'' The titular caveman has been time traveling between his prehistoric world and the present day for years, and by now he is completely fluent in modern culture. This gets lampshaded whenever one of his caveman friends ends up time traveling ''with'' him and sees the modern world for the first time.

* Every ''single'' Christian propaganda film will act as if everyone in '''America''' has never heard of Christianity or God except the lone protagonist who will convert everyone at the end (willing or not). As well as treat Christianity as if it was a minority in America. In real life Christianity makes up around 80% of the population.

* In ''Disney/{{Mulan}} II'', Mulan is shocked when she hears that three princesses have been betrothed in an arranged marriage. This shouldn't surprise her, as it is most likely one of the most normal things in the world where and when she lives, and her own marriage to Shang for love is probably a huge exception.

* Ash Ketchum from ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' knows surprisingly little about Pokémon, considering that the entire world is obsessed with them, and he's more obsessed with them than anybody else. Justified when he's in a new region -- notably, Iris calls him out on this quite a bit during his stay in Unova.

* Ash Ketchum from ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' knows surprisingly little about Pokémon, considering that the entire world is obsessed with them, and he's more obsessed with them than anybody else.

* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Probably a case of {{Flanderization}}'' as he got stupider as the series went on, but Joey, who is a professional, seems to display a shocking ignorance of how anything actually works in the entertainment industry.