History Main / IncrediblyConspicuousDrag

* ''Theatre/MButterfly'''s plot is that a male Chinese spy/opera singer fools a French diplomat into believing that he's a woman and carries on a relationship with him for twenty years before the truth comes out. Unfortunately, as Roger Ebert commented in his review of the film adaptation, John Lone in the film is no [[Film/TheCryingGame Jaye Davidson]].

* In both ''Film/{{Paddington}}'' films, Mr. Robert is forced at one point to dress up like a woman to get past security. Despite him obviously being a man in a dress and makeup, a security guard [[AttractiveBentGender falls for his disguise]] both times and refers to him an "incredibly sexy woman" even when he's actively ''shedding his disguise'' while running away.

* {{Averted|Trope}} in ''Film/SomeLikeItHot''. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis actually walked around the studio lot in drag in order to make sure they could realistically pass for female. The scene were they try using mirrors in the public ladies' room in order to fix their makeup is based on something they actually did while on the lot.

:: And when his disguise is quickly blown by the bad guys, Lug does ''not'' [[UnsettlingGenderReveal take]] it [[MegatonPunch well]]...

* Big Macintosh, a big, bulky, deep-voiced stallion, disguises himself as a SouthernBelle named "Orchard Blossom" in the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Brotherhooves Social". It's such a shoddy disguise that it only fools exactly one old stallion who ends up getting a crush on him. Rainbow Dash recognies him instantly, and while she doesn't verbally out him to anyone else that can hear, she turns up the snark and tells him not to expect her to take it easy on him in the competition because he's a stallion. Also notable in that it wasn't even necessary for him to dress up to begin with. It's explained by the judges that the competition has a "loose" definition of what qualifies as a sister (basically, a familial-like bond is all that's required), and they would've allowed him to compete as himself if he just asked. Rainbow Dash is allowed to compete as Scootaloo's sister even though they aren't even related.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': With Applejack unavailable for the Sisterhooves Social, a competition between pairs of sisters, Big Mac steps in to help. Absolutely no one is fooled.
-->'''Applebloom:''' This is my... cousin, Orchard Bloom.\\
''[beat]''\\
'''Scootaloo:''' That's Big Mac in a dress.\\
'''Rainbow Dash (competing as Scootaloo's honorary sister):''' "[[PaperThinDisguise Orchard Blossom]]", huh? Well, I'm not going to take it easy on you just because you're a stallion.

'''Scootaloo:''' That's Big Mac in a dress.
'''Rainbow Dash:''' "[[PaperThinDisguise Orchard Blossom]]", huh? Well, I'm not going to take it easy on you just because you're a stallion.

* Big Macintosh, a big, bulky, deep-voiced stallion, disguises himself as a SouthernBelle named "Orchard Blossom" in the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Brotherhooves Social". It's such a shoddy disguise that it only fools exactly one old stallion who ends up getting a crush on him.

** Averted and played with in ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}'' by Nobby Nobbs, disguised as a harem girl for reasons [[ItMakesSenseInContext which aren’t worth attempting to explain]]. The local women seem entirely fooled, though.

* A sidequest in ''VideoGame/RedReadRedemption2'' has the player working for an animal wrangler named Margaret-a mustachioed man who dresses as a woman because he thinks a female animal wrangler will attract a bigger audience.

-->-- '''Creator/RogerEbert''' on Matt [=LeBlanc=] in ''Film/AllTheQueensMen''

* All the crossdressers from ''Manga/OnePiece'' are incredibly ugly and clearly don't shave, though they still behave much like women. The only exception so far is the secondary character Izou: The only thing that gives away his sex is his lack of cleavage.

* In two instances in ''Manga/OnePiece'', Igaram disguised himself as Vivi to serve as a decoy. Problem is; he's a 48-year-old man with broad shoulders, while Vivi is a slim teenage girl. The second attempt didn't fool anyone, but it did leave the Alabasta citizens distracted long enough to allow Vivi to properly say goodbye to the Straw Hats.

:: And when his disguise is quickly blown by the bad guys, Lug does ''not'' [[UnsettlingGenderReveal take]] [[{{Understatement}} it]] [[MegatonPunch well]]...

* The Franchise/NationalLampoon had a comic-book style ad for magazine subscriptions with two clearly middle-aged men (one had a moustache, the other stubble and a cigar) dressed like housewives at a supermarket. They addressed each other with female names, the employees regarded them as women, then the last panel had the police turn up and haul them off. None of this was explained in the least.

* A Series/FullHouse episode titled "Fraternity Reunion" centers around Danny and Joey dressing as women in order to sneak their way into a sorority house reunion in order to take back a stuffed fraternity seal that was stolen from them in college. In typical Joey fashion he gets to into character and loses his wig in a limbo contest. Danny makes a mad dash for the seal and is subsequently revealed to the women as also being a man. They're both taken down by the women and are arrested by one of them who turns out to be a cop through some sort of TvTrope/HollywoodLaw no doubt.

* TheBirdcage features Albert (Nathan Lane) dressing up in drag to convince a conservative family that he and his gay partner, Armand (Robin Williams), are in fact a normal straight couple to cover for their son, who is getting engaged to the conservative family's daughter. Not only is his drag conspicuous, but Albert and Armand's house is full of tells that they are, in fact, a gay couple. At the end of the movie, the entire conservative family has to dress in drag in order to escape the titular gay nightclub owned by Albert and Armand without being noticed by the press.

* ''Series/BosomBuddies'' ran on this trope.

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in ''Manga/FamilyCompo'' where Masahiko asks his {{transgender}} [[NePhewism aunt and uncle/adopted parents]] to come to his school entry dressed as their biological sex. [[http://www.anymanga.com/family-compo/001/004/010/ The result]] is both of them appearing visibly uncomfortable in IncrediblyConspicuousDrag, when in fact RecursiveCrossdressing is what's really going on.