History Main / StereotypeFlip

* Whitley Gilbert, the AlphaBitch on ''Series/ADifferentWorld'' was a brash SouthernBelle at a (functionally) all-black college. She was played by a trained dancer and stage actress Jasmine Guy, whose acerbic characterization and well-paced slapstick soon made Whitley the BreakoutCharacter. HarsherInHindsight / HilariousInHindsight FairForItsDay, because during TheEighties, it was ''seen as a step forward for a Black Woman to play a ComedicSociopath convincingly.''

** The Master, the Doctor's EvilCounterpart, also defies the Time Lord stereotype. Especially in his/her incarnations as Saxon and Missy, where the usual insanity is mixed with a sense of humour.

* ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' derived much humor from the FishOutOfWater nature of a stereotypical black teen clashing with his flipped relatives in Bel Air. This is the most obvious with the BlackAndNerdy Carlton, who is taunted by Will for not being "black enough", and Hilary, who is pretty much a black DumbBlonde.

** Jason: An AsianAirhead who is also a party animal. He is not only BookDumb but has no real knowledge of martial arts. [[spoiler: Subverted in that it turns out he's actually of Hispanic heritage, but that doesn't preclude him from being Asian as well, as Creator/MannyJacinto is Filipino himself]].

* ''Series/MadTV1995'': The "Average Asian" sketches are about an Asian guy who is expected to have stereotypical Asian abilities (knows karate, origami, good at math, plays a musical instrument, etc.) by people around him but doesn't (except for ping pong, summoning {{ninja}}s, and laundry).

* Lisa Turtle from ''Series/SavedByTheBell'' was written as a stereotypical "Jewish Princess" and cast as Black (gentile?) before the show went on the air. She was still materialistic and high maintenance, but managed to avoid many of the UnfortunateImplications of the SassyBlackWoman because of her class (somewhere between a RichBitch and a pampered sweet kid) and CloudCuckoolander tendencies. Her character was the only female lead to survive the ReTool.

* ''Theatre/MButterfly'' has its title and plot clearly based on ''Theatre/MadameButterfly'''s, but turns out to be a {{deconstruction}} of the "[[MightyWhiteyAndMellowYellow demure and submissive Asian woman]] [[DrivenToSuicide who lives only for her]] MightyWhitey man" stereotype [[TropeCodifier codified]] by ''Madame Butterfly'' when it's revealed that [[spoiler:the seemingly demure and submissive Song is actually a male spy who manipulated the white diplomat Gallimard as ruthlessly as Pinkerton did with Butterfly in ''Madame Butterfly'', and it's ''Gallimard'' who kills himself in the end out of love for a man, even cross-dressing as a Japanese woman and committing suicide in the same manner Butterfly did]].

* Trevor Philips from ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' was specifically written as the type of unstable psychopath who'd go on shooting sprees for the fun of it. He's also [[CanadaEh Canadian]], and god help you if you do anything that ''might'' remind him of this. Seriously, this guy makes ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} look the picture of mental stability.

** Dale Gribble is a RightWingMilitiaFanatic and general ConspiracyTheorist, but against stereotype isn't racist/prejudiced in the slightest and is actually a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold pretty nice guy]].

* Hooty from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', despite being an owl (and the titular house), is easily the dimmest of the main cast. [[TruthInTelevision This is actually realistic since most owls are actually on the low end of bird intelligence]].

* Franchise/ScoobyDoo is deliberately meant as a flip on the stereotypical Great Dane, a dog breed normally known for its elegance, bravery, strength, and high status, normally serving as a hunting dog or guard dog. Scooby, on the other hand, is [[TheKlutz klutzy]], [[LovableCoward cowardly]], awkward, and seen as a mutt, with his usual role being to run away from the monster. His character designer reportedly asked a Great Dane breeder what the "ideal" traits of a Great Dane were, and went in the opposite direction for all of them: the traits given included straight legs, a straight back, a small chin, and small feet, while Scooby has bowed legs, a hump back, a big chin, and big feet.

** Jason: A rare male version of the AsianAirhead who is also a party animal. He is not only BookDumb but has no real knowledge of martial arts. [[spoiler: Subverted in that it turns out he's actually of Hispanic heritage, but that doesn't preclude him from being Asian as well, as Creator/MannyJacinto is Filipino himself]].
* ''Series/HannahMontana'''s {{Alpha Bitch}}es Amber and Ashley are played by a black girl and an Asian girl. Amber is the hottest girl in school and a RichBitch, a role usually restricted to blondes, and Ashley is a bitchy AsianAirhead as opposed to "model minority" AsianAndNerdy. So, less of an [[UnfortunateImplications Unfortunate Implication]] as much as a case of not restricting the ethnic kids to TokenBlackFriend and TokenMinority.

** Josh Chan is also a rare male example of an AsianAirhead, a nice, perpetually chill jock who can be a bit of a manchild. In one scene where Josh counts a number off on his fingers, the actor even confirmed with the director that he wasn't doing it too fast.

A Stereotype Flip occurs when an individual does something that runs in direct contradiction to some established stereotype based on that character's gender, [[RaceTropes race]], religious belief, [[NationalStereotypes nationality]], or country (or [[FantasticRacism planet]]) of origin.

* In the manga ''Manga/Cyborg009'', the character of 008, the only character on the team from Africa, is drawn in an incredibly [[UnfortunateImplications unfortunate]] art style that is more than a little similar to {{blackface}}. This is at odds with his actual personality, which is an intelligent and stoic man who is passionate about preserving his culture and protecting his land and people from harm. In the stories that take place in Africa, the people are drawn in the same stereotypical way, but the reader is told that they're a people with a rich culture that ought to be preserved instead of converted or stamped out. Inversely, the non-African imperialists and poachers are shown as greedy and uncaring about anyone they hurt in the process of getting what they want.

* ''[[FanFic.ChristianWestonChandlerInSurvivorKujiraJima Christian Weston Chandler in Survivor: Kujira-Jima]]'' has a mild-mannered white-collar Caucasian who talks in corporate buzzwords, an African-American former gangster... and Ken Faraday-Connors, a [[BerserkButton (usually)]] reserved and well-spoken black IT guy who bears more similarity to the former than the latter.

* ''Series/{{MADtv}}'': The "Average Asian" sketches are about an Asian guy who is expected to have stereotypical Asian abilities (knows karate, origami, good at math, plays a musical instrument, etc.) by people around him but doesn't (except for ping pong, summoning {{ninja}}s, and laundry).

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''WebComic/ElGoonishShive'': Tiffany Pompoms is a blonde rich girl in high school. She's also a smart, nerdy, introverted DeadpanSnarker who [[MiddleNameBasis goes by her middle name Susan]] and dyes her hair dark blue. Justified, since she tries hard to avoid DumbBlonde stereotypes due to a [[SingleIssuePsychology traumatic event in her childhood]]. She's actually [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2017-10-25 horrified to find out]] she has an IdenticalStranger who fits a lot of the stereotypes she hates.

** [[PoliticalOvercorrectness PC Principal]] is the jab at political correctness from the show. However, he and his friends are depicted as [[{{Fratbro}} athletic, hard-drinking party dudes]] rather than [[GranolaGirl Granola Girls]].

* On ''WesternAnimation/HeroElementary'', Sara Snap is the smallest of the 4 main kids, but she's also tough and one of her superpowers is super strength. Benny, who's the biggest of the four kids, is very gentle, loves animals, and has bubble powers. They're also [[Main/NiceGuy genuinely nice people]], unlike other heroes with these strengths who are [[Main/JerkWithAHeartOfGold a bit jerkish yet well-meaning.]] Sara is Asian and Benny is white, so they also invert MightyWhiteyAndMellowYellow.

** [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad PC Principal]] is the jab at political correctness from the show. However, he and his friends are depicted as [[{{Fratbro}} athletic, hard-drinking party dudes]] rather than [[GranolaGirl Granola Girls]].

*** It should also be noted that of the two academics on the team, it's Samantha Carter who is the expert on the hard sciences, the career military officer, and TheLancer. Daniel Jackson is a civilian whose specialties are in the much fuzzier subjects of archaeology, linguistics, and anthropology; he is TheHeart of the team and even TheChick.

* Alphonse Nakagawa, from ''Literature/TheCaliforniaVoodooGame'', is the grandson of a Japanese fisherman who emigrated to Galveston to take up shrimping in the Gulf. Al himself plays up a "dumb Texas shitkicker" routine to make other Loremasters underestimate him, and even when he's not exaggerating his Southern culture he'll use very un-Asian phrases like "that dog won't hunt" in his internal monologue.

* On ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', [[MeaningfulName Token Black]] (yes, that's his name) is the richest kid in town, and his parents seem to be more educated than just about anybody else. The entire episode "Here Comes the Neighborhood" plays on this idea: as more rich and successful black people move to town, the poor white characters begin to get angry, but over class rather than race -- until the very end, where Mr. Garrison basically outs himself as a racist. Token does actually fulfill some pretty funny stereotypes himself though: He has an astounding soul voice (then-Mrs. Garrison claimed that it got her wet), and this little gem...

* A common trait of Otome Villainess stories. The protagonists, girls who are in the position of the cruel female antagonists of an Otome game world, are in actuality kind, resourceful, devoted, and didn't do anything to earn hatred, much like the "heroine" would. The designated "heroine", however, features in many stories as selfish, lustful, vindictive of the protagonist and sees all of the love interests as objects to be won rather than people, like the villainess would do in any normal version of their "story".

** Arueshalae is a [[HornyDevils succubus]] trying to redeem herself, and beyond not being evil is completely covered up and chaste, partially because she associates sexual acts with the terrible things she once did (and because her [[KissOfDeath kiss still kills people]]).

* In fighting videogames, Italians are ''mostly'' depicted as [[LatinLover sexy and suave]], with examples including [[SharpDressedMan Robert Garcia]] from ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'', [[StatuesqueStunner Rose]] from ''StreetFighter'', [[ActionFashionista Claudio Serafino]] from ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'', and [[LatinLover Brad Burns]] from ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter''. ''Soul Calibur's'' resident Italian, Voldo (a native of Palermo), is a brilliantly freaky, hideous looking bondage-fiend and provides a rather excellent exception to the rule.

* ''Film/EightMile'' plays up the human equivalent of SeldomSeenSpecies, as it documents the lifestyle of an American socioeconomic group that, like Native Americans, has not been commonly seen in the popular media for decades: poor, urban whites (who are living in UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}}, the stereotypically blackest city in America, no less!). Many stories take it for granted that characters like Jimmy "Rabbit", Stephanie, and Lily haven't existed since the 1940s -- and even when they do, they tend to assume that those people are "white ethnics", instead of the British-descended Protestants the Smith family clearly are.

** The Time Lords are a [[PlanetOfHats Planet of Dull, Stuffy]] ([[NiceHat and incredibly ridiculous]]) [[PlanetOfHats Hats]]. The Doctor is an [[GuileHero adventurous]], [[AllLovingHero friendly]] {{Cloudcuckoolander}} who ran away from home for this selfsame reason.

** Aasimar tend towards good alignments due to being influenced by the upper planes. Daeran Arendae is a NeutralEvil aasimar with a LackOfEmpathy who is quite happy to let others die or suffer for his own amusement.

[[quoteright:320:[[Wrestling/JimmyWangYang https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jimmy_wang_yang.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:320:"I ain't no foreigner... ain't nothing yeller 'bout me, but there is one color about me. It's a little red... that's right, I'm a redneck."]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Wrestling/JimmyWangYang https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/display_image_7567.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"I ain't no foreigner... ain't nothing yeller 'bout me, but there is one color about me. It's a little red... that's right, I'm a redneck."]]

A Stereotype Flip occurs when an individual does something that runs in direct contradiction to some established stereotype based on that character’s gender, [[RaceTropes race]], religious belief, [[NationalStereotypes nationality]], or country (or [[FantasticRacism planet]]) of origin.

** Hori is Kashima's senpai who frequently [[WouldHitAGirl beats her up]] for skipping Drama Club and excessively flirting. Not only is this an inversion of the typical “[[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale girl comically beats up guy]] [[PervertRevengeMode for being a pervert/idiot]]”, but if Hori were a girl, he would probably be the "Prince's beleaguered friend" in a Shoujo romance who is always trying to make sure the Prince actually does more than be a playboy.

* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' has Soldier: 76, a vigilante who happens to be gay. One stereotype found in homosexual males is that they are good dancers. Soldier: 76 dances like well.......[[https://youtu.be/wdhoocf9118 see for yourself]]

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': In-Universe example. [[BigBad Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine]], a genocidal tyrant and one of the evilest people in the history of the galaxy, is a native of the peace-loving planet Naboo. The majority of its people are none too pleased about this.

* In beat 'em up videogames, Italians are ''mostly'' depicted as [[LatinLover sexy and suave]], with examples including [[SharpDressedMan Robert Garcia]] from ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'', [[StatuesqueStunner Rose]] from ''StreetFighter'', [[ActionFashionista Claudio Serafino]] from ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'', and [[LatinLover Brad Burns]] from ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter''. ''Soul Calibur's'' resident Italian, Voldo (a native of Palermo), is a brilliantly freaky, hideous looking bondage-fiend and provides a rather excellent exception to the rule.

* ''Characters/TheGreatNerfWar'':Despite being German, Baineswolf is not at all percise or punctual, instead he '' "prefers to be fashionably late" ''

* One hilarious scene in ''Film/{{Airplane}}'' shows [[Series/LeaveItToBeaver June Cleaver]] acting as an interpreter for two black youths who speak only Jive. She, of course, despite being a little old lady is fluent in [[JiveTurkey the language]].

** ComicBook/CaptainMarVell is a good-hearted protector from a race of conquerors.

* ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'': London Tipton, an AsianAirhead, yes, but usually the spoiled socialites are blonder. This is meant to contrast with the blonde Maddie who is the smart and intelligent one, flipping the dumb blonde stereotype.

* In ''Film/{{FortyTwo}}'', there's a scene where Jackie Robinson and his wife are approached by a scowling and rough-looking white man on the street, in the midst of an awful lot of racist persecution against them. The man proceeds to tell Jackie how upset he is at the way the Robinsons have been treated and to express his hope that Jackie will get the chance to prove his worth on the baseball field.

** A few other convicts seem to support his decision.

** Karrin Murphy is a pretty, five-foot-nothing blonde with a cute button nose who Harry has described as looking like a cheerleader or someone's favorite aunt. And she's a badass cop with a black belt in aikido who's stood up to everything from a NighInvulnerable hell-werewolf to the king of all incubi and once attacked a 15-foot-tall ogre with a chainsaw. Averted in the TV series, where Murphy is Hispanic and looks like she means business. Still pretty, though.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Minoriteam}}'' has the title characters as ethnic superheroes who fulfill their respective stereotypes to a T. In their civilian identities, however, they're all flipped: The Mexican gardener is a wealthy CEO, the misogynistic black man is a Woman's Studies professor, the Jewish accountant is obsessed with black culture, and the Indian shopkeeper is a skateboarder.

* Hooty from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', despite being an owl (and the titular house), is easily the dimmest of the main cast. [[TruthInTelevision This is actually realistic since owls are actually on the low end of bird intelligence]].

* Franchise/ScoobyDoo is deliberately meant as a flip on the stereotypical Great Dane, a dog breed normally known for its elegance, bravery, strength, and high status, normally serving as a hunting dog or guard dog. Scooby, on the other hand, is klutzy, cowardly, awkward, and seen as a mutt, with his usual role being to run away from the monster. His character designer reportedly asked a Great Dane breeder what the "ideal" traits of a Great Dane were, and went in the opposite direction for all of them: the traits given included straight legs, a straight back, a small chin, and small feet, while Scooby has bowed legs, a hump back, a big chin, and big feet.

* More broadly, the history of Asian Americans can be seen as an example of this trope in action. The [[AsianAndNerdy "model minority"]] stereotype only emerged after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII; before then, they were seen as just another horde of dirty, job-stealing, non-English-speaking, white-woman-raping immigrants gathered in the big cities on the West Coast just like the "white ethnic" immigrants and Black people in the East, and often subjected to similar racism. The rise of the Asian model minority stereotype in the mid-20th century has a number of complex causes behind it, including the desire of immigrants to seek out UsefulNotes/TheAmericanDream, a sharp focus on education in Asian communities, a tight-knit culture that allowed them to support each other, their small numbers meaning that they weren't seen as a demographic threat, and efforts by white conservatives to hold their success up as a response to Black UsefulNotes/{{civil rights|Movement}} activists arguing that racism was keeping them back.