History Main / StealthInsult

** Double whammy-not only is there the "Fuck you", but when you translate that out of politician-speak, he's saying "your bill is worthless, get back to me when you're either less of a jackass, or you're a jackass with his priorities straight".
*** The actual letter would hardly count as 'stealth', however, given that its recipients probably all speak fluent Politician.

* In ''TheSimpsons'' episode "The War of the Simpsons," Homer has a talk with Bart, who saw him making a drunken fool of himself the previous night.

* ''KingOfTheHill'' has a pretty good one when Cotton admits to Hank that Hank is a better father than he was. Could be considered a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming if it weren't such an incredible backhanded compliment.

* In ''DespicableMe'', Gru asks Miss Hattie whether she speaks Spanish. When she says no, he tells her that her face is "Como es burro." She is flattered... until she later buys a Spanish/English dictionary.
** Especially insulting, since he used the ''masculine'' form.

* ''SpongeBobSquarePants'': [[TedBaxter Squidward]] in "Band Geeks":

-->'''Tony''': [[LampshadeHanging And she wrote a story as well]].

* In ''ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', Kim gets to do quite a few of these, notably flipping off her contract manager by using her middle finger to scratch under her eye.
* Kirk gave a more in your face insult to Tugg in ''TropicThunder''.

* In Disney's ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', the Sultan insults ''himself'' in a very subtle way. He is wondering why Jasmine can't choose a suitor to marry, then adds 'Her mother wasn't nearly so picky.' It may take the audience a little while to notice the self-deprecation.

* HarryPotter, in the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince sixth book]], drops a quick one on his [[{{Seers}} Divination teacher]], the notorious NotSoPhonyPsychic Sybill Trelawney:

* A [[TheJester Jester]] once compared King John of England to Jesus. He said that Jesus had the same wisdom he had as a child as he did as a grown man. King John had the same wisdom as a grown up as he did as a child.

See also OverlyNarrowSuperlative and MyFriendsAndZoidberg, which are often specific forms of this. WithDueRespect is also sometimes used as this.

* In Disney's ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', Belle tells Gaston that he's "positively primeval", but says it in a light enough voice that he thinks she's complimenting him. It doesn't help that he's dumb enough to not know what "primeval" means. Later, when she's trying to diplomatically kick him out of her house, she says "I just don't deserve you!" Bonus in the musical adaptation, where he responds to the line with "Who does?"

* Brilliantly played by Rat in ''PearlsBeforeSwine'':

* In a February, 2011 interview on AlJazeera, a spokesman for the Libyan government was [[BlatantLies telling the reporters what was really happening in Libya]] so poorly that off-screen crew members could be heard laughing at the absurdity of his claims. The two reporters conducting the interview kept their composure despite the hilariously incompetent attempts to deny, spin, fold and mutilate the truth, and at the end of the interview one, with an absolutely deadpan expression, thanked the spokesman and said that he was a perfect representative of the Libyan government.

--> '''[[DeadpanSnarker Oz]]:''' That's great, Larry. You've really mastered the [[UnEntendre single entendre]].

--> '''[[DeadpanSnarker Oz]]:''' That's great, Larry. You've really mastered the single entendre.

* Major Burns in ''{{Mash}}'' is a frequent target, except for those times when people insult him to his face. Two examples:

* Major Burns in ''Series/{{Mash}}'' is a frequent target, except for those times when people insult him to his face. Two examples:

* In ''Series/{{MASH}}'' Major Winchester calls three Korean doctors [[Film/TheThreeStooges Moe, Curly, Larry]], assuring them that those are [[BlatantLies great philosophers from the west]].

-->'''Curly''': ''But the folks that really knowed him knowed that beneath them two dirty shirts he always wore there beat a heart as big as all outdoors''

[[caption-width-right:350: [[Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger Arnold's]] letter to the State Assembly. Don't get it? Read the letter vertically.]]

*** Pepper once again proves she is the master of this.

* ''Film/Ironman1'': Tony's SexySecretary Pepper Potts delivers a not-very-subtle one to Tony's one-night-stand.

* ''Film/{{Ironman}}'': Tony's SexySecretary Pepper Potts delivers a not-very-subtle one to Tony's one-night-stand.

* In ''VForVendetta'', the gangster, Ally is hired by the new police chief, Creedy.

* In [[Series/{{MASH}} M*A*S*H]] Major Winchester calls three Korean doctors [[ThreeStooges Moe, Curly, Larry]], assuring them that those are [[BlatantLies great philosophers from the west]].

* [[VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou Konishi]] manages it with Beat, but [[IdiotHero that's not too hard]]. Of course, Neku's right there to clarify things.

* ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters'': At one point, Masato claims that Riki has gotten sick because he isn't muscular enough. Kengo tells [[DumbMuscle Masato]] that he'll never have to worry about getting a cold, in reference to the Japanese saying that stupid people can't catch colds. Masato smiles and thanks him. A few lines later [[LateToThePunchline he does figure it out]], though.