Present Company Excluded: Difference between revisions

 

This is often used in passing as a throw-away gag, although occasionally more conflict might stem from it; the character it was unintentionally aimed at might still be insulted (especially if the prejudice was a long running thing), or if the sub-text seems to suggest that the speaker really ''did'' mean to offend. Often, though, the character won't seem to mind.

 

{{examples}}

* Used in [http://community.livejournal.com/avatar_fans/2431073.html this] ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' parody/recap of "The Western Air Temple."

{{quote|'''Toph''': I'm serious, though! I mean consider his background! He was raised by upper-class, prejudiced crazies and he still turned out pretty well, considering!

* In the ''[[Freeman's Mind|Shephard's Mind]]'' finale, he's being attacked by a shock roach, and when he guns it down, he yells "Not today you jumping thunder****! No offense [[Fluffy the Terrible|Sparky."]] (Referring to his own shock roach).

 

* In ''[[Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs]]'', the mayor refers to the population of the town as "sardine-sucking knucklescrapers."

{{quote|'''Brent:''' But not me, right?

'''Monsters''' (collectively): Awwww.

'''SpongeBob:''' But not you guys! You guys were awesome! }}

* ''[[The Mummy Trilogy|The Mummy 1999]]'', when Jonathan is complaining about the Americans in Hamunaptra, while Rick O'Connell is digging.

{{quote|'''Jonathan:''' And when those damn yanks go to sleep, no offense,

'''Rick:''' None taken. }}

* In ''[[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country]]'', one of the Klingons describes [[The Federation]] as a "homo sapiens only club", and another glances at [[Token Non-Human|Spock]] and adds, "Present company excepted."

{{quote|'''McCoy''' (discussing a new crew member): There's something wrong about a man who never smiles, whose conversation never varies from the routine of the job, and who won't talk about his background.

'''Spock:''' I see.

'''McCoy''': ...I mean that it's odd for a non-Vulcan. }}

 

* Averted in [[Lois McMaster Bujold]]'s ''[[Vorkosigan Saga|Barrayar]]'', during Cordelia's first meeting with the Dowager Princess Kareen:

{{quote|"There have to be bright women around here somewhere, with all these bright men. Where are they hiding?" Cordelia shut her mouth, as it suddenly occurred to her that Kareen might mistakenly construe this remark as a slur on herself. Adding ''present company excepted'' would put her foot in it for sure, though.}}

* Used in [[The Movie]] of ''[[Master and Commander]]'', after Jack calls for his ship to spill the wind from his sheets, and act lubberly and panicky, like a whaler might (in order to capture the ship they are chasing). With the captain of a whaler who'd been captured by, had the ship he'd been out for two years on burnt to the waterline, and left on a small boat in the middle of nowhere to die by said enemy ship standing right beside him.

* ''The Three Voices'' by [[Lewis Carroll]]:

''That is, the Present Company." }}

 

* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'':

{{quote|'''Xander:''' I have the worst taste in girls.

'''K.I.T.T.:''' Ahum.

'''Michael Knight:''' Oh, present company excluded, of course. }}

 

* ''[[Forgotten Realms|The Legend of Drizzt]]'' has a few instances of this when [[My Species Doth Protest Too Much|Drizzt]] and his allies face off against other members of [[Exclusively Evil|Drizzt's species]]. Drizzt generally isn't offended when people add the qualifier in haste, though he does care when people [[Fantastic Racism|deliberately avoid giving a qualifier]].

 

* Parodied in ''[[8-Bit Theater]]'':

{{quote|'''Thief:''' "I hate wizards."

* ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]'' had a few of these moments, mostly thanks to [[Loads and Loads of Races|sheer amount of strangely looking sophonts]]. Includes [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2013-07-31 creatures with too many appendages] and [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2016-02-03 bears].

 

* On the ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' episode "Frankendoodle", Patrick is going on about how ugly DoodleBob (a crude drawing of SpongeBob come to life) is:

{{quote|'''Patrick:''' He's hideous! He makes me sick just looking at him. Those big, bulgy eyes, that square body, those two buck teeth, and that stupid tie!

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Stock Phrases]]