Promoted to Scapegoat: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

A character has just been promoted to a position within his workplace that he is very clearly unqualified for, as part of some scheme by the [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|higher ups]] or because no one else is stupid enough to take the job. They may even get promoted on their [[New Job Episode|very first day]] of a new job without having any experience. This may be because the job has a [[High Turnover Rate]], or because it's extremely dangerous, or the character could be being used for something more malicious. The person who receives the promotion will usually never suspect that there is anything fishy going on, despite their lack of credentials.

 

Also contrast [[The Uriah Gambit]], which is putting someone on the front lines during combat in the hopes that they will end up dead, [[Reassigned to Antarctica]], when a person receives a job as a punishment, and [[You Are in Command Now]], when a person in a military position is forced to take control because everyone else is unavailable. This trope is a common tactic in [[Springtime for Hitler]] scenarios.

 

== [[Film]] ==

* In ''[[The Hudsucker Proxy]]'', the protagonist gets promoted to president of a company on his first day working there after the president commits suicide, as part of a stock scheme set up by a member of the board of directors. Unfortunately for him, [[Springtime for Hitler|it backfires]], as he ends up being really successful.

* The plot of ''[[The Flintstones]]'' [[The Movie|live action movie]] is Fred Flinstone being promoted to an executive position, chosen solely for his high level of stupidity. It turns out that he is being used by a [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]] to embezzle money out of the company and leaving Fred to take all the blame.

* This is how ''[[Blazing Saddles]]'' gets started. They're looking for a new Sheriff for a town, and the protagonist, who is a black man about to be executed, gets appointed sheriff, chosen in an effort to ruin the town. Hedly Lamarr was trying to buy up all the land the railroad was going to use.

 

* Admiral Doenitz from the ''[[That Mitchell and Webb Look]]'' sketch ''The New Fuhrer'' is thrilled to have been promoted as Fuhrer, oblivious to the massive bombing of Berlin going off in the background. It lasts until his second in command gives him the items he needs to take his first decision: a tactical review of the dismal position of their armies (summed up 'in one rude word'), Eisenhower's phone number and a written translation of 'We surrender' in English, thus making it clear that he won't get a chance to implement his ideas about pensions or the housing shortage. He ''does'' get a "Heil Doenitz" for his troubles, though.

*** The real Doenitz was, of course, [[Don't Explain the Joke|a lot less oblivious to the brutal bombing of Berlin.]]

 

== [[Tabletop RPG]] ==

* In the setting of ''[[Exalted]]'', the incompetent Regent of the continent-spanning [[The Empire|Scarlet Empire]] was appointed because nobody knew what had happened to their vanished ruler, the [[Physical God|Scarlet Empress]], and nobody else was stupid enough to risk being found in charge if she ever turned up.

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

* At the end of the ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'' arc "Dangerous Days", Heretti research scientist Chen gets promoted just as the corporation comes under federal investigation

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* In the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode, "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington", Peter is made the president of the El Dorado Cigarette Company just to distract him from his complaints about the company. Also, as an idiot, he's equipped to deal with politicians.

* In ''[[Squidbillies]]'', Early was promoted to CEO to fill a minority quota and to act as a scapegoat for the company's many misdeeds.

* ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "C.E.D'oh" is a good example but also a subversion. Homer learns that the nuclear power plant's legal owner is a canary with a name extremely similar to Mr. Burns, so he takes the fall if things go wrong. Homer then releases the canary and convinces Mr. Burns to make him the new patsy...at which point [[Batman Gambit|Homer fires Burns and takes full control]]. [[Graceful Loser|Burns takes it surprisingly well]].

* An episode of ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' sees Doofenshmirtz put in charge of Danville for the day by his brother in order to take the blame for a supervillain presently on the loose.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Narrative Devices]]

[[Category:Blame Tropes]]