History Main / ConvenienceStoreGiftShopping

* In ''SoulEater'', Maka's father wants to give her a present for passing her exams with top marks. He's actually savvy enough to realize that she'd prefer a book, but he doesn't know which ones she already has, so asks [[CatGirl Blair]], who's been living with Maka, to use his money to make the purchase. [[MsFanservice Blair]] gets distracted and spends the money on something she wants, naughty underwear. Remembering her actual mission too late to go back to the store, Blair simply uses her magic to shrink the undies to Maka's size. This naturally gives Maka the wrong idea about her father's intentions.

Alice is all ready for the office Christmas party and on the road when Bob calls to make sure she's on the way. "I sure had a hard time picking out a SecretSanta gift for Carol!" he mentions. Alice just then remembers that she drew Zachariah in the Secret Santa exchange, and never got around to buying anything. He just transferred into the department last month, Alice barely knows the guy. And it's 8 PM on December 24th, nothing's going to be open--what luck, there's a Gas-N-Go on the next exit! Now, present, present...store's nearly been picked clean! And Alice leaves the shop with a box of Twinkies (tm) and a gift ribbon....

*** Which is much better than the alternative offered by the Kwik-e Mart: [[Squick Jerky made from trout.]]

* One ''TheSimpsons'' Christmas special had Homer at a Secret Santa exchange at work where, after receiving a DVD player from Carl and being asked by Lenny where ''his'' present was, he says to Lenny "Your present is right in the other room." He then goes offscreen to the other room and is clearly heard saying "C'mon, machine, take my dollar! ... Fine, we'll play it ''your way!''" He then tackles the machine (still offscreen) and returns with a tube of Mentos. Lenny is understandably disgusted. (After watching ''Mr. [=McGrew=]'s Christmas Carol'' on late-night TV later, he experiences an Ebenezer Scrooge-style turnaround and gives Lenny a photo cube with pictures of both of them plus Carl.)

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* Swedish musician and comedian Povel Ramel mentions in his memoirs how he once did this kind of shopping on Christmas Eve in the only store he found that was still open - a ''pet store''. Among other things, his then-girlfriend got a monkey for Christmas...

-->''Relations, sparing no expense'll''
-->''Send some useless old utensil,''
-->''Or a matching pen and pencil.''
-->''[[SarcasmMode "Just the thing I need! how nice!"]]''
-->-- '''TomLehrer''', ''A Christmas Carol''

* Swedish musician and comedian Povel Ramel mentions in his memoirs how he once did this kind of shopping on Christmas Eve in the only store he found that was still open - a ''pet store''. Among other things, his GirlfriendOfTheWeek got a monkey for Christmas...

* DaveBarry writes that one time he saw his wife buy one of those ridiculously small decorative boxes (you know, the ones that could maybe hold a walnut, if you're lucky) without even knowing when or for whom it would be used as a present. Apparently the Curse can even strike when you aren't actually shopping for a specific reason.

-->''[[SarcasmMode '"Just the thing I need! how nice!"]]''

-->[[SarcasmMode ''"Just the thing I need! how nice!"'']]

-->''"Just the thing I need! how nice!"''

-->-- '''Tom Lehrer''', ''A Christmas Carol''

* On one of the ''{{Monk}}'' Christmas specials, Monk's father is ordered to drive around the country giving "presents" fitting this tropes (such as dreidels and other misc objects) to children. [[spoiler:The boss wanted to overwrite the memory of the truck's GPS by maxing out the miles it could store so it would overwrite him killing someone.]]

* Subverted in ''{{Future War 198X}}''. After the President of the USA makes quite [[ANuclearError the messy nuclear error]], he sends a box of cigars with a note asking for renewed friendship to Russia's leader for Christmas the next da. While they were expensive cigars, Orloff scoffs and is insulted at the "thoughtless gift", assuming that they are cheap and can be bought conveniently. He brands the president [[AmericansAreCowboys a stupid American cowboy]] [[HypocriticalHumor while smoking it anyways.]]

* Subverted in ''{{Future War 198X}}''. After the President of the USA makes quite [[ANuclearError the messy nuclear error]], he sends a box of cigars with a not asking for renewed friendship to Russia's leader for Christmas the next da. While they were expensive cigars, Orloff scoffs and is insulted at the "thoughtless gift", assuming that they are cheap and can be bought conveniently. He brands the president [[AmericansAreCowboys a stupid American cowboy]] [[HypocriticalHumor while smoking it anyways.]]

* Subverted in ''{{Future War 198X}}''. After the President of the USA makes quite [[ANuclearError the messy nuclear error]], he sends a box of cigars with a not asking for renewed friendship to Russia's leader for Christmas the next da. While they were expensive cigars, Orloff scoffs and is insulted at the "thoughtless gift", assuming that they are cheap and can be bought conveniently. He brands the president [[AllAmericansAreCowboys a stupid American cowboy]] [[HypocriticalHumor while smoking it anyways.]]

* Subverted in ''{{Future War 198X}}''. After the President of the USA makes quite [[ANuclearError the messy nuclear error]], he sends a box of cigars with a not asking for renewed friendship to Russia's leader for Christmas the next da. While they were expensive cigars, Orloff scoffs and is insulted at the "thoughtless gift", assuming that they are cheap and can be bought conveniently. He brands the president [[AllCowboysAreAmericans a stupid American cowboy]] [[HypocriticalHumor while smoking it anyways.]]

* ''One Crazy Summer'' has the sister being given a plastic doll as a present. This apparently isn't recieved well, for she promptly feeds it to her dog.

* One [[ChristmasEpisode holiday episode]] of ''thirtysomething'' had Michael, who is Jewish, acting really grumpy throughout the holiday season, mostly over differences with his gentile wife over how to celebrate their baby's first Christmas/Chanukah/whatever. At the end, when [[spoiler:he finally caves and asks Gary to help him bring home a Christmas tree]], he thanks Gary for his help and offers him a Santa Claus Pez dispenser as a Christmas present. Gary is touched but bemused; Michael then confesses that he stole the Pez dispenser off his business partner's desk at the last minute.
* The Scooby Gang on BuffyTheVampireSlayer managed to avert the "thoughtless and/or impersonal" part of this trope despite the exigency of circumstances, when rushing to the airport to see Giles off:

* PVPOnline 's Christmas Special involves Francis getting a last minute Secret Santa gift at the gas station across the street.

* ''{{Seinfeld}}'': One hundred eighty-two dollars exactly. Elaine says: "What are you, my uncle?"