History Main / GiftGivingGaffe

* ''Series/TheCrown'': Diana and Charles's marriage goes further south on their anniversary, when Charles gives Diana a book listening her full genealogy, which she obviously couldn't care less about, and Diana gives Charles a videotaped performance of her performing "All I Ask of You," which he considers the cringiest thing he's ever seen.

* In ''VideoGame/StreetFighter6'''s World Tour mode, one of the ways the Avatar can increase their bond levels with their masters is through giving them gifts. All of them have unique dialogues for when you give them a specific Ultra-rare gift item and more often than not, the gift you're giving them in particular is something that either scares them ([[VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage Red Elevator 8]] for Luke), or is disgusting to eat (Canned Herring for Chun-Li). Despite said gifts in particular being repugnant to their recipients, this ironically increases their bond level even faster than when giving them other gifts, aside from one-time unique gifts that can only be obtained in completing the side missions from other masters.

* In ''VideoGame/StreetFighter6'''s World Tour mode, one of the ways the Avatar can increase their bond levels with their masters is through giving them gifts. All of them have unique dialogues for when you give them a specific Ultra-rare gift item and more often than not, the gift you're giving them in particular is something that either scares them ([[VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage Red Elevator 8]] for Luke), or is disgusting to eat (Canned Herring for Chun-Li). Despite said gifts in particular being repugnant to their recipients, this ironically increases their bond level even faster than when giving them other gifts, aside from one-time unique gifts that can only be obtained in completing the side missions from other masters.

* In games that include gift-giving as a way to influence RelationshipValues, poorly-chosen ones may have a negative effect as a reflection of this trope.
** In ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'', there are some gifts that your friends don't like, deducting points from their heart meters, but you can avoid giving them the wrong gifts the next time around because they're recorded in their profiles.
** In ''VideoGame/KittyPowersMatchmaker'', your client can give their date a gift, but giving them something that isn't suited to their Type will earn you a strike, and candidates of higher affluence hate cheap gifts.
** In ''VideoGame/RootsOfPacha'', each villager has gifts that they love, like, are neutral to, dislike, and hate. Figuring out their most favorite gifts takes a bit of guesswork since you can only give up to two gifts to someone per week. Thankfully, some villagers give you hints towards other villagers' favorite and least favorite gifts, while all their reactions towards the gifts you've given them are recorded in their profiles.
** ''VideoGame/StardewValley'' has an extensive gift-giving mechanic and will have you committing Gift-Giving Gaffes aplenty the first time you play. Townsfolk often randomly dislike some item that you might've thought was a good gift, like a fruit or a cooked meal. On the flip side there's nothing nobody likes ("one man's trash is another man's treasure"); even commonplace forage items like Leeks and Joja Cola can be given to someone.

SisterTrope to UnwantedGiftPlot, wherein the giver is sincerely and with care aforethought trying to get a nice gift they believe the recipient will love, but they're unfortunately very mistaken; and with MyNewGiftIsLame which is also a sincere gift given that the recipient does not love.

** Konata gives Kagami and Tsukasa gifts related to cosplay with the intention of forcing them into it, with Kagami receiving Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya's RedArmbandOfLeadership and Tsukasa receiving [[VisualNovel/ToHeart Akari Kamigishi's uniform]], much to her embarrassment and the anger of Kagami. This is averted with Miyuki, who gives the twins a pair of matching earrings, a much more thoughtful gift that both of them enjoy.
** This runs in the Izumi family, as Soujiro gave Kanata a Gundam model on her birthday, much to her embarassment.

* ''Series/Hawkeye2021'': One of the Tracksuit Mafia goons confides to Kate Bishop (who's currently being held prisoner) that he and his girlfriend have fallen out because he got her tickets to see Music/ImagineDragons, a band that he likes and she doesn't. Kate tells him to apologize for giving his girlfriend a present that was obviously meant for him and not her. In the series finale, the goon tells Kate that he took her advice and made up with his girlfriend by getting her tickets for Music/Maroon5 instead.

* In ''VideoGame/RootsOfPacha'', each villager has gifts that they love, like, are neutral to, dislike, and hate. Figuring out their most favorite gifts takes a bit of guesswork since you can only give up to two gifts to someone per week. Thankfully, some villagers give you hints towards other villagers' favorite and least favorite gifts, while all their reactions towards the gifts you've given them are recorded in their profiles.

** Konata gives Kagami and Tsukasa gifts related to cosplay with the intention of forcing them into it, with Kagami receiving the bracelet of Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya and Tsukasa receiving [[VisualNovel/ToHeart Akari's uniform]] much to her embarrassment and the anger of Kagami. This is averted with Miyuki, who gives the twins a pair of matching earrings, a much more thoughtful gift that both of them enjoy.

* Gina and Boyle try to invoke this on ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', after their parents start dating. They peek at the gift Boyle's dad is giving her mom, an ''[[YouAreFat electric scale]]''. Averted in that Gina's mom [[spoiler: actually loves it.]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros.'' episode, "The Diving Bell Vs The Butter-Glider" super villain King Gorilla is paroled on medical grounds. He has lung cancer, uses an oxygen tank and is gaunt. At his welcome back party, The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch give him a carton of smokes. Needless to say, [[CaptainObvious it doesn't go over well]] with everyone looking at the couple angrily. The Monarch can only offer a weak "I didn't know."

* Canadian [=McDonald's=] commercials for the [=McDouble=] featured people being delighted by the delicious [=McDonald's=] meal that their friend or significant other had so graciously given to them, while the giver basks in their praise. The recipient then notices a conveniently-placed ad advertising the [=McDouble=] as the latest value menu item, only $1.39 or whatever, at which point they suddenly become angry at the giver. So... the message here is that [[UnfortunateImplications the only thing that matters when giving a gift is how much money you paid for it]], and if it's below a certain amount, you're an asshole?

* The titular character of ''ComicStrip/{{Luann}}'' is a singularly awful gift-giver. One year she gave her best friend Bernice a giant empty cardboard box which she called a "Big Box of 'Sorry'", as in she was apologizing for acting self-centered over the past year. To reiterate: she gave an apology as a Christmas present. She also gave her friend Delta a sweater... which was actually ''Delta's'' sweater, which Luann had borrowed long ago and never returned. Luann considered returning a borrowed sweater to be her gift to Delta. She's also "regifted" items already given previously: she once asked her father what she had given him last year (a book) and then upon hearing the answer, found it on the shelf and wrapped it up to give to him again(knowing he hadn't read it before and wouldn't read it this time either.) She also once left for a shopping trip to get her family members their gifts, warning them not to expect much because of how hard they were to shop for. Upon returning with bags full of items and seeing their excited faces, she let them know that she hadn't actually bought them any gifts; these were just things she got for ''herself.''

* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Ever since Matsuri [[GenderBender was turned into a girl]], Reo's made a habit of giving him [[ThirdLawOfGenderBending feminine]], often revealing clothing [[GenderBenderAngst he's not remotely comfortable wearing]]. She even "updates" Matsuri's ninja suit as a birthday present, only for him to later discover she turned it into a ChainmailBikini.

* ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit'': In ''WesternAnimation/TheWrongTrousers'', Wallace also gives Gromit the Techno Trousers as a present, but it's obviously for the purpose of saving him the burden of taking his dog out for walks.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Household appliances and kitchenware can often be this if given by a man to his wife/girlfriend, due to the StayInTheKitchen subtext. This naturally does not apply if the receiver explicitly asked for a new appliance, or is a professional cook. This generally occurs from seeing appliances as the feminine version of tools, and forgetting that ironing and such isn't as fun as building things with said tools.
[[/folder]]

** In ''Film/IronMan2'', he buys her strawberries has an apology present, forgetting that she's deathly allergic to them.