History Main / GrandRomanticGesture

Runs heavy on RuleOfRomantic. In RealLife, be warned: this has appeared on [[http://www.doctornerdlove.com/2011/10/four-lies-movies-taught-us-about-dating/all/1/ lists]] in the lines of "stupid things movies taught us would work," particularly if you're not already in a relationship with them. A massive gesture by someone you're not into is liable to be massively awkward. (See also: [[StalkerWithACrush stalking]].)

* In ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim and the Infinite Sadness'', Todd Ingram proclaimed his love for Ramona by [[spoiler: blowing a hole in the moon with his vegan powers]]. This is eventually revealed to be trivial for him [[spoiler: since he later declares his love for Scott's ex, Envy, the same way. This ends up biting him in the ass when someone realizes he's responsible for both holes, and suddenly his GrandRomanticGesture for Envy doesn't seem so grand or romantic]]. Plus, [[spoiler:it caused [[MediumAwareness about thirty pages]] [[SurprinsinglyRealisticOutcome of tidal waves and explosions.]]]]

* ''Film/GoodLuckChuck'' features this after Chuck sleeps with Cam, where he lavishes attention on her in the hopes that [[ItMakesSenseInContext she won't move on after they've had sex]]. However, a SurprinsinglyRealisticOutcome occurs when Cam gets unnerved by the change in his personality and newfound clinginess.

* Viciously {{deconstructed|Trope}} in ''Film/LoveSimon'' when Martin, an [[TheFriendNobodyLikes insufferable loser]] who's convinced that he's [[DoggedNiceGuy the quirky hero]] of [[WrongGenreSavvy some cliched romantic comedy]], hijacks a homecoming game to stage a gaudy performance (in a direct ShoutOut to the afore-mentioned scene from ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'') where he shines a spotlight on his crush Abby, gets the marching band to back him on while singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and asks her out over the loudspeaker. Apparently, he's so convinced that this will work that he even has a ''flock of doves'' prepared to fly over the crowd when she inevitably says yes. [[SurprinsinglyRealisticOutcome Abby doesn't appreciate being put on the spot like this and turns down Martin's proposal as nicely as possible]], and his humiliating failed stunt is subject to cruel remixes on the school's message board. [[spoiler:Even when he outs Simon anonymously to take the heat off of himself, Martin can help but mention that [[ButHeSoundsHandsome that other guy's stunt "was actually kinda sweet, and romantic if you think about it"]]]].

* In ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim and the Infinite Sadness'', Todd Ingram proclaimed his love for Ramona by [[spoiler: blowing a hole in the moon with his vegan powers]]. This is eventually revealed to be trivial for him [[spoiler: since he later declares his love for Scott's ex, Envy, the same way. This ends up biting him in the ass when someone realizes he's responsible for both holes, and suddenly his GrandRomanticGesture for Envy doesn't seem so grand or romantic]]. Plus, [[spoiler:it caused [[MediumAwareness about thirty pages]] [[RealityEnsues of tidal waves and explosions.]]]]

* ''Film/GoodLuckChuck'' features this after Chuck sleeps with Cam, where he lavishes attention on her in the hopes that [[ItMakesSenseInContext she won't move on after they've had sex]]. However, RealityEnsues when Cam gets unnerved by the change in his personality and newfound clinginess.

* Viciously {{deconstructed|Trope}} in ''Film/LoveSimon'' when Martin, an [[TheFriendNobodyLikes insufferable loser]] who's convinced that he's [[DoggedNiceGuy the quirky hero]] of [[WrongGenreSavvy some cliched romantic comedy]], hijacks a homecoming game to stage a gaudy performance (in a direct ShoutOut to the afore-mentioned scene from ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'') where he shines a spotlight on his crush Abby, gets the marching band to back him on while singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and asks her out over the loudspeaker. Apparently, he's so convinced that this will work that he even has a ''flock of doves'' prepared to fly over the crowd when she inevitably says yes. [[RealityEnsues Abby doesn't appreciate being put on the spot like this and turns down Martin's proposal as nicely as possible]], and his humiliating failed stunt is subject to cruel remixes on the school's message board. [[spoiler:Even when he outs Simon anonymously to take the heat off of himself, Martin can help but mention that [[ButHeSoundsHandsome that other guy's stunt "was actually kinda sweet, and romantic if you think about it"]]]].

* ''Literature/RuslandAndLudmila'': Subverted. Finn spends ten years as a pirate and brings Naina a magnificent hoard of treasure, and she coldly says "Hero, I don't love you!"

* An issue of ''Superman Confidential'' had Superman taking Lois for a picnic date on top of the Eiffel Tower.
* In ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'', Jimmy Olsen makes a "short-term, cosmetic alteration" to the moon to get back in his girl's good graces.

* In ''[[Literature/YuckALoveStory Yuck, A Love Story]]'', Austin lassos the CheesyMoon to give to Amy as a birthday present. And before that, he wears a superhero costume and builds a life-size statue of an ''Apatosaurus'' in her yard using Popsicle sticks.

* Invoked in ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou''. When Patrick is trying to romance Kat (for corrupt reasons), he's told, at a certain point, that one of these is the only way to get her attention. So he publicly serenades her over the school's PA system, bribing the marching band to accompany him, and ends up getting sent to detention. Not only does this work, but the results start him on the path to [[BecomingTheMask falling for her for real]].

* Subverted on the comedy ''Series/TheClass''. The show's pilot has Ethan deciding to celebrate his engagement by getting together the third grade class where he and his girlfriend first met. However, it backfires as the girlfriend is tired of Ethan's over-the-top "love gestures," feeling he's being too controlling and breaks up with him in front of everyone.

* In ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'', [[spoiler:Kaguya and Shirogane's relationship takes the biggest step forward when the latter plans an elaborate scheme to distract all the supporting characters that would normally get in the way and engineer a huge romantic gesture during the culture festival by showering the school in hundreds of heart-shaped balloons. There's a big ol' kiss and everything seems great. ''However,'' afterward, while Kaguya appreciates the gesture and finds it very romantic, she makes a point to drive in to him that [[IJustWantToBeNormal she would really prefer something much more low key, normal and honest from here on]]. She's just as excited to have a quiet kiss on a park bench with no one else around on a snowless Christmas Eve.]]

* In ''VideoGame/HypnospaceOutlaw'', one is attempted by [=T1MAGEDDON=], a PlayfulHacker with NoSocialSkills, on New Years Eve: [[spoiler:a "Mindcrash" virus that Tiff, the girl he has a crush on, is theoretically the only one with the ability to stop]]. Unfortunately, it doesn't work; the girl is ''done'' with his attempts to woo her through such over-the-top, questionably-legal gestures. [[FromBadToWorse Worse still]], [[spoiler:it coincides with an actual [[MindVirus mindcrash]] that kills a half-dozen people. [=T1MAGEDDON=] is promptly blamed for the deaths, and tried and imprisoned for manslaughter]].

* In ''VideoGame/HypnospaceOutlaw'', one is attempted by [=T1MAGEDDON=], a PlayfulHacker with NoSocialSkills, on New Years Eve: [[spoiler:a "Mindcrash" virus that Tiff, the girl he has a crush on, is theoretically the only one with the ability to stop]]. Unfortunately, it doesn't work; the girl is ''done'' with his attempts to woo her through such over-the-top, questionably-legal gestures. [[FromBadToWorse Worse still]], [[spoiler:it coincides with an actual [[MindVirus mindcrash]] that kills a half-dozen people. [=T1MAGEDDON=] is promptly blamed for the death, and tried and imprisoned for manslaughter]].

* In ''VideoGame/Hypnospace'', one is attempted by [=T1MAGEDDON=], a PlayfulHacker with NoSocialSkills, on New Years Eve: [[spoiler:a "Mindcrash" virus that Tiff, the girl he has a crush on, is theoretically the only one with the ability to stop]]. Unfortunately, it doesn't work; the girl is ''done'' with his attempts to woo her through such over-the-top, questionably-legal gestures. [[FromBadToWorse Worse still]], [[spoiler:it coincides with an actual [[MindVirus mindcrash]] that kills a half-dozen people. [=T1MAGEDDON=] is promptly blamed for the death, and tried and imprisoned for manslaughter]].

* Franchise/ArchieComics often shows Archie pulling these off for Veronica, who is hard to please. Some examples: Making a giant Valentine card for her, building a heart out of snow and spelling "Archie Loves Veronica" in coal, buying her jewelry he can't afford...

** Season three has Hannibal returning the favor by [[spoiler: [[TakingTheBullet standing in the way of the Red Dragon's gun to shield his beloved, keeping Will from being shot and taking the bullet for him]].]]

* The one at the end of ''Anime/ThePrincessAndThePilot'' stands out due to the economic FridgeHorror involved. If that really was "more gold than he could spend in a lifetime", and he threw it all into the sea just to show her that she mattered more to him, thereby removing it from the nation's economy, ''during a war''... well. It's a movie.

* The one at the end of ''[[Anime/ToAruHikushienoTsuioku The Princess and the Pilot]]'' stands out due to the economic FridgeHorror involved. If that really was "more gold than he could spend in a lifetime", and he threw it all into the sea just to show her that she mattered more to him, thereby removing it from the nation's economy, ''during a war''... well. It's a movie.

--->'''Fry:''' Leela, I've made up my mind. Before we die, I'm gonna find and destroy every remaining copy of ''Tron: Legacy.''

-->'''Leela:''' Well, it wasn't a bad life. [[TakeThat If only I could get back the time I spent watching]] ''Movies/TronLegacy''.
-->'''Fry:''' Leela, I've made up my mind. Before we die, I'm gonna find and destroy every remaining copy of ''Tron: Legacy.''

** In the episode "The Why of Fry", Chaz (the Mayor's Aide) reserves the entire rocketskating rink for private use by him and Leela... by using his connections to get everyone else kicked out. When this ruins the night for the kids from the Cookieville Orphanarium (who had made a legitimate reservation, at great expense), Leela asks him to let the kids use the rink, but he chases them off just to prove how important and connected he is, thinking it'll impress Leela. It doesn't.

-->-- ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast''

* In Disney's ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', Beast gives Belle a library as a sign of affection. She is a major {{bookworm}} and the Beast gave her ALL the books, which meant Belle had permanent ownership of something she truly cherished.

* ''WebComic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'': [[http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2006-10-19 Man asks "Will you marry me"]] by having it written on a blimp. Woman guessed he would ask, so a plane carrying a banner saying "No" flies by next.

* ''TheSimpsons'' ValentinesDayEpisode "I'm With Cupid" had Apu performing a series of these for his wife Manjula, including having himself turned into a giant chocolate statue. Homer incites the men of Springfield to try and sabotage his efforts because they feel like he's making them look bad; they catch Apu at the airport paying a skywriter, but Homer's attempt to stop him caused the message to become just indistinct enough that all the wives and girlfriends interpret it as being directed at them[[note]]Except for Marge, who doesn't think Homer would ever do anything that grand. But then, [[ItMakesSenseInContext the out-of-control flight ends with him landing in his own backyard with a giant pile of roses]] so Marge still feels loved[[/note]]. As for Apu, he got a "consolation prize" -- Music/EltonJohn sang for him and Manjula as thanks for saving his life from the errant skywriter's plane.
** Later, the episode "Let's Go Fly a Coot" lampshades this with Bart catching up to Milhouse's e-cigarette smoking cousin Annika as she was about to board a plane home. She thinks Bart is about to do one of these, calling it "so American." What happens, however [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech is quite different.]]

* Viciously {{deconstructed|Trope}} in ''Film/LoveSimon'' when Martin, an [[TheFriendNobodyLikes insufferable loser]] who's convinced that he's [[DoggedNiceGuy the quirky hero]] of [[WrongGenreSavvy some cliched romantic comedy]], hijacks a homecoming game to stage a gaudy performance (in a direct ShoutOut to the afore-mentioned scene from ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'') where he shines a spotlight on his crush Abby, gets the marching band to back him on while singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and asks her out over the loudspeaker. Apparently, he's so convinced that this will work that he even has a ''flock of doves'' prepared to fly over the crowd when she inevitably says yes. [[RealityEnsues Abby doesn't appreciate being put on the spot like this and turns down Martin's proposal as nicely as possible]], and his humiliating failed stunt is subject to cruel remixes on the school's message board. [[spoiler:Even when he outs Simon anonymously to take the heat off of himself, Martin can help but mention that [[ButHeSoundsHandsome that other guy's stunt "was actually kinda sweet, and romantic if you think about it"]].

* Viciously {{deconstructed|Trope}} in ''Film/LoveSimon'' when Martin, an [[TheFriendNobodyLikes insufferable loser]] who's convinced that he's [[DoggedNiceGuy the quirky hero]] of [[WrongGenreSavvy some cliched romantic comedy]], hijacks a homecoming game to stage a gaudy performance (in a direct ShoutOut to the afore-mentioned scene from ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'') where he shines a spotlight on his crush Abby, gets the marching band to back him on while singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and asks her out over the loudspeaker. Apparently, he's so convinced that this will work that he even has a ''flock of doves'' prepared to fly over the crowd when she inevitably says yes. [[RealityEnsues Abby doesn't appreciate being put on the spot like this and turns down Martin's proposal as nicely as possible]], and his humiliating failed stunt is subject to cruel remixes on the school's message board. [[spoiler:Even when he outs Simon anonymously to take the heat off of himself, Martin can help but mention that [[ButHeSoundsHandsome that other guy's stunt "was actually kinda sweet, and romantic if you think about it"]].[[/spoiler]]

* Viciously {{deconstructed|Trope}} in ''Film/LoveSimon'' when Martin, an [[TheFriendNobodyLikes insufferable loser]] who's convinced that he's [[DoggedNiceGuy the quirky hero]] of [[WrongGenreSavy some cliched romantic comedy]], hijacks a homecoming game to stage a gaudy performance (in a direct ShoutOut to the afore-mentioned scene from ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'') where he shines a spotlight on his crush Abby, gets the marching band to back him on while singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and asks her out over the loudspeaker. Apparently, he's so convinced that this will work that he even has a ''flock of doves'' prepared to fly over the crowd when she inevitably says yes. [[RealityEnsues Abby doesn't appreciate being put on the spot like this and turns down Martin's proposal as nicely as possible]], and his humiliating failed stunt is subject to cruel remixes on the school's message board. [[spoiler:Even when he outs Simon anonymously to take the heat off of himself, Martin can help but mention that [[ButHeSoundsHandsome that other guy's stunt "was actually kinda sweet, and romantic if you think about it"]].[[/spoiler]]

* ''TheSimpsons'' ValentinesDayEpisode "The Sweetest Apu" had Apu performing a series of these for his wife Manjula, including having himself turned into a giant chocolate statue. Homer incites the men of Springfield to try and sabotage his efforts because they feel like he's making them look bad; they catch Apu at the airport paying a skywriter, but Homer's attempt to stop him caused the message to become just indistinct enough that all the wives and girlfriends interpret it as being directed at them[[note]]Except for Marge, who doesn't think Homer would ever do anything that grand. But then, [[ItMakesSenseInContext the out-of-control flight ends with him landing in his own backyard with a giant pile of roses]] so Marge still feels loved[[/note]]. As for Apu, he got a "consolation prize" -- Music/EltonJohn sang for him and Manjula as thanks for saving his life from the errant skywriter's plane.