History Main / ObviousObjectCouldBeAnything

* Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s ''[[ChristmasSpecial Ho Ho Holiday Special]]'' has a fake game show called ''Guess the Gift'', where you guess an item that's hidden behind gift-wrapping and you get to keep the present if you answered correctly. One contestant (played by Benjamin Flores Jr. of ''Series/GameShakers'') guesses two wrapped items that look like a guitar and a bike, but they turn out to be a bunch of rolled-up socks. [[RuleOfThree The third time around]], he sees what looks like a car and [[GenreSavvy guesses rolled-up socks]]. [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope]] Nope! It ''was'' a car!]]

* Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s ''[[ChristmasSpecial Ho Ho Holiday Special]]'' has a fake game show called ''Guess the Gift'', where you guess an item that's hidden behind gift-wrapping and you get to keep the present if you answered correctly. One contestant (played by Benjamin Flores Jr. of '"Series/GameShakers'') guesses two wrapped items that look like a guitar and a bike, but they turn out to be a bunch of rolled-up socks. [[RuleOfThree The third time around]], he sees what looks like a car and [[GenreSavvy guesses rolled-up socks]]. [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope]] Nope! It ''was'' a car!]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': A contest to pick an image for the cape of the new phone book had a TV ad showing a "Mysterious" prize that was wrapped in a way anyone could notice it was a bicycle. As if it wasn't obvious enough, a kid at the commercial showed up and started riding it (with the bicycle still wrapped).

* In the ChristmasEpisode of ''Series/HappyDays'' Ritchie's [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome brother Chuck]] (who is going to college on a basketball scholarship) gets [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2j1Ror7ahQ#t=3m24s a round object covered in paper]].

** I suspect in this case, he was told to do this so no one would see the ''kind'' of broomstick he had received. Receiving a new broom through the mail probably isn't too unusual... getting a top-of-the-line broom is another story.

* In the ChristmasEpisode of ''HappyDays'' Ritchie's BrotherChuck (who is going to college on a basketball scholarship) gets [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2j1Ror7ahQ#t=3m24s a round object covered in paper]].

* Tom does the sarcastic version in an episode of ''BlueHeelers'' when he is looking over his granddaughter's Christmas presents, one of which is a toy giraffe that is so tightly wrapped that even the individual horns are distinguishable.

* In a ''{{Garfield}}'' strip, Odie is shown shaking a wrapped bone, then wondering what it could be.

* A SesameStreet skit has Kermit offer Cookie Monster a cookie if he can guess what's in the box. Cookie Monster shotguns off a long list of guesses, none of which could fit in the box.

* In one strip of ''QuestionableContent'', Marten gets a large envelope from his mother. Faye [[AllGirlsLikePonies hopes it might be a pony]], and when it's pointed out that the envelope is far too small, she argues that it might be "A collapsible pony". (Turns out it's an embarrassing T-shirt.)
* SluggyFreelance has one xmas strip where Riff and Torg got each other their usual present, a beer. They open them and chug them, Torg remarks on how predictable they are, and Riff mentions that he actually got Torg habanero hot sauce.

* In ''AVeryPotterMusical'', Hermione gives Harry and Ron a wrapped gift that is quite obviously a book, but they think it might be a puppy.

* ''TheSimpsons'': A contest to pick an image for the cape of the new phone book had a TV ad showing a "Mysterious" prize that was wrapped in a way anyone could notice it was a bicycle. As if it wasn't obvious enough, a kid at the commercial showed up and started riding it (with the bicycle still wrapped).
* ''TheFairlyOddParents'': In "Merry Wishmas", Timmy wanted a sled for Christmas. As he unwrapped a package that seemed the sled under the trope, he found a snow shovel.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', Harry is instructed not to open his broomstick shaped package in the Great Hall as the teachers don't want the other kids to notice and get jealous.
** In the movie, there is no note as the suggestion looks even more ridiculous when you can actually see the package.
** [[FridgeLogic Maybe they didn't want the other students to know what kind of broom it was; a first year who shouldn't have a broom getting a top-of-the-line one is definitely cause for jealousy.]]

* In one strip of ''QuestionableContent'', Marten gets a large envelope from his mother. Faye argues that it might be "A collapsible pony". (Turns out it's an embarrassing T-shirt.)

* In a ''{{Garfield}}'' [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1995/12/21/ strip]], Odie is shown shaking a wrapped bone, then wondering what it could be.

* In ''YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'', Marik thinks that his snake-shaped present might contain the [[ToyStory Buzz Lightyear]] figure he always wanted.

* ''FamilyGuy'' has a few examples:

* In ''AVeryPotterMusical'', Hermione gives Harry and Ron a wrapped gift that is quite obviously a book, but they think it might be a puppy.
* In the ChristmasEpisode of ''HappyDays'' Ritchie's BrotherChuck (who is going to college on a basketball scholarship) gets [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2j1Ror7ahQ#t=3m24s a round object covered in paper]].
-->'''Joanie:''' Here's a present from Richie to you. What do you think it is? ''bounces it to Chuck''
-->'''Chuck:''' Hey, watch it. ''shakes'' It might be something breakable.
* In one strip of ''QuestionableContent'', Marten gets a large envelope from his mother. Faye argues that it might be "A collapsible pony". (Turns out it's an embarrassing T-shirt.)

* ''FamilyGuy'' has a few examples:
** Brian (who drinks a lot) receives a bottle-shaped package at Christmas and sarcastically wonders what it could be. Turns out it's a book.
** Peter and Lois have agreed to go to a meeting about timeshares for the sole purpose of receiving a free boat for going to the meeting. When they're about to accept the gift, the salesman suggests that they could take the MysteryBox instead of the boat, said mystery box being about the size of a shoebox. Peter excitedly demands the mystery box over Lois' protestations, exclaiming that it could be anything, even a boat! [[spoiler:It's not.]]
* In a ''{{Garfield}}'' [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1995/12/21/ strip]], Odie is shown shaking a wrapped bone, then wondering what it could be.
* In ''YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'', Marik thinks that his snake-shaped present might contain the [[ToyStory Buzz Lightyear]] figure he always wanted.
* In one episode of ''Series/{{Community}}'', Troy points out that his present is an even bigger secret. His present is a remote control helicopter, with even the blades being individually wrapped.

* A ''MadMagazine'' cartoon had a wrapped gift the shape and size of a bicycle; it was a wristwatch.

Now imagine a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} receiving a present. Current theories on what's inside: either a pony, an astronaut helmet or one of those roombas that's been covered in hair to look like a [[StarTrek tribble]].

* In one episode of ''{{Community}}'', Troy points out that his present is an even bigger secret. His present is a remote control helicopter, with even the blades being individually wrapped.

[[HarryPotter http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/broomstick_1781.png]]
[[caption-width:100:[[spoiler:It's a broomstick.]]]]

* In one episode of ''{{COmmunity}}'', Troy points out that his present is an even bigger secret. His present is a remote control helicopter, with even the blades being individually wrapped.
* In [[Literature/HarryPotter]], Harry is instructed not to open his broomstick shaped package in the Great Hall as the teachers don't want the other kids to notice and get jealous.

Now imagine a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} receiving a present. Current theories on what's inside- either a pony, an astronaut helmet or one of those roombas that's been covered in hair to look like a [[StarTrek tribble]].

Now imagine a CloudCuckooLander receiving a present. Current theories on what's inside- either a pony, an astronaut helmet, or one of those roombas that's been covered in hair to look like a tribble.

This is a trope played for comedy in which characters are incapable of ascertaining facts that are pretty obvious to normal folk. Another variation is that a more intelligent character responds to the gift sarcastically invoking this trope. In this case, odds are good that the gift in question will turn out to be something completely different than the implied shape. Either way, HilarityEnsues.

* In the ChristmasEpisode of ''HappyDays'' Ritchie's BrotherChuck (who is going to college on a basketball scholarship) gets [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2j1Ror7ahQ#t=3m24s a round object covered in paper.]]
--->Joanie: Here's a present from Richie to you. What do you think it is? ''bounces it to Chuck''
--->Chuck: Hey, watch it. ''shakes'' It might be something breakable.

* A MadMagazine cartoon had a wrapped, bicycle-shaped-and-sized gift; it was a wristwatch.
* ''FamilyGuy''

** Peter and Lois have agreed to go to a meeting about timeshares for the sole purpose of receiving a free boat for going to the meeting. When they're about to accept the gift, the salesmen suggests that they could take the mystery box instead of the boat, said mystery box being about the size of a shoebox. Peter excitedly demands the mystery box over Lois's protestations, exclaiming that it could be anything, even a boat! [[spoiler:It's not.]]

* In ''YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'', Marik thinks that his snake-shaped present might contain the Buzz Lightyear he always wanted.

* Abridged Kid Marik thought that the snake-shaped present might contain the Buzz Lightyear he always wanted.

* In ''AVeryPotterMusical'', Hermione gives Harry & Ron a wrapped gift that is quite obviously a book, but they think it might be a puppy.

* In one strip of ''QuestionableContent'', Marten gets a large envelope from his mother. Faye argues that it might be "A collapsible pony". (Turns out it's an embarassing T-shirt.)