History Main / WinHerAPrize

There are other possible outcomes, but these are the most common. Usually is a boy gaining (or trying to) a prize for a girl, but also this can be seen in [[GenderInvertedExample a girl getting the prize for the boy]], someone winning the prize for their partner that's the same gender as they are, or an adult (mostly parents) gaining it for a child.

Bob and Alice are at the carnival on a date...[[NotADate or not]]. They see one of those carnival games where you have to throw a ball (or dart or hoop) or fire a BB gun at a target, and Alice starts eying one of the prizes, usually a [[GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals big stuffed animal]]. Bob realizes that he has a chance to prove how manly he is and give her a present at the same time. It's a win-win! The catch? The RuleOfDrama and RuleOfFunny say that Bob can't get it on the first try. There are five possible outcomes to this trope:

* PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe1'' where Agnes wants a unicorn plushie they have on display. The girls try twice and fail -- Agnes even hits the target once but was unable to knock it down. When ''Gru'' tries it, he takes out his laser blaster and [[StuffBlowingUp blows up the stall]]. Agnes gets her unicorn.

* In Music/TimMcGraw 's song "I Like It, I Love It", he describes all the things he does to impress the girl he's infatuated with. The first line of the song includes:
-->"I spent 48 dollars last night at the county fair. I throwed [sic] out my shoulder but I won her that teddy bear."

* In ''LightNovel/MyTeenRomanticComedySNAFU'', [[KnightInSourArmor Hachiman Hikigaya]] and [[IceQueen Yukino Yukinoshita]] go out in a NotADate searching a good present for [[GenkiGirl Yui Yuigahama]]. Then Hachiman tries to win a plush for Yukino in a toy grabber machine, but ended [[NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught paying the machine owner to get a plushie for her]].

* PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'' where Agnes wants a unicorn plushie they have on display. The girls try twice and fail -- Agnes even hits the target once but was unable to knock it down. When ''Gru'' tries it, he takes out his laser blaster and [[StuffBlowingUp blows up the stall]]. Agnes gets her unicorn.

* As the quote from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' indicates, Beast Boy won a prize for Raven in one episode. She was less then thrilled and discarded the prize at the first opportunity ''five seconds later''. [[JustFriends It wasn't romantic in nature]]...no really, it wasn't!

* In ''Lightnovel/MyTeenRomanticComedySNAFU'', [[KnightInSourArmor Hachiman Hikigaya]] and [[IceQueen Yukino Yukinoshita]] go out in a NotADate searching a good present for [[GenkiGirl Yui Yuigahama]]. Then Hachiman tries to win a plush for Yukino in a toy grabber machine, but ended [[NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught paying the machine owner to get a plushie for her]].

* Invoked in ''Fanfic/MyHuntsmanAcademia''. Yang and Izuku stop by a carnival while playing a game of romantic chicken during Color Week. She gives him tips on how to win a rigged game at one of the stands and asks him to win her a prize, waiting to see what he gets for her to watch his reaction for laughs. While hanging out again in Mountain Glenn, she returns the favor, winning him a Toshinori plush while making him blush with her usual flirtatiousness.
* In ''Webcomic/SparklingShimmer'', after getting a discount on the carnival tickets by pretending to be on a date, Sunset notes that if it were a real date, she'd win Twilight a prize. She then proceeds to do just that... after a few tries.

* ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'': When they are at the Wurstelprater amusement park in Vienna, James Bond easily wins a big plush at a shooting gallery with his aiming skills and gives it to Kara Milovy.

* Invoked in ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005'': John and Jane, two of the world's best assassins, visit a funfair for a date and play on a shooting gallery. She deliberately shoots poorly to maintain her cover but John then shoots well and wins her a small toy. Feeling competitive she then knocks down all of the targets and wins herself a much larger toy.
* In the movie ''Film/RememberMe'', the male lead ends up buying the stuffed animal for his girl. She thinks he cheated. He says he won.

* The "adult for child" variant shows up in ''Film/Shazam2019''. The opening scene shows Billy, age 5, and his mother at a winter carnival. Billy wants a stuffed tiger, which his mother tries to win playing darts. She only manages to win him a small compass key chain, which she assures him is better anyway. Then he drops the key chain and loses track of his mother while reclaiming it, leading the two to become separated and him winding up in foster care. The key chain then functions as a minor OrphansPlotTrinket, symbolizing his connection to his mother. [[spoiler:When he meets his mother again in the end, he returns the key chain to her to "help her find her way", and she doesn't recognize it or its significance.]]

* In ''Series/LoisAndClark'' when the title characters were "[[NotADate not on a date]]", Clark did this. Before you think he was being a jerk pretending to be weak, he was suffering the aftereffects of being exposed to kryptonite for the first time.

* There is a sketch on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' that pokes fun at this where legendary quarterback Tom Brady struggles to win a prize for his girlfriend at the carnival.

* The protagonist of ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'' can do this for Johanna when she takes him to a carnival to ease him back into social situations. By thinking about the carnival game like one of his video games, he manages to win it, getting a big teddy bear for Johanna.
* During Shizune's Act 1 ending in ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'' Hisao is "persuaded" by Misha and Shizune to try his luck at ball and bottle game at the Festival and tries to win the two girls a pair of stuffed cat dolls. [[spoiler: He eventually wins one for Shizune but is forced to stop when his arrythmia acts up.]]

* As the quote from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' indicates, Beast Boy won a prize for Raven in one episode. She was less then thrilled and discarded the prize at the first opportunity ''five seconds later''. [[JustFriends It wasn't romantic in nature]]...no really, it wasn't!

* Olive Oyl has WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}} and Bluto win her prizes on various occasions.
* Principal Skinner tries to win a prize for his [[MyBelovedSmother Mother]] in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.
* Peter did this for Liz in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderman''. Naturally, the carnival was attacked by supervillains soon afterward.
* GenderInverted in the ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' episode ''[[Recap/KimPossibleS3E2EmotionSickness Emotion Sickness]].'' Kim, [[EmotionControl under the influence of a moodulator set to "lovestruck,"]] wins a carnie game plushie for Ron.

* The "adult for child" variant shows up in ''Film/{{Shazam}}''. The opening scene shows Billy, age 5, and his mother at a winter carnival. Billy wants a stuffed tiger, which his mother tries to win playing darts. She only manages to win him a small compass key chain, which she assures him is better anyway. Then he drops the key chain and loses track of his mother while reclaiming it, leading the two to become separated and him winding up in foster care. The key chain then functions as a minor OrphansPlotTrinket, symbolizing his connection to his mother. [[spoiler: When he meets his mother again in the end, he returns the key chain to her to "help her find her way," and she doesn't recognize it or its significance.]]

# EpicFail: Bob wastes all his money trying to win the prize. Alice just giggles, kisses him on the cheek, and thanks him for trying. It may not be because Bob is a klutz; some carnival games are borderline [[TheCon scams]], as they are designed to be almost unwinnable.

# EpicFail: Bob wastes all his money trying to win the prize. Alice just giggles, kisses him on the cheek, and thanks him for trying.

# The romantic wins the prize for her: Oh, this is the lowest of the low. Bob tries to win it, then ''Charlie'' comes along and wins it for her!

Bob and Alice are at the carnival on a date...[[NotADate or not]]. They see one of those popular carnival games, and Alice starts eying one of the prizes, usually a [[GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals stuffed animal]]. Bob realizes that he has a chance to prove how manly he is and give her a present at the same time. It's a win-win! The catch? The RuleOfDrama and RuleOfFunny say that Bob can't get it on the first try. There are five possible outcomes to this trope:

# The rival wins the prize for her: Oh, this is the lowest of the low. Bob tries to win it, then ''Charlie'' comes along and wins it for her!

Carnival games used for this trope are usually [[TestYourStrengthGame strength tests]], which amplify the hope Bob has to prove his manliness (hey, that's actually a real word). Games of chance are sometimes used as well. Also this can count for toy grabber machines that usually can be found on amusement parks and carnivals, too (but seen also in malls).

* Invoked in ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005'': John and Jane, two of the world's best assassins, visit a funfair for a date, where John tries to win a price for his girlfrend at a shooting gallery. Because he tries to keep his cover, he deliberately misses his first shot. But when Jane hits the bullseye on her first try a shooting contest ensures.

* ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'': when they are at the Wurstelprater amusement park in Vienna, James Bond easily wins a big plush at a shooting gallery with his aiming skills and gives it to Kara Milovy.
* ''Film/{{Darkman}}'' - while the main character Peyton and his girlfriend visit a carnival, he plays a game to try and win a pink elephant doll for her. However he argues with an employee over whether he rightly won the prize or not, [[HairTriggerTemper which results in Peyton]] [[{{Fingore}} gruesomely twisting the carnie's fingers]].

* Wrestling/{{Kane}} tried to get a toy from a toy grabber machine for a kid in an arcade room. After an unsuccessful attempt, he just [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feRKgN6yTec broke up the machine and gave the kid a lot of toys from there]].

-->-- '''Raven''', ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''

* ''https://www.fimfiction.net/story/350412/pony-courtship-rituals Pony Courtship Rituals'' has Chrysalis trying to win a doubly rigged game. It takes many tries, but eventually she overpowers the cheating by brute force.

* ''Fanfic/PonyCourtshipRituals'' has Chrysalis trying to win a doubly rigged game. It takes many tries, but eventually she overpowers the cheating by brute force.