Tacky Gift Party

December 4, 2006 1:44 PM

Gift ideas for a Tacky Gift Party

I'm going to a tacky gift party in Pasadena at the end of the month, and I'm looking for ideas. There will be voting on "best gift" and the requirement is that it has to be unintentional tackiness - like the bartender Barbie, for example. "Learn how to serve drinks to Ken's friends!"

They're supposed to be relatively inexpensive gifts, under $40.

Any ideas?

posted by stewiethegreat to human relations (20 comments total)

Fruitcake
"I'm with Stupid -->" T-Shirt
Hickory Farms meat/cheese sampler holiday gift box
Box of extra-large condoms
Any book by Anne Coulter or Al Franken
Thong underwear with corporate logo
Walmart or Sears gift certificate
Brick of Velveeta
posted by FYKshun at 2:20 PM on December 4, 2006

pink flamingoes
posted by Rumple at 2:32 PM on December 4, 2006

Grooming products
weight loss books
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 2:32 PM on December 4, 2006

A fake plastic cow pie. yep, got one of those for hannukah once...

soap on a rope. Another hannukah present.
posted by np312 at 2:36 PM on December 4, 2006

I'm not sure what you mean by unintentional tackiness... would kitschiness better describe this? If so, there's a ton of stuff in catalogs like Harriet Carter. Great party idea, regardless!
posted by zek at 2:48 PM on December 4, 2006 [1 favorite]

A particularly cheesy Precious Moments figurine, a la Jean Teasdale.
posted by lalex at 2:50 PM on December 4, 2006 [1 favorite]

Go to a thrift store and buy the tackiest vinyl records you can find - Barry Manilow, Mary Poppins, whatever. Take them home and turn them into record bowls. Put an unopened bag of candy inside, wrap, and away you go!
posted by arcticwoman at 2:56 PM on December 4, 2006 [1 favorite]

These are all along the lines of "insult the host," but:
- a Flowbee
- crumb-sweeper thingy
- water-purification tablets
- Costco-size bottle of Kaopectate
- gift certificate for house-cleaning
posted by rob511 at 3:06 PM on December 4, 2006

Yeah, thrift stores are the way to go. That is where I got the stuffed karate rat who sings "Kung Fu Fighting" in a nearly chipmunks voice while twirling num chucks.
posted by QIbHom at 3:16 PM on December 4, 2006

A disco ball. I brought one once to a white elephant party and everyone was fighting for the thing.
posted by mamaquita at 3:41 PM on December 4, 2006

For some reason, my cousin has been to several of these types of parties, and according to her the single best element is to make sure that it is obvious that you are re-gifting. As in hastily re-applied gift wrapping, crossed out names on the tag, etc... Doesn't really matter what the gift actually is, if the 'presentation' has been done right!
posted by schwap23 at 3:51 PM on December 4, 2006

What you need, is to search amazon.com for "Sife Athletics" and pick up one of these unintentionally classics, like "Kiss Me I'm Funeral Director's Assistant" cap or an "I love Iraqi Girls" t-shirt.

Thanks to the wonders of print on demand and automatic generator scripts, pick a country, city, wacky occupation and so on, and it'll appear. Just like my "Afghanistan is for lovers" t-shirt. Oh yes.

There was a fantastic t-shirt that a few of my friends got from the local orthodontist that said "I'm Going Straight!" Of course, maybe its only funny here in San Francisco.

Anything in Engrish is usually fantastic. I find amazingly inappropriately named snack foods and hideous stationary at 99 Ranch Market.

There's always the classic "so you're thinking about penis implant pump" videos as well, but they're harder to find now that viagra has put all those companies out of business.
posted by Gucky at 5:29 PM on December 4, 2006

Erk, that was supposed to be "unintentional classics" but I'll make up for it by including Someone in Kyrgyzstan Loves Me
posted by Gucky at 5:33 PM on December 4, 2006

I witnessed a guy once receive an unironic parting gift of deodorant. ouch.
posted by umbú at 7:27 PM on December 4, 2006

NunZilla
posted by youngergirl44 at 8:14 PM on December 4, 2006

Pooping Animals.
posted by cholly at 11:30 PM on December 4, 2006

A poster or print from Thomas Kinkade.
posted by PenDevil at 2:01 AM on December 5, 2006

You can't go wrong with a selection of truly hideous movies. I would personally recommend "Redneck Zombies" from Troma as one of THE most stupid and puerile wastes of time ever.

I have also just purchased "Slave of the Cannibal God" (starring Ursula Andress and Stacey Keach) as a Bad Taste christmas gift for a friend. It has midget cannibals, guts and tits. Sounds perfect for him.

Go wild. $40 will get you hours of crap.
posted by ninazer0 at 2:32 AM on December 5, 2006

Unintentionally Tacky:
- Those oversized "rustic" stuffed dolls that are meant for putting on your front lawn for autumn or the holidays
- "What Color Is Your Parachute" (if recipient is unemployed)
- 2nd on the Thomas Kinkade
- Box of cheap tree ornaments
- Silk/satin lingerie for non-romantic recipient
- Hideous Christmas Sweater
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 9:14 AM on December 5, 2006

How about the Dora Aquapet?
posted by citizngkar at 10:29 AM on December 5, 2006