15 Funny Marriage Proposal Fails

Maybe it's just to early in the game, but these guys thought they'd ask her just the same...

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Image via Complex Original
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New Year's Eve is a strange holiday. It's a simple celebration of a change in the calendar, but for most of us, it's as good a reason as any to drink ourselves silly and let the chips fall where they may. And for a select few of us, it seems like a great time to ask a woman for her hand in marriage.

Why New Year's? Why not get engaged at a Washington Wizards game, or in the food court at your local shopping mall? Hell, you can get engaged anytime, and anywhere.

Or, as the case may be, attempt to get engaged and get left holding an unwanted ring. It is a sad event, a moment of public agony and humiliation, and thanks to the miracle of YouTube, it is one that we can all witness again and again. These 15 former optimists—14 guys and one girl—laid it on the line as the camera was rolling, and it didn't go as planned.

Hopefully, the following fails don't change your New Year's plans too much.

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Goodbye Jumbotron

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Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City

As much as she may love the New York Rangers, asking her to be your "Blueshirt bride" is still a hugely risky move. Remember, marriage taps into emotions and preconceptions formulated in childhood. Odds are she has probably wanted to get married longer than she has been a Rangers fan. But perhaps the clincher here is that she does not want to marry this guy in particular.

And Yet So Far Away

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Location: The Almost Late Show set

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

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Location: Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, California

Yet another guy who wants to prove his love to complete strangers who are probably not all that interested. It's a weird sort of exhibitionism; look what happens when you replace "prove his love" with "Tweet his junk." Yeah, we don't get that guy either.

How Waffle

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Location: Cercle Brugge vs. Standard Liege soccer game, Belgium

Do people even get married in Belgium? We thought Belgians were made in waffle irons and gestated in a mixture of fine chocolate and expensive beer. The whole concept of romance, marriage, and sex among Belgian people does not compute. So of course she was horrified.

Goodbye Cleveland

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Location: An unknown concert

You're in a dingy rock club in front of a drunken mob. When she says no, you don't chase after her; instead, this calls for a stage dive followed by (some time later) vomiting into a graffiti-covered toilet.

Sent Off

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Location: Australian soccer program The Footy Show

We're a bit suspicious of this clip—something just a little too perfect about it—but even if he's taking a dive in the box, we still concede it's a golden boot.

Minnesota Slugger

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Location: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Swan Song

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Location: A party

First one guy sings to the girl, then the would-be groom proposes. This is a weird strategy, but it has a real advantage: iif the vibes are bad during the singing part, the proposer can pull the ripcord without public humiliation. Of course, that's assuming he is observant enough to notice the bad vibes. Which he isn't.

Trouble a Bruin

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Location: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles

You're supposed to kiss when you're captured on the "mistletoe cam." Got it? Kiss, not ask her for eternity. Easy, tiger.

Meet the Future Non-In-Laws

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Location: Her family's house at Christmas

This guy is too good to be true! You know that the family is totally digging this ass-kissing; Aunt Rita is ready to adopt him, and Cousin Greg is ready to bust out his best cigars. It's a done deal, and he just needs Erica to sign off on it. Wait, Erica? Where are you going, sugarplum?

Wizard of Love

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Location: Verizon Center, Washington DC

As if taking her to a Wizards game wasn't a bad enough idea...

Face the Nation

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Location: "National TV"

This Australian fan was so excited about his favorite rugby team and his girlfriend that he proposed to the latter. Oh well, there's still rugby.

Mr. Predictable

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Location: Food court at a shopping mall

Dude, do you realize that every drunk frat boy who ever tried to pick her lock has serenaded her with "Sweet Caroline"? For a girl in her mid-20s named Caroline, there could not be a less special song. Although to be fair, there could not be a place less special than the food court at a mall, so at least you're consistent.

Sadly Hawkins

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Location: A party

Somehow we can play clip after clip of shlubby dudes having their hearts broken and it's funny. But when this girl gets down on her knees (no snide remarks please) and he gives her the no thanks, shit gets real, and it's hard to watch.

Failure to Launch

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Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

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