History Main / ComputerEqualsMonitor

* At the climax of ''Film/{{Revelation}}'', the heroes begin uploading a virus onto the villains' computer to prevent the Day of Wonders (a very bad thing) from occurring, only to be caught in the act and herded away while the local bad-guy technician gets to work stopping it. When he fails at this, he unplugs the computer, and when ''that'' fails... he desperately begins shooting the monitor. Since the whole scene is implied to be divine intervention at work, he wouldn't have had much luck either way, but he really should have known better.

* Averted in a Post-WarGames issue of ''{{Nightwing}}'', Dick Grayson is working undercover for the mob. He beats up a witness, but leaves when he sees an associate pull out a gun. A jump cut later, its revealed that the mobster didn't shoot the guy, instead he shot the man's computer monitor. Nightwing mentions how that wouldn't work, and says he'll return later to destroy the man's CPU.

* In ''{{Spawn}}'' computer monitors are shot to stop downloads.

* In ''ElectricDreams'', when Edgar commits suicide, his monitor explodes.
* The climax of the movie ''{{Equilibrium}}'' has the protagonist taking out the computerized control-and-surveillance systems of his dystopian city by walking down a long hallway, blasting the monitors that line it. Of course, that might have just been catharsis, as the process also chased away the people ''watching'' the monitors.
** The holograms around the city stopped functioning after Preston shot the monitors, so the computers may be built behind the monitors.
* Justified in ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'': the computer in question is an iMac, which has a built-in monitor. And, even if it was just a monitor, [[TheDitz Derek and Hansel]] would probably have tried to destroy it anyway...
** The files were [[TooDumbToLive in the computer]], after all.
* At the climax of the film ''{{Revelation}}'', the heroes begin uploading a virus onto the villains' computer to prevent the Day of Wonders (a very bad thing) from occurring, only to be caught in the act and herded away while the local bad-guy technician gets to work stopping it. When he fails at this, he unplugs the computer, and when ''that'' fails... he desperately begins shooting the monitor. Since the whole scene is implied to be divine intervention at work, he wouldn't have had much luck either way, but he really should have known better.
* ''LeftBehind [[TheFilmOfTheBook The Movie]]'' [[http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2008/12/lbtm-lone-gunmen.html falls to this trope]] in a particularly spectacular fashion - the [[RevealingCoverup conspiracy-preserving assassin]] shoots out the monitor ''and not the [[PlotArmor guy sitting in front of it]]''.

* Averted in ''{{Fireproof}}'' when the main character, struggling with his pornography addiction, takes the monitor out in the yard and smashes it with a baseball bat. A moment later, he smashed the [=CPU=] tower as well.
* In the ''Film/TheNegotiator'': A dirty cop shoots out the monitor of a computer after being told it contains evidence of his crimes. However [[spoiler:the evidence didn't actually exist, it was just a ruse to [[BluffingTheMurderer fool him into a confession]].]]

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] [[PlayedForLaughs in humorous fashion]] in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''. Steve decides he's heard enough of [[spoiler:[[BrainUploading brain-uploaded]] Arnim Zola's]] EvilPlan and smashes his computer monitor. [[spoiler:Dr. Zola]] simply switches to a second monitor and continues the interrupted spiel.

* Averted by Dean Koontz in ''{{Midnight}}''. A kid is portrayed as a computer geek. When he has a chance to merge with his computer, he takes off the casing of the tower, and merges with both the tower ''and'' the monitor in horrifying fashion.
* Justified in ''[[TheLaundrySeries The Jennifer Morgue]]'' - the protagonist uses some dark magic juju (which is indistinguishable from sufficiently advanced mathematics) to hack into his captors' computer network, by way of an insufficiently locked-down monitor in the room in which he is confined.

* In a Colin Hunt sketch on ''TheFastShow'', a deliveryman shows up and says "I've got your new computer". It's just a monitor.

*** After all, the Replicators can stick their hands into a human's body and access their memories, and the process only harms the human in question if they ''want'' to. Given that brains and computers both operated through electrical impulses, it makes as much sense for SufficientlyAdvancedAliens like the human-form Replicators to be able to access the memory of one as it does the other.

* In the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "Passion", [[spoiler:evil]] Angel destroys Jenny Calendar's computer by throwing her monitor off of the desk, whereby it lands on the floor and explodes pleasingly. Justified as he's over two hundred years old, and thusly doesn't understand computers. Also, he only destroyed her current data, it was actually saved onto a floppy disk found later. Later, in the spin-off ''Series/{{Angel}}'', Harmony shorts out a computer by spilling coffee on the keyboard. In the Buffy universe, maybe trying to destroy a computer by breaking the monitor isn't so stupid after all.
** A scene in ''I Robot,You Jane'' has Willow becoming annoyed with 'Malcom' (aka the demon Moloch) and appearing to turn off the computer just by punching the monitor's off button.
* ''{{Primeval}}'' has the variant where a character knocks out a computer by pouring water on the keyboard.
* ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}''. Averted (and used for a CrowningMomentOfFunny) when Baltar has been [[ClearMyName framed by the Cylons]] with fake footage showing him committing sabotage just before the Cylon attack on the Colonies. Baltar destroys the hard drive that's enhancing the image, only to whimper helplessly as he sees his face still staring out at him from the monitor, as he's destroyed the wrong computer. His actions only make him look more guilty than ever.
** For bonus points, the moment he is caught he is about to swing a chair at the monitor.

* Justified in an episode of ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', when computer-averse Gibbs tries to fix the e-mail client on his computer by ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny whacking the monitor with a baseball bat he apparently kept under the desk for just this purpose]]''. Gibbs is the type to believe ComputerEqualsMonitor, and his attempt doesn't accomplish anything. However, played straight later in the same episode when Gibbs is faced with a mainframe that needs to be shut down, which he does by shooting it up; the bullet that apparently serves as the killshot goes through (one of!) the monitors. (If you're feeling generous, you could say that it was an all-in-one system that was part of a CnC cluster, and they just used the term "mainframe" because it would [[ViewersAreMorons make more sense to the audience.]] If you're feeling generous.)

* Averted in ''SplinterCell: Chaos Theory'', where in order to remote-hack any computer, Sam must locate the actual hard drive instead of the usually more visible monitors. Averted even further in that computers with destroyed monitors can still be remotely hacked.
** Also in the first game: when bad guys are removing all the evidence from the computers, one of the {{mook}}s shoots the monitor and is convinced that the job is done. Another one scolds him, telling him that he needs to wipe the hard drive, collect the USB sticks, and ''then'' shoot the mainframe.

** Averted in an easily-missed way earlier on, while Max is forcing his way into a steelworks owned by the BigBad, which is doubling as a narcotics lab. At one point you have to release an employee who'd been shoved in a holding cell for some reason so he could unlock a door for you. The monitor of the computer terminal into which your new friend had to enter the access code would break if it took a stray bullet when you disposed of the mooks at the security station, but the NPC still manages to open the door, with an extra line of dialogue [[{HandWave}} Handwaving]] his ability to operate the machine blind.

* The mascot of the Hectic Hackers team in ''[[BackyardSports Backyard Basketball]]'' is supposed to represent a computer. It is just a monitor (WITH HANDS!) and a keyboard.
* First played straight, then [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] in PhantasyStarOnline. The first form of Vol Opt can be damaged by attacking the tasers that pop out of the floor, or the monitors on the walls displaying the boss's face. After taking enough damage, the remaining monitors explode and Vol Opt's "real" body descends into the room to continue the battle.

* In the game ''VideoGame/{{Hitman}} 2: Silent Assassin'', in a mission in Kuala Lumpur, you have to shoot a screen in order to complete one of the mission's objectives. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] [[VoodooShark somewhat]] as there is no CPU visible.

* ''AceAttorneyInvestigations'' features an aversion with a ''cell phone''. The cell phone in question had a cracked LCD display, but otherwise functioned well enough to ring when called. [[spoiler:It also featured a camera, and the phone's memory contained a photograph which proved critical to the case. Franziska accessed the photograph by synchronizing the phone with her own cell phone, which was a similar model.]]

* In ''IronManArmoredAdventures'', our hero needs to stop Fixer (who has been turned into a sentient computer program) from killing a rival, so he shoots him... in the holographic representation of Fixer's head instead of the computer projecting it. Naturally, this works.

----

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] [[PlayedForLaughs in humorous fashion]] in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''. Steve decides he's heard enough of [[spoiler:[[BrainUploading brain-uploaded]] Arnim Zola's EvilPlan]] and smashes his computer monitor. [[spoiler:Dr. Zola]] simply switches to a second monitor and continues the interrupted spiel.
-->'''Dr. Zola:''' As I was saying...

* [[http://notalwaysright.com/when-a-computer-is-not-a-computer/11989 As shown by]] NotAlwaysRight, some people tend to think this way in RealLife.

* Subverted in the short ''Internet Dating And Me'' in ''Webvideo/TheUncannyValley''.

Damaging a monitor can be justified as making the workstation unusable until another monitor can be hooked up at worst, and possibly killing the computer anyways at best[[note]][=CRTs=] are pretty much like capacitors, they can hold a very high voltage charge for a couple of minutes even after the power is unplugged. A well placed shot with a metal bullet can, possibly, cause the [=CRT=] to discharge the voltage into the data lines, killing the computer or at least the video adapter as well in the process[[/note]]. Even unplugging a monitor with the computer still on can on rare occasion be enough to cause severe damage if it's not designed to be hot-pluggable.

* Averted in {{Fireproof}} when the main character, struggling with his pornography addiction, takes the monitor out in the yard and smashes it with a baseball bat. A moment later, he smashed the [=CPU=] tower as well.
* In the "Film/TheNegotiator": A dirty cop shoots out the monitor of a computer after being told it contains evidence of his crimes. However [[spoiler:the evidence didn't actually exist, it was just a ruse to [[BluffingTheMurderer fool him into a confession]].]]
* A distinct aversion of this trope is a major plot point in Film/IRobot. When the heroes need to destroy the evil supercomputer VIKI, the hero suggest shooting her computer brain with his gun. The smart heroine informs him that VIKI is fully back up throughout the building. What they need are special computer-destroying nanites that will not only destroy the main core but also go one to dismantle the backup systems.

* The Commmodore 64, the Atari ST, and the Amiga 500 were home computers with built-in keyboards. Later (2008?), some "new C-64" was offered to retro-gamers, where the computer was in the chassis of a [[UpToEleven joystick.]][[/folder]]
** There's also a rather expensive modern replica of the Amiga 500 knocking around, running the latest version of =[AmigaOS=]. (Yes, they still exist.)

* Averted and lampshaded in Neal Stephenson's eco-thriller ''Zodiac.'' The baddies trash a computer by busting both the monitor and the processor ... which tips off the protagonist that they aren't the dumb thugs he'd assumed, else they'd be content with just breaking the former.

* This was averted a little 'too' far, and in the opposite direction in an episode of {{CSI}}. At a crime scene, they discovered that the suspect's/victim's PC wasn't booting. The cause? The suspect hid their pistol in the case. While computer components themselves are very vulnerable to liquid or even small amounts of static electricity, placing an object inside the computer case probably wouldn't even affect the operation of the computer, let alone preventing it from booting, unless it was placed in such a way as to crush or bend a component, or damage a connection. The average tower has plenty of space for a small to medium-sized handgun.

* In ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', data from 20th century computers are downloaded by pointing the tricorder at the monitor. They are effectively ''taking screenshots''!
** Justified, as their technology is far more advanced than 20th century computers, so they probably know all the loopholes in the system that caused them to upgrade over the years. Hell, even two hundred years before, [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Archer was using his scanner to open locked car doors and steal money from ATMs]].

* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto IV'', the Albanians throw Roman's computer monitor on the ground, and he complains that they "killed" his computer. Of course, Roman is the kind of person who fits into that list from the top of the page.

*** User: There is no reset button.
*** Tech: Then turn it off , wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. That'll work, too.
*** User: *push* (10 seconds later) *push*
*** User: No, it's the same as before. (After turning the ''screen'' off and on)

The trope might originate with early computers such as the CommodorePet, AppleMacintosh, and some models of the IBM PS/2, in which the monitor, motherboard, and drives were contained in the same unit. This may have also experienced a resurgence in the popular consciousness thanks to the success of Apple's late '90s iMac. Many people consider this a DiscreditedTrope, but "all-in-one" PCs and Macs [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-in-One_PC#All-in-one do exist]] with [[JustifiedTrope modern technological advancements]]. However, saying that all computers are as such is an ignorant statement and implies that the author hasn't seen a computer tower in their life.

* Also technically true for so-called all-in-one systems (apparently, the keyboard and mouse doesn't count as part of the system). There's too many past and modern day examples to list. Apple lives by the trope (by designing the original "beige toaster" Macintosh as such thus taking the design mainstream, and still keeps it coming with the iMac series of computers), and many PC manufacturers are getting on the bandwagon. Computer Equals Keyboard variants became rare after the 1980s, but can still be found being made for a niche market.

Damaging a monitor can be justified as making the workstation unusable until another monitor can be hooked up at worst, and possibly killing the computer anyways at best[[hottip:*:[=CRTs=] are pretty much like capacitors, they can hold a very high voltage charge for a couple of minutes even after the power is unplugged. A well placed shot with a metal bullet can, possibly, cause the [=CRT=] to discharge the voltage into the data lines, killing the computer or at least the video adapter as well in the process]]. Even unplugging a monitor with the computer still on can on rare occasion be enough to cause severe damage if it's not designed to be hot-pluggable.

The trope might originate with early computers such as the CommodorePet, AppleMacintosh, and some models of the IBM PS/2, in which the monitor, motherboard, and drives were contained in the same unit. This may have also experienced a resurgence in the popular consciousness thanks to the success of Apple's late '90s iMac. As such, this may become a DiscreditedTrope in time.

** Averted in an easily-missed way earlier on, while Max is forcing his way into a steelworks owned by the BigBad, which is doubling as a narcotics lab. At one point you have to release an employee who'd been shoved in a holding cell for some reason so he could unlock a door for you. The monitor of the computer terminal into which your new friend had to enter the access code would break if it took a stray bullet when you disposed of the mooks at the security station, but the NPC still manages to open the door, with an extra line of dialogue HandWaving his ability to operate the machine blind.

* The sequel to ''Harry Potter and the Natural 20'' features an Obliviation raid on a police station to erase the memories of [[{{Munchkin}} Milo's]] use of magic. They burst in, Obliviation charms flying, just after the WPC finishes saving her report to a floppy on a brand-new Windows 3.1 PC. Wizards have a shaky grasp of ''normal'' technology, and when they come across it, one identifies it as an 'eclectic' [sic] typewriter. The other wizard with him smashes the monitor, because [[{{Irony}} you can't be too careful]].

[[/folder]]

The trope might originate with early computers such as the CommodorePet, AppleMacintosh, and some models of the IBM PS/2, in which the monitor, motherboard, and drives were contained in the same unit. This may have also experienced a resurgence in the popular consciousness thanks to the success of Apple's late '90s iMac.

More rare is destruction to the keyboard destroying the entire unit (usually due to a carelessly spilled drink). Unlike the monitor, this is actually a more realistic concern considering that most popular 8-bit home computers housed their processors and keyboards in the same unit, using a normal television for their monitor, and many laptops today have the keyboards on top of the circuitry. However, you are ''far'' more likely to see the monitor take the killing blow despite it being far less catastrophic.

People make this mistake [[http://notalwaysright.com/gotta-love-them-diy-puters/526 in real life, too]]. If you want a good laugh or a good reason to lose faith in humanity, [[http://www.rinkworks.com/stupid/cs_monitors.shtml just check it out for yourself!]]

All-in-one designs were fairly popular back in the early 80s, with the Apple Lisa, "beige toaster" AppleMacintosh, certain IBM PS/2 models and lesser known clones, and the {{Vectrex}}. However, the design seemed to have fell out of favor for a while in the early 90s, but has since seen a resurgence in the late 90s with the launch of the original iMac, and is rapidly regaining popularity such that many PC manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon. As such, this may become a DiscreditedTrope in time.

Alternatively: Shooting the Instant Messenger.

Compare ComputerEqualsTapeDrive.

See Also: ScreensAreCameras and ShootTheTelevision.

The trope might originate with early computers such as the AppleMacintosh and some models of the IBM PS/2, in which the monitor, motherboard, and drives were contained in the same unit. This may have also experienced a resurgence in the popular consciousness thanks to the success of Apple's late '90s iMac.