History Main / InventionalWisdom

** In "Hail Doofania!" the Rainbow Generator features a SelfDestructMechanism.

* [[BigBad Evil]] MadScientist Sludge Vohaul in ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestIIVohaulsRevenge'' is kept alive by a life support system equipped with a single button that, if pressed, turns it off ''immediately'' with no apparent [[FailsafeFailure failsafe]]. Furthermore, it's placed deep ''inside'' the workings of the machine where nobody can normally reach it, but inconveniently small foreign objects that get inside ''can''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'', Neptune freezes Mr. Krabs solid when he believes he was the one who stole his crown. At the end of the movie, after learning Mr. Krabs was innocent, Neptune attempts to unfreeze him-only to accidentally turn him into [[HumanityEnsues a human boy]]. Neptune realizes that [[ProngsOfPoseidon his trident]] was set to "[[BecomeARealBoy Real Boy]]" instead of "Unfreeze".

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'', Neptune freezes Mr. Krabs solid when he believes he was the one who stole his crown. At the end of the movie, after learning Mr. Krabs was innocent, Neptune attempts to unfreeze him-only to accidentally turn him into [[HumanityEnsues a human boy]]. Neptune realizes that [[ProngsOfPoseidon his trident]] was set to "[[BecomingARealBoy Real Boy]]" instead of "Unfreeze".

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'', Neptune freezes Mr. Krabs solid when he believes he was the one who stole his crown. At the end of the movie, after learning Mr. Krabs was innocent, Neptune attempts to unfreeze him-only to accidentally turn him into [[HumanityEnsues a human boy]]. Neptune realizes that [[ProngsOfPoseidon his trident]] was set to "[[PinocchioSyndrome Real Boy]]" instead of "Unfreeze".

Compare with CowTools, where ''nothing'' about the device makes sense. Contrast with MundaneUtility, where simply being what it is lets the device do something useful -- cooking popcorn with your DeathRay, for instance. Frequently overlaps with SelfDestructMechanism. See also CapsLockNumLockMissilesLock.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': In the episode [[Recap/TheFairlyOddParentsS2E5ActionPacked "Action Packed"]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': "Action Packed"

* ''[[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall The Adventures of Kool-Aid Man]]'': Professor Kline builds a rocketship, but doesn't know how to turn it on.

* In the ''ComicBook/BlakeAndMortimer'' book ''S.O.S. Meteors'', the command console of the bad guys' [[spoiler:weather control]] device features a large, conspicuous unlabelled button that immediately attracts Mortimer's attention. It of course turns out to be [[spoiler:a self-destruct mechanism]]. While it does make some sense that they would need one, being located in a hidden base in enemy territory, the fact that all it takes is a simple press of a button with no reversal possible eventually [[spoiler:contributes heavily to their downfall]].

* In ''FanFic/AndersonQuestKillingVampiresAndWerewolvesAndLeprechuans'', Anderson gets very cross when he realizes the horrid {{Bizarrchitecture}} properties of [[VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}} Yharnam]]. A bit of investigating leads him on the trail of the utter incompetent who designed half the city, and among other things, introduced elevators, pressure plates, strange balconies and similar questionable choices. To nobody's surprise, it's [[Franchise/{{Discworld}} Bergholt Stuttley Johnson]], a.k.a. Bloody Stupid Johnson. Among other idiotic enterprises, he created a reality-defying bust whose gaze keeps following you around the room despite not moving, which [[TooSpicyForYogSothoth reacted adversely]] to [[EldritchAbomination Ebrietas]], got declared "the opposite of enlightenment" by the Choir and was the architect who remodeled Cainhurst Castle. Annalise's still kicking herself over the last one.

** Maybe it was supposed to be for studying cancer? A device that can reliably cause cancer would be useful for that. But then again, it didn't look much like a medical lab, and it definitely was dumb to leave it sitting on a table like that.

* In the second ''Toys/Bionicle'' movie, the city of Metru Nui uses uses massive tubes filled with a breathable liquid as a transport system. For some reason, it has a switch that makes it flow in reverse, even though the operator warns the villain forcing him to pull it that it could cause the whole thing to explode. It does not explode, but does does give the heroes who were escaping though the tubes a bad time.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' Stan dies and goes to Heaven, and tries to use his gun to threaten people into sending him back to Earth. Everyone laughs at the idea that they could be harmed in Heaven...until Stan steals an "Angel Gun" which CAN kill anyone. As he runs out, one guy questions why they have those.

* Jerry Driscoll from ''WesternAnimation/RandyCunninghamNinthGradeNinja'' built a death ray with an adjustable blast radius as part of a contest. He was disqualified because no one was willing to test if the "universe" setting worked.

* ''Webcomic/Homestuck2'' opens on a ship that has, among other things, a shooting range and a large number of fully stocked drinks cabinets...but no landing gear. Dirk is rather disgruntled to learn that the only way to land the thing is a controlled crash. (For bonus points, their most qualified pilot is [[HandicappedBadass Terezi, who's blind and sees through scent]].)

** [[MoralityChip Empathy Generators]] on the turrets. To keep them able to shoot people, they also installed an Empathy Suppressor.

* ''Series/GetSmart''. Professor Carlson, the MadScientist that CONTROL uses to create the ShoePhone gadgets, is a bit like this. In one episode he invents a gadget that he admits does nothing at all. "But in the event you are captured by the enemy, they'll be so intrigued by the way it works, you'll have time to escape." Then there's the time he creates a camera that's a secret recorder and a tape recorder with a hidden camera. When asked why he doesn't just hand them a tape recorder and camera, he replies that his mind doesn't work that way.

'''[[EvenEvilHasStandards Harley]]''': [[LampshadeHanging Why would they even make this!?]]

'''Offscreen Voice:''' You did sir.\\

* In ''Film/DieAnotherDay'' the villain has a suit that he can use to shock people. For reasons that are not entirely clear, but possibly related to the guy who built it not entirely trusting his boss ([[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness with good reason]]), there's a button on the front that causes it to electrocute the wearer.

* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', upon learning that the gate in Dorukan's dungeon that Elan destroyed was one of five seals on an EldritchAbomination's prison, Vaarsuvius [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0278.html questions the logic]] of having a SelfDestructMechanism. (There is a reason, namely to NoMacGuffinNoWinner rather than risk allowing the forces of evil control said abomination.)

* ''[[WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse Mickey Mouse Works]]'': One ''Mickey to the Rescue'' segment features Mickey trying to untie Minnie from some railroad tracks before she gets run over by Pete's locomotive. After his attempts to free her [[EpicFail end up getting them both tied]], Mickey ends up using his tail to pull a nearby switch that diverts the train just when it was about to hit them.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': The entrance to Yzma's secret lab has a lever that opens a TrapDoor to a [[SharkPool Croc Pool]]. It's right next to the lever that opens the door. While it could be used as a trap, Yzma doesn't seem to intend for it to be used that way, and she and Kronk can never remember which lever is which.

* The Egg Dealer from ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' is a prime example of this. It's essentially a slot machine on wheels that attacks by rolling the slots to cause various effects (dropping bombs, summoning MechaMooks, etc.). But Shadow can use his homing attack on the slot buttons to trigger them manually and cause effects that benefit himself, like causing Dr. Eggman to target himself with a missile barrage, fall on his own bombs, or ''[[UpToEleven trigger Shadow's]] SuperMode''.