History Main / WhatDoesThisButtonDo

* Rex in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' asks this while pointing to a big red button on Buzz Lightyear's armor. Subverted in that it just plays a voice recording. In the same scene, there's also a bit in which one of the toys activates Buzz's laser, though without the line.

* In the ''VideoGame/Halo4'' Spartan Ops mission "Gagarin", triggering the ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' EasterEgg will lead to this exchange:

* A very common theme in ''Machinima/FreemansMind''. Freeman will frequently say variations on this as he recklessly presses any unlabeled button that the player would normally press in-game without question or justification.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "Message in a Bottle", two Emergency Medical Holograms have to take control of a vessel being attacked by Romulans. As neither have been on the bridge before the [[BillionsOfButtons LCARS interface throws them into confusion]] and they have to make educated guesses on what to press. HilarityEnsues.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': This shows up in the Beast Swords filler arc, where Senbonzakura finds himself in a room in the 12th division that has surveillance cameras all over Seireitei. He starts pressing buttons at random and ends up messing with the Shinigami on the cameras in various ways: Renji gets his bathwater superheated, Omaeda's barbecue explodes, Matsumoto's treadmill suddenly stops, adn so on.

Little kids are very likely to go through a “me see me wanna touch phase” for most kids this only lasts a two or three years during early childhood but some might never outgrow it and or it’ll last well into adulthood

* In ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheInvincibleTechnomage'' (a fanfiction in which Literature/HarryPotter is adopted by [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]]) the Dursleys and Harry go to a Stark International factory. Dudley decides to apply this trope UpToEleven, and his father not only doesn't do a thing to stop his son but [[TooDumbToLive prevents some people from stopping the kid]]. The result? The Dursleys die, another family that was there dies, a technician dies, and the only survivor is Harry thanks to his magical powers.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Bart Simpson turned this attitude up to eleven on an invisible (read: made with transparent casing) computer. He managed to crash the hard drive to the point where it ''caught fire.''

* In Music/{{Genesis}}' music video for "Music/LandOfConfusion" starring ''Series/SpittingImage'' dolls, Reagan presses "Nuke" instead of "Nurse". That earns him a slap on the back of the head from Nancy.

Little kids are very likely to go through a “me see me wanna touch” phase for most kids this only lasts two or three years during early childhood but some might never outgrow it and or it’ll last well into adulthood

* Burnie Burns of Creator/RoosterTeeth was shocked to find out that there was a "death switch" to the machinima offices in their kitchen -- a poor schmoe found the switch and began flipping it, innocently wondering why the kitchen lights weren't turning off. Gus Sorola, Barbara Dunkleman and Creator/GavinFree postulated that, had the switch existed during the early days of the company, Burnie would have flipped and ripped it out ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'' style.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by the joke, "Do you know what the last thing they said on [[GallowsHumor the Challenger space shuttle before it blew up? Gee, what does this button do?"]]

* Sal from ''WesternAnimation/AaahhRealMonsters'', hence the line (when he was in [[WombLevel Oblina's stomach]]), "One of these has got to be [[GrowlingGut hunger]]. Which one?"

*** When Batman and the Joker team up, the Joker asks this about every button in the Batmobile.[[note]]It might well be a CastingGag, since the Joker's VA, Jeff Bennett, was also the dad on ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory.''[[/note]] Finally, when Batman warns him to ''especially'' [[BriarPatching not push the big red button]], the Joker does, getting sprayed with sleep gas as a consequence. Even better, he does it ''twice.'' Bruce smirks at the second one.
*** Joker does this once more in the Kamandi ColdOpen of "The Vile and the Villainous!" Cue EarthShatteringKaboom.

A very bad way to [[TemptingFate tempt fate]]. An even worse way is to leave the button [[IdiotBall unlabeled]] or among BillionsOfButtons. The proper response to anyone who asks this question is, "DontTouchItYouIdiot", although "WhatWereYouThinking!" also crops up as a regular post-press reaction in either frustrated hiss or yelling flavours. Note, however, that {{Big Red Button}}s are usually a ChekhovsGun: even in the event that a curious character is prevented from pushing it, rest assured that you'll eventually find out what the button does. Compare and contrast AreTheseWiresImportant, for cases where the character is deliberately trying to make something malfunction, and CapsLockNumLockMissilesLock, when the button's placement means that it's highly likely to be pressed by accident.

A very bad way to [[TemptingFate tempt fate]]. The proper response to anyone who asks this question is, "DontTouchItYouIdiot", although "WhatWereYouThinking!" also crops up as a regular post-press reaction in either frustrated hiss or yelling flavours. Note, however, that {{Big Red Button}}s are usually a ChekhovsGun: even in the event that a curious character is prevented from pushing it, rest assured that you'll eventually find out what the button does. Compare and contrast AreTheseWiresImportant, for cases where the character is deliberately trying to make something malfunction, and CapsLockNumLockMissilesLock, when the button's placement means that it's highly likely to be pressed by accident.

* Ladies and gentlemen, ''[[http://store.steampowered.com/app/354240 Please, Don't Touch Anything]]'', which is the game version of this trope.
* In ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'', examining a statue in the Cinnabar Mansion causes the game to tell you there's a button on it, then asks if you want to press it. Once you press it, the game replies, "Who wouldn't?".
* ''VideoGame/[[RatchetAndClank2002 Ratchet & Clank]]'', has a mission on the Blarg Tactical Station where it asks you if you want to "Press the shiny red button?" Doing so will cause the ship you're on to activate a self-destruct, and now you have to get out before it explodes.

* Ling Xiaoyu says this in Panda's ''VideoGame/Tekken5'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbFGBCcpf-E ending]]. HilarityEnsues.

** In an episode, Garfield is trapped in a HauntedHouse and finds a rope hanging from the ceiling with a sign that says [[SchmuckBait "DO NOT PULL ROPE."]] Naturally, he pulls on it and is dropped through a trap door. "There's your lesson for today, kids. When it says '[[DontPullTheRope Don't Pull The Rope]],' [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment don't pull the rope]]."

* ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}: [[TheMovie Nobita and the Steel Troops]]'' has Chizuka messing around with a button of a HumongousMecha. The robot then fires [[EnergyWeapon laser beam]] that destroys an empty building nearby.

* [[http://news.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/04/18/political-pictures-joe-biden-probably-not-a-good-idea/ This]] LOL from Pundit Kitchen.

* [[http://www.anticscomic.com/?p=742 Played straight]] in ''Webcomic/{{Antics}}''.

* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', has the [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook.php?id=778 Awkward Button]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook.php?id=696 which gets pushed]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook.php?id=698 several times.]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Fanboys}}'' fuses this with ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' and ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''. [[http://www.fanboys-online.com/index.php?comic=287 Observe.]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'':
** An [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00174.htm example]] shows one of the least hazardous consequences -- initiating automatic shutdown of the ship reactor. Which they had only just gotten ''working''.
** [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00176.htm This]] [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00177.htm has come up]] [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff300/fv00265.htm several more times]] [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fv01884.htm since then.]]

* [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton01.html Roger]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton02.html from]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton03.html The]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton04.html Whiteboard]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton05.html just]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton06.html can't]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton07.html seem]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton08.html to]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton09.html help]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton10.html himself]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton11.html around]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton12.html a]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton13.html red]] [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autobutton14.html button.]]

* One of the lines in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw& "Dumb Ways to Die"]] is, "I wonder what this [[BigRedButton red button]] do." It detonates a nuke.

* Said (or rather, sung) almost word for word in ''Advertising/DumbWaysToDie''. [[spoiler:In this case, it causes an [[EverythingMakesAMushroom enormous explosion]].]]

* The Metro ad ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw Dumb Ways to Die]]'' has a character die saying "I wonder what this [[BigRedButton red button'll do".]] '''*EarthShatteringKaboom*'''

* ''{{WesternAnimation/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|2003}}'' (2003): During their first off-planet adventure, the Turtles end up fleeing from some Triceratons in a flying car, with Mikey in the "sidecar".

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1603866165077443700
%% Previous thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1330938924036887000
%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.

[[quoteright:350:[[Advertising/DumbWaysToDie https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dummbutton.png]]]]

* ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}: [[TheMovie Nobita and the Steel Troops]]'' has Chizuka messing around with a button of a HumongousMecha. The robot then fires [[EnergyWeapon laser beam]] that destroys an empty building nearby.
* ''Manga/FireForce'': When visiting Vulkun's home, Iris can't resist pushing the buttons scattered around his inventions. She even taps on some of Licht's more bizarre research items in his lab.
* ''Anime/MazingerZ'': This series mixed this trope with FallingIntoTheCockpit, and deconstructed both of them (funny and ironic, keeping in mind that ''Anime/MazingerZ'' [[UnbuiltTrope was the first mecha show where the pilot fell into the cockpit]]). When TheHero Kouji sat in the Hover Pilder (the flying device that controls the Super Robot) for the first time, he knew absolutely nothing about piloting. His little brother suggested to him that maybe it was a really bad idea, and he angrily replied he only needed to figure out what each button did. So then he began pressing random buttons to ascertain which did what... and he nearly got himself and his brother killed. Mazinger-Z went on a rampage, destroying everything on its path, and it only stopped when Sayaka showed up and carefully explained to Kouji what he had to do (after getting baffled at the thought of someone doing something SO stupid). And it was way worse in the original manga version since Kouji activated Mazinger-Z in the middle of a big city. To be fair, though, the person who had built Mazinger-Z was dead, so it was not like if Kouji could consult someone about it at the time.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Franky goes searching through the laboratory of the world's most brilliant scientist for a ship that can take him to the rest of the Straw Hats. He comes across a "Pirate button", and...
-->'''BOOM!!'''\\
''The world refers to this incident as the Future Kingdom's great disaster: "The Nightmare of Baldimore".''

* ''ComicBook/TeenTitans''; [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Tim Drake]] manages to smuggle a batmobile to California under the 'Batarang budget' and tells the group not to touch the blue button after being asked that question. A page later reveals it most likely contacts Batman, right after [[ComicBook/{{Impulse}} Kid Flash]] has managed to crash the car upside down.
* Done in ''ComicBook/GorskyAndButch'', in a direct ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' parody. (Unfortunately, the button was in the middle of a bomb that Gorsky was trying to disarm.)
* One ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'' story has Mr. Lodge having trouble with his kitchen because every appliance is built into the wall, and the buttons are unlabeled. On Archie's suggestion, the two of them test each button which results in variations of TheDoorSlamsYou until Mr. Lodge gives up, has Archie gather firewood, and cooks lunch over a campfire in the kitchen.
* A gag in ''ComicBook/AchilleTalon'' has just a single button labeled "do not push". The main character gets more and more unhinged as he desperately tries to resist the temptation of pushing it until he finally gives in. [[spoiler:It electrocutes the pusher.]]
* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfWonderWoman2016'': After Diana and the Holliday Girls "borrow" an experimental aircraft in order to go join the fight against the Duke of Deception and try to prevent him from awakening the Titan, they pass an allied aircraft. When Diana talks about contacting them on the radio, Tilly Heyday pushes the giant red button covered in caution tape while cheerfully chirping "maybe it's the radio!" while the others, in horror, tell her not to. It turns out to be the button to turn the plane invisible.

* In ''[[Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheInvincibleTechnomage The Invincible Technomage]]'' (a fanfiction in which Literature/HarryPotter is adopted by [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]]) the Dursleys and Harry go to a Stark International factory. Dudley decides to apply this trope UpToEleven, and his father not only doesn't do a thing to stop his son but [[TooDumbToLive prevents some people from stopping the kid]]. The result? The Dursleys die, another family that was there dies, a technician dies, and the only survivor is Harry thanks to his magical powers.
* Defied by Hermione in ''Fanfic/TheProblemWithPurity'' when she notices dormant wards that, if her calcuations are correct, would ''probably'' separate the tables in the Great Hall from each other if they were activated. She's tempted to activate the wards just to see them working, but has enough sense to restrain herself.
* The Judge asks this in case 1 of ''FanFic/BrendanNamronAceAttorney'' just before pressing the power switch of the flashlight -- and getting hit by its light.
* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlph_4wvF8s this]] ''VideoGame/TitanFall2'' fansong, "Wait, what's this button for?" "[[AC:Eject eject, that's the nuclear core]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/YellowSubmarine'', Ringo presses a button just after he's told not to do so. It is a panic button/ejector seat that puts him in the Sea of Monsters... (Music/RingoStarr himself said children all over the world asked him "why did you push the button?")
** Earlier in the same film, Ringo and Fred are wandering around the Beatles' house looking for the rest of the band and they find a giant Frankenstein's monster with a lever next to it. Fred warns Ringo to leave it alone, but Ringo pulls the lever anyway, insisting "Can't help it, I'm a born [[FunWithHomophones lever-puller]]"[[note]]Pronounced "Liverpooler", although the proper term for someone from Liverpool is "Liverpudlian"[[/note]]. The monster wakes up, but fortunately, it then drinks a potion and transforms into John.
* In ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'', as Ralph is trying to figure out how Vanellope's racecar works, Vanellope asks, "What does this joystick do?", pulls it, and reverses, smacking Ralph in the face. She does this two more times.
* In ''WesternAnimation/PenguinsOfMadagascar'', Private can't stop pushing the buttons on Dave's submarine, each one sending them deeper into the ship. Later he [[ChekhovsSkill presses]] another one to [[spoiler:save the North Wind from Dave's [[DeathTrap death trap]]]].

* At the start of ''WesternAnimation/StarshipTroopersTraitorOfMars'', Johnny Rico is commanding a squad of rookie soldiers. The EnsignNewbie tries to activate his infrared and shoots off a backpack nuclear missile instead, blowing them all up. Fortunately it's a DangerRoomColdOpen.

* In the 1983 film ''Film/WarGames'', this concept is spoofed, when a tourist at NORAD is tricked by a military tour guide into pushing a big red button that simulates an emergency response, for comedic effect.[[note]]Complete with the "Challenging Stage" jingle from VideoGame/{{Galaga}}, which coincidentally was the game David was playing earlier in the film on two separate occasions.[[/note]]
* Will Smith's character in ''Film/MenInBlack'' is firmly instructed early in the movie to never, ever touch the red button. In the crisis of the climax scene, [[ForbiddenChekhovsGun Tommy Lee Jones tells him to push it]]. [[spoiler: It activates turbo engines that allow the car to drive on walls and ceilings to get through a traffic-clogged tunnel.]]

* In ''Film/UndercoverBrother'', Conspiracy Brother sees a BigRedButton in the control room of The Man's base labelled "Atomic Core". He goes ahead and presses it anyway, starting the self destruct sequence.

* In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', Rocket shows Groot an explosive device (with the yield of a [[NukeEm nuke]]) and gives him specific instructions not to press the BigRedButton, as it would set the nuke off immediately, killing them all. [[HilarityEnsues Groot has trouble understanding.]] [[spoiler:Luckily, when Groot has to press the button, the instant explosion one is cracked and possibly broken, meaning the right one is the only choice]].
* ''Film/ThorRagnarok''. On finding the spacecraft they stole doesn't have any weapons because it's a pleasure yacht used by the Grandmaster for his orgies, Banner is told not to push any buttons, presumably for fear of activating some kind of {{Orgasmatron}}. However when they're being shot at, Banner in desperation pushes the biggest button he can see. This activates the Grandmaster's birthday celebration fireworks which distract the craft shooting at them, causing it to crash.
* In ''Film/TronLegacy'', Sam ends up zapping himself onto the Grid by ignorantly repeating the last issued command on the console. Even when faced with the warning message, he makes only a token effort to look for the indicated "aperture" before confirming the command.

* [[TheChosenOne Alk and Ilke]]'s adventure starts out like this in ''Literature/{{Phenomena}}'', where Ilke can't help it but grab some handles.
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' plays this trope straight, while subverting the ShmuckBait element and averting the ChekhovsGun of it: "[Arthur] reached out and pressed an invitingly large button on a nearby panel. The panel lit up with the words 'Please do not press this button again.'" At no point is this button ever mentioned again.

* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia: The Magician's Nephew'':
-->''Make your choice, adventurous stranger\\
Strike the bell and bide the danger\\
Or wonder 'till it drives you mad\\
What would have happened if you had
* In ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' ''The Atlantis Complex'' Mulch amuses himself on a long trip in a stolen shuttle by doing this repeatedly, activating the emergency braking system and dumping a load of "waste" on some very surprised fishermen.
--> "I should have guessed that one. There's a little picture of a toilet on the button."
* ''The Illustrated Franchise/StarWars Universe'' has an image of an Ewok examining a blaster, with the caption saying that Ewoks are curious about Imperial technology, often to their own detriment.

* The Literature/MrMen story "Adventures with Minibeasts" ends with [[ConstantlyCurious Little Miss Curious]] coming across Miss Inventor's Shrinkometer and wondering how it works, presses a button on it and makes Little Miss Tiny grow to the size of a giant. It may also be a ShoutOut to the TropeNamer.
* ''Literature/CastleHangnail'': During the introductory tour of the castle, Molly is shown a device of uncertain purpose built by a MadScientist who used to occupy the castle; it features a button with a prominent label saying NEVER EVER PRESS THIS BUTTON -- and the button has been pressed so hard it's stuck in the 'on' position.

* ''Series/Batwoman2019''.

* In Music/{{Genesis}}' music video for "Music/LandOfConfusion" starring ''Series/SpittingImage'' dolls, Reagan presses "Nuke" instead of "Nurse". That earns him a slap on the back of the head from Nancy.
* In the music video for Series/TheYoungOnes' "Living Doll", Vyvyan says "What does this button do?", pushes a button on the mixing desk, and blows up the studio.

* At the end of Laszlo & Gary's "Don't Touch That", a recording engineer begs him not to touch a big red button on the control panel even though he's curious about what it does; he touches the button and the song ends with a loud explosion.

* ''Music/KidsPraise'': Said word-for-word when a little girl named Hanna is checking out a machine Psalty invented that was supposed to stretch time. Turns out the machine travels through time instead; they found this out when she pressed it.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'', the Curious disadvantage causes your character to do exactly this, with a penalty to your roll if the button is big, red, and has "Do Not Press" written on it.

* Ling Xiaoyu says this in Panda's ''VideoGame/Tekken5'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbFGBCcpf-E ending]]. HilarityEnsues.
* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'', while Alvis is informing the party about the traps scattered around the High Entia Tomb, Reyn wanders off, delivers the line, and pushes the button in front of him. Cue trapdoor sending everyone (and [[GravityIsAHarshMistress eventually]] Riki) to the Catacombs.
* Marle in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger''. While searching for a way back from the [[BadFuture post-apocalyptic future]] at Arris Dome, Marle says this exact phrase before pressing a button on Arris Dome's supercomputer that plays a recording of [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the Day of Lavos]], the very day the world "ended". Though, she and her friends take it upon themselves to try and prevent this future. One could argue that pressing it has [[TimeyWimeyBall disastrous effects to the timeline...]]
* In ''VideoGame/GotchaForce'', Yuji will occasionally say this when one of his borgs is destroyed. Given that he does occasionally use borgs that specialize in kamikaze tactics, like the aptly-named Walking Bomb, the implication is ([[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} mostly]]) clear.

* In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations'', Maya presses the emergency buzzer at the KB office setting off an alarm. In the trial, Phoenix can claim that this is why the killer sounded the alarm due to curiosity for what the button does, only for Godot to point out the button is clearly labeled as an emergency buzzer.
* The controls in ''VideoGame/SimAnt'' included an unmarked white "mystery button" whose effects changed at random with each click. It might tell you a joke, rapidly play every single sound effect, let the spider shoot lasers from its eyes, or ''annihilate most of your colony.'' (There were plenty of other effects, some beneficial but on average, clicking the button was disadvantageous to the player.)

* Beat, from ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'': "Yo, you show me a button, and I want to push it." To which Neku replies "They design traps like this with you in mind..." (What does it do? [[spoiler:Nothing, unless you've solved the puzzle; if you have, the box opens, granting you a key needed to get past a barrier and progress.]])

* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', the boss Mimiron is an inventor, fought in his main workshop. Behind the tank he's adjusting when you encounter him is a massive red button, which is labelled "Do No Press This Button". Pressing it triggers the self-destruct mechanism and the boss hard mode, with a short timer and flames everywhere, as well as provoking an angry rant from the boss on how stupid it was to press that button.
** In the Mogu'shan Vaults instance, the guide NPC, Lorewalker Cho, announces one section of the instance with "Ah, the ancient vaults of the Kings of Mogu'shan! Hmm... what might this button do?" Turns out it displays to Cho a history of the rule of the (evil) mogu emperors - and also conjures material phantasms that attempt to use your raid as object lessons in the brutality of said emperors. ([[ButThouMust You must complete this sequence to proceed,]] as the final set of phantasms are the next boss encounter, and open a secret passage upon their demise.)
* During the Dr. Lugae and Barnabas boss battle in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', if you defeat Barnabas first, Lugae will pilot a new one afterward, and accidentally press a self-destruct button wondering what it does, despite the fact that he was the one who created that robot in the first place.

* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002'', has a mission on the Blarg Tactical Station where it asks you if you want to "Press the shiny red button?" Doing so will cause the ship you're on to activate a self-destruct, and now you have to get out before it explodes.
* In ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'', examining a statue in the Cinnabar Mansion causes the game to tell you there's a button on it, then asks if you want to press it. Once you press it, the game replies, "Who wouldn't?".
* In a mission of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' in which he steals a working WeaponizedCar from the set of a spy movie, Franklin wonders aloud what a certain button on the dashboard does, and the player is invited to find out. [[spoiler:It's the EjectionSeat, and the obnoxious starlet in the passenger seat goes flying out through the roof.]]
* One section near the end of the game in ''VideoGame/AnotherWorld'' has the player riding a giant armed vehicle into a packed arena while armed guards fire on it. The player is then presented with a panel of buttons without context, which they're ''supposed'' to deduce the correct order in which to push them in order to activate the vehicle's escape pods, though it's much easier to just hammer on every single button (which also activates the vehicles' mounted laser cannons) until the scene ends.
* ''VideoGame/TheControlPanel'' gives you an unspecified device with buttons to push, switches to switch, cables to wire and more! [[spoiler:It blows up the world once you figure out all the challenges. Complete with a message not to mess with stuff you don't understand.]]
* Obligatory ''VideoGame/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' example: Buffy is trying to gain access to a control room at the docks. The only way seems to be a shorting out and sparking control panel. Using it sends her flying twenty feet through the glass of the control room so she can progress at least.
* Ladies and gentlemen, ''[[http://store.steampowered.com/app/354240 Please, Don't Touch Anything]]'', which is the game version of this trope.
* Mirai from ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterMillionLive'' has this as one of her lines when sent on jobs. This comes up again in one of the offers in ''Theater Days'' where Haruka mentions having to stop her from pressing random buttons when doing a radio show.
* In the ''VideoGame/Halo4'' Spartan Ops mission "Gagarin", triggering the ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' EasterEgg, wil lead to this exchange:
-->'''Caboose:''' What does this button do?
-->'''Church:''' Caboose, don't touch anything.
-->'''Caboose:''' [[TemptingFate But I'm great at buttons]]. [[InstantlyProvenWrong Hey look at that explosion]]!
* At one point in ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape: VisualNovel/ZeroTimeDilemma'', D-Team encounter a button with a timer and have to decide to press it or not. Sigma opts to press it while Phi saying there's no danger so they shouldn't. [[spoiler:Not pressing it is exactly the best option, doing so will obliterate the entire base.]]

* In ''WebAnimation/TheDementedCartoonMovie'', a Blah Guy comes across a set of three buttons, each with a picture beside it. The first is of a brick wall, the second is of a kamikaze watermelon, and the third is an EarthShatteringKaboom. He doesn't speak, but seems to do some thinking before he presses each one -- yes, he does press the third one, which has predictable consequences.
* In ''WebAnimation/GEOWeasel'', as Jimbob pokes around in the buttons of the flying machine, he accidentally hits the AOL instant messenger button.

* Said (or rather, sung) almost word for word in ''Advertising/DumbWaysToDie''. [[spoiler:In this case, it causes an [[EverythingMakesAMushroom enormous explosion]].]]

* ''Webcomic/{{Fanboys}}'' fuses this with ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' and ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''. [[http://www.fanboys-online.com/index.php?comic=287 Observe.]]
* {{Subverted}} by Jyrras in [[http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_362.php a strip]] from ''Webcomic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures''.
-->'''Jyrras:''' [[BigRedButton The red flashy one]]? It disables the system so no one can push any of the real buttons.

* ''Webcomic/SequentialArt'':
** Pip [[http://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php?s=343 does this by proxy]] before selling MadScientist equipment left by EvilMinions on [[FictionalCounterpart EBuy]]. As to how much this helps, see the next comic.
** [[http://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php?s=355 Later]], Kat prevents the same squirrel girl from doing this after she ''looked once'' at a button.
* [[http://charcole.kyrio.net/?comic=charcole223-ill-take-the-case Shows up]] in ''Webcomic/CharCole'' when the professor describes Brian. The button in question plays a recorded message scolding him for touching it.
* Subverted in ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty''. [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2010/11/07/about-death-trap/ CK freaks out when Nin Wah seemingly stumbles straight into this trope, but the keyboard is just a standard layout using an unusual font.]]
* [[http://www.anticscomic.com/?p=742 Played straight]] in ''Webcomic/{{Antics}}''.
* [[Franchise/SherlockHolmes Dr. Watson]] of all people is guilty of it [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20110215.html in this fan comic.]]
-->'''Holmes:''' Watson! No!!!\\
'''Watson:''' Ooh! Buttons!
* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', has the [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook.php?id=778 Awkward Button]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook.php?id=696 which gets pushed]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook.php?id=698 several times.]]
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' [[https://xkcd.com/242/ takes it a step further]] -- finding out what the lever does leads to the question "Will it do the same thing if I pull it again?"

* When Roman Torchwick takes control of a military airship in ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' Volume 3, he invokes this trope while merrily wreaking havoc. It's downplayed, though; while the first button causes an offScreen explosion, ("Oh, fun!") the second button just dumps a squad of robots out, causing no serious harm.

* ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' has Dexter's big sister [=DeeDee=] as the arguable TropeCodifier, having elevated this to an art form and having "What does this button do?" as her catchphrase.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Bart Simpson turned this attitude up to eleven on an invisible (read: made with transparent casing) computer. He managed to crash the hard drive to the point where it ''caught fire.''
* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck''
** This is the attitude that Darkwing approaches the [[WaveMotionGun Ramrod]] with in the {{pilot}}. He is deliberately trying to disable it or at least break it -- he ends up [[ExplosiveOverclocking overloading it]]. The explosion is visible from miles and miles away.
** Gosalyn can be pretty bad about it as well.
--->'''Gosalyn:''' What else does it do?\\
''"Don't touch that!!"''\\
'''Gosalyn:''' Why not? ''[presses the button anyway]''
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible''

* In the ''WesternAnimation/BackAtTheBarnyard'' episode, "Saving Mrs. Beady", the plot starts off with using the titular neighbor's car for Abby's driving lesson. She starts to play this trope, only to subvert is as she just activates the windshield wipers. Later in the episode she plays it straight when she accidentally crushes Peck in a hospital bed.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'':
** When Batman and the Joker team up, the Joker asks this about every button in the Batmobile.[[note]]It might well be a CastingGag, since the Joker's VA, Jeff Bennett, was also the dad on ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory.''[[/note]] Finally, when Batman warns him to ''especially'' [[BriarPatching not push the big red button]], the Joker does, getting sprayed with sleep gas as a consequence. Even better, he does it ''twice.'' Bruce smirks at the second one.
** Joker does this once more in the Kamandi ColdOpen of "The Vile and the Villainous!". Cue EarthShatteringKaboom.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', Harvey Bullock asks this about one of the Batmobile's buttons. Batman half-grins and says, "Passenger ejector seat". Doubles as a ShoutOut to a rather similar event in which Batman duped the Joker with that button.
* Flash does it in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' (said button is in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUof_lw46h8 the cockpit of a Thanagarian gunship]])... and blows a giant hole in the wall of Wayne Manor, almost killing Alfred. Batman immediately rounds on him, saying "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis THAT'S. NOT. HELPING]]!"
* Lampshaded in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''. Peter presses a button clearly marked "Do Not Press This Button". A small Asian man walks up to him, bows then kicks Peter in the head.
** In ''Space Cadet'', this isn't said but the first thing Stewie does is push a big red button in the space shuttle Chris was giving a tour of, saying, "Ooh, big red button, I don't care what it does!"
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'', specifically "Battle of the Planets", GIR is sent to distract Dib. He goes off and makes it look like he's going to do something evil and actually competent, when all he ends up doing is randomly pushing buttons on Dib's controls, saying, "What's this do? What's that do?" And somehow this manages to ''fulfill'' his given assignment regardless.
* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'': In "[[SpaceEpisode Rocket Jimmy]]", Jimmy is messing around in [[MadScientist Dr. Scientist]]'s observatory, and we get this:
-->'''Jimmy:''' Oooh, what's this do? ''(presses button)''\\
''(a missile is launched, blowing up a large laboratory on a nearby hill)''\\
'''Dr. Scientist:''' ''(surprised)'' Apparently, it destroys my house.
* The classic ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' episode "Space Madness" ends with Commander Hoek, driven mad by... well, by space madness, brings Cadet Stimpy around the bend with him by ordering him to guard the History Eraser Button, with a very strict order not to let anyone touch it. Finding out what that button does is already tantalizing enough before the narrator decides to pile on the excruciating suspense.
-->'''Narrator:''' Oh, how long can trusty Cadet Stimpy hold out? How can he possibly resist the diabolical urge to push the button that could erase his very existence? Will his tortured mind give in to its uncontrollable desires? Can he withstand the temptation to push the button that even now beckons him ever closer? Will he succumb to the maddening urge to eradicate history at the ''mere push of a single button''? The ''beautiful, shiny button? The jolly, candy-like button?'' Will he hold out, folks? ''Can'' he hold out?!\\
'''Stimpy:''' NO I CAN'T! ''(pushes button)''\\
'''Narrator:''' Tune in next week as--
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': This exchange (although it might have been more panic than curiosity):
-->'''Phineas:''' Alright, Candace, you'll be fine as long as you don't push any buttons randomly.\\
'''Candace:''' I CAN'T HEAR YOU, TOO BUSY PUSHING BUTTONS RANDOMLY!
** In another episode, [[NotSoAboveItAll Perry]] of all people does this while riding in British Agent Double-00's car. Turns out it was the eject button.
* ''{{WesternAnimation/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|2003}}'' (2003): During their first off-planet adventure, the Turtles end up fleeing from some Triceratons in a flying car, with Mikey in the "sidecar".
-->'''Donny:''' Uh, leave the shiney buttons alone, Mikey!\\
'''Mikey:''' But it might be something really good. ''(his segment starts to detach)'' Or not.

* Sal from ''WesternAnimation/AaahhRealMonsters'', hence the line (when he was in [[WombLevel Oblina's stomach]]), "One of these has got to be [[GrowlingGut hunger]]. Which one?"

* The subject of ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}} Megamind: The Button of Doom]]''. Having renounced his villainous ways, Megamind auctions off all his weapons and evil devices. At the end of the day, the only thing left is a BigRedButton. Megamind suggests it probably just opens the garage door. It turns out to activate a HumongousMecha. Oops!

* Burnie Burns of Creator/RoosterTeeth was shocked to find out that there was a "death switch" to the machinima offices in their kitchen - a poor schmoe found the switch and began flipping it, innocently wondering why the kitchen lights weren't turning off. Gus Sorola, Barbara Dunkleman and Creator/GavinFree postulated that, had the switch existed during the early days of the company, Burnie would have flipped and ripped it out ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'' style.
* GallowsHumor about the space shuttle: What was the last thing said on the ''Challenger'' space shuttle? 'Gee, what does this button do?'