History Main / BombproofAppliance

* ''Film/{{Eraser}}'': A fridge door was used to block the flechettes from a grenade. It worked... more or less. It was also used by the heroes to hide behind, as the X-ray scopes couldn't see through it.
** Though Arnold also had to hold the door open, and [[{{Squick}} gets a spike through the hand for it.]]

* Malcolm stuffs a grenade into the fridge in an episode of ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle''. [[SubvertedTrope It ends up destroying the kitchen, roof, and the refrigerator anyways.]]

* Adrian Monk in an episode of ''Series/{{Monk}}'' stuffs a grenade into the fridge, then opens up the fridge again to [[ObsessivelyOrganized straighten the grenade]].

* The ol' cast-iron bathtub is used again in ''Series/{{Castle}}'', where it also serves as a ChekhovsGun: a seemingly [[{{Fanservice}} gratuitous]] {{shower scene}} establishes that Beckett is within diving distance of the tub.

* Adrian Monk in an episode of ''Series/{{Monk}}'' stuffs a grenade into the fridge, then opens up the fridge again to [[SuperOCD straighten the grenade]].

* In ''VideoGame/SpiderMan'', criminals realizing their attempt to rob a bank has gone pear-shaped attempt to blow up everything with a large bomb. Spidey realizes the nearby safe is tough enough to withstand it, thus tosses it in and runs for cover. It works.

* [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Adolf Hitler]] (along with most of the other people in the room) survived an assassination attempt by a bomb thanks to a solid oaken conference table leg in between. It ''was'' properly positioned by the bomber to kill, but one of the people present for the meeting felt it was unseemly the way the suitcase with the bomb was sticking out, shoved it further under the table to put it out of sight.

* ''Film/BangkokDangerous'': Nicolas Cage also used a bathtub.

* ''Film/TheGirlInTheSpidersWeb'' also has a bathtub, in which Lisbeth jumps once her apartment is about to explode.
* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'': Harrison Ford prefers using a fridge. Lead-lined [[RefugeInAudacity in case of nuclear blast.]]
* In ''Film/TheMortalInstrumentsCityOfBones'', Clary Fray hides in a fridge with the door closed over while a cooker explodes right next to the fridge.

* ''Film/BrokenSaints'': Yet another fridge.
* ''Film/{{Eraser}}'': A fridge door was used to block the flechettes from a grenade. It worked... more or less. It was also used by the heroes to hide behind, as the X-ray scopes couldn't see through it.
** Though Arnold also had to hold the door open, and [[{{Squick}} gets a spike through the hand for it.]]
* ''Film/{{Stalingrad 2013}}'': a Red Army soldier uses a bathtub as improvised portable armor to get past a German machine gun nest.

* In ''Series/FXTheSeries'', the good guys find the bomb ''inside'' the fridge, and stuff it in a cannon prop to direct the blast away from themselves.
* The ol' cast-iron bathtub is used again in ''Series/{{Castle}}'', where it also serves as a ChekhovsGun: a seemingly [[{{Fanservice}} gratuitous]] {{shower scene}} establishes that Beckett is within diving distance of the tub.

* Inverted in ''Series/{{Bones}}'', where it's the bomb that's in the fridge instead of the heroes (Booth and Brennan)and it goes off when Booth opens the door.

* ''Series/{{Endeavour}}'': Not exactly an appliance, but in "Harvest", Morse dumps a grenade inside a lead-lined drum intended to hold nuclear waste. The heavy drum acts as a sump and funnels the blast upwards.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': if one takes the "Wild Wasteland" trait, they can find a refrigerator just outside the starting town of Goodsprings that contains a skeleton with a fedora and a revolver as a Shoutout to the ''Indiana Jones'' example.
* Played straight in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'''s infamous "Kid in a Fridge" quest: a ghoulified child managed to survive ''200 years'' trapped in a refrigerator, and is rescued (or [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential sold to slavers]]) by the Sole Survivor.

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': When marooned on a moon that's about to get blasted, Jane takes advantage of the Felt's arrival to have everyone hide in Biscuits' oven.

* ''VisualNovel/GrisaiaNoKajitsu'': In Makina's route both her and protagonist Yuuji hide in a big refrigerator, not just from the agents raiding the building, but from the dust explosion trap that Yuuji set up.

A bomb is about to go off while the hero is indoors. Where does he find refuge? Usually, either the bathtub or the fridge. Think about it as a completely different kind of FridgeLogic. This has been tested by ''Series/MythBusters''. Even taking cover behind a wooden table at 5' will prevent instantaneous death from the pressure wave, though death by shrapnel or other injuries are still [[{{Pun}} on the table.]] For a similar fallacy, see ConcealmentEqualsCover.

* [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Adolf Hitler]] (along with most of the other people in the room) survived an assassination attempt by a bomb thanks to a solid oaken conference table leg in between. It ''was'' properly positioned by the bomber to kill, but one of the people present for the meeting shoved the suitcase with the bomb further under the table to put it out of sight.

* ''Film/TheGirlInTheSpidersWeb'' also has a bathtub, in which Lisbeth jumps once her apartment is about to be exploded.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Series/{{Spooks}}''. A briefcase bomb is delivered to the home of an SIS agent, but a malfunction in the security system prevents the family from leaving the house. In the end they take shelter in the bathtub and survive the CliffHanger explosion that apparently destroys the house.

* ''Series/{{Endeavour}}'': Not exactly an appliance, but in "Harvest", Morse dumps an grenade inside a lead lined drum intended to hold nuclear waste. The heavy drum acts as a sump and funnels the blast upwards.

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': When marooned on a moon that's about to get blasted, Jane takes advantage of the Felt's arrival to have everyone hide in Biscuits's oven.

* In the 1980's, the US Air Force bought and installed a $7,000 coffee maker on a jet. The reason the coffee maker cost that much? [[MustHaveCaffeine It was designed to withstand a crash that would wipe out the whole crew]]. In addition, the Air Force also has over a hundred fax machines that are built to survive an atomic bomb blast.

** Makes a great backup option in case of tornado. Naturally a cellar is a better choice, but if it's a cast-iron tub or nothing, rub-a-dub-dub.

See also BombDisposal.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:Literature]]
* Subverted in one short story where a child during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar hears jetfighters flying low overhead and assumes that a nuclear war has started. He hides in an abandoned fridge and gets trapped there.

[[AC:{{Video Games}}]]

[[AC:{{Visual Novels}}]]

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

* [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Adolf Hitler]] (along with most of the other people in the room) survived an assassination attempt by a bomb thanks to a solid oaken conference table leg in between. It ''was'' properly positioned to kill by the bomber, but one of the people present shoved the suitcase with the bomb further under the table to put it out of sight for the meeting.

* [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Adolf Hitler]] (along with most of the other people in the room) survived an assassination attempt by a bomb thanks to a solid oaken conference table leg in between.

* ''Series/MythBusters'' showed a clip of ''Monk'' and investigated the myth. They proved that the fridge offered some protection against the blast, but the front and back turn to deadly shrapnel.

* ''Film/BangkokDangerous'': Nicholas Cage also used a bathtub.
* Hiding in a bathtub worked for [[Film/ThePunisher2004 The Punisher]] in TheMovie as well.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' lampshades this trope in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0900.html Comic #900]] after playing it straight.[[note]][[spoiler:Sarcophagi]] are typically made of stone, and thus sturdier than your average BombproofAppliance.[[/note]]

* Obligatory ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' example: when Homer buys illegal fireworks for the 4th of July, he accidentally shortens the fuse of an already-lit, massive one. He initially shoves it into the fridge, but then gasps, realising that the beer would be destroyed, so he moved it into the dishwasher, where it detonated.

* Malcolm stuffs a grenade into the fridge in an episode of ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle''.

* Malcolm stuffs a grenade into the fridge in an episode of ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle''. However, it does end up destroying the kitchen, roof, and the refrigerator (which Hal and Lois had been arguing over all day) anyways.

A bomb is about to go off while the hero is indoors. Where does he find refuge? Usually, either the bathtub or the fridge. Think about it as a completely different kind of FridgeLogic. This has been tested by ''Series/MythBusters''. Even taking cover behind a wooden table at 5' will prevent instantaneous death from the pressure wave, though death by shrapnel or other injuries are still [[JustForPun on the table.]] For a similar fallacy, see ConcealmentEqualsCover.