# Looking to safely smash a television set

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-safely-smash-a-television-set/124593>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 19, 2002, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-safely-smash-a-television-set/124593 "2002-08-19T15:26:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-safely-smash-a-television-set/124593/21 "2002-08-20T20:45:05Z")

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I busted about a dozen TVs at once. I was at a dump with my brother and my brother-in-law. When a TV repair van pulls up next to us and off loads a whole pile of TVs.

We waited until they left and started the destruction. Small rocks thrown directly at the screen didn’t do much (from 20 feet or so). We finally settled on facing the TV upward, throwing a large rock up and running away. About half the time a Rock impacted the screen it would implode. There was nothing really spectacular (as a reference point think low wattage bulb–typically under 40 Watt–is also under vacuum and doesn’t do anything too spectacular when ruptured) and no glass etc. spread (that we noticed–it _was_ a dump) farther than five feet or so.

Having said all the above I would **never** do this:[ul]a) Indoors.  
b) In front of a bunch of people who would be in a position to sue.[/ul]Because:[ul]a) It’s really not that spectacular.  
b) You _never_ know what _might_ happen.[/ul]

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**Author:** ![Rockford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@Rockford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rockford)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-safely-smash-a-television-set/124593/22 "2002-08-20T21:50:37Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> AndyPolley–  
> I intend on smashing it while it’s on, therefore plugged in. I plan on using a wooden bat. There is little separation between where people can stand and the stage itself–maybe a few feet.

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Then I hope you don’t mind spending the rest of your life (if you don’t go to jail, that is) paying off lawsuits from the people you’ve permanantly blinded and disfigured. I can’t believe you would even consider the possibility of doing this. :rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-safely-smash-a-television-set/124593/23 "2002-08-20T22:59:54Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> The song we’ll be playing is in D-flat minor.

Spoilsports! He goes to all the trouble of including every possible specification – including the key he’ll be playing in, and all you can do is shriek in horror…  
That said –  
I think, **AndyPolley** , that **cartooniverse** is correct. The effect you are thinking of producing is not the ‘natural’ result of smashing a TV. It is the illusion of what we wish would happen when a TV was smashed. Great gouts of shooting sparks! Smoke and flame! Sizzling popping sounds! etc., etc.

Get a professional to rig it up right, if you want to entertain your fans. Otherwise, it could be at best boring, at worst dangerous.

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