PG Explosives

Everybody loves explosions. Trailers are packed full of them, and just about everything will explode, even things that really shouldn't. This is because, at least in the minds of the general population, Explosions = Fire, and fire is very exciting. The thing about real life explosions, though, is that they also have a tendency to create excessive amounts of gore.

Adventure shows tend to be catering to a PG-13 style audience, and it's only possible to get a certain amount of stuff past the radar, so although the violence itself remains, all of the gore is removed. When explosives are involved (even when people are constantly being killed by them), the bodies of the recently deceased will be either completely unharmed or slightly bruised/have a bit of dirt on them. Bodies will frequently be thrown around by the force of the explosions, but bodies will otherwise be completely intact. On the opposite extreme, they may be entirely consumed by the explosion, leaving no trace behind.

Can sometimes be Truth in Television, as explosions can cause fatal internal damage by creating a huge difference in air pressure, without much external damage. Those are called thermobaric weapons. The nasty thing is, they sometimes cause Eye Scream, as well as Ear Ache and lung damage. It's also horribly painful.

See Also: Bloodless Carnage, Non-Fatal Explosions, Ash Face.

Live Action TV

 * Every explosive shown on MacGyver, ever.
 * Every explosive shown on Stargate SG 1, ever.
 * Every explosive shown on The A-Team, ever.
 * Happens all the time in Star Trek when all the C4-loaded panels explode, sending Red Shirts flying around the room. The best you may get is some burns plastered on their faces. Naturally, the main characters just shake it off and carry on working at the same console that just exploded.
 * Have you ever seen an episode of Super Sentai or Power Rangers ? Everything explodes with frightening regularity and little result.

Film

 * Big Trouble in Little China has the explosive devices in Egg Shen's Six-Demon Bag.
 * Dueling Movies Volcano and Dantes Peak both have oneinstance of showing realistic bad burns from their respective volcano disasters, but otherwise follows this trope to the letter.

Tabletop RPGs

 * GURPS has an optional rule for this that causes explosions to deal only knockback. Obviously not recommended for realistic games.

Video Games

 * This was actually cited as the reason Snake got a lot of explosive weapons but no simple guns in Super Smash Bros. Brawl; explosions are sillier.
 * Every explosive shown in Warhawk, ever.
 * Scarface the World Is Yours: Tony Montana's 'don't kill innocents' morality means any explosives he launches just knock down and disorient non-enemies. However, if his lackeys fire a grenade, blood ensues.
 * Explosives in the Half Life series throw ragdolls, but without blood or gore.

Western Animation

 * Anything thrown on the floor in 12OzMouse or Aqua Teen Hunger Force would explode.