User:Tlogmer/Captain Obvious

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Phrases that may result in the speaker being called Captain Obvious:
  • You shouldn't drink the poison because you may die.
  • North America is the northern part of the Americas.
  • I'm playing a computer game, on my computer.

[[Image:Captain Obvious Example.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A reference to Captain Obvious on the imageboard iichan. The poster 'Lan' has just made an obvious observation.]]

Captain Obvious is a fictional character whose main characteristic is that he makes statements of fact that are painfully obvious to other observers. The term Captain Obvious is usually used sarcastically in reference to people who state the self-evident. [1] Primarily an Internet phenomenon, the term is often used in sentences such as "Captain Obvious to the rescue!"[2] or "Thank you, Captain Obvious!" [3]

The term is based on archetypical superhero names that begin with "Captain". An altered picture of Captain America (but with an 'O' for Obvious) is sometimes included when posters reference Captain Obvious.

Captain Obvious is said to have an archnemesis in "Captain Oblivious". Captain Oblivious is used to describe people who seem to know what they're saying (and usually try to insult people who disagree, even though they're actually the ones who are right), but actually have their facts completely wrong. Additionally, "Professor Subtle" is the antithesis of Captain Obvious.

Captain Obvious is also said to have a sidekick, "Readily Apparent Boy".

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[edit] Captain Obvious in popular culture

In the Star Wars fandom, "Captain Obvious" is sometimes used as a nickname for the character Ric Olié.[4] This is due to his lines in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, such as:

There's the blockade!
That's it... Tatooine.
Coruscant... The entire planet's one big city. (though in the example he explains it to Anakin who doesn't know the city)
Enemy fighters straight ahead!
The deflector shield is too strong!

"The Shebang" is an Australian weekday radio show on the Triple M network. It includes a segment called "Captain Obvious" where listeners are encouraged to phone in if they've "heard or seen something that's just plain stupidly obvious". [5]

"Mr. Obvious" is the subject of a recurring skit featured on the Bob & Tom morning radio show, and performs the same function. "Obviousman" is also a recurring character in Wiley's Non Sequitur comic strip.

Thank You Captain Obvious is the name of a CD released by the band Machine Go Boom in 2003.

A recent book series also uses the Captain Obvious name. Captain Obvious: When Tomorrow Never Comes was released by Publish America in June 2007. The book was written by David Landrum of Ocala, Florida, and is the first in a series of 5 books.

The term is also used in the WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW series of games--usually the 2006 and 2007 editions, spoken sarcastically by Tazz to Michael Cole whenever a player performs a "dirty" move on his/her opponent to boost his/her momentum meter. When Tazz uses the Captain Obvious remark, Michael Cole is left to say, "I just think it's unfortunate whenever a Superstar decides to cheat to win, rather than compete fairly", right before the illegal move is finished.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Urban Dictionary: Fularious Street Slang Defined.. ISBN 0740751433. 
  2. ^ "Captain Obvious to the Rescue", July 12, 2006. "One of their funniest bits was a recurring skit about a superhero named Captain Obvious. In each scene, a character would face a mundane problem, only to be "saved" by the banal and utterly unhelpful advice offered by Captain Obvious. "I've locked my keys in my car. What am I going to do?" "Well then," replies Captain Obvious, "all you have to do is open the door to your car, and then you can get your keys." Each scene ended the same way, with Captain Obvious proclaiming, "No, don't thank me. It's all in a day's work for Captain Obvious." 
  3. ^ "Thank You, Captain Obvious", Safehaven, 22-04-2005, <http://www.safehaven.com/article-2944.htm>
  4. ^ Ric Olié on Wookieepedia, last accessed on 15 February 2006
  5. ^ Link to Triple M afternoon segments, including Captain Obvious, last accessed on 15 December 2006.

[edit] External links