Over the years of its existence, the Internet has been enriched by many Internet memes (from the English Internet meme), denoting a particular phenomenon on the network. One of the most striking memes of recent times was the network hero Captain Obvious, aka Cap.
Captain Obvious (Captain Obvious, abbreviated Cap or Cap) is mentioned in case someone wants to point out the common truth expressed by him. Also, this meme is often used in a situation where it is required to note the obvious absurdity, the presence of completely unnecessary hints, reminders, recommendations, instructions, advice, etc. etc.
The appearance of the term is associated with Captain Obvious, the popular hero of the American web comic Cyanide and Happiness ("Cyanide and Happiness", authors Dave McElfatrick, Chris Wilson, Matt Melvin and Rob Den Blaker). The first issue of the comic was published on December 9, 2004, and this day should be considered Cap's birthday. The behavior of the Captain, a disinterested assistant and fighter against evil, is unknowingly copied by many Internet users, generously giving out unnecessary advice and comments. It should be noted that the expression "Thank you captain obvious" first appeared back in 1992 in the Comp.sys.mac.hardware group. However, it was the authors of the comics who gave Cap a bright appearance and a memorable demeanor.
A new hero came to the open spaces of the Runet from the English sector of the network, where he first lived in chat rooms. In the Russian-language segment of the Internet, he was first spotted in 2008, even a website dedicated to him "Tak-to! Ru" appeared. The name is associated with the famous expression of Cap - at the end of each of his explanations, he always added "So and so!".
From this resource, Cap began to conquer the Russian-speaking Internet. At the same time, the phrase "Thank you, Cap", which has become no less famous, also appeared. Expressing gratitude to the Captain, the authors in an unobtrusive manner made it clear that his advice and comments are useless, since they point to the obvious facts. It was this phrase that eventually became a catch phrase, it is increasingly used not only on the Internet, but also in everyday life. Sometimes, instead of the expression "Captain Obvious", the options "General Obvious", "Major Obvious" are used. This is due to the fact that in Russia the term "captain" is often associated with a military rank.
Captain Obviousness received great popularity in demotivators that most clearly emphasize his outstanding abilities. A demotivator is an image with a black frame and a comment to it. Initially, demotivators appeared as a parody of advertising posters, but over time they became an independent phenomenon. It is demotivators that very clearly represent examples of Cap's activities.
