History CaptainObvious / Other

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--> All examples that don't belong anywhere else are here!
* One of the entries on ''Clients From Hell'': "[[http://clientsfromhell.net/post/60004865173/will-you-need-to-be-paid-in-currency Will you need to be paid in currency?]]"
* From Ride/DisneyThemeParks, the narration for the now-defunct ''Adventures Through Inner Space'' did this several times.
--> (while the car is surrounded by giant snowflakes) "These are snowflakes!"
--> "And yet this wall of ice only ''seems'' smooth and solid. From this tiny perspective, I can see that nothing is solid, no matter how it appears!"
--> "Yes... these are ''water'' molecules! [=H2O=]... Two hydrogen atoms bonded to a single oxygen atom."
* Speaking of water, found on most if not all hot water tanks: "Caution: Contains hot water".
* John Snagge, commenting on the Boat Race, said "I can't see who's ahead - it's either Oxford or Cambridge". [[note]]these are the only contestants in the race[[/note]]
* ''Website/TheOnion'' is fond of using this for humor, as in their article "[[http://www.theonion.com/content/news/investigators_determine_air_france?utm_source=a-section Investigators Determine Air France Disaster Caused By Plane Crash]]".
** [[http://www.theonion.com/video/study-multiple-stab-wounds-may-be-harmful-to-monke,14150/ "Study: Multiple Stab Wounds May Be Harmful To Monkeys"]] combines this with ForScience.
** The Onion's parodying, in part, the tendency of real news media to keep repeating the same threadbare information again and again as a breaking story develops, since they have nothing substantial to report at the moment, but they have to keep covering the story. For example, one MSNBC expert's analysis of a dark spot in a photograph was "it's definitely... definitely something that's ...there". He was probably trying to say it's not a spot on the lens, but ''still''...
* In Wiki/TVTropes, tropers will {{pothole}} a word, phrase, etc. that is considered to be... well... completely obvious, to [[PotholeMagnet this page]].
* Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} does this a lot.
** From the first sentence of their article on the Seville Cathedral: "Seville Cathedral...is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville"
** Any time you see the phrase "this is likely a reference to..." on Wiki/TheOtherWiki, get ready for an eye-rollingly obvious statement.
** Also from Wiki/TheOtherWiki: "Ion exchange is [[ShapedLikeItself an exchange of ions]]...".
** The section on dizygotic (fraternal) twins in the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin Twins article]]:
--->Like any other siblings, DZ twins may look similar, particularly given that they are the same age. However, DZ twins may also look very different from each other. They may be of different sexes or the same sex. The same holds true for brothers and sisters from the same parents, meaning that DZ twins are simply brothers and/or sisters who happen to be the same age.
** "The United States Air Force Symbol is the Symbol of the United States Air Force."
** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-man_football "The main difference between 11 man and 8 man football is most notably the elimination of three players."]]
** [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Water torture is torture using water.]] Gee, [[SarcasmMode I never would have guessed!]]
** [[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Pen-pen]]] has claws on his wingtips, [[ShockingSwerve which modern birds do not have.]]
** [[https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/67_%28number%29 67 (sixty-seven) is the natural number following 66 and preceding 68. It is an odd number.]]
*** Every Wikipedia article about integers is worded in such a way. They mostly exist because of their meanings in fields of science, or symbolism in religion, in media, slang, etc.
** "A barn door is a door characteristic of a barn. They are often/always found on barns..."
** Several animal articles will seem redundant if you know the basic information about the animal in question. For example, referring to "a venomous viper" is common. (There are no ''non''-venomous vipers.)
** Stretch marks "appear to be caused by stretching of the skin."
* The annoying Website/YouTube meme, "Thumbs up if you're watching this in [current year]", which is posted on videos with some kind of nostalgic value. The default snarky reply is, "No, I'm watching this in [year in distant past or distant future]."
* [[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,983116,00.html Apparently there's porn on the internet.]]
* I think he [[http://voicetalentproductions.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/captain-obvious.jpg is a captain]].
* Obviously, [[http://leohao.ru/browser.php?g=new=67 this guy]] was hanged by Captain Obvious for his crimes against the obviousness.
* The [[MemeticMutation O RLY?]] fad was an infamous snarky comeback to those who state the obvious.
** As is the You Don't Say face.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axtfB7QPTiw Thank you, Captain Obvious.]]
* Creator/RodSerling narrating the Pinball/TheTwilightZone pinball tends to delve into this.
--> (announcing the "Town Square Madness" mode) "There's madness...in Town Square."
--> (announcing the "Clock Millions" mode) "This clock...is worth millions"
* In the 1970's a line of kid's swivel chairs each said "[[http://www.gxclassifieds.com/child-and-039-s-hi-i-and-039-m-a-swivel-i7711605/ Hi, I'm a swivel chair!]]"
* According to FAI, pusher configuration airplanes (where the propeller is located at the aft of the fuselage) are [[DeadlyRotaryFan not suitable for skydiving]] jump planes.
* Reporters often make such questions, most commonly "how are you feeling?". At times, it goes full AskAStupidQuestion - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWunSNIMOnk for instance]], during the 2016 UsefulNotes/OlympicGames, the Brazilian swimmer that finished 6th on the 50m freestyle was describing how it went wrong, and when asked afterwards "Are you upset?" he went "[[SarcasmMode No, I'm peppy, finished 6th!]] Sorry, but... I am. A lot!"
* The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeonhole_principle pigeonhole principle]] states that if you put some things into containers, and their are more things than containers, at least 1 container will have multiple things in it.
* "Obviously a major malfunction": one of the first words uttered by NASA's mission control spokesperson in the moments after the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986.
* Before beginning a major medical procedures, the surgical staff will usually discuss the patient's history, details like allergies, and the purpose of the operation, which seems like it should be blatantly obvious to everyone in the room, especially since this often happens when the patient is already unconscious on the operating table. [[JustifiedTrope However]], [[SeriousBusiness this practice saves lives]]. The purpose is to make sure beyond any shadow of a doubt, that all the doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, etc. are on the same page about the details of the operation, and who the patient is. Mixups happen, so staff are expected to engage in some CaptainObvious behavior to ensure these mixups don't have major consequences like, for example, [[EpicFail accidentally amputating a healthy limb]]. [[TearJerker Which has happened.]]

! Comic Strips

* The narration box often labels items in ''ComicStrip/DickTracy'' that don't need to be described. After 90 years it's still informing readers of his watch-phone, and in 2009 it helpfully pointed out that a game of solitaire was indeed solitaire. (The game had nothing to do with the plot, naturally.)
** Magazine/{{MAD}} Magazine once parodied this with a label labelled "label".
* In ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' a man has painted obvious [[ExpoLabel Expo Labels]] on everything such as "My Shirt", "The House", "The Cat" and is saying "That should clear things up around here!"
* In ''ComicStrip/NonSequitur'' a recurring character has an alter ego named "Obviousman", who swoops in dressed like a superhero, complete with cape and [[VisualPun a big red circle and slash over the word "DUH!" on his chest]]. His mission is to point out the (usually snarky) obvious to the oblivious, though given [[WhatAnIdiot the intelligence of the people he needs to rescue]], he is rarely thanked for this.
* Parodied in ''Webcomic/RipHaywire'' where a temporary character says such things as "Sharks!" "It blew up!" and "Why do I keep on shouting the Obvious!"
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'''s narration box bangs the reader over the head with the obvious almost as often. See LuckilyMyPowersWillProtectMe.

! Pinball

* The points scored in the game. Certain shots make the display tell you how many points they are worth,
** And even on the playfield, too.

! Podcasts

* This happens in ''Podcast/TheFallenGods'' when Flint fails an Arcana check on the magic that's causing the party to shrink, and discovers that, well, it's magic.
* In ''Podcast/InterstitialActualPlay'', when Edith asks Larxene if she's in danger, she points out that [[spoiler: last time she talked to the party she got shot]]. So yes.

! Radio

* Inverted and parodied in ''The Bob and Tom Show'''s recurring "Mr. Obvious" skits. The premise in them is that Mr. Obvious, a the host of a radio call-in show, attempts to help today's caller with what looks to be a difficult problem until the caller reveals enough facts about his problem to make it clear that [[TheDitz he has no clue, he can't afford to buy one, and he refuses to rent-to-own]], and that the caller would have solved his problem by himself long ago if he weren't so bloody dense.
** Subverted in the "Sump Pump" episode, where the terrified caller tells Mr. Obvious that there's a bear under his house, and every time it rains he can hear it growling. Mr. Obvious has to explain that this is just the sump pump, pumping water away from the foundation. [[spoiler: So the caller crawls under his house to see ... followed by animal roars and screams of pain ... followed by dial tone. "Um ... well, that's all the time we have for today ..."]]
* Turned into a recurring gag in ''Radio/TheGoonShow'':
--> (Sound FX): Big splash
--> '''Little Jim:''' He's fallen in the wa-ter!
* Dudley Function on ''Radio/HelloCheeky'' would pop in sometimes and give a short lecture about something, never giving more detail than what was instantly obvious.
-->'''Barry:''' And now, Dudley Function to speak about his new LP.
-->'''Dudley:''' It's black and round and it's got scratches on both sides!
-->'''Barry:''' Thank you.
* Often used in the British ''Paul Temple'' serials, and although it can be slightly jarring at times, since it's radio.....
-->'''*Whilst in a burning building*''' "We'd better get out of here!"
-->'''*Gunshot*''' "He's been shot!"
-->'''*After finding someone face-down in a river*''' "They're dead!"
* ''Radio/ImSorryIllReadThatAgain'':
-->'''David Hatch''': London is home to many people...
-->'''John Cleese''': "London is home to many people." Well done, David Hatch, the boy genius.

! Tabletop Games

* Canonically, this is the result of a CriticalFailure on your diagnostics check in ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'', particularly in the RPG version called ''Mechwarrior''. If your Tech flubs their roll when asked to assess damage, the best estimates they manage to make are blindingly obvious statements that are immediately apparent to anyone with functional eyes.
-->''Uh, well, the head is blown off.''
* ''TabletopGame/CthulhuTech'''s description for having a low "Support Weapons" skill: "Support Weapons make bigger explosions than other weapons and you think that's cool."
** Which is actually a very useful description showing that low skill in a given area may include not only lack of aptitude but also limited, short-incomplete or even false perceptions. In the case quoted, the skill of providing tactical support is limited to knowledge of GatlingGood and MoreDakka tropes.
* The 4th Edition ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' Monster Manual has an example where it requires a [=DC20=] Knowledge (nature) check to learn that bears ''attack with their claws''. This became subject to MemeticMutation among players.
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''
** The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73943 Duh]] from the joke set Unhinged invokes this trope. ''(Reminder text is any italicized text in parentheses that explains rules you already know.)''
** The card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74224 Fat Ass]], which gained additional Power if you were eating, had reminder text that ''defined eating.'' ("Food is in your mouth and you are biting, chewing, licking or swallowing it.")
* The ''WebAnimation/StarWreck'' RPG has "State the Obvious" as a special ability. Most of the time it isn't very helpful but if the rest of the group FailedASpotCheck it provides a huge bonus. Given that this is "''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'': [[AC: [[RecycledInSPACE THE SPACE OPERA]]]]" this translates to a 25% chance.
* An old roleplaying story from a ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'' game has the players trying to put together a plan to defend against an impending attack by the violent Sabbat. One player, pleased with his insight, says, "If I know the Sabbat, when they come, they'll come at night." Everyone just stares at him until somebody breaks character and replies "Of course they'll come at night. They're vampires."
* In ''TabletopGame/TheFantasyTrip'' the rules helpfully inform us that "a dead figure can take no action of any kind."

! Theatre

All examples of CaptainObvious found in plays are here!
----
* ''Theatre/CyranoDeBergerac'':
** At Act I Scene VI, Roxane sends his Duenna to talk with a very nervous Cyrano:
--->'''The Duenna:''' ''[a sweeping curtsey]'' Monsieur . . . A message for you:\\
From our good cousin we desire to know\\
When and where we may see him privately.\\
'''Cyrano''' ''(Amazed):'' To see me?\\
'''The Duenna:''' ''[an elaborate reverence]'' To see you. We have certain things\\
To tell you.\\
'''Cyrano:''' Certain\\
'''The Duenna''' Things.
** Act II Scene VI: After rejecting to serve as a poet with De Guiche, Cyrano considers the posibility to take his play ''"Agripine"'' to [[MagnificentBastard Cardinal]] [[ManBehindTheMan Richelieu]]:
--->'''De Guiche:''' He is a critic skilled:\\
[[ExecutiveMeddling He may correct a line or two, at most.]]\\
'''Cyrano:''' ''(whose face stiffens at once):'' Impossible! My blood congeals to think\\
[[ProtectionFromEditors That other hand should change a comma's dot.]]\\
'''De Guiche:''' But when a verse approves itself to him\\
[[BuyThemOff He pays it dear, good friend.]]\\
'''Cyrano:''' He pays less dear\\
[[SmallNameBigEgo Than I myself; when a verse pleases me]]\\
[[SmallNameBigEgo I pay myself, and sing it to myself!]]\\
'''De Guiche:''' [[{{Pride}} You are proud]].\\
'''Cyrano:''' [[LampshadeHanging Really? You have noticed that?]]
** At Act I Scene VII, just before Cyrano will fight against one hundred men, he combines this trope with a BadassBoast:
--->'''Cyrano:''' ... And, shortly, you shall see what you shall see!
* Penny Pingleton of ''Theatre/{{Hairspray}}'' has moments of this, suggesting at one point that the group should write things on the signs they're planning to make and later noting that the armed guards at the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant will be armed.
* During the recorded live gig at the Hollywood Bowl, Creator/TerryGilliam of Creator/MontyPython fame sang this charming little ditty:
-->I've got two legs from my hips to the ground\\
And when I move them they walk around\\
And when I lift them they climb the stairs\\
And when I shave them they ain't got hairs!
* In ''Theatre/RosencrantzAndGuildensternAreDead'', Act 3 opens (in darkness) with the sound of waves, creaking timbers, people shouting things like "Hard a-port!" and possibly a sea shanty. "When the point has been well made and more so", as the stage directions put it, Rosencrantz observes "We're on a boat." He then follows that up with "Dark, isn't it?", at which point Guildenstern surprisingly claims the title of Captain Obvious from him by countering "Not for night. Dark for day." (They have no idea what time it is.)
* Creator/WilliamShakespeare's characters sometimes don the captain's braid, but often it's because of the limitations of the Elizabethan stage. To paraphrase another page on this wiki, if your actors are in the middle of a sword fight but they're only pretending to be using swords, it's probably helpful if the victim grabs at his chest and cries "O, I am slain!" so the audience knows what happened. Also, if your only set decoration is a big sign that says [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} "Castle of Elsinore"]], the characters are going to have to provide a description of the castle in their dialogue if you want the audience to visualize it. Plus, at the time only the playwrights themselves kept copies of the entire play; the actors were only given their own lines and the cues that came before them. Shakespeare was also rather stingy with stage directions, so the actors themselves needed the lines to know when their characters had died.
* In ''Theatre/{{Urinetown}}'', this is rather common, with examples including constant reminders that the Fax/Copy Girl's job involves faxing AND copying, and the secret hideout bearing a large, lit sign reading "SECRET HIDEOUT" - With the police pointing to the sign as evidence of how hard it is to find. But the all time winner has to be this twist:
-->[[spoiler:'''Penelope:''' Hope is my daughter!]]\\
'''Crowd:''' *small gasp*\\
[[spoiler:'''Penelope:''' AND I AM HER MOTHER!]]\\
'''Crowd:''' *HUGE gasp*
* ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'': "You think killing people might make them like you but it doesn't. It just makes people dead."
* The Musical version of ''Film/TheWeddingSinger'' actually contains the lyric "People called him the wedding singer. He sang at weddings and so the name was apt."
* In ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'', Glinda says about Elphaba, after asking if she was born wicked, "She had a father, and she had a mother, as so many do." Less obvious if you take it to mean that she was raised by both parents rather than orphaned, and more interesting once you find out [[spoiler: she's a HeroicBastard; the governor isn't her real father, the Wizard is]], but the "as so many do" just takes it into this territory.

! Web Animation

* The [[CloudCuckooLander red and blue unicorn]] from WebAnimation/CharlieTheUnicorn:
--> '''Blue Unicorn:''' Charliiee. Chaaaarliiieee. Chaaahrliiee. Chaaar....\\
'''Charlie:''' I'm right here, what do you want?!\\
'''Blue Unicorn:''' We're on a bridge, Charlie!!
* Gordon's thoughts in ''Machinima/FreemansMind'' after two hours of killing hostile soldiers, culminating in escaping heavy caliber machine gun and rocket launcher emplacements.
-->'''Gordon:''' You know, I'm really starting to think maybe this whole thing isn't a rescue operation.
* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'':
** Teeg Dougland from the short-lived Limozeen cartoon:
--->'''Singer:''' You know those guys from that band, Limozeen? Well they turned their tour bus into a space machine! They're still Limozeen...\\
'''Larry:''' We're still Limozeeeen!\\
'''Singer:''' [[RecycledINSPACE But they're in space!]]\\
'''Larry:''' But we're in space!?\\
'''Teeg Dougland:''' ''([[SpaceDoesNotWorkThatWay walks in]])'' I'm afraid I've got some bad news, boys. You're in space.
** "I am Homestar, and This is a Website!"
* ''WebAnimation/InventionPioneersOfNote'' points out that if Alexander Graham Bell were still alive, he'd be older than everyone else.
* From ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' after Donut has been caught in an explosion:
--->'''Simmons:''' Sarge! We ''really'' need to get Donut airlifted out of here!\\
'''Sarge:''' Would you put that in a memo and entitle it "Shit I already know"?
** Also:
--->'''Tucker''': Hey dude, the jeep blew up!\\
'''Church''': ''(two feet away from said jeep when it blew up)'' No kidding. Thanks for the update, Tucker.
** Again:
--->''(as Tex is beating an Omega-controlled Simmons)''\\
'''Tucker:''' Hey, Church! I think Tex is over here!\\
'''Church:''' Thanks for the update!
** From ''Revelations'', Tex is [[CurbStompBattle beating the absolute shit out of the Reds and Tucker.]] At one point, they drop a large container on her which she is able to hold up and throw back at the Reds. F.I.L.S.S. gives us this bit of wisdom.
--->'''F.I.L.S.S.:''' I knew that would not work. [[{{Understatement}} Agent Tex is a bit of a badass.]]
* In ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'', Twilight Sparkle dips into this occasionally.
** In the very first episode:
--->'''Twilight:''' According to this book I'm reading, the world is going to end soon! I think that might be bad.
** In "Shameless Self Reference":
--->''(Rarity falls from Cloudsdale towards the ground)''\\
'''Twilight:''' I'm not sure, but I think that might end badly.
** In "Derp and Destruction":
-->'''Twilight:''' Well guys, in our attempt to run away from Derpy, we've made it here, into the desert! \\
'''Rainbow Dash:''' [[LampshadeHanging Thanks for the update, Captain Obvious.]] \\
'''Twilight:''' Hey, there's nothing wrong with a little recap. \\
'''Fluttershy:''' [[ViewersAreGoldfish It hasn't even been five minutes yet!]]
* Taken rather literally in this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdX8y_xkz14 Lego animation]].
----

! Theater

* Creator/RodSerling narrating the Pinball/TwilightZone pinball tends to delve into this.

* Reporters often make such questions, most commonly "how are you feeling?". At times, it goes full AskAStupidQuestion - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWunSNIMOnk for instance]], during the 2016 OlympicGames, the Brazilian swimmer that finished 6th on the 50m freestyle was describing how it went wrong, and when asked afterwards "Are you upset?" he went "[[SarcasmMode No, I'm peppy, finished 6th!]] Sorry, but... I am. A lot!"

* According to FAI, pusher configuration airplanes (where the propeller is located in the aft of the fuselage) are [[CrewSalsa not suitable for skydiving]] jump planes.