The 'O RLY?' meme, featuring a wide-eyed snowy owl, is one of the earliest viral sensations of the modern internet era, dating back to 2003 on the Something Awful forums. The image was originally a nature photograph by John White, but it gained immortality when paired with the shorthand for 'Oh, really?' as a sarcastic rebuttal to obvious or dubious claims. It quickly evolved into a conversational loop involving 'YA RLY' and 'NO WAI,' becoming a staple of 4chan and early social media. Today, it remains the quintessential reaction for calling out 'Captain Obvious' moments or expressing mock disbelief in online discussions.