SALON

Wednesday, Oct 6, 2010 7:20 PM UTC

Mysterious “Cigar Guy” rises to Internet superstardom

A mustachioed fan in a Ryder Cup photo sparks a new meme, but who is he?

By

Topics: Internet Culture, Tiger Woods,

Mysterious (Credit: © Mark Pain)

When Tiger Woods duffed a shot at the Ryder Cup, the ball zipped directly toward photographer Mark Pain of the Daily Mail. Pain managed to snap an incredible picture, but his good timing isn’t getting nearly as much attention as a bystander in a funny-looking mustache and wig. Yes, that’s all it takes now to become a celebrity.

The “Cigar Guy” has quickly become the new Chuck Norris, inspiring amateur Photoshop junkies everywhere. The Daily Mail says he dressed in tribute to Spanish golfer Miguel Angel Jimenez, but who knew Cigar Guy also appeared in Donnie Darko? Or knocked out Sonny Liston? Or watched Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald? Got an idea of your own? The website knowyourmeme.com posted a Cigar Guy template.

But who is he? Time pleads on its Newsfeed blog for the man behind the mustache to identify himself. That would probably be pointless, because he’ll never be known by anything but Cigar Guy for the rest of his life. Or at least for the rest of the month, and then a new funny-looking bystander will dominate the Internets. 

Leave it to YouTube users to compile a montage of Cigar Guy photobombs set to “Eye of the Tiger”: 

Christopher Hickey

More Christopher Hickey.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 3 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations