That *is* the joke. She said she wanted to date a “regular guy” (as in one who is just a normal guy without issues) and he bought ex-lax because he assumed she meant …..
The problem is the word “formula”. It’s too awkward to be a natural part of the spoken sentence, but not specific enough to actually identify the product. As much as I dislike topical product placement in comics, this panel would have worked better with “Ex-Lax” in the text, or on the bottle (in the latter case “stuff” or “laxative” could have been used in the text).
The internet says that senna glycocide, the gentle stimulant in Ex-Lax, is available in various liquid “formulations”. It also says that “regular” usage (not implied by the strip) will cause.. well, rather unpleasant things.
I enjoyed the beginning of this sentence in the Wikipedia article (after a long moment of scrutiny): “A reduced form of phenolphthalein, phenolphthalin, …”
@ Kevin A – I browsed through that same article before I posted that comment, primarily to confirm the spelling. Re-reading it now, I can’t understand why anything in that paragraph would be amusing. The term “reduced” doesn’t refer to the extracted vowel, but rather to the addition of a hydrogen ion, which eliminates the pink color seen when the stuff is mixed into a moderately basic (pH>8) solution.
Comics I Don't Understand 
“Unless that’s Ex-Lax, I’m stumped”
Why would you think it *isn’t* Ex-Lax.
That *is* the joke. She said she wanted to date a “regular guy” (as in one who is just a normal guy without issues) and he bought ex-lax because he assumed she meant …..
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The problem is the word “formula”. It’s too awkward to be a natural part of the spoken sentence, but not specific enough to actually identify the product. As much as I dislike topical product placement in comics, this panel would have worked better with “Ex-Lax” in the text, or on the bottle (in the latter case “stuff” or “laxative” could have been used in the text).
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Sal Hepatica would be a geezer reference.
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Part of the problem is “formula”. The other part is that Ex-Lax comes in boxes, not bottles.
The only drug that comes to mind with both bottle and “formula” is cough syrup, which doesn’t work for this comic.
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It could be Milk of Magnesia.
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The internet says that senna glycocide, the gentle stimulant in Ex-Lax, is available in various liquid “formulations”. It also says that “regular” usage (not implied by the strip) will cause.. well, rather unpleasant things.
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“Formula” is a legitimate word to be using in that context; it’s just that few Americans would do so.
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I thought it referred to some sort of food product with extra fiber. Sort of on the Ex-lax vein. Thus the use of “formula”.
Not exactly a laugh riot, but they can’t all be keepers.
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@ Kevin A – The active ingredient used to be phenolphthalein, but that appears to have been changed in response to safety concerns.
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This American associates formula with ‘baby formula.’
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It could be a bottle of Metamucil®.
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Smooth move, exlax!
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Miralax–the formula comes in a bottle for reconstitution with fruit juice or sports drink.
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Kilby, thank you!
I enjoyed the beginning of this sentence in the Wikipedia article (after a long moment of scrutiny): “A reduced form of phenolphthalein, phenolphthalin, …”
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@ Kevin A – I browsed through that same article before I posted that comment, primarily to confirm the spelling. Re-reading it now, I can’t understand why anything in that paragraph would be amusing. The term “reduced” doesn’t refer to the extracted vowel, but rather to the addition of a hydrogen ion, which eliminates the pink color seen when the stuff is mixed into a moderately basic (pH>8) solution.
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