“BTW Stonehenge is considered a *modern* wonder… but you all knew that, didn’t you?”
That’s odd, because it’s thousands of years older than some of the “ancient” wonders.
P.S. The sixth panel is just a cheap jab at Stallone’s age and/or his refusal to retire. In addition to the “Creed” spinoffs from “Rocky”, he is about to inflict yet another “Rambo” sequel on us all.
Thanks to Arthur for the correction. The otherwise eminently “dependable” Wikipedia search does not find the Great Pyrenees breed when only the second word is typed in.
“I think that’s what it is, Woozy . . . I’d give it a ‘meh’ tag.”
In case you haven’t realized it, I get *really* irritated when the humor of a joke is not delivered in a logically consistent manner. So the first five are all puns of existing wonders (I’ll forgive Stonehenge). But suddenly the humor changes to a jab at a persons age with *zero* reference to any actual wonder? Infuriating!
And completely out of left field it just seem mean and ornery. Why not … anyone else old? Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Diana Rigg, Bill Murray? If you can make a pun of Sly, you can make an equally good pun of Ford, Clint or Eastwood, Rigg, Bill, etc.
I agree that the joke is that Stallone is old. I also agree with woozy that it doesn’t work, in part because the setup doesn’t match the denouement.
“setup doesn’t match the denouement”
That’s a *much* more eloquent way of saying “when the humor of a joke is not delivered in a logically consistent manner”!
It bothers me that it uses Stonehenge, which isn’t one of the Ancient Wonders. Maybe the Hanging Curtains of Babylon instead?
Guys, keep in mind Sly is “wonder”ing about something in the last panel. That makes him an “ancient wonder” because he’s old and wondering.
Kilby, I’ve added a note to the Pyrenees article to direct people to the dog breed. Wikipedians are, I believe, aware of the limitations of the dropdown search suggestions, though I can’t find a page talking about it right now.
Lieutenant Powers, you seem to be a very good Wikipedian!
Sly meaning clever – well, he just pitched a movie where he’ll play both of the leading roles. That seems pretty clever to me…
Sly is ancient, and the wonder is that he keeps getting work.
Ah…. missed the “wondering part’ which, I guess, allows for a “reversal denouement” which I guess is acceptable as a pun. Maybe if the joke were simply “Sylvester Stallone”. “Sly” was distracting in that it made as think there had to be the pun there. And perhaps if he had actually said “I wonder…” it would have made the joke clearer.
But it still seems mean and arbitrary. It seems like a personal vendetta of the cartoonist. Stallone really isn’t in the public conscience and sure he’s old but he’s not “ancient”.
Thanks to CIDU, I believe I’ve realized the pattern. That is, the pattern of all the ones that show up on CIDU:
The first 5 panels are laugh out loud funny, and the last one either doesn’t fit the pattern (in any easily recognizable way), or is just plain not-related. So, is the last one not funny (or “meh..”) only because it doesn’t fit the pattern?
I knew a couple of Pyrenean Mountain Dogs, as we know them outside the US, in a series owned by the increasingly elderly and frail mother of a friend of mine. Towards the end of her life they were wildly unsuitable and impossible for her to drag anywhere.
I suppose you could add The Molasses of Rhodes and The Hanging Garlic of Babylon. But that still doesn’t help me understand Sly Stallone. And if the joke is just that he’s elderly, why not Keith Richards instead?
[“BTW Stonehenge is considered a *modern* wonder… but you all knew that, didn’t you?”]
I’m not finding any reference that states this.
Well “modern” as of the middle ages when the list was originally compiled..
Colosseum of Rome
Catacombs of Alexandria
Great Wall of China
Stonehenge
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Porcelain Tower of Nanking
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
For some reason I don’t understand Wikipedia editors take great pleasure in not mentioning these. I guess most refer to these as the 7 wonders of the medeavel world but I always heard of them as the modern world.
The actual wonders of the ancient word were
Pyramids of Egypt
Colossus of Rhodes
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Mauseoleum at Halicanassus
Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
I can recall many years ago someone did a parody song called “Stallone Again, Naturally”. There was a great line about his upcoming movies – “Superman 11 meets Rocky 47. Don’t forget to catch his exciting match with Rocky the flying squirrel.”.
Comics I Don't Understand 
It means they are “wondering” about the concept for a new movie.
Less impressive as he becomes more ancient?
Because Sylvester Stallone (whose nickname is Sly) is old???
BTW Stonehenge is considered a *modern* wonder… but you all knew that, didn’t you?
But if this isn’t a jab at Stallone what wonder is it *supposed* to be?
I think that’s what it is, Woozy . . . I’d give it a ‘meh’ tag.
I think the fifth panel is a mistake, too. The dog breed is called “pekingese“, the “Pyrenees” is a mountain range.
Kilby, a quick search showed this page:
https://www.dogbreedinfo.com/greatpyrenees.htm
“BTW Stonehenge is considered a *modern* wonder… but you all knew that, didn’t you?”
That’s odd, because it’s thousands of years older than some of the “ancient” wonders.
P.S. The sixth panel is just a cheap jab at Stallone’s age and/or his refusal to retire. In addition to the “Creed” spinoffs from “Rocky”, he is about to inflict yet another “Rambo” sequel on us all.
Thanks to Arthur for the correction. The otherwise eminently “dependable” Wikipedia search does not find the Great Pyrenees breed when only the second word is typed in.
“I think that’s what it is, Woozy . . . I’d give it a ‘meh’ tag.”
In case you haven’t realized it, I get *really* irritated when the humor of a joke is not delivered in a logically consistent manner. So the first five are all puns of existing wonders (I’ll forgive Stonehenge). But suddenly the humor changes to a jab at a persons age with *zero* reference to any actual wonder? Infuriating!
And completely out of left field it just seem mean and ornery. Why not … anyone else old? Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Diana Rigg, Bill Murray? If you can make a pun of Sly, you can make an equally good pun of Ford, Clint or Eastwood, Rigg, Bill, etc.
I agree that the joke is that Stallone is old. I also agree with woozy that it doesn’t work, in part because the setup doesn’t match the denouement.
“setup doesn’t match the denouement”
That’s a *much* more eloquent way of saying “when the humor of a joke is not delivered in a logically consistent manner”!
It bothers me that it uses Stonehenge, which isn’t one of the Ancient Wonders. Maybe the Hanging Curtains of Babylon instead?
Guys, keep in mind Sly is “wonder”ing about something in the last panel. That makes him an “ancient wonder” because he’s old and wondering.
Kilby, I’ve added a note to the Pyrenees article to direct people to the dog breed. Wikipedians are, I believe, aware of the limitations of the dropdown search suggestions, though I can’t find a page talking about it right now.
Lieutenant Powers, you seem to be a very good Wikipedian!
Sly meaning clever – well, he just pitched a movie where he’ll play both of the leading roles. That seems pretty clever to me…
Sly is ancient, and the wonder is that he keeps getting work.
Ah…. missed the “wondering part’ which, I guess, allows for a “reversal denouement” which I guess is acceptable as a pun. Maybe if the joke were simply “Sylvester Stallone”. “Sly” was distracting in that it made as think there had to be the pun there. And perhaps if he had actually said “I wonder…” it would have made the joke clearer.
But it still seems mean and arbitrary. It seems like a personal vendetta of the cartoonist. Stallone really isn’t in the public conscience and sure he’s old but he’s not “ancient”.
Thanks to CIDU, I believe I’ve realized the pattern. That is, the pattern of all the ones that show up on CIDU:
The first 5 panels are laugh out loud funny, and the last one either doesn’t fit the pattern (in any easily recognizable way), or is just plain not-related. So, is the last one not funny (or “meh..”) only because it doesn’t fit the pattern?
I knew a couple of Pyrenean Mountain Dogs, as we know them outside the US, in a series owned by the increasingly elderly and frail mother of a friend of mine. Towards the end of her life they were wildly unsuitable and impossible for her to drag anywhere.
Mountain dogs and comics: if your French is up to it, there’s this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_G%C3%A9nie_des_alpages
Great Pyrenees dogs are white, not brown.
I suppose you could add The Molasses of Rhodes and The Hanging Garlic of Babylon. But that still doesn’t help me understand Sly Stallone. And if the joke is just that he’s elderly, why not Keith Richards instead?
[“BTW Stonehenge is considered a *modern* wonder… but you all knew that, didn’t you?”]
I’m not finding any reference that states this.
Well “modern” as of the middle ages when the list was originally compiled..
Colosseum of Rome
Catacombs of Alexandria
Great Wall of China
Stonehenge
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Porcelain Tower of Nanking
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
For some reason I don’t understand Wikipedia editors take great pleasure in not mentioning these. I guess most refer to these as the 7 wonders of the medeavel world but I always heard of them as the modern world.
The actual wonders of the ancient word were
Pyramids of Egypt
Colossus of Rhodes
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Mauseoleum at Halicanassus
Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
I can recall many years ago someone did a parody song called “Stallone Again, Naturally”. There was a great line about his upcoming movies – “Superman 11 meets Rocky 47. Don’t forget to catch his exciting match with Rocky the flying squirrel.”.