For Ian: It’s a reference to Ted Nugent, a hard rock act. He started with The Amboy Dukes (“Journey to the Center of the Mind” in the 1960s) before going solo with hits like “Cat Scratch Fever” in the ’70s. He fell off the map in the ’80s before a brief resurgence when he joined Tommy Shaw (of Styx) in the supergroup Damn Yankees. He’s known mostly these days for being a warm-up act for nostalgia acts (I saw him open for KISS and Lynyrd Skynyrd this century) and as a contrarian conservative.
The joke is slightly meta in that he used to perform wearing nothing but a loincloth, and he was arrested at least twice for “wardrobe malfunctions” after his shows.
What Teddy most famously said was “Speak softly and carry a big stick” but that doesn’t make the comic funny.
The gnome (I assume it’s a gnome, from the pointy hat, although the hat is green, not red, and he has no facial hair) is comparing what Teddy is saying now to what Teddy said then, so the gnome is stealing joy, I guess, but that doesn’t make the comic funny either.
Equally funny: Benjamin Franklin: “Fish and visitors stink after three days.” Gnome: “Are you still here, Mr. Franklin? It’s been 72 hours.”
I have mentioned before my extensive teddy bear collection. Of course when Christmas comes the Christmas bears have to come out along with the other Christmas decorations (and what was 4 inside Christmas trees until this year it went to 6 trees).
We had reached the point where it was too exhausting to carry the main/living room tree’s sections up and down the stairs as it was big tree. I had an idea and he liked it – buy 2 thinner, smaller trees and put them out (still artificial) next to each other. He expanded this to a Christmas tree forest – so we bought a smaller big tree, a smaller (medium tree) and a small, but still standing on the floor tree.
While in Ikea on our various trips there to look at the trees, look at them again…. finally buy the trees he notices their stuffed toy gnomes and decided to buy one to keep my teddy bears company. By the time we were done with our trips there to buy the trees and then to attend their annual Christmas Smorgasbord buffet dinner we had accumulated – 3 gnomes of various designs. Somehow I thought the fellows would retire after New Years with the Christmas bears to life in the boxes in the basement, but apparently the gnomes will be year-round visitors in our living room – 2 have red hats and their friend has a green hat – so they wear hats of either color.
And I thought that teddy bears can be raucous – but the gnomes are just as bad. :-)
Comics I Don't Understand 
For us non-americans, what did Teddy say last time please?
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Lots of things. But I don’t think there’s anything specific. The joke relies entirely on the irony of comparing a quotation about comparison.
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And of course, it’s a bogus attribution
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2021/02/06/thief-of-joy/
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For Ian: It’s a reference to Ted Nugent, a hard rock act. He started with The Amboy Dukes (“Journey to the Center of the Mind” in the 1960s) before going solo with hits like “Cat Scratch Fever” in the ’70s. He fell off the map in the ’80s before a brief resurgence when he joined Tommy Shaw (of Styx) in the supergroup Damn Yankees. He’s known mostly these days for being a warm-up act for nostalgia acts (I saw him open for KISS and Lynyrd Skynyrd this century) and as a contrarian conservative.
The joke is slightly meta in that he used to perform wearing nothing but a loincloth, and he was arrested at least twice for “wardrobe malfunctions” after his shows.
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And I just realized Ian was asking about Teddy Roosevelt, not Ted Nugent! I came to share the meta bit and got distracted.
D’oh!
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And the name Ted Nugent carries a particular association for me, as I once studied with a Comp Sci professor named Todd Nugent.
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Caption could also read as Ted Nude Gent.
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Grawlix, I think that’s better than the original.
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What Teddy most famously said was “Speak softly and carry a big stick” but that doesn’t make the comic funny.
The gnome (I assume it’s a gnome, from the pointy hat, although the hat is green, not red, and he has no facial hair) is comparing what Teddy is saying now to what Teddy said then, so the gnome is stealing joy, I guess, but that doesn’t make the comic funny either.
Equally funny: Benjamin Franklin: “Fish and visitors stink after three days.” Gnome: “Are you still here, Mr. Franklin? It’s been 72 hours.”
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Mark in Boston –
I have mentioned before my extensive teddy bear collection. Of course when Christmas comes the Christmas bears have to come out along with the other Christmas decorations (and what was 4 inside Christmas trees until this year it went to 6 trees).
We had reached the point where it was too exhausting to carry the main/living room tree’s sections up and down the stairs as it was big tree. I had an idea and he liked it – buy 2 thinner, smaller trees and put them out (still artificial) next to each other. He expanded this to a Christmas tree forest – so we bought a smaller big tree, a smaller (medium tree) and a small, but still standing on the floor tree.
While in Ikea on our various trips there to look at the trees, look at them again…. finally buy the trees he notices their stuffed toy gnomes and decided to buy one to keep my teddy bears company. By the time we were done with our trips there to buy the trees and then to attend their annual Christmas Smorgasbord buffet dinner we had accumulated – 3 gnomes of various designs. Somehow I thought the fellows would retire after New Years with the Christmas bears to life in the boxes in the basement, but apparently the gnomes will be year-round visitors in our living room – 2 have red hats and their friend has a green hat – so they wear hats of either color.
And I thought that teddy bears can be raucous – but the gnomes are just as bad. :-)
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