What’s the humor of this New Yorker cartoon?

July 5, 2023 2:49 PM

We want to laugh at this one?

Hello hive mind, can you help us out on this one from today’s New Yorker calendar? thank you and have a day with good laughs!

posted by ragtimepiano to Society & Culture (19 answers total)

Attachment?
posted by BostonTerrier at 3:09 PM on July 5, 2023

missing link?
posted by dum spiro spero at 3:09 PM on July 5, 2023

it's all about what isn't there
posted by Sebmojo at 3:15 PM on July 5, 2023

"Christ, what an href"
posted by zippy at 3:24 PM on July 5, 2023 [6 favorites]

"I said the Hounds of Spring are on Winter's Traces--- But let it pass, let it pass!"
posted by SPrintF at 3:35 PM on July 5, 2023 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: So sorry, had trouble with link--thought I had deleted the question, but had trouble with that too.
Stars seem misaligned today; Trouble, trouble with all things simple and complex! Happy Day-after-the-holiday, everyboday, and here's the cartoon:

https://ibb.co/pdTBHbz
posted by ragtimepiano at 3:37 PM on July 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: The humor is that it is a chameleon and the therapist didn't see him on the previous appointments.
posted by Dip Flash at 3:39 PM on July 5, 2023 [73 favorites]

Best answer: The chameleon was at the previous appointments, but was so well camouflaged the therapist didn't see it.
posted by kickingtheground at 3:39 PM on July 5, 2023 [44 favorites]

This the New Yorker version of saying you can't see the guy who's wearing a camo shirt :)
posted by SaltySalticid at 3:42 PM on July 5, 2023 [4 favorites]

Clearly the chameleon needs to work with their therapist on strategies to better advocate for themselves/speak up!
posted by coffeecat at 4:20 PM on July 5, 2023 [5 favorites]

I'm going to offer an alternative explanation: the chamelion wasn't at their last two appointments, but is participating in the time-honored tradition of making excuses for missing a therapy session in a way only they can
posted by pullayup at 5:38 PM on July 5, 2023 [17 favorites]

Claude Rains starred in The Invisible Man, but I just can't see him in that role.
posted by SPrintF at 5:59 PM on July 5, 2023 [5 favorites]

It's a vorshtein.
posted by less-of-course at 7:56 PM on July 5, 2023 [3 favorites]

@less-of-course

That’s not a word. You have no idea what this means.
posted by imalaowai at 8:05 PM on July 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Checks the Frank Chimero rule... Yep, that's a New Yorker... "Hello, I'd like to add you to my professional network on Linkedin."... moment.
posted by ewan at 2:55 AM on July 6, 2023

I didn't get it initially either because I thought that was an iguana. Then I read these responses and was like "Ohhhhhh, okay. Yes that's funny now."
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 5:51 AM on July 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

He wishes he was taller.
posted by AndrewInDC at 6:01 AM on July 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

@pullayup: this actually works as a pretty good interpretation. Notice the chameleon's pattern matches that of the furniture. "last two" implies this chameleon has had appointments in which he has been seen before - just not the last two - so this chameleon has not always shown up to these appointments camouflaged against the furniture upon which he rests. What if he did for the last two? That would present a plausible excuse for why he appeared "missing" at the last two appointments whether he was there or not!
posted by firefly5 at 9:07 AM on July 6, 2023

The above interpretations only work if it's the therapist that's talking.
posted by dobbs at 9:16 AM on July 6, 2023