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Funny Fruit/Falling post #1

October 25, 2013 by Kathryn Lodwick (KEL5344)   

Today’s blog post is a first look at my next few blogs where I will be writing about how fruit and falling are portrayed in comedy. In this specific post I’m going to elaborate on the history of the slipping on a banana peel joke.

 

Public Hazard.

In the mid-19th century banana peels posed a serious public hazard, considering there was no public sanitation in major cities. –In other words, when people were done eating their beloved fruit, they simply tossed the peel wherever they were walking (sidewalk, street etc.) which caused a rather large problem for those walking post banana peel tosser. And although not too many a person actually slipped on a peel, it was considered extremely rude to toss a peel on the sidewalk.

Nowadays it’s rather rare that one sees a banana peel laying on the sidewalk, however, the fear of slipping on one seems to be forever ingrained in the minds of most Americans. In contrast slipping on a banana peel was not thought of as something comical until the 20th century. Just like stand-up comedy, the act of the banana peel regarded as comedic originated from the Vaudeville stage. “Sliding” Billy Watson is said to have been the inventor of the “joke”,–he had simply seen a man grappling to keep his balance after having stepped on a peel, –and this had inspired him. In 1903, Cal Stewart (a Vaudeville comedian) told banana peel related jokes. The actual stunt soon appeared in the silent film The Flirt. In spite of the fact it mainly appeared on silent films in the early years, it soon transitioned to more modern films as the film industry popularized and evolved. The quip even appeared in Woody Allen’s film Sleeper.

Nowadays the banana peel stunt is still regarded as funny, but an older form of comedy.

 

Scientific Proof.

But one question that is constantly brought up is if it really is possible to slip on a banana peel, or is it all really just an act that spiraled into something more?

Here’s the answer:

Most bananas reach their prime slipperiness after several days, even weeks of rotting. Nonetheless, anything from a barely ripe peeled banana to an almost black peel have been used in the joke. But this does not make the joke’s punchline per se, accurate.

In 2009 Mythbusters (of Discovery Channel) tested the banana slipperiness theory and concluded (after many tedious and comical experiments) that in fact, a regular (not rotten) banana peel is not slippery…or at least slippery enough for someone to slip on violently like portrayed in the stunts. Nevertheless, if there are several banana peels covering the surface of whatever the person is walking on, the surface is indeed slippery, and a person is able to slip on the peel/s. But considering it had to be several peels, the fact that one could slip on one, non-rotten peel was disproved.

Other than slipping on banana peels, what precisely makes falling in general (whether it be from slipping on an object, tripping on the stairs or even just losing your balance) so appealing and amusing to the public? No one enjoys falling down themselves, but when seeing someone else take a tumble, there is an uproar of laughter. I will write about the study of this in my next post and leave you thinking of ideas as to why people falling is so funny.

 

In the meantime, here is my all-time favorite falling person video.

Charlotte Takes A Tumble: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WseaZO2UGAY

 

 

 

 

Sources:

Youtube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WseaZO2UGAY

Mental Floss.com:http://mentalfloss.com/article/31135/how-did-slipping-banana-peel-become-comedy-staple

Last Word On Nothing.com:http://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2013/02/26/fallingisfunny/


5 Comments »

  1. dzg5234 says:

    I want to start off by saying that that is a great video! On banana peels, I used to think, “there’s no way anyone could slip on one of these!” So I put one on a tile floor and ran at it, and yes, they are in fact slippery, my sore back and legs can attest to that. This is in comedy everywhere though, and the idea has been placed in cartoons, tv shows, movies, games, everything. It is really interesting to see your take on it from an analytic perspective.

  2. Lori Bedell says:

    Be sure that your blog posts aren’t simply rehashings of others’ works. I know you cite the source, but why wouldn’t someone just read the Mental Floss article? Work on stronger originality in your posts.

  3. Travis Copenhaver says:

    What an interesting topic. I think that your presentation of such an classic joke is intriguing. I never new where it originated from or who even implemented it. I also like your touch of comedy at the end by providing your favorite “falling” video. Can’t wait for the next post!

  4. ndv5038 says:

    I thought your post was really interesting. I didn’t know about where slipping on a banana peel originated from and this post informed me of that. It’s pretty cool that there is actually scientific research about such things, I can’t wait to read the next few posts about this topic!

  5. kaf5534 says:

    Every time I eat a banana there is a deep temptation to place the peel on the ground and watch as someone slips. It’s not one of my better impulses, but its there nonetheless. In Mario Kart, there is a banana that you can use as a player and if the other drivers drive into it, they slide out of control. Wouldn’t banana pranks be funny, at least until someone gets hurt of course?

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