# Cultural roles

By [miles0w3](https://paragraph.com/@miles0w3) · 2021-10-29

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*   The song "[Yes! We Have No Bananas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes!_We_Have_No_Bananas)" was written by [Frank Silver](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Silver) and [Irving Cohn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Cohn) and originally released in 1923; for many decades, it was the best-selling [sheet music](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheet_music) in history. Since then the song has been rerecorded several times and has been particularly popular during banana shortages.[\[138\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana#cite_note-shaw-138)[\[139\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana#cite_note-Koeppel-139)
    
*   A person slipping on a [banana peel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_peel) has been a staple of [physical comedy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_comedy) for generations. An American comedy recording from 1910 features a popular character of the time, "Uncle Josh", claiming to describe his own such incident:[\[140\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana#cite_note-140)
    

> Now I don't think much of the man that throws a banana peelin' on the sidewalk, and I don't think much of the banana peel that throws a man on the sidewalk neither ... my foot hit the bananer peelin' and I went up in the air, and I come down ker-plunk, jist as I was pickin' myself up a little boy come runnin' across the street ... he says, "Oh mister, won't you please do that agin? My little brother didn't see you do it."

*   The poet [Bashō](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsuo_Bash%C5%8D) is named after the Japanese word for a banana plant. The "bashō" planted in his garden by a grateful student became a source of inspiration to his poetry, as well as a symbol of his life and home.[\[141\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana#cite_note-141)
    
*   The cover artwork for [the debut album](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Velvet_Underground_%26_Nico) of [The Velvet Underground](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Velvet_Underground) features a banana made by [Andy Warhol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Warhol). On the original vinyl LP version, the design allowed the listener to "peel" this banana to find a pink, peeled phallic banana on the inside.[\[142\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana#cite_note-demain-142)
    
*   Italian artist [Maurizio Cattelan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurizio_Cattelan) created a concept art piece titled _Comedian_[\[143\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana#cite_note-143) involving taping a banana to a wall using silver duct tape. The piece was exhibited briefly at the Art Basel in Miami before being removed from the exhibition and eaten sans permission in another artistic stunt titled _Hungry Artist_[\[144\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana#cite_note-144) by New York artist [David Datuna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Datuna).

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*Originally published on [miles0w3](https://paragraph.com/@miles0w3/cultural-roles)*