1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: Guess what will? What's that mango? So this is embarrassing 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: to admit, but I had no idea. There was a 3 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: giant exhibition in eighteen seventy six celebrating america Centennial. I mean, 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 1: I had heard of the eighteen seventy six World's Fair, 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: but I didn't realize it was also called the Philadelphia 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: Centennial Exposition. And for the little I've read about it, 7 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: it sounds amazing. It does take a big man to 8 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: admit that you had not heard of that. But but 9 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 1: what do you mean, like, what was so amazing about it? Well, 10 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: first of all, the attendance was staggering, Like ten million 11 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: people showed up and that was one fifth of the 12 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: US population at the time. Wow, I had no idea. Yeah, 13 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 1: And and there were tons of incredible things on display. 14 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: So like the arm and torch for the future Statue 15 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: of Liberty was there, it was just out sitting on 16 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: a long The first automatic dishwasher was there on display, 17 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: along with like sewing machines and typewriters, a mechanical pencil 18 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: for people to gak at. There was also this new 19 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: fangled thing called hinz ketchup. You may have heard of it. Yeah, 20 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: people could testify dunking pieces of sausage in it. But 21 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: the two things that got the most type the telephone, 22 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,399 Speaker 1: as demonstrated by Alexander Graham Bell, which people were in 23 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: total of. I mean, this is a lot of amazing 24 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: stuff in one place, all right. And so so what 25 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: was the other thing? The banana? Of course, the banana. Yeah, 26 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: so according to this amazing book Banana by Dan Copple, 27 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: the fruit was unveiled as this healthy and cheap alternative 28 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: to the apple. Before the bananas were the status symbol, 29 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: almost like caviare, but all of a sudden they were 30 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 1: being marketed to everyone. Actually, let let me read you 31 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: a quote from one of the admirers there. To my 32 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: young and impressionable mind, this was the most romantic of 33 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: all the innumerable things I had seen that any of 34 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,199 Speaker 1: the vast buildings. It was the tangible, living and expressive 35 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: symbol of the far distant and mysterious tropics. And to 36 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: be clear, we're talking about a banana here, right. So 37 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: that that was from Frederick Upham Adams. He was the 38 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: inventor who would go on to streamline the locomotive, and 39 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: of all those incredible inventions, it was the banana that 40 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: captivated him and also the rest of America. But why 41 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: are banana's cheap when they come from so far away? 42 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: And how did fruit get so popular? And is the 43 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: banana actually going extinct? That's what today's episode is all about. 44 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: Why don't we dive in? Yea? Hey there, podcast listeners, 45 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Parttime Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as always 46 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 1: I'm joined by my good friend man guest ticket, and 47 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: sitting behind the soundproof glass boarding a banana rama sweatshirt 48 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: is our pal and producer Tristan McNeil. My sweatshirt, Tristan, So, 49 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,239 Speaker 1: I know you've been wanting to talk about the banana 50 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: and whether it's actually going extinct, you know, for a 51 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:48,839 Speaker 1: while now. But before we get into that, why don't 52 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,239 Speaker 1: we tackle a little outstanding business from our coal a 53 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: Wars episode from last week. I guess it was right 54 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: all right? Well, first off, we we wanted to have 55 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: the Soda Jerks on for a quiz, but unfortunately it 56 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:01,959 Speaker 1: didn't work out because of timing. So we want to 57 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: let you know about these guys. The Soda Jerks have 58 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: a wonderful soda review site and they you know, taste 59 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: and review all sorts of sodas from Crazy Delicious kinds, 60 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: the one that tastes like ranch dressing. Yeah, that that 61 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: ranch soda review is so great. But when we realized 62 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: we couldn't have them on, they told us, make sure 63 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: you talk about Crystal Pepsi and how TAB tried to 64 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: sabotage it. Actually hadn't heard the story before they mentioned it, 65 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: but now we absolutely have to share it. Definitely. So 66 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: when Crystal Pepsi came out, it was obviously making this 67 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: huge splash, and Coke wanted to take the wind out 68 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: of Pepsi's sales, but they didn't want to release a 69 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: clear cooke because they thought that could be damaging for 70 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: their coke brand. Yeah, that's right. So instead they did 71 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: something super devious. Coke took the brand from their stable 72 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: they knew wasn't popular, which was TAB, and they released 73 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: a clear version to compete with Pepsi. It. Did you 74 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: even remember clear TAB? I can't say that I didn't. 75 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: And they didn't put that much effort to it, and 76 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: I'm not sure how much they worked on the formula, 77 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: but they didn't even put the product in a clear 78 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: bottle to show that it was clear. They just put 79 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: Tab clear on the can, and like, customers assumed that 80 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: it was clear, right, And as the soda jerks pointed out, 81 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: this was totally genius, like evil genius. Yeah, and you know, 82 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: and because Tab was a diet drink, people just assumed 83 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: Crystal Pepsi was diet too, and it turned off a 84 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: large percentage of the market. And years later, co insiders 85 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: admitted that the effort was to kama kaze the brand. 86 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 1: I mean that's their wording. They said, that's what the 87 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: plan was all along. And basically they knew their Crystal 88 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 1: Tab would fail, but they hoped it would take down 89 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: Crystal Pepsi with it, and it did. Yeah, it's a 90 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: funny bit of history from the Cola Wars that we 91 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: totally would have missed. And you can find the soda 92 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: jerks that the soda jerks dot net. And for those 93 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 1: of you who wrote in with brands we should have mentioned, 94 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 1: from Iron Brew to Doc Brown Cellarray, we promised we'll 95 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,559 Speaker 1: give them a taste and sneak those into future soda 96 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 1: episodes down the line. Alright, so I guess we gotta 97 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: get back to banana here. So Mango. I know this 98 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: is on air, but I've got to say, I was 99 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 1: watching you in the office this week and I saw 100 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: you pick up a banana, look around, and then you 101 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: quickly flipped it around and peeled it. But you weirdly 102 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: look so embarrassed doing it. It was kind of like 103 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 1: you were doing something sneaky that you weren't supposed to 104 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: be doing. I know, because eating banana backwards feels so wrong. 105 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 1: So for those of you don't know, and I'm guessing 106 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: that's most of you, a few years ago I changed 107 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: the way I peeled my bananas. Before I'd always just 108 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 1: used the stem part as the pool tab, kind of 109 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: a way everyone's trained. It's actually kind of a clunky 110 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: way to do it because it never actually pulls easily. 111 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: But then I saw this life act that if you 112 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: just turned the banana upside down, not only does that 113 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,799 Speaker 1: stem become a convenient banana handle, but it's actually way 114 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 1: easier to peel. Plus you don't get any of those 115 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: annoying strands stuck to your banana, Like how much thought 116 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: you'd put into this, but that actually that's how monkeys 117 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 1: eat them, right, Yeah, So so for me that was 118 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: the kicker, right, Like, when I read that, I was 119 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: like humans, You idiots, Why don't you just eat the 120 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: way monkeys have been doing it forever? Monkeys are so smart, 121 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: smart type like monkeys, we should I know everything. But 122 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,600 Speaker 1: but then this week I read this article on Business 123 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 1: Insider where Catherine Milton, who studies primate diets, went off. Here, 124 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: I'm going to read you this quote. I'm not sure 125 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: where the myth that monkeys eat bananas started. I personally 126 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,679 Speaker 1: suspect curious George, but it's time for it to stop. 127 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: Wild monkeys don't eat them exclamation point. The whole wild 128 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 1: monkey banana connection is a total fabrication. She sounds pretty 129 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: ticked off. So but let me get this right. So 130 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: monkeys don't eat bananas. No, they do eat bananas. Her 131 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: point was just that monkeys only started eating bananas after 132 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: humans cultivated them, and that bananas are actually too sugary 133 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: for monkeys and can give them toothaches and diabetes. But 134 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: when she was pressed on the topic, she gave my 135 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: favorite quote in the article. Quote, of course monkeys and 136 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: apes aren't stupid, they're relish eating bananas once they're exposed 137 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: to them. All right, So, just to recap on this, 138 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: wild monkeys don't eat bananas, but civilized monkeys who have 139 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: been exposed to the finer things do eat bananas, but 140 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: they shouldn't eat them because of diabetes. Yeah, bingo, Okay, 141 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: I'm glad we've settled that. All right. So, I know 142 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: we've got a lot to say about the banana. And 143 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,359 Speaker 1: obviously the big question we're asking today is our bananas 144 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: going extinct. But what's kind of strange is that if 145 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: that happens, this will actually be the second time a 146 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: top banana has gone extinct. Yeah, so, so you're right. 147 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: Basically the banana that everyone fell in love with from 148 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: the eighteen seventies until the mid nineteen hundreds, and that's 149 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: the one that started the banana craze. It was called 150 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: the Gross Michelle or for those of you who want 151 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: English translation from the French, Big Mike. I never know 152 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: that fairly Big Mike was not to be the perfect banana, 153 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: and the flavor was completely different from what we know 154 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: speaking of. I actually went to this pop up magazine 155 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: show a while ago. Have you have you gone? I 156 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: like how we've been in for like fifteen seconds and 157 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: you're already on a tanta here. But no, I actually 158 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: have not been to one but I know you've said 159 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: they're they're pretty great. Yeah you should go. So for 160 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: those of you don't know, Pop Up Magazine tours the 161 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: country performing a live magazine curating like twelve or thirteen 162 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: different writers to speak in a night, and they have 163 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: this live orchestra that actually scores the stories, and sometimes 164 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: they include shadow puppets or video or these scents. Three experiences, 165 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: I honestly tell everyone about them. Yeah, but when I 166 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: was at one in New York, they had a chef 167 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: who handed out two types of marshmallows to the crowd, 168 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: and as she talked about cinnamon in wartime, she had 169 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: his taste one marshmallow and then the other, and it 170 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: was crazy. So the first one was like a cinnamon 171 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: sprig flavor you all know it was. It was pretty tasty. 172 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: And then the second was the cinnamon that used to 173 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: be available from Vietnam in the nineteen fifties but was 174 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: discontinued in the US after the war started. It had 175 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:33,199 Speaker 1: this really like sweet and juicy and big red flavor. 176 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:35,719 Speaker 1: It was almost like two cartoonish to seem like a 177 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: natural flavor, and you kind of realized cinnamon gum was 178 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: meant to resemble the Saigon version of cinnamon, not the 179 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: milder one we've grown accustomed to. And that's kind of 180 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: the same with the banana. Like the gross Michelle was 181 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: the sweeter, more custody, and really more delicious banana. It 182 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: was actually so delicious that when there was a blight 183 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,079 Speaker 1: in the nineteen fifties and the crops started going extinct, 184 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: banana companies assumed people would revolt if they switched banana 185 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: styles on them, which is exactly what they eventually had 186 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 1: to do. Well, And to be clear, Big Mike was 187 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:09,079 Speaker 1: just one of over I don't know, like a thousand 188 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: banana species in the world, right, but but a number 189 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: of them have seeds so hard they'd actually like break 190 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: your teeth if you've been to them. So some are 191 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: more like plantains and less sweet. Some are totally inedible. 192 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: But the gross Michelle banana was considered like the perfect banana. 193 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: It didn't often have seeds, it didn't bruise easily, so 194 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 1: you could just pile them on a boat without boxes. 195 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: Its flavor was never off like the bananas you get 196 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 1: in the stores today. It grew year round, and it 197 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: was hardy and resistant to most things. At least until 198 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,679 Speaker 1: this mysterious Panama disease started wiping it out in something 199 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: like a decade. It basically took out all the gross 200 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 1: Michelles with it, all right. And so just just to 201 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: tie this up here, that the Caven Dish, which was 202 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: the inferior banana both in taste and how it bruised, 203 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 1: that was picked as the replacement, partially because it looked 204 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: like the Big Mike, but also because it was resistant 205 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: to this Panama disease. Is that right? Well? You know, 206 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: I was looking up styles of bananas because reading about 207 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: the Big Mike made me curious what other flavors you 208 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:07,839 Speaker 1: can get from a banana. And here are a few 209 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: of the ones I really want to try. You know, 210 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 1: I love lists of like strange fruit. So what's in 211 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: your top three? All right, I'm just gonna read off 212 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 1: my list here. So so first, the one that I 213 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,679 Speaker 1: really want to try is called the apple banana. It's 214 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: actually so sweet. It sometimes called the candy apple banana. 215 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: It's slightly pinkish and more juicy than a regular banana, 216 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: and also sweet, and it doesn't really ever brown. And 217 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: you can find this in Hawaii. It's so funny, like 218 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: you say all these words like juicy and candy apple, 219 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: and I actually can't imagine how good it is. But 220 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 1: what I know is I really want to try one. 221 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: I know, So what else you got? All right, there's 222 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: something called the ice cream banana. Speaking ones that we 223 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 1: should try. It almost sounds like I'm just making these up. 224 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: This one is real. Also called the blue java banana. 225 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: It's this strong plant that's hardy enough to survive monsoons, 226 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: but it's also got a vanilla flavor to it, and 227 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: the flesh is kind of pudding like, which I can't 228 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: decide if that sounds delicious or gross, but but in fact, 229 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: a lot of people actually eat this with a spoon. Yes, 230 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: so I think I've seen monkeys eat those with a spoon, 231 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: but not wild monkeys, definitely not wild monkeys. Well, a 232 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: lot of people call it the tastiest banana. And then 233 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: there's also the red banana, which is short and sticky 234 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: and also really sweet, and I don't know, you get 235 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:21,199 Speaker 1: lost in all these banana descriptions that I almost want 236 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 1: a banana kind of sort of walk me through each 237 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 1: of these things. But the fact that the bananas that 238 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: come to the States are cavendish makes you crave these 239 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,199 Speaker 1: so much more so I definitely want to talk more 240 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: about the Cavendish and I feel like the way it's 241 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: talked about in these books, it's almost like this mediocre, 242 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: flavorless garbage fruit. But even mediocre bananas are good well, 243 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: and Americans certainly do love them. I was reading this 244 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: New York Times article on the Secret Life of the 245 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 1: City Banana. So there are twenty million bananas distributed around 246 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 1: New York City every week, every single week. That's eighty 247 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: million a month and seven twenty million bananas a year. 248 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 1: Like I did the map on that so quick, and 249 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,120 Speaker 1: that's just in New York City. That's crazy. But as 250 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: much of America loves bananas, apparently India loves them even 251 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 1: more so. According to a two thousand fifteen article in 252 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,679 Speaker 1: The Hindu, the country producest of the world's bananas, but 253 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: basically exports none of it. Like their entire economies in 254 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: Central and South America built exclusively on banana exports, and 255 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: India turns down all of that money. They only send 256 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: out one percent of their bananas and they hoard the 257 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: rest for themselves. And i'mlike, in the US, you can 258 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 1: find tons of varieties of bananas there, but that isn't 259 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: the tangent I wanted to take you on. I wanted 260 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,320 Speaker 1: to tell you about the weirdest fact I learned this week, 261 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 1: and that's that the forbidden fruit in the Bible might 262 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: actually be a banana. I like how you have a 263 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: tangent from a hand to it. All right, this does 264 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 1: sound interesting, though, so so what do you mean by this? 265 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 1: So couple is out this amazing argument that the banana 266 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 1: might actually be what he took a bite out of, 267 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: and he's got all sorts of evidence for it. So 268 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 1: you start with the fact that the banana is, well, 269 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: you know, this pretty suggestive looking fruit, and you can 270 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: see what it might be thought of as racy or forbidden. 271 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: And as you and I have both read before, the 272 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: Bible never actually like specifically mentions what the fruit is, 273 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: but it is described in the Koran, and their Copple 274 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: says it's talked about as a tree whose quote fruits 275 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: piled one above another in long extended shade, whose season 276 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: is not limited, and whose supply will not be cut off. 277 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: And you know, as any New Englander will tell you, 278 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:26,199 Speaker 1: there's a very clear apple season. But that description as 279 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,319 Speaker 1: Copple points out, really describes the bunches upon bunches of 280 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 1: bananas growing multigenerationally and in continuous rings on the plant, 281 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: and then he backs this up with talk of climate. 282 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:38,440 Speaker 1: So basically, when scientists looked at the description for the 283 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: Garden of Eden and this idea of a place that's 284 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,520 Speaker 1: bound by four rivers, they were already thinking that two 285 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:45,959 Speaker 1: of the rivers with the tigers and the euphrates, but 286 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: then they found evidence of two rivers that used to 287 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: exist near them, and that land wasn't aspitable to apples. 288 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,840 Speaker 1: It's prime banana growing territory. That's pretty wild. And so 289 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: are there other people who also believe this? Yeah, apparently 290 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: there were a number of scholars whople leave this, including 291 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: car Linnas you know he's that taxonomist. In fact, the 292 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: scientific name he gave bananas was Musa paradisiaca, or wise 293 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 1: fruit of paradise. And uh. Copple has one other bit 294 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: of evidence. Apparently bananas used to be mistaken for figs 295 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: before they were well known, maybe because they had seeds 296 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 1: and we're stickier. But but Alexander the Great, when he 297 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: tried to banana and in India, reportedly thought it was 298 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: a fig and in Hebrew translations, Copple points out that 299 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: the fruits, often translated as the fig of eve plus 300 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: fig leaves make like a lot more sense as something 301 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: that they could use to cover off their body when 302 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: you realize they're banana leaves, something people actually used to 303 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: use to cover up their bodies in history, right right, Well, 304 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: you know the description of the bananas foal, it comes 305 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: up a lot and I actually read that in Victorian 306 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: times bananas were cut up and sold and foil and 307 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: that was because the idea of buying or eating a 308 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: banana hole would offend these you know, delicate Victorian sensibilities, 309 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 1: which is kind of funny to read about. But you 310 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: know what's so funny about this whole forbidden root thing 311 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: is that the banana is basically a sexless plant. I mean, 312 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: bananas are all clones of one another, grown from clippings 313 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: and not seeds. It's how all cavendish tastes so uniform. 314 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: But also while those big mics died off and they 315 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: all have the exact same vulnerability. But beyond that, for 316 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: all this talk about the male anatomy the fruit of 317 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: the banana that we eat, it's actually the female part 318 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 1: of the bananas anatomy. That's crazy, And I mean, the 319 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: banana is all contradictions how so, so I was actually 320 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: thinking about this earlier. But like almost everything good you 321 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: say about it has an opposite. So, like the plant 322 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 1: has devastated countries and economies, you think about banana republics 323 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: or whatever, but it's also kept nations in Africa fed 324 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: and out of wars. It's considered the perfect package fruit 325 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: because it's portable and transports so well without getting the 326 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: fruit itself dirty. But the peels were also easy to litter, 327 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 1: and once up our time, they were considered the bane 328 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 1: of society. It's sold for super cheap in the US, 329 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: and it's almost considered this simple fruit of the people. 330 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 1: But to get it here, tons of people are exploited it. 331 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: And and also all these fancy technologies from the cold 332 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: chain to railroads to radio systems, they all had to 333 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: be innovated. Yeah, and there's a ton to cover there, 334 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: and and I definitely want to start by how the 335 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: banana got to the US. But quickly before we do, 336 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: why don't we take a break, So mango, it's pretty 337 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: rare that we have a guest that aligns so perfectly 338 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 1: with the topic. But today we've got Ken Banister TV 339 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: on the program. And now now Ken's the founder of 340 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 1: the International Banana Club. Did you ever think you'd be 341 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: speaking with the founder of the International Banana Club? And 342 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 1: and in case you were wondering, the TV after his 343 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: name stands for top Banana of course, Ken Banister. Welcome 344 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: to Part Time Genius. Thank you my pleasure. Hey, so, Ken, um, 345 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 1: would you tell us a little about the International Banana 346 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 1: Club and why do you decide to celebrate the banana 347 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: in the first place. Well, this is a fun bunch. 348 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: I started back in nineteen seventy two, and uh, it 349 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: all came about as my secretarious husband, who was a 350 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 1: Steve Adore unloading bananas in Long Beach, California, gave me 351 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: a role of ten thousand banana stickers. So, as the 352 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 1: president of a manufacturing firm making Reflectus all products, I 353 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 1: took that roll of stickers to a trade show in Atlanta, Georgia, 354 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:26,160 Speaker 1: and started handing out banana stickers to people to affix 355 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: to their I D badges, And I assured them that 356 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: everybody would smile if they saw that banana sticker. One two, 357 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,959 Speaker 1: they would get a discount tree, it would improve their attitude, 358 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: and it would remind them to stay in good health 359 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: and consume one finger or one banana every morning. So 360 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: what I did to get people excited motivated about the 361 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: banana turned into a club. I had a card made 362 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 1: and decided that I would offer b M's Banana merits 363 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:08,119 Speaker 1: and to degrees in Banana Street for sending things to 364 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,399 Speaker 1: do with banana is in good taste. Nothing with cruder 365 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: lestibous would be accepted. So that's how the collection got started. 366 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:19,920 Speaker 1: This was clear back in nineteen seventy two. What kind 367 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 1: of benefits do you get as a member of the club. 368 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 1: And is it true that Ronald Reagan was a member? Well, 369 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:30,440 Speaker 1: yes he was. I I inducted him. His title was 370 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:34,119 Speaker 1: PB President Banana. Everybody gets the title of their choice. 371 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 1: I told him he should probably select the PB, and 372 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: he said, you know that's fine. Man. We've had lots 373 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 1: of of celebrities playing this bunch over the years because 374 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 1: of the purpose, which is to keep people smiling, their 375 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 1: spirits up and give him a chance to get some recognition. 376 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: That's pretty terrific. Now, what's the best response you've gotten 377 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: from presenting your membership card to someone to get a discount. Well, 378 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:05,160 Speaker 1: the best response and for me, has been getting out 379 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: of about six different speeding tickets by the California Highway Patrol. 380 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:15,479 Speaker 1: I'm not kidney. We get upgrades and hotels by simply 381 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:19,680 Speaker 1: showing the membership card and saying, well we we usually 382 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 1: get an upgrade at no charge. But I held it 383 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: up in the window as the police officer walked up 384 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 1: and said driver's license and insurance proof, and I said, oh, officer, 385 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 1: with a smile on my face, very enthusiastically, no tickets please. 386 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 1: It's been Anta Club. I've had several dozen members report 387 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 1: success in getting discounts at restaurants, special favors at hotels, 388 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,719 Speaker 1: and you name it. If you ask, you know, if 389 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,679 Speaker 1: you're not afraid to ask, you'll you'll get something if 390 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: you're pleasant about it. I love how all of these 391 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 1: benefits have nothing to do with like getting more bananas. 392 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 1: It's just that these are even better than that though. 393 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:09,239 Speaker 1: It's pretty great. Now. You you were on the you 394 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,320 Speaker 1: were on the Tonight Show a few years back, and 395 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: on the show you were showing some alternate uses for bananas. 396 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 1: So can you tell us a little bit about that? Yes, 397 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: every morning, I have one finger one banana, that's the 398 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 1: term for one banana. And uh. Then I take the 399 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 1: peel and I rub it across my teeth and it 400 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 1: will if you know to do this on a regular basis, 401 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:37,159 Speaker 1: it will help whiten your teeth. Then uh, if I 402 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: have any kind of a bite from an insect, I 403 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: will rub the inside of the peel on that bite. 404 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:50,120 Speaker 1: It also serves as believe it or not, a treatment 405 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: for your hair, your shoes. You can shine your shoes 406 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 1: with the inside of the peel. And I take I 407 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: take those banana peels in the morning and I plant 408 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:04,440 Speaker 1: those peels at the roots of the rose bushes. What's 409 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:08,919 Speaker 1: that do? Well, that's it serves. It's like fertilizer. You 410 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,199 Speaker 1: can't waste anything these days, you know. And you know 411 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 1: they all come in the shape of a smile, those 412 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: bright yellow, elongated edible fingers. They they're just I have 413 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:24,439 Speaker 1: I've been eaten one hand a week for over well. Gosh, 414 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: I'm seventy eight years old, so I think I started 415 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: eating bananas when I was about five or six. But 416 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:36,240 Speaker 1: isn't it funny that that banana role of banana stick 417 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: has got us started and we've got an international club 418 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:42,199 Speaker 1: with over fifty five thousand card carrying members around the 419 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 1: world's great and I must answer a hundred or more 420 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:52,479 Speaker 1: emails every day trying to keep people's spirits up, especially 421 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: when things go wrong like this morning, and we have 422 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: to keep smiling. We have to keep our spirits up, 423 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: we have to be positive, and we have to support 424 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 1: the team. And that's what the Banana Club is all about. 425 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 1: So I did want to talk to us for a 426 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:10,439 Speaker 1: second about the International Banana Museum. It's actually in the 427 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: Guinness Book of World Records for most items devoted to 428 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:16,679 Speaker 1: anyone fruit. And when I was online, I saw some 429 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: really funny things. I saw this portrait of of a 430 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: bride who was holding a bouquet of bananas. I saw 431 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:28,920 Speaker 1: the banana putter that that you've handed out to various 432 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: celebrities like Bob Hope and stuff over the years. But 433 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: what is your favorite thing in the International Banana Museum. Well, 434 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: it was, and still is and will always be the 435 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: petrified banana that a girl when I was giving a 436 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:45,720 Speaker 1: lecture back in Wisconsin raised her hands and ken bananas. 437 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,120 Speaker 1: I've got something for you. I've got a petrified banana 438 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:51,200 Speaker 1: that I found in my closet. It has been in 439 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: her closet, I guess a year or so. And she 440 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 1: I said, well, if you send that to me, I'll 441 00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:59,680 Speaker 1: give you a hundred banana merrits and a degree and 442 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:03,159 Speaker 1: Dana Anistry a master's degree. And she did. And I 443 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 1: had it on the wall of the museum for almost 444 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: twenty five years. And it's in the shape of a smile. 445 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: But it's certainly an old Gummer smile, dark dark brown 446 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 1: and hard as a rock and mounted on in a frame. 447 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: It's really something to see what people send. And of 448 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:29,160 Speaker 1: course if somebody sends something that's off color, I send 449 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 1: it right back with de merits. We'll have to we'll 450 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 1: have to come check out the museum sometime. But for 451 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:38,399 Speaker 1: all of our listeners, you can visit or join the 452 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:42,919 Speaker 1: International Banana Club online at International Banana Club dot com. 453 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: But Ken Banister, Top Banana, thank you so much for 454 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: joining us on Part Time Genius. You bet you my pleasure. 455 00:23:48,720 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: Keep smiling. Welcome back to Part Time Genius, and we're 456 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:09,199 Speaker 1: talking bananas and specifically how the bananas started migrating up 457 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 1: to America. So about five or six years before they 458 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 1: made their glorious debut in Philadelphia. This sea captain named 459 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:20,159 Speaker 1: Lorenzo dow Baker. He bought about a hundred sixty bunches 460 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,959 Speaker 1: of bananas back with him, almost on a lark, like 461 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 1: he'd gone to South America ferrying gold miners down there. 462 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:29,640 Speaker 1: But when his when his boats started leaking, he realized 463 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: he needed to make a pit stop, so he pulled 464 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 1: into Jamaica where he fixed his boat, and for some 465 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:37,399 Speaker 1: reason he loaded it up with bananas, and if the 466 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,359 Speaker 1: wind hadn't been at his back, the fruit might have 467 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:41,400 Speaker 1: gone bad on the journey. But he made it back 468 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: to New England in a quick eleven days, and he 469 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: sold the fruit for two dollars a bunch, netting him 470 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: about sixty dollars in today's money, and within a year 471 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 1: he was the biggest exporter of bananas from the Caribbean. 472 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 1: He even bought land in Jamaica where he started the 473 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: world's first commercial banana company. Right, but you know, I 474 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: remember reading that Baker was only so good at his job. 475 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:03,640 Speaker 1: I mean, bananas were good business, and there are accounts 476 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 1: of his workers lighting cigars with five dollar bills and 477 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 1: getting them into all sorts of trouble in the Jamaican Nights, 478 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 1: but Baker was a seafair through and through, and along 479 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 1: the way he teamed up with His most enthusiastic buyer 480 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,159 Speaker 1: was this gentleman named Andrew Preston, who had risen up 481 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,760 Speaker 1: the ranks from a janitor at a Boston grocery store, 482 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 1: and when he first saw the bananas at the port, 483 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 1: he immediately scooped them up to wholesale, and before long 484 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,600 Speaker 1: the two had taken on investors and started Boston Fruit, 485 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,680 Speaker 1: which three or four names later would be called Chakda. 486 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 1: But Andrew was kind of a genius, right, I mean, 487 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,680 Speaker 1: he was definitely clever and very ambitious, and he wasn't 488 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 1: taking any chances with his produce. Entire boatloads of the 489 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:46,600 Speaker 1: fruit could show up at the harbor rotting if winds 490 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 1: were rough or if the trip, you know, took a 491 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 1: few days too long. So he really invented the cold chain, 492 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:54,720 Speaker 1: which you know we talked about in our Inventions episode 493 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,879 Speaker 1: a few weeks ago. But this was before air conditioning. 494 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:00,919 Speaker 1: So Preston cooled as bananas the old fashion way with 495 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: giant blocks of ice, and he also ensured that bananas 496 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: kept cool along the way in storerooms and refrigerated box 497 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: cars every step of the process. As Copple puts it, 498 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:15,600 Speaker 1: ice became so essential to banana profitability that at least 499 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:19,000 Speaker 1: one banana merchant bought up every ice factory along the 500 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 1: Gulf coast. Has reduced no middleman cooling costs, made his 501 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 1: company the second biggest success story in the banana industry. 502 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,640 Speaker 1: That company was called Standard Fruit or what you might 503 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 1: know now as Dull, and you can start to see 504 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:35,360 Speaker 1: why big Banana is referred to as al palpo or 505 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 1: or the octopus. They started getting their tentacles into other 506 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:42,399 Speaker 1: businesses and owning the entire supply chain. One other small 507 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: thing I read about Preston that I really liked, though, 508 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,280 Speaker 1: was that he painted his fleet all white to reflect 509 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 1: the sun. I just thought it was so smart because 510 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 1: you read about it now as this technique for keeping 511 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 1: your house cool, but it's funny that it's been going 512 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: on since the nineteen hundreds. And he also marketed the 513 00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 1: boats as cruise ships, where tourists could tag along for 514 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: a fee on the ships to Jamaica, and if they 515 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:04,640 Speaker 1: were feeling too hot at any moment, they could open 516 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 1: a vent and let the chilled banana air cool them. Down. 517 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: Let's let's take a step back for a moment. It's 518 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 1: actually an insane thing Preston and others were doing when 519 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:16,439 Speaker 1: you think about it, I mean they were essentially buying 520 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:20,439 Speaker 1: the super perishable item, transporting it thousands of miles, and 521 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,879 Speaker 1: selling it as cheap as possible. It doesn't seem like 522 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: that could work. And Preston wanted to make the banana 523 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: more popular than the apple, which sounds outrageous because the 524 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:32,119 Speaker 1: apple is clearly the most American of fruits. But he 525 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 1: actually managed to do this. But the only way the 526 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 1: economics of something like that can work is if you 527 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 1: work on a really large scale. In by nineteen eleven, 528 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,440 Speaker 1: one of the boats they were using, the six a Olah, 529 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:46,919 Speaker 1: was big enough to carry five hundred railroad cars full 530 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:50,159 Speaker 1: of banana. That's not the boat was half the size 531 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,880 Speaker 1: of the Titanic, and it was only one small part 532 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 1: of Boston Fruits Great White Fleet. Actually, it's funny to 533 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:58,159 Speaker 1: see how much has changed and how much hasn't in 534 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:01,199 Speaker 1: the banana industry. So in that time spiece you were 535 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:04,160 Speaker 1: mentioning earlier, there's this super cute part where all these 536 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:06,959 Speaker 1: green bananas come to New Jersey and make a pit 537 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:10,160 Speaker 1: stop to ripen and the way it's described, it's almost 538 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 1: like they're hanging out in tanning beds, just relaxing for 539 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:15,400 Speaker 1: three or four days before they have to complete their journey, 540 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,200 Speaker 1: and they're just focused on getting their glow on on. 541 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: On one hand, the banana industry is just impressive. I mean, 542 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: they came up with the tropical radio system so that 543 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 1: boats were alerting the laborers of the exact moment their 544 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: boats were arriving, so that fresh green bananas can meet 545 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:32,720 Speaker 1: them at the docks and get loaded up at the 546 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: perfect moment possible. And everything was just syncd up so 547 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: exactly like this is the early nineteen hundreds. And they 548 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 1: were also incredible marketers. They put coupons and cereal boxes 549 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 1: for free bananas that were somehow paid for by the 550 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 1: serial company to make the meals healthier. But they invested 551 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 1: in infrastructure to like railroads. Railroads were built across South 552 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 1: and Central America purely for the protection and distribution of 553 00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:58,800 Speaker 1: bananas and really not at all to help the people 554 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: of those countries. But the model that banana companies established 555 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: was ingenious, yeah, but also evil. I mean it's essentially 556 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 1: the model for banana republics. So the banana company would 557 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: come in offer to build a railroad with government's help. 558 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: Then when government funding dried up, they'd offer to build 559 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: the rest for free if they got a sweetheart deal 560 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: of some sort, you know, the low taxes, free land, 561 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: little oversight. And once they had their hooks in and 562 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: needed the governments to bend on their whims, they'd install 563 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 1: a new dictator. By the way, did you know, oh, 564 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 1: Henry actually came up with the phrase banana republic. He 565 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:36,400 Speaker 1: wrote it in this short story while he was fleeing 566 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 1: the law in Honduras, and that's amazing. So uh. But 567 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 1: by the way, I know, I told you I didn't 568 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: really want to talk too much about banana republics because 569 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:48,000 Speaker 1: they are interesting and actually deserve their own show. But 570 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:51,480 Speaker 1: I did want to talk a little bit about Jacobo R. Benz, 571 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 1: who was elected freely in Guatemala in and I wanted 572 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: to talk about it because his story is just the 573 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: most nakedly transparent of these stories. So for context, At 574 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 1: the time, the big banana companies were hoarding land, and 575 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: they secretly knew that this banana blight was coming in 576 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: a big way and that they needed as much land 577 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: to turn out as many viable bananas as possible, and 578 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: as the blight came, their plan was simply to expand 579 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:20,719 Speaker 1: into new territories. But our bends hated the fact that 580 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: the banana companies owned all this land, I mean, supposedly 581 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 1: seventy of the nation's arable land, and they weren't using 582 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: any of it all right, So so he just tried 583 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 1: to take it back kind of. I mean, he was 584 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 1: also negotiating for workers rights, which is what Boston Fruit 585 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: was now called conceded too. But uh, but he also 586 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 1: wanted this unused land for peasants, and he was willing 587 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 1: to pay for it. He told United Fruit he gave 588 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 1: them six dred thousand dollars, and when they laughed and 589 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: asked where he got that sum from which they valued, uh, 590 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,080 Speaker 1: they valued the land closer to sixteen million dollars, he 591 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: responded that he'd taken that estimate directly from the declared 592 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: value they were paying on their taxes, like United Fruit 593 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: had for year has been cheating on their taxes, and 594 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 1: our bends in the government just you know, accepted those 595 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: numbers at face value. But when our Ben's tried to 596 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 1: take their land, United Fruits basically ruined him. The next 597 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 1: terms and United Fruits negotiations were hand delivered by the U. S. 598 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 1: State Department. I mean, this is a business dealing. Think 599 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: about how crazy that is. And the company also funded 600 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:23,960 Speaker 1: journalistic research on Guatemala that showed our Ben's was a Communist, 601 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: which he wasn't, but they circulated the report to eight 602 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 1: hundred lawmakers and staffers in d C. And in the 603 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,320 Speaker 1: city plagued with rabid McCarthyism at the time. They spent 604 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: a year convincing Congress our Ben's was the Soviet dupe. 605 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 1: And they also circulated these horrible photos of our Ben's 606 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 1: atrocities of corpses thrown into mass graves, which were actually 607 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 1: photos of earthquake victims, but presented like there were casualties 608 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: of our Ben's as rule. And the fingerprints on this 609 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 1: are pretty damning. I mean, the U. S. Secretary of State, 610 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 1: John Foster Dallas, was a partner and United Fruits law firm, 611 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: and Dallas's brother was head of the CIA. The money 612 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:03,720 Speaker 1: and interest they were all super entangled. And once the 613 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 1: congressional opinion was swayed and the banana companies had made 614 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: their case, this is about ninety three. That's when Eisenhower 615 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:14,560 Speaker 1: authorized the CIA to get rid of our bends. And 616 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: when our bands finally resigned, he was humiliated in front 617 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:19,560 Speaker 1: of the press. I mean he was stripped down to 618 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,760 Speaker 1: his underwear before being escorted onto a plane. And for 619 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: the rest of this life, this man, who like tried 620 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:28,600 Speaker 1: to do good for his country was the stateless, depressed 621 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:32,760 Speaker 1: shell of a man who finally committed suicide. And also, 622 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 1: we could get cheaper bananas. And that's just one horrifying 623 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: story of El Palpo. There are dozens of them as 624 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: it ravaged through various countries in Central America. Yeah, I mean, 625 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:45,080 Speaker 1: you're you're right, this is definitely depressing. I know. Um, 626 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:47,480 Speaker 1: so I was thinking we should lighten the mood with 627 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:51,400 Speaker 1: some banana humor. So I know you did a little 628 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 1: digging on why slipping on banana peels became such a 629 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 1: comedy trope, Like you set the stage talking about our 630 00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 1: bends and they're like, tell some banana, all right, well 631 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:01,680 Speaker 1: let me all this up here. But but looking at this, 632 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: so before it was a visual gag, the banana peel 633 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: was was kind of a hazard. I mean, people just 634 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 1: littered them everywhere in Virginia Scott Jenkins incredible book. It 635 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,719 Speaker 1: was called Bananas An American History. She talks about how 636 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 1: kids at Sunday School were warned that a stray peel 637 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 1: could lead to an innocent person getting injured, and how 638 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:22,200 Speaker 1: that injury could leave them in the poorhouse for life. 639 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 1: The boy Scouts were told picking up a stray peel 640 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:27,960 Speaker 1: was a good act for the day. One scam artist, 641 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 1: according to The New York Times, was arrested after she 642 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: claimed she'd fallen seventeen different times on various banana peels, 643 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 1: all in a span of like four years or something. 644 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 1: But as the streets became cleaner, it found its way 645 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:43,000 Speaker 1: to vaudeville, and according to the a Vy Clubs, Sliding 646 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,880 Speaker 1: Billy Watson was the original. And now don't confuse sliding 647 00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: Billy Watson with Billy Beef trust Watson, who was a 648 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 1: competing comedian at the time. So I also like what 649 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:55,640 Speaker 1: you were talking about, Charlie Chaplin. Oh yeah, the the 650 00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:59,680 Speaker 1: gag was used by everyone, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, all 651 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 1: the silent film stars. But there's this conversation where a 652 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 1: film director asked, years later, how do you make the 653 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:08,840 Speaker 1: banana gag feel fresh, and he asked, Chaplin, do you 654 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,520 Speaker 1: show the banana first and then the lady or close 655 00:34:11,640 --> 00:34:13,879 Speaker 1: up on the lady and then the banana and then 656 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 1: have the slip, and Chaplain immediately said neither. You show 657 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:20,720 Speaker 1: the lady approach, then the banana peel, then the two together. 658 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 1: Then you show the woman gingerly stepping over the peel 659 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:41,520 Speaker 1: and disappearing down a manhole. I know the company's doubted 660 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:43,600 Speaker 1: whether they could switch out the big mike and still 661 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:48,120 Speaker 1: have people buying bananas, but they pulled off an incredible transition. Yeah, 662 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 1: that's true. We eat more bananas now than we ever 663 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:52,920 Speaker 1: did in the Gross Michelle days. But part of it 664 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 1: is just that banana companies are excellent marketers. I mean, 665 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 1: any group that could so underhandedly like pull off those 666 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 1: coups us also have an incredible handle on traditional marketing 667 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 1: and with things like you know, the Miss Jakeda campaigns, 668 00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 1: or how they got doctors to endorse bananas as a 669 00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:11,239 Speaker 1: great baby food or whatever. I mean, they quietly up 670 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 1: the demand. It's true, but I think we should get 671 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:16,600 Speaker 1: back to the original question, which was what's the state 672 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:20,799 Speaker 1: of the Cavendish today and is it going extinct? Yeah? So, 673 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 1: The truth is banana companies are worried. So while the 674 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:26,520 Speaker 1: Cavendish was resistant to the Panama disease that took out 675 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:30,360 Speaker 1: the Gross Michelle, that disease has other variations and Cavendish 676 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 1: isn't holding up well against those. There's also this airborne 677 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:38,200 Speaker 1: virus called black cigatoca that requires a tons of pesticides 678 00:35:38,239 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 1: and chemicals sprayed on the bananas. It really isn't good 679 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,040 Speaker 1: for the workers health. And there's really no such thing 680 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:46,919 Speaker 1: as an organic banana on the market today, but there 681 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:49,680 Speaker 1: is some hope. There are these amazing labs in Belgium 682 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:52,840 Speaker 1: and other places where they've been stockpiling cuttings and trying 683 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,360 Speaker 1: to graft together a stronger banana, and there's some ideas. 684 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 1: Does this apple banana called goldfinger that doesn't brown at all, 685 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,640 Speaker 1: but it also isn't as sweet. It's this banana that 686 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 1: sort of meets a lot of needs and it's hardy, 687 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:08,160 Speaker 1: but it's hard to see it as this pure replacement 688 00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:11,760 Speaker 1: for the Caven Dish. Scientists have also decoded the banana's genome, 689 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,359 Speaker 1: which helps, but no one's confident that the Cavendish can 690 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:17,400 Speaker 1: be saved, and at the same time, no one's slowing 691 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,719 Speaker 1: down on eating bananas either. There's there's also this much 692 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:22,960 Speaker 1: sweeter banana that comes out of the Philippines that some 693 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:26,879 Speaker 1: scientists are hopeful about. It's way more fragile. But if 694 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:29,800 Speaker 1: the banana industry could switch from just piling gross michelles 695 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:33,120 Speaker 1: on boats to boxing bananas to transport the caven dish, 696 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:36,640 Speaker 1: maybe they can adapt to this Philippine and banana. It's 697 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:39,200 Speaker 1: it's a big question mark though, And and I want 698 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,279 Speaker 1: to end this on a happy note. So what's something 699 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:44,480 Speaker 1: you can tell me about the banana that's fun? Well? Um, 700 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:46,439 Speaker 1: you know, for one, there's this great passage in Dan 701 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:49,600 Speaker 1: Copple's book about how the bananas used in Uganda, and 702 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 1: he talks about how it's used this currency, I mean, 703 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:54,880 Speaker 1: sometimes by farmers to pay back loans, and how there 704 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:57,320 Speaker 1: are songs sung about bananas, and and not in a 705 00:36:57,400 --> 00:37:00,440 Speaker 1: kitchy way, but almost this epic history pull him kind 706 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:04,719 Speaker 1: of way. He mentions this Red Cross report that documented 707 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:08,360 Speaker 1: that if faminine war are connected, the fact that bananas 708 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 1: are so plentiful in Uganda have helped the country avoid both. 709 00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:14,000 Speaker 1: But here's the part that I really love, and it's 710 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:16,320 Speaker 1: it's how much the banana is part of the culture. 711 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:19,279 Speaker 1: Let me just read this passage from it says, um, 712 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:21,960 Speaker 1: there's a special breed of banana that's consumed when twins 713 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:25,080 Speaker 1: are born. Another type marks the passing of a relative. 714 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:28,720 Speaker 1: Families are guaranteed prosperity if the mother buries her after 715 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 1: birth under a banana tree. There's a banana that, when eaton, 716 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:36,279 Speaker 1: helps return a straying spouse. One breed represents the lion 717 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:39,239 Speaker 1: and is said to improve male potency. And at the 718 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:41,759 Speaker 1: center of it all is matoki, the word that's used 719 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:46,040 Speaker 1: interchangeably for both food and banana. So for Uganda's nothing 720 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:49,360 Speaker 1: says welcome home more than this comfort food served on 721 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:52,799 Speaker 1: a banana leaf saucer. I love that. But you know 722 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 1: what else I love the part time genius fact off? 723 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:57,839 Speaker 1: Is it already time? All right? Well, let's do it, 724 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:11,520 Speaker 1: m M So do you know that bananas will glow 725 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:14,640 Speaker 1: bright blue under a black light? They light up like 726 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:18,239 Speaker 1: fosse breasts and jellyfish, I mean, except their bananas. But 727 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:21,120 Speaker 1: the weird part is green bananas don't glow, only the 728 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:24,200 Speaker 1: yellow ones do. So I know you said Indians love 729 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 1: their bananas, but per person, Uganda has them beat the 730 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:31,359 Speaker 1: country grows eleven million tons of fruit, which bears out 731 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:35,040 Speaker 1: to five hundred pounds per person annually. I mean this 732 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,520 Speaker 1: is according to Dan Copple's research, and he says that 733 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:40,719 Speaker 1: in remote villages where there's little else they eat, it 734 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:43,880 Speaker 1: can be up to nine hundred and seventy pounds per person. 735 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:47,160 Speaker 1: That's insane. So here's a quick one. Did you know 736 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:49,320 Speaker 1: that the strands in the banana are called the flow, 737 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:52,839 Speaker 1: him or flam. I'm clearly not good at pronouncing things. Now, 738 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:55,279 Speaker 1: you're really not all right. Here's something fun for people 739 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:58,359 Speaker 1: who love comics. The first Miss Chiquita was drawn by 740 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:02,319 Speaker 1: Dick Brown, who also created Hagar the Horrible cartoon, and 741 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:05,360 Speaker 1: when the character was revamped, it was done by Oscar Grilloh, 742 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:08,880 Speaker 1: who drew the pink panther. Here's a gross one. In 743 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:11,880 Speaker 1: uh in Bombay, a first time thiefs stole a gold 744 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: chain and as he was chased and cornered by police, 745 00:39:14,719 --> 00:39:17,160 Speaker 1: he swallowed it and to get it out of the system, 746 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:20,239 Speaker 1: they force fed him forty eight bananas. God, I'm not 747 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:22,320 Speaker 1: sure why they knew forty eight was the right number, 748 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:24,719 Speaker 1: but apparently it worked. It is my favorite number, but 749 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 1: I don't think I'm gonna eat that many bananas. But 750 00:39:27,239 --> 00:39:29,200 Speaker 1: all right, this is kind of amazing. And it comes 751 00:39:29,239 --> 00:39:31,799 Speaker 1: from Pittsburgh, which is also the supposed home of the 752 00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:34,719 Speaker 1: banana split. But you know how ethlene is used to 753 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,640 Speaker 1: ripe in bananas, right, Well, it's also combustible, and according 754 00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:40,880 Speaker 1: to The New York Times, a mishap with the gas 755 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:44,919 Speaker 1: caused the Pittsburgh Banana Company building to explode and rain 756 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:48,520 Speaker 1: bananas down on the city. Oh man, So I don't 757 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:51,760 Speaker 1: love explosions, but I do love that you said Pittsburgh 758 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:55,040 Speaker 1: Banana Company building. And I also love the idea of 759 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:57,879 Speaker 1: just like plucking bananas from the heavens. So I'm gonna 760 00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:00,120 Speaker 1: give it to you. But before we go, I I 761 00:40:00,160 --> 00:40:01,920 Speaker 1: just want to give a special thanks to Nolan Brown, 762 00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:03,880 Speaker 1: who helped with the research this week. Yeah, and we 763 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:06,480 Speaker 1: should also give a shout out to Dan Copple's book Banana, 764 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:09,400 Speaker 1: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World. And 765 00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:11,520 Speaker 1: and before we go, what episodes. We've got a couple 766 00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:13,520 Speaker 1: of great episodes coming up at the end of this week. 767 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:16,480 Speaker 1: We've got one that we've been working on on super Fans, right, Yeah, 768 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:19,400 Speaker 1: I'm hoping we can cover a lot about the faneloes. 769 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:23,440 Speaker 1: Those are very Mantel fans, yeah, as well as Harry 770 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: Potter big football fans. All kinds of fun stuff there. 771 00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:28,960 Speaker 1: And then we've got another very different one coming up 772 00:40:29,239 --> 00:40:31,600 Speaker 1: next week on how big is the U. S Military 773 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:33,880 Speaker 1: and how is the money spent there? So that should 774 00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:36,360 Speaker 1: be really interesting to be awesome as well. But we 775 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:38,480 Speaker 1: love hearing from so many of you, don't forget. You 776 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:40,759 Speaker 1: can reach out to us part Time Genius at how 777 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:44,759 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot com or on our seven fact hotline 778 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:48,160 Speaker 1: one eight four four pt Genius. We've heard from so 779 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:50,520 Speaker 1: many of you telling your friends about the show. Please 780 00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:52,759 Speaker 1: keep doing that and if you get a chance, feel 781 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:55,480 Speaker 1: free to write us review on Apple Podcast. But thanks 782 00:40:55,520 --> 00:41:11,399 Speaker 1: so much for listening. Yea, thanks again for listening. Part 783 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:13,400 Speaker 1: Time Genius is a production of How Stuff Works and 784 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:16,080 Speaker 1: wouldn't be possible without several brilliant people who do the 785 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:19,400 Speaker 1: important things we couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan McNeil 786 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:21,879 Speaker 1: does the editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme song 787 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,759 Speaker 1: and does the MIXI mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland does 788 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:27,920 Speaker 1: the exact producer thing. Gave Louesier is our lead researcher 789 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:30,920 Speaker 1: with support from the Research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan 790 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:33,160 Speaker 1: Brown and Lucas Adams, and even Jeff Cook gets the 791 00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:35,440 Speaker 1: show to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like 792 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:37,360 Speaker 1: what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, And if you 793 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:39,399 Speaker 1: really really like what you've heard, maybe you could leave 794 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:42,440 Speaker 1: a good review for us. We do. We forget Jason Jason, 795 00:41:42,480 --> 00:41:42,719 Speaker 1: who