John Oliver Would Like To Purchase Melbourne’s Disgraced Banana Sculpture
"We'll ... donate $10,000 to your local food bank, and, of course, $5,000 to the John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward. You have exactly one week to get back to us. Send us your banana!"
In unexpected Tuesday news, comedian John Oliver currently has eyes on Melbourne’s disgraced banana sculpture.
The fibreglass banana statue, which was erected in Fitzroy as a means as an attempt to slow traffic, was swiftly removed after being vandalised by members of the public. The statue, which artist Adam Stone says was meant to speak to climate change and hubris, was subject to so much vitriol that it was vandalised with a saw in November 2021.
Locals are divided after the City of Yarra in Melbourne spent $22,000 on this banana sculpture. Well spent? #TodayExtra pic.twitter.com/0xrE0xN9qE
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) November 26, 2021
Thankfully, though, the demonic banana has attracted the attention of comedian John Oliver, who has generously offered to swap us for a similarly haunting effigy of an alligator flipping the bird.
Posted to the official Facebook page for Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, the offer reads: To Melbourne: You may not want this controversial and lightly vandalised banana statue anymore, but we most definitely do. We are even willing to pay a whopping ten Australian dollars for it.”
“Plus, we will send you our illustrious statue of an alligator giving the finger! Trust us, it’s perfect for you. If that’s not enough, we’ll also donate $10,000 to your local food bank, and, of course, $5,000 to the John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward. You have exactly one week to get back to us. Send us your banana!”
Oliver was understandably quite taken by the banana, referring to it on his show as “the Cate Blanchett of banana sculptures, in that it is a hauntingly pale Australian creature with a very striking bone structure.”
Mayor Sophie Wade has not yet responded to the request, but she has offered Oliver a private viewing.
“I would like to officially extend an invitation to John Oliver to come down under and visit Yarra,” she said. “I would be happy to take him on a tour of our wonderful city and organise a private viewing of the banana so they can get acquainted.”
Sophie, please. Send John Oliver the banana!