Clad in a bright yellow banana suit, Tyse Blumenthal, freshman in LAS, ventures around Green Street, spreading joy every step of the way. Amassing over 900 followers on Instagram, he — the University Banana Man — has become something of a local celebrity.
It all started with a Halloween costume, one that would later become the key to his online success.
“I just had the banana around,” Blumenthal said. “One time, I did a cannibal banana Halloween costume where I ate bananas going around as a banana.”
Through social media, Blumenthal turned the costume into something greater. He cultivated a creative space, one where he can let go and have fun.
“It’s an easy way to get your head out of classes and stuff like that,” Blumenthal said. “It’s a fun way to go out and communicate with people really easily. People tend to really loosen up if you’re in a banana costume. It’s purely to make people happy … and, you know, have fun myself personally.”
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To maintain the playfulness, Blumenthal keeps his content structure simple and easy to engage with. He does so by asking uncontroversial questions to passersby and taking photos to capture the moment.
However, this isn’t just a one-man show. Blumenthal is accompanied by two “bodyguards,” William Belue, freshman in Engineering, and Erick Cuahuizo, freshman in LAS, who help him film content and protect him from inebriated onlookers.
“He came to me and one of our other floormates, Erick, and was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be so funny if I just walked around in a banana costume?’… We had nothing better to do, so we went with him, and it turned into something a lot more than that,” Belue said.
Because of his strong support system, Blumenthal has had the opportunity to collaborate with other local celebrities. Bobby Khamayseh, owner of Fat Sandwich Company, was happy to interact with Blumenthal.
Khamayseh invited Blumenthal behind the counter, offering him the opportunity to cook a sandwich and briefly work as a cashier. Both local influencers recounted the collaboration as a great experience.
No stranger to the internet, Khamayseh has collaborated with other local celebrities, including Sammy K and Michael DeCoste. He took note of Blumenthal’s rapid rise on Instagram and commended Blumenthal for his persistence and community presence.
“Good job … be good at what you do, and be the best,” Khamayseh said.
Khamayseh gave Blumenthal insight into the ups and downs of internet fame, saying that perseverance is vital to success.
“When someone writes a bad comment, some people take it personally … you have to handle that stress, that fear, if you want to be on top,” Khamayseh said. “As you decide to be in public, you have to understand it and function with it.”
With a strong passion, great advice and some loyal followers, the University Banana Man has a steady rise to internet fame ahead of him. Blumenthal plans to continue his account for the rest of his time at the University, so stick around for the a-peel.
