Wit - Andy Warhol and Mario Banana

Aristotle said, “Wit is educated insolence.”

This is an image from Mario Banana, a short movie by Andy Warhol in which a transvestite (Mario Montez) dressed in drag, slowly peels and eats a banana. The sexual innuendo is obvious when watching this movie, as Montez drags out the eating of the banana with licks of his tongue, and a sexually infused gaze pointed steadfastly at the camera. At its time of creation in 1964, homosexuality was frowned down upon, institutionally and culturally. To be called a homosexual was a serious offense, and to be thought of as one was a terrible fate indeed. This is part of the wit that Warhol shows in the creation of this interesting short film. For males, heterosexual in nature, the uncomfortable silence as the movie progresses is truly a laughing out loud experience. As Dorothy Parker says, “Wit has a truth to it, wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words”(Fletcher 2001). Mario Banana II has a truth to it, and a sort of wise commentary which we can see in ourselves by our reaction to this film. A film which is truly just a man eating a banana. Warhol’s work has made an outstanding contribution to visual culture often by making the mundane truths of real life interesting. Warhol often pushed the bounds of sexuality with films like Mario Banana and Blowjob. He also often dealt in heavy innuendo, implying a wit which he himself possessed for creating a bridge between two unlikely objects, and wit on the viewers’ part for understanding of his work. Victor Borge said, “wit is the shortest distance between two people” so perhaps Warhol was using wit and humor to appeal to his viewers. Warhol’s work was often creative, unique and challenged existing notions of contemporary art. In addition to the creation of his work, Warhol has made a lasting effect on the area of Visual Culture by leaving instructions for the creation of a Visual Culture foundation in his will.