Photos by Pepperdine Bananas
Have you ever felt eyes on you while eating a banana around Pepperdine’s campus? Well, you might be getting caught on camera and submitted to the well known @pepperdine_bananas Instagram account. With almost 1,000 followers, this account has taken off since its humble beginnings in 2015.
Senior Jeffrey Haas created @pepperdine_bananas after hearing of a similar account already in existence. When he searched for the said account, he couldn’t find it, so he decided to start his own back in 2015. The account receives content from Pepperdine students who snap pictures of their unsuspecting friends (and sometimes strangers) eating bananas and send them to the account through direct messaging.
“I think it’s just about being fun and goofy, and that’s why bananas make the most sense,” Haas said. “Bananas are the funniest fruit; they’re ripe for comedy.”
Haas said he originally did not expect the account to become popular, but soon it gained some traction.
“It didn’t start out with the intent for mass ‘ap-peel’, it was just kind of a ‘If you think this is funny, then this is for you.’ If not, that’s cool, too,” Haas said. “But it just kind of took off, and now it’s bigger than ever.”
Haas, who stopped managing the account in December 2017, said he wants it to continue after he graduates in April.
“I’m very proud of what my successor has done,” Haas said. “[The successor is] taking things in a great new direction, and Pepperdine Bananas has never had more followers, and it’s averaging over 100 likes per post. There’s also some merchandise on the way. Things are good.”
Only three people know the identity of the new account holder of @pepperdine_bananas, and they hope to keep it under wraps.
Follow @pepperdine_bananas on Instagram and send in your fun pictures of people eating bananas around campus!
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