# Banana For Scale

Banana For Scale is an internet photography gag where someone places a banana next to another object so viewers can judge its real-life size. The format spread through Reddit and Imgur in 2013 and later inspired parody versions like Double Bed For Scale.

## Overview
Banana For Scale is a visual joke where someone places a banana into a photograph so viewers can gauge how big the object beside it actually is[4]. The banana works as a familiar measuring stick because most people know roughly how long one is, which makes it a useful stand-in for a ruler while also looking absurd[5]. The format usually shows the banana lying flat next to whatever's being photographed, from home appliances to novelty items.

The gag doubles as a running joke about lazy photo descriptions. When an Imgur or Reddit user posts something impressive but hard to size up, commenters will demand a banana for scale[3]. Over time the format got so recognizable that people started swapping in other objects, like acoustic guitars or full-size beds, as parody scale references[1].

## How It Spread
The joke went mainstream on Reddit throughout 2013. On June 11, Imgur user KingOPancakes posted an album titled 'How to win a bet when you lose a bet' about a prank lock box holding a Dunkin Donuts gift card, with bananas visible in two shots for scale[4]. On November 26, Redditor r0bbE posted a picture of an oversized banana next to a keyboard with a smaller banana for scale to /r/pics, and the subreddit /r/BananasForScale was created three days later on November 29[3].

On December 8, 2013, Reddit user ASharkToof posted a photo of himself standing beside actor Tom Hanks, who looked puzzled at a comically large banana being held up for scale. That post cleared 25,700 upvotes in nine days[3]. By April 2014, the /r/BananasForScale subreddit had grown past 400 members and the joke was firmly part of Reddit's shared vocabulary[3].

The format later inspired parody offshoots. In March 2017, Redditor dosh_jonaldson posted an apartment listing that showed a fully made double bed placed in every room, including the hallway and kitchen, as a scale reference. The thread hit the top of /r/all with over 115,000 upvotes and drew coverage from Mashable, whose writeup joked that 'the banana's moment in the sun has left it shriveled and dead[1].'

## How to Use
To use the format, place a banana somewhere in the frame of your photograph, typically lying flat beside the object you want to show off. Common convention is to caption the photo or drop a comment saying 'banana for scale' so viewers know what to compare against[3]. The joke often lands hardest when the other object is either surprisingly large or surprisingly small, since the humor comes from the mismatch between the banana's familiar size and whatever it sits next to[5].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Banana For Scale?
Banana For Scale is a photography gag where someone places a banana next to another object so viewers can judge the object's actual size[4].

### Where did Banana For Scale come from?
The earliest use appeared on the Rock Dog Designs blog in March 2005 for a TV listing, and the format spread through blogger Andy Herald's HowToBeADad posts in 2010 and 2012[2].

### What does Banana For Scale mean?
It's shorthand for adding a familiar reference object to a photo so viewers can estimate scale without a ruler or exact measurement[5].

### How do you use Banana For Scale?
Place a banana lying flat in the frame beside your subject and add a caption or comment saying 'banana for scale' so viewers know what to measure against[3].

### Is Banana For Scale still popular?
The joke is a classic Reddit and Imgur reference, with the /r/BananasForScale subreddit active since November 2013[3], and parody variants like Double Bed For Scale appearing as recently as 2017[1].

## References
1. [https://mashable.com/2017/03/21/double-bed-for-scale/](<https://mashable.com/2017/03/21/double-bed-for-scale/>)
2. [https://howtobeadad.com/](<https://howtobeadad.com/>)
3. [https://www.reddit.com/r/BananasForScale/](<https://www.reddit.com/r/BananasForScale/>)
4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/banana-for-scale](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/banana-for-scale>)
5. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Banana%20For%20Scale](<https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Banana%20For%20Scale>)

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Source: https://meme.com/memes/banana-for-scale
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