Overview of The Moth Podcast: Apples and Bananas
This episode of The Moth (hosted by Kate Tellers) pairs two true, live personal stories tied together by a playful fruit theme — a humiliating banana-suit promotion gone wrong and a small but excruciating supermarket delivery mishap involving a single apple. Both stories were told at local Story Slams (Pittsburgh and London) and revolve around being duped or making a blunder; the tone is comedic, self-effacing, and reflective.
Stories (what happens)
“Mr. Banana” — David Harris Gershon (Pittsburgh Story Slam; theme: duped)
- Setting: Athens, Georgia, during a raucous nighttime bike race (Twilight Criterion) while the storyteller is an undergrad.
- Plot: David skips a promised Passover celebration to hang out downtown. His smoothie-shop boss calls urgently and convinces him to “open the shop.” When he arrives, he’s handed a life-size banana suit and told to hawk smoothies at the race grandstand for publicity.
- Turn: After cheering and handing out samples, as David leaves he’s attacked by two men who beat him up while he’s still in the banana suit.
- Resolution: Police detain the attackers; David declines to press charges, feeling he’s already been punished (and that he had broken his promise to his mother).
“The Six-Pound Apple” — Holly Rudder (London Story Slam; theme: blunders)
- Setting: A lonely Saturday night in London; Holly places a Tesco online grocery order.
- Plot: To secure the delivery slot she quickly orders a single apple and pays; later she tries to edit the order but the system won’t allow changes because the order is already being packed. Calls to customer service fail (it's midnight).
- Turn: Expecting something small, she waits the next morning between an 8–10 a.m. slot. A Tesco van unloads many orders; the driver comes to her door holding a bag containing her one apple and reads the receipt awkwardly.
- Punchline: She pays £6.40 for that apple, eats it, and never uses Tesco online shopping again.
Key themes and takeaways
- Everyday humiliation makes compelling, relatable storytelling: both stories mine embarrassment and small injustices for humor and meaning.
- The gap between expectations and reality: promotional stunts and online conveniences promise ease but often produce awkward or absurd outcomes.
- Choice and responsibility: both narrators reflect on their decisions (skipping a promise; making a rushed order) with wry acceptance rather than outrage.
- Economy of detail: small objects (a banana suit; a single apple) become anchors for larger social observations about identity, consumer culture, and personal responsibility.
Notable lines / Moments
- David: “I think the punishment has already been given.” — resignation and dark humor after being assaulted in the banana suit.
- Holly: The slow, mortifying arrival of the delivery driver with a single apple and the awkward exchange highlighting modern convenience’s absurdities.
Episode context & production
- Host: Kate Tellers (also shares a short personal banana anecdote).
- Stories were recorded at Moth Story Slams (David in Pittsburgh, Holly in London).
- Production credits listed (producers, leadership names) and a reminder: “All Moth stories are true as remembered by their storytellers.”
- The episode plugs The Moth Mainstage tour and the Moth Pitch Line for submitting stories: themoth.org and 877-799-MOTH (877-799-6684).
Sponsors & ads (brief)
- Blue Apron (now subscription-free offerings)
- TurboTax (Expert full service)
- DailyLook (styling service)
- Alma (mental health therapist finder)
- Angie (home service pros) (Ads are interleaved with the episode; each sponsor offers promo details and links in the original episode.)
Who this episode will appeal to
- Listeners who enjoy short, true-life humorous tales about awkward everyday failures.
- Fans of concise, stage-told personal storytelling that turns small incidents into memorable narrative moments.
Action items / Links
- Hear more or pitch a story: themoth.org; call 877-799-MOTH (877-799-6684).
- Find Moth Mainstage tour dates: themoth.org/mainstage.