As Group B gets closer to narrowing down their three finalists,The Masked Singer fans are taking to social media with their guesses on the remaining four singers' identities. Who is Banana and how do the clues confirm it?
Banana was one of the first costumes fans got a glimpse of for Season 3. First in a promo ad, when Banana was duct-taped to a wall in a play on the artist Maurizio Cattelan piece that was in fact just a banana duct-taped to a wall that sold for a whopping $120k. Fans started to wonder if that meant the celebrity behind the mask was a comedian since the piece was literally named "Comedian" by the artist. Others thought maybe the anonymous cast member was hoping to play on the fact that the piece itself was an unlikely "winner" in the art world that managed to be so successful. Either way, speculation began immediately. So far the guesses out there with the most solid legs are comedian Bill Engvall or rocker Bret Michaels. But which one do the clues say it is?
Banana's first week performed "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley and while fans might not have immediately recognized the voice it was, the body language that stood out. Fans who'd seen the Poison frontman perform more recently said that it definitely looked like him and the clues have been stacking up to support that. However, the first clue package sent everyone in different directions, a sign that the clues are getting harder and more obscure in the show's attempts to thwart die-hard The Masked Singer fans' ability to identify the celebs before they are unveiled. The clue package showed a cowboy hat, a pufferfish, 2 female characters, partying, a bus and a blue dog collar. The comments he made included this not being his first rodeo and how he was a hoot to have at parties. While the blue collar made the panelists thing of a comedy tour by that name and the cowboy references made them think of the comedian. None of the other clues fit really and a closer look shows how all of the clues can be linked to much better to the rocker.
Bret Micheals trademark look includes a bandana and cowboy hat so that fits. The pufferfish was combined with a comment at being a hoot at parties to lure out the common Darius Rucker guess, but many clues still don't fit and it doesn't sound like the Hootie and the Blowfish singer at all. However, a pufferfish is poisonous which would be a huge clue pointing to the Poison frontman. The partying, women, and bus all line up nicely with his show Rock of Love and just the rockstars past in general. That blue dog collar caused many to focus on the blue and the collar but maybe it should have been the dog part they should have focused on. The rocker had a company called Pets Rock which did, in fact, make dog collars. Banana also mentioned choosing the potassium laden fruit as his costume after being handed a banana by his daughter. Micheals has 2 daughters so this still tracks.
During his second week, the clues only proved to further confirm this theory. The items shown included a digital clock that read 2:13, men in a boardroom, black cowboy boots under the boardroom table, a green snake, an acai bowl, a wall clock also reading 2:13, and images of cable shows starring Banana. He mentioned them wanting him to rebrand but that he was going to rock out as his authentic self. He also mentioned still being around after all these years. So the 2:13 clue was dismissed by many but a little digging shows that it fits the rocker. He starred as himself in season 2 episode 13 of the show Revolution which he spoke passionately about. He famously wore his black cowboy boots into the boardroom on The Celebrity Apprentice. There are many "Poison"-ous green snakes and that image was accompanied by a message that he needed to rebrand. This would fit them wanting him to rebrand from his old image with the band. The bowl could also refer to his pet accessory line. Last but not least those posters of cable shows starring Banana point straight to Rock of Love.
It seems unlikely that anyone would still be unconvinced that Banana is Bret Micheals but some generic clues also fit like the height and build. Another clue some had a hard time connecting to Bret was Banana saying art was his favorite subject. His recently announced, upcoming LOVE+PLUS Apparel Collection that was created with his daughters and will also include some of his own photography, which explains Banana saying that his favorite subject was art and goes along with what he's promoting by being on The Masked Singer. He also said that it had gotten him through some tough times of which he'd had many. No one can deny the rockstar has had more than his share of health problems including but aren't limited to, a near-fatal brain hemorrhage, stroke, heart surgery, and recent skin cancer diagnosis.
It's hard to deny with this mountain of evidence that Banana is Bret Michaels. However, if you still manage to be unconvinced this week's episode of The Masked Singer could confirm it for good - if he doesn't manage to survive the final cut of Group B. While an unveiling would confirm the theory laid out here, fans do hope he stays in a bit longer. In which case, we could have another round of Bret Michaels clues to help convince the naysayers. Even if by some chance it isn't Bret, though of course, it is, there is no doubt Banana is an entertaining showman that viewers have enjoyed watching.
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8pm EST on Fox.