Banana Republic?

OK, this is literally the SIXTH banana peel I have seen within the last week or so - what in heaven's name is going on around here? Is Jerry Lewis in town? Is there a whole underground slapstick culture that I'm not aware of? The weirdest thing is, I have never - never - seen anyone in Paris eating a banana in public (come to think of it, I don't see that many people eating them in private, either). It's rare to see people eating on the street here at all - except for the occasional baguette or sandwich - so this banana thing has really got me stumped.