The banana artwork debuted in 2019 at Art Basel in Miami, where editions sold for $120,000 to $150,000.

Shortly after its debut, a performance artist ate the banana off the wall in front of an audience. A similar act occurred in South Korea in 2023.

In both instances, the banana was replaced, and the artwork continued to exist.

In 2019, critic Andrew Russeth described Comedian as a critique of the "absurdity of the art market" and the wealth inequalities shaping the global economy.