Ask Adam Savage: When's the Hardest Adam Has Ever Laughed? 

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We screamed when we saw this because that is our banana for scale that we make! Now we can’t remember if we dropped one in with the Savage Industries sign we gave Adam or if someone bought one and sent it 😂 Either way we are tickled pink that one of our bananas was used to share a great childhood memory!

A friend of mine was working under a car and he stuck his hand out, asking for a spanner. One of the guys had a banana in his lunchbox and put the banana into the hand and the hand disappeared under the car, to appear at high speed a moment later. Four of us absolutely fell about laughing. Im 56 and it happened when I was 15. It cracks me up still.

Im not a "maker" by almost any means but I can't get enough of Adams Q&As. So much to say, but hes a great storyteller, he thinks clearly about his answers, and hes so full of wisdom and experience in so many walks of life that there's likely something to learn from each answer he gives whether or not the subject matter pertains to your usual life. Genuinely inspiring and I don't use that lightly.

Adam instinctively and subconsciously measuring the width of his new chisel on his tattoo is the most delightful thing I will see all week….

Now I'm picturing 8-year-old Adam and 8-year-old Jamie testing the Banana Phone myth. 🙂

The 500 Desk Set was great industrial design, and they were nearly indestructible. When I was in TV news, I was getting shots inside of a house where a fire had flashed over. The phone had partly melted into the Bell System equivalent of a Salvadore Dali clock. Then it RANG. A fireflighter pried the gooey handset up with the point of his axe, and answered the call, assuring the person on the other end that everyone had gotten out safely.

He's such a great story teller. It's just a silly little story but I was laughing the whole time.

RING RING, RING RING, RING RING, RING BANANAPHONE! Loved Adam's story, I definitely know that feel of "earth-shattering laughter"

I've never put a banana on a receiver, but watching this I feel like I was there. You are one of the best storytellers of our time, and I'm grateful for you.

You referred to the chisel singing to you... When I was a child, I managed to convince my dad to buy me a much nicer violin than he planned because after playing it I said, "But Daddy, it sings in my heart." The violin salesman did very well for himself that day.

I grew up in the 80's so I know all about those phones, and I can unequivocally say with absolute certain: my 8 year old self would have definitely found that banana phone ringing just as funny as Adam did!! 🤣

The banana phone story is terrific. I'm fond of saying "everything is in the timing" and that is one of the best timed phone calls ever.

what a lovely story at the end! the way adam described it is so perfect. encapsulates childhood

"The world cracked open with our laughter" is such a beautiful sentence

When i was a boy…. 38yrs ago😁 My best friend Frank and me was bored… We used to throw waterbombs out from my 3. Floor balcony.. One day we needed a new thing to do🤷🏼‍♂️ There was a smaller boy called Kim, laying on his stomach in the grass.. 50+ yards away… Frank picked up a potato and threw it agains Kim… The potato hit him directly in his ass!! Jumping up like cats do😂 We CRACKED up in laughter and fell to the floor, trying to breath!! For minutes!!😂😂😂 Later in the wintertime Frank and i made a Bet about, if he could hit a mailbox with a snowball…? As the snowball left his hand, on the Way to the mailbox…. 25yards away… A winter Hat popped up above the mailbox, and Got shot CLEAN off… Again we CRACKED up and fell to the ground😂😂😂 Thats my most funny Childhood experiences 😂 Oh my god Frank could Throw!!!😂

Kudos to whoever sent Adam the banana, I love when a funny story about the past compounds itself with current funny.

That's a funny story, even for an adult. We had one of those phones, but it was a sort of creamy brown color. I still remember the first time we got a cordless phone in the 90's. Had a collapsible antenna that you had to pull out any time you answered the phone or it wouldn't have any range. By the time cell phones came around I was still amazed by how far cordless phones had come. Technology has improved at such a rapid pace it's utterly astounding where we came from.

I believe I can top that story. My late grandmother would usually nap a bit in the den and she wanted the phone right by her "day bed" so she could immediately answer it. 95+ percent of the calls were for her. And, yes, the phone was a 1968 desk unit from Bell. One day as she napped, I lifted the handset from the cradle and replaced it with a banana. Sure enough, before half an hour had passed, one of her friends called. Instinctively, she reached to grab the handset and instead, brought the tropical fruit to her ear , answering "Hello?" 3 or 4 times before she realized she was addressing a potassium rich snack. Of course, the handset was also in reach, sitting right by the main unit, so she didn't miss her call. Too bad it was still the era of over the shoulder VHS cameras (which cost a couple of grand) because I so wanted the capture that moment!

That level of gust busting pure blissful laughter at something so simple, is precious and rare for us older folks these days. We all need to experience that kind of laughter a lot more, it would make the world a better place.

Visiting the old family farm as a kid in the mid 60's in Norway it had an old but working wooden wall phone with a crank. My father called the phone company to get a modern phone. They installed a new plastic wall phone, with a crank. My dad lost his mind when he saw it but we thought it was hilarious.

My mom gave me a great way to judge what kind of stuff to buy. First time item, look at the cheapest version of the thing then go up 1 tier. Could be maybe 5-10 dollars more for maybe a better grip or slightly better material but it can save hassle when learning. For the upgrade look at the most expensive versions and go one tier down, don't need that final tier of quality of life stuff that barely matter.

I have been a fan and follower of yours, Adam, since the very first MythBusters showed in Scotland. Thank you for your work and dedication to helping educate and illuminate others. Sadly, I am disabled now, so can't indulge my passion for making things the way I used to in my garage and on my cars and motorbikes, but I regularly watch your episodes on RU-vid which still give me the buzz I used to feel myself. It is also wonderful to hear about your ILM days - such great movies, and still so much enjoyed today. Thank you, kind sir.

I sit here laughing, at the concept of "ring-ring-ring bananaphone." With a literal banana phone ringing, that is amazing.

The feeling of slamming down a traditional phone in anger is nearly hard to beat!

The hardest I remember laughing was when I was 5 or 6 years old and I was visiting one of my cousins that lived a few blocks away. We, myself, and a bunch of my cousins were sitting in the living room playing video games and eating i-cees, I had grape, when my oldest cousin starts telling jokes and making fun of everyone in the room. I laughed so hard that I actually vomited purple sludge all over the floor.

OMG I'm actually laughing right now as I imagine how funny that would have been.

This genuinely had me LAUGHING OUT LOUD... because that's the kind of thing that made me laugh until it hurt, when I was a kid. :D Even now, at age 60, this made me laugh! A LOT!

As a gearhead, I love hearing about Adam working on his car. It's awesome to learn more about him as a person.

We had a basic black phone on a small shelf in the kitchen. The morning my dad passed away the "1" stopped working and mom could not dial 911. Thank you for your memory it made me laugh as well and I will forever have that image in my head.

That's such a cute story, I can see 8 year old me and my old friend from back then laughing hysterically

I think the hardest I have ever laughed was back in the early 80's when I was working in a variety show club and they were doing Dracula for the Halloween season. One of the nights, the cast decided to switch things up a bit and did the entire show with Looney Tunes characters. Renfield was Daffy Duck (complete with swim fins), Van Helsing was Elmer Fudd, Morris was Foghorn Leghorn, Harker was Sylvester, Mina was Tweety Bird and the Count was of course Bugs Bunny. I had one hell of a time hitting my cues that night and quite obviously remember it to this day.

Your phone story had me laughing harder than I've laughed for a few months! Might have something to do with having had the same model phone in red. The hardest I have ever laughed was in the theater watching the Biggus Dickus scene in Monty Python's Life of Brian. I almost fell out of my seat, and my ribs hurt.

I like your explanation of how a new tool feels. I would also closely compare it to the feeling of upgrading a graphics card. You can always get by with the cheap graphics card, but once you throw that $600 went in there, it's magical

Being born in '68, I have marveled at every tech advancement! I certainly did use a rotor phone, and a push button princesses phone and business phones with intercoms and then the car phones (Charlie's Angels anyone?), The Brick, Mobile Handheld, Sat phones and finally hand held cellular phones that technically would fit in a pocket and use 6 AA BATTERIES! To me, the speed of tech development has been breathtaking. I only wish I could see the next hundred years!

The banana story was hilarious! Thank you for entertaining me since I can remember! ❤️‍🔥

One of my most life changing tool upgrades was snap ring pliers. For years I fought that cheapo set but I'd get them to work. Finally I bought a good German set and they work sooo good. In and out, no slipping, no ring flying across the shop.

I greatly appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions Adam. Thank you for all the shared wisdom

His description of driving the car after fixing it is the same thing I felt when I was first learning how to sew- I can fix SO many problems in clothing. No more do I suffer small fit issues, or throw jeans out because I wear out the crotch!!

Im absolutely cracking up with tears running down my face laughing at the Banana phone!"!!

"The world cracked open with our laughter. " Brilliant! ;^)

So where are you on the watch tour of the Tested video archive of discovery? Hearing Adam Savage in your head providing sage advice in random life situations? Me too, me too

I'm old (42) because I genuinely laugh at the fact he pulled a phone out like that then explained his old story from childhood

Watching Adam work is indeed mesmerizing

I just want to say, I have to appreciate Adams views on tool and the average persons needs and wants and limits in tools even after finding the success he’s earned. Makes you even more relatable sir!!! Thanks for being you!!

Excellent advice on the tools. I buy a cheap one at a whim - impulse buys are permitted. If I manage to wear it out or it's quality is detrimental to a job (eg a soft wrench rounding a bolt) it gets replaced with a professional one. Funniest moment story, my mate was using a cheap angle grinder with a rather large wire wheel on it, it was a real piece of crap that used to get hot, we'd routinely operate it with welding gloves and abuse it. anyway he's bogging into a rusty piece of steel in the front yard with this thing while I leaned on my car ad a distance waiting for him to finish. Then it made this weird "Squack" sound and wrenched savagely in his hands and he stared at it rather dumbfounded wondering where the wire wheel was while smoke poured out of the brushes area. I'd seen the wheel drop off and shoot away, bounding down the street at about 10,000 rpm. Afterwards we took it apart and found the bearing had collapsed and smashed part of the bevel gear off which got jammed in the teeth on the next revolution, the inertia in the heavy wheel just unscrewed it. Thanks for prompting that memory, that friend died a few months ago and it was nice to revisit a fun time.

I don't blame you for the banana phone, that whole story is hilarious!

Jesum Crow! I haven't heard that since I was a kid growing up in VT!

Currently in the process of....well,becoming grounded again....not letting things bother me,letting life just go,and not fretting about well,being fretted upon,I guess in my case. I know I'm working on myself,and I'm really making an effort of not getting worked up over not being understood,because I'll just burn out again. Essentially though-sorry for the intro-I just wanted to reach out to say,thank you again,Mr.Savage for being the Ultimate(or at least,accept that you're one of my top 3 Makers/Creatives which I turn to when I want to learn new things and/or to kind of just....have as a general comfort background-presence) conversation/inspirational icon for me,even when I don't really want to think too much about whatever mundane thing might be upsetting me,or even when I am happy and I just-i usually can just go to your channel and find inspiration in some way,even if it's how best to organize my writing utensils,and...(see,there's a niche for everything!).....just,thank you. I've been in a personal funk lately,but the banana-phone story was (apparently!) why I had clicked on this video for,because I'm sure a lot of people might have maybe expected something.....well;I didn't really expect any kind of story in particular,I happened to be thinking of the Mythbusters moment where EVEN THE CAMERA MAN zoomed in on the fucken roll of duct tape off the ramp,and the actual video/air time on that episode was one of the funniest things I've ever seen from the show from my recollection from the show at the time,and I'm so happy that that moment had aired because there wasn't much of interference action-wise or dialogue on the moment apart from,just the fact that even the show in itself knew it was worth the time to keep in that episode;the world watched that roll of tape run its course,and I just-it's the little things that really get you. Anyway,thank you again for this video,I really needed to be grounded,and I smiled when I heard the telephone story from you because I was just entirely too wrapped up in my worries,trying to remind myself that everything is okay and to just chill,and have a better day tomorrow. And that's really it,I guess;if you or anyone read my stupid thingy here,I just wanted to say that.....the fucken banana phone was why I clicked on this???!!! But it's really what I needed 😄 thank you again,to the entire Mythbusters team on that one. 🖤 Best wishes TLDR:Sometimes ya just gotta let the duct tape get away from you,and see what happens!

That phone brings back memories, we had one until about 1999 and my grandma still had hers until 2005 when she had to go into assisted living. I'd still use a rotary phone if they made one cordless.

That is a lovely story! And the props for it!! that was awesome :)

I also grew up with dial telephones, and then helped maintain a "dorm" on-prem telephone exchange in college. They way they work is so sublimely brilliant... each pulse moves a little rotor around. If you are into that sort of old tech, do also check out a Brit RU-vidr "Look Mum No Computer" and his "This Museum is Not Obsolete" evolving exhibition.

Thank you. The phone story made me laugh and I haven't smiled in a very long time.

Reminds me of a recent video where kids are told to use the phone ( rotary one like this ) and they cannot figure out how to dial. On another note: recently found our dial helper. Remember them? Had a tab about 2 inches long with a little ball on the end to use for dialing.

i was this years old when i learned that adam and his friends invented the banana phone 20 years before it became a meme. also, working on cars is such a fun, fulfilling, and educational experience! i really hope it doesnt completely die out with EVs.

I have complained a lot to my partner about how I WISH I was a maker of one thing, I WISH I was like a leatherworking friend of mine that has every tool he could possibly ever need, I WISH I was like @Vantiki here on RU-vid that has his mug workshop scheduled perfectly all year round. I think some of us are just doomed to want to try EVERYTHING. You, Adam, are the patron saint of this, you've got the shop TO DO everything, and even still it's an every evolving monster.

When I was around 8 me and my pals had walkie/talkies, CB radios, Morris code stuff, etc. With walkie/talkies and little headphones we could coordinate crazy things like riding our bikes to the local Muni golf course at 2AM and play golf with flashlights and drink Dad's beer. Good times!

The dial telephone used clicking pulses instead of the beep tones used today to tell phone systems, "hey this is the number I'm trying to reach". A small number of pushbutton phones used pulse rather than tone, I managed to find a super cheap trashy one at a rummage sale a long time ago. As automatic "press 1 for English" systems became common, the pulse phone system was scrapped for good.

Adam, there's an entire song by a kid's song performer, Raffi, who sings a song called "Banana Phone." It's performed in the style of a lounge singer. Yes, it's funny, and yes, 8 year old you would have loved it.

You forgot to demonstrate the little hole in the back of that phone where you put your fingers in to carry it around while pacing on a phone call. Which, of course, makes it the first mobile phone.

I can Soooooo relate to this, we are almost exactly the same age, so yeah, I totally get it. It's something my friends and I would have done and thought hilarious! Thanks for the good memories!

Great story!! Thanks for sharing

I think the tool axiom also applies to tuxedos. If you are going to be wearing a tuxedo more than twice a year… Just buy one. Apparently there were some point in my life where I actually needed to buy a tuxedo. It’s been a good life.

I’ve been wanting to rewatch mythbusters for awhile now, and I didn’t know the reason, maybe nastalgia? But I think it’s Adam, his energy 😊

Love your videos!! That phone definitely brings back very fond memories of my childhood, and ours was also black! 😄 We also had a "party line" for a long time. There was just something about picking up the phone and being thrust into an existing conversation!

So cool that you're a Ted Woodford fan!

I started watching Ted about 2 years ago. It absolutely tickles me that Adam is a fan too.

Growing up in the 70s, the last 4 digits of my phone number were 0009. Worst ever lol

My crafting process is sketching and drawing, and... I've hit a point where every tool or implement I use is the best one you can get in that category - so... I've reached "the end" and all I need now is replacements for consumables that run out. It is possible to reach "the end" - but only when your making hobby has a very limited set of tools it uses. :)

Ask any woodworking hobbiest who has turned out work on a regular basis for 20 years if they like upgrades in the tool and accessories department. Things that come in really nice wooden boxes from England, Sweden, Japan. .. Gear is good. So are backups and duplicates. Just in case they stop making it.

the fact the phone ringed while the banana was on it does seem pretty funny. if it was just the banana i'd be like ok i get it, amusing, but the phone ringing? yeah that's the stuff.

I'm working on filling up my metal shop with scrap bought from work and harbor freight tools. Harbor freight is such a lifesaver for trying out a tool. My biggest try first buy better was a air grinder. 10,000rpm just cuts soooooo nice

Laughed out loud with your story!!!

4:54 Adam used his ruler!😂 That's so cool. I'm generally against tattoos but that's something I could see making an exception for.

No the greatest piece of industrial design is the pens with the end you could use to dial the phone instead of your finger. 🤣

This was hugely helpful advice!

Holy Mother of laughs!! i cant belive that we did the same freaking thing with the phone... i am crying!!!

"Only an eight-year old could find this funny." Me, 19, laughed at the concept of the banana phone ringing for a full minute: *sweats profusely *

Happy to grow up in a time w rotary phones. Great vid and story

Banana phone is hilarious. I think the hardest I ever laughed was when I was 11 or 12 and saw Bill Plympton's short "How to Kiss". My best friend and I just about died watching that.

Funniest moment of my existence was when I was a kid and went to the movie theater with friends. We where watching Ace Ventura. Whe he was crawling out of the hippo, I lost it so hard. I actually thought I was going to laugh to death. I didn't have the ability to stop laughing for oxygen. I remember laughing so hard but also have my fight or flight response tripping at the same time because I couldn't breath.

I laughed at the banana on the cradle... I'm 40...😂

I love how you quickly used your tattoo to measure the width of the chisel. Fantastic.

Great stories Adam

I get ya Adam. I just recently got into watch repair and got a simple kit to do it and can easily see how the tool buying could get out of hand.

The banana story was hilarious 😂 😂

I love the small bits about amass life and this was a great one just a nice story to hear :)

For Bergson, laugh comes from surprise. I can not imagine a better example than your banana-phone story to illustrate the concept. Made my day... sure made a LOT of people here's day. 🍌

“Is that a banana in your ear?” “What? I can’t hear you. I have a banana in my ear!”

"So I bought this two incher...two incher? (measures chisel on arm tattoo) Two incher."

Am I the only one that was expecting an adult to rush in to answer the call, picking up a banana and try to talk into it? XD

I am currently laughing out loud at the Banana on the Phone story! Thank you for sharing that Adam!

Volvo 245! That was my first car as well! I have driven Volvos ever since, great cars.

Who answered the phone while you were laughing at the banana phone? I could imagine you guys laughing harder when person picks up the banana and realizing it's a banana.

Volvo analogy on point, good sir.

Something to add is there’s sometimes where you get a tool as a gift that you end up using more then you thought you would and find you can’t live without it

LOL love the content.

I loved Adam's car story because that was exactly me. My first car was a '88 Volvo 245 (bought in the 2010s for $1000) and I too replaced the engine mounts in a parking lot as one of my first repairs. Lovely cars to work on since there's so much room to access everything and they'll run even when in horrible disrepair.

I can relate this so much. After building a 3D printer with allenkeys I went and bought a electric screwdriver with all the possible attachments.

Ever seen the clip of two teenagers given a proper dial phone and asked to make a call 😂hilarious.