It’s cute, I did a double take when I saw it. However, it’s the sort of joke where all the fallout is on the mods, as they have to deal with the inevitable questions. In that sense, it’s an inconsiderate joke, and it’s reasonable that TubaDiva asked you to take it down.
Everybody gotta touch the children, Montel.
There, there, no it’s not. It’s only 99% your fault. 
No, you can’t do that. The next thing you know, someone will try to link to a NSFW image for their avatar!
It was funnny.
Yes, I did notice that and figured you were playing along – which also means it worked and you had some appreciation of it. 
We all want to touch children sometimes, its only natural.
If being a teacher has taught me one thing, it’s that kids are little virus factories. But if it’s taught me two things, it’s that kids are little virus factories, and a joke can be simultaneously funny and a pain in the ass. And if it’s taught me three things, it’s the virus factory thing, the funny pain-in-the-ass thing, and that if someone’s being funny and a pain in the ass, your correction of their behavior goes a lot smoother if you acknowledge the funny part, thereby allowing them to save face.
I can see how the BANNNED thing creates extra work for a mod, but acting like it’s not funny just because it’s inconvenient is both ridiculous and–get this–is creating extra work for you.
There is a title “Straight Dope Science Advisory Board.”
For reasons that seemed both relevant and humorous to me at the time, I inquired with the powers that be whether it would be permitted for me to change my title to “Straight Dope S&M Advisory Board.” I was denied on the grounds that it might be confusing to people.
Fair enough. I’ve grown quite attached to my custom title anyway, and am glad I didn’t give it up.
You asked? I never even thought of that.
It’s the voodoo.
NOW who’s the comedian? I can’t remember the last time any moderator or admin has said anything *nearly *this funny before. (In case you’re not quite following along, Tuba, it’s because that is one of the most laughable statements made in this forum I’ve seen. You may take things seriously, but the correlation between those things and things that actually need to be taken seriously, responsively, timely, contextually, proportionately or even humorously is nearly zero.)
But tell us more about this chicken. It sounds positively hilarious.
If BANNNED is too likely to be misread, how about BANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNED?
Boyo Jim, I think it’s simply a matter of negotiating the N factor.
How about BANANAED?
(or is that a slippery slope)
How about “NOT BANNNED”?
How about “Bannana’d Hammock”?
Or, conversely, you could tell those “other people in this community” who “take that kind of thing very seriously” that they should get the sticks out of their collective asses. And if they’re so stoopid as to…y’know…not be able to figure out that a poster who’s title is “Bannned” and who’s still posting isn’t really banned, they’re probably too dumb to be allowed on the internet at all without a helper-monkey.
“Fighting fighting ignorance since…oh, about 2008 or so.”
I have always wanted a monkey butler!
Or the Jim Kirk version: BHAAAAAANNNNED!