Primatology

From the Simpsons golden Phil Hartman/Troy McClure era comes the satire, "Stop the Planet of the Apes, I Want to Get Off!", which includes the immortal lyrics

Troy: [singing] I hate every ape I see
From chimpan-a to chimpan-zee
No, you'll never make a monkey out of me

Oh my God, I was wrong
It was Earth all along!

You've finally made a monkey

Apes: Yes, we've finally made a monkey

Troy: Yes, you've finally made a monkey out of me

Apes: Yes, we've finally made a monkey out of you

Troy: I love you, Dr. Zaius!

In other monkeyman news, The Monkey Chow Diaries is chronicling one man's journey to find the answer to the question "Can man live on monkey chow alone?"

Everything from Gordo (the first monkey in space) to Bubbles (Michael Jackson's special "friend"), it's Famous Monkeys Through History

And lastly, the story of J. Fred Muggs...

Since its debut on January 14, 1952, NBC's Today Show has been on the air for an amazing 54 years now, and has enjoyed high ratings for much of that time. In the first year, though, things were going badly, and the show's producers were desperately looking for ways to reach a wider demographic. Whether through expensive marketing consultants or as the result of a peyote-induced visionquest, we may never know which, someone decided that the perfect addition to the staff of a morning news program would be the tough-yet-fair-minded, hard-hitting journalistic integrity of... a chimpanzee would be the ultimate remedy for those Low Ratings Blues.

Thus was the world introduced to J. Fred Muggs, the Today Show's official mascot and co-anchor from 1953-1957. Obscure, yes, but well-known to some of the more devoted trivia hounds out there. Even more obscure is the name of his occasional on-camera girlfriend with the melodious name of Phoebe B. Beebee.

Surprisingly, both J. Fred Muggs and his now "live-in girlfriend" (apparently it never occurred to Mr. Muggs to make an honest chimp out of her) are both still alive and living in Citrus Park, Florida.

Technorati tags: monkeys, diet, food, simpsons, J Fred Muggs, Today Show