Monkey GIFs have become incredibly popular on the internet and social media in recent years. From silly faces to humorous situations, monkeys acting like humans never fail to make us laugh. But where exactly do these funny monkey GIFs come from and what stories lie behind them?
The Origins of Monkey GIFs
Most monkey GIFs that have gone viral originate from various television shows, movies, viral videos, and commercials featuring monkey actors. Rhesus macaque monkeys are the most commonly trained and used for entertainment purposes. These intelligent primates have flexible faces and expressive reactions, making them naturally gifted for creating comedic content.
Some of the most popular sources that have spawned viral monkey GIFs include:
- The Monkey Commercials – A series of Japanese commercials by GEICO insurance aired in the early 2000s starred monkeys acting out humorous scenarios. Many GIFs of the guitar-playing and sushi-eating monkeys originated from these ads.
- Friends – The beloved 90s sitcom featured Ross’s pet monkey named Marcel in some episodes. GIFs of Marcel pestering and mimicking Ross have circulated online.
- The Hangover 2 – Alan’s antics with a cigarette-smoking monkey provided memorable GIF material from this hit comedy film.
- IGP – The Instagram page I Got Pets often features monkeys Kyah and Azizi in cute and hilarious videos that get transformed into GIFs.
- Monkey Business Compilations – Various YouTube channels like Compilations Monkey have uploaded monkey moments from movies, TV shows, and vines over the years.
- TikTok – The video-sharing app has recently seen many users post TikToks with their pet monkeys, leading to trending funny monkey content.
As entertainment media continues to produce comedy gold starring cheeky monkeys, people capture standout moments to turn into endlessly-looping GIFs and memes to share online.
Famous Viral Monkey GIFs
Certain individual monkey GIFs have risen to widespread fame and become classics saved in meme collections everywhere. Some of the most popular viral monkey GIFs include:
The Side Eye Monkey
Possibly the most ubiquitous monkey GIF online, this meme features a skeptical monkey glancing sideways with raised eyebrows. It originated from a compilation video of funny monkey clips and gets used to convey disbelief, disapproval, or indifference.
Hear No Evil Monkey
This meme came from a photograph of a Japanese macaque covering its ears. It morphs into different humorously juxtaposed situations and adds the “hear no evil” sentiment to things people wish to ignore or tune out.
Ooh Ooh Aah Aah Monkey
A lip-syncing monkey GIF taken from a video by YouTube channel Compilations Monkey imitates human chatter. People insert hilarious fake captions imagining the monkey is gossiping or spreading drama.
Anxiety Monkey
This stressed-out monkey comes from the 90s Japanese TV show Monkey Magic. GIFs show him frantically covering his face and conveying feelings of being overwhelmed and anxious.
Ratatouille TikTok Monkey
Remy the rat from Disney’s Ratatouille was imposed over a TikTok video of a monkey manically running around a kitchen. This 2022 meme presented an amusing crossover going viral on TikTok.
Success Kid Monkey
A joyful monkey GIF with arms raised in triumph emerged from a video compilation to express feelings of victory and success online.
Monkey GIFs in Internet Culture
Monkey GIFs hold a special place in internet pop culture. They are evergreen memes that consistently return across social media, unlike short-lived trending memes. People love monkeys acting like exaggerated humans and the dose of silly humor they provide.
Some ways monkey GIFs get commonly used in online conversations include:
- Reacting to absurd or hilarious comments
- Poking fun at embarrassing situations
- Calling out questionable behavior or opinions
- Responding to something confusing or surprising
- Expressing sarcasm in a lighthearted way
- Celebrating victories and accomplishments
Monkey GIFs have also been featured in blog listicles, Buzzfeed articles, and social media posts about the best memes. They are a mainstay of internet culture that will likely continue circulating for years to come.
Are Monkey Memes Ethical?
The prevalent use of monkey GIFs has also raised questions around ethics. While monkeys acting unusual or anthropomorphic seems funny, some argue sharing these memes promotes unethical treatment and exploitation of primates.
Some concerns around monkey memes include:
- Training monkeys to act unnaturally for entertainment can be considered animal abuse.
- Keeping monkeys as pets removes them from natural habitats and social structures.
- Viral videos featuring pet monkeys may encourage illegal exotic animal trade.
- Portraying monkeys acting like humans could worsen public perception of primates.
However, others contend monkey memes themselves do no harm compared to unethical breeding practices or wildlife trafficking. Monkey GIFs also help raise awareness of how intelligent and emotive primates are.
Overall, it seems while monkeys make for great internet comedy, sharing these memes responsibly and avoiding exploitative content is important. Moderation and ethical concern can let people enjoy the humor monkeys provide while also supporting primate protection.
Conclusion
Monkey GIFs have delighted internet users for decades now with their hilarious expressions and relatable humor. Most monkey memes originate from trained monkey actors in TV, movies, ads, and viral videos. Certain GIFs like the Side Eye Monkey have gained iconic status online. People love using monkey GIFs to react to conversations, convey sarcasm, or respond to life’s ups and downs. However, ethical concerns around exploiting monkeys for entertainment should be considered. Overall, monkey memes hold a lasting place in internet pop culture if shared responsibly.