History Main / EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys

* [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in the FurryFandom, where primate anthros are one of the less commonly seen species. This could be because the fandom is based around [[SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism anthropomorpism]], and that primates are already so humanlike that they can't be anthropomorphized to the same extent as other species.

* Mega City One in ''Comicbook/JudgeDredd'' has a simian ethnic enclave (named Apetown), and an Orangutan named Dave was once elected Mayor of the city. He ended up being assassinated.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' gives us Sun Wukong, a MonkeyKingLite [[LittleBitBeastly Faunus]] with a simian motif and a prehensile tail, whose comical antics and fighting skills really do make everything better. On the other hand, a KillerGorilla Grimm called a Beringel shows up in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0WeiG2-HRQ the Volume 4 promotional short]].

* Theatre/TheLeagueOfSTEAM has once to deal with invisible ghost monkeys.

* DoubleSubversion in ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}''. There's an island populated by intelligent monkeys but it's a DeathWorld to humans. Things get better when you get an item that turns you into a monkey.

* A monkey drives and conducts the train in ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''.

* Zombie monkeys also showed up in the original ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead''.

** ''Comicbook/DoomPatrol'' villain Monsieur Mallah: [[MadScientist Superintelligent]] [[MoreDakka machine-gun-toting]] [[DirtyCommunists communist]] [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized revolutionary]] [[BadassGay homosexual]] [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys French]]-[[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench speaking]] gorilla [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate surgeon]] [[UnholyMatrimony in love with a (male)]] BrainInAJar. [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Yes, really]] (it might help explain things to know he was first created in UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|OfComicBooks}} -- and then Creator/GrantMorrison came along).

--->'''Professor Zoom''': You know what makes '''everything''' better?! GORILLAS!

-->"Let's be clear: HITMAN MONKEY is the harrowing tale of a Macaque monkey from the mountains of Japan who, though fate and circumstance, is transformed into the world's deadliest assassin," [Axel] Alonso continues. "I fail to see what could be funny about-oh. I see your point."

** In one episode, Marshal gets mugged by a small monkey. (Or not. He never [[TheUnReveal tells anyone once and for all]] if he actually just invented that story.) Barney finds this just hilarious. And at the end of the episode, the little primate is reenacting ''Film/KingKong''.

* Music/{{Placebo}}'s "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKC7RCb1H_o Space Monkey]]" ("Space monkey in the place to be")

* The ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' joke set ''Unhinged'' featured monkeys, alongside donkeys, as the two major creature types featured. [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=74233 Monkey Monkey Monkey]]!

** ''Ride/JungleCruise'' includes many primates, such as orangutans and gorillas; the latter of which is shown ransacking a campsite.

* The main reason for the character of Skrunch in ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal'' (in this case, a cyclopean alien monkey).
** And of course, the series wouldn't be complete without a gun that turns enemies into monkeys, which appears in ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime'' as the Chimpinator. Enemy robots? Cymbal banging monkeys.

* An episode of WebVideo/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou regarding weird news with monkeys had Nash discussing this trope, especially on how monkeys turn anything funny.

* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'', Episode 026: "[[Recap/SupermanTheAnimatedSeriesS2E13MonkeyFun Monkey Fun]]". Featuring Titano (Trope Pic Relevant), it's basically an entire episode dedicated to this trope.

* Optimus Primal of ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}: WesternAnimation/BeastWars''. The whole Optimus-Gorilla vs. Megatron-Tyrannosaurus Rex thing was, of course, in reference to ''Film/KingKong''.

* ''Magazine/{{Mad}}'' had a one-panel feature for a brief period of time called "Monkeys Are Always Funny". The article consisted of a serious, often tragic picture from real life with a monkey digitally added in -- and yes, for some reason the monkey was ''always'' funny.
** They also did an entire issue "written by" monkeys. It didn't work as well as you'd think; when [[OverusedRunningGag every single punchline is "MONKEY!"]], it loses its effect.

* Oh dear, the Lake Superior State University has added the word to their "List of Words to Be Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness", specifically because of this trope. I think we broke it [[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081230/ap_on_re_us/banned_words]].

See also ApesInSpace, KillerSpaceMonkey, ManiacMonkeys, MischiefMakingMonkey, and NinjaPirateZombieRobot (which invokes this trope quite often); also check out EverythingsBetterWithPenguins, TurtlePower, and EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs for the avian and saurian equivalents of this trope. See CymbalBangingMonkey for a common exception to this trope.

* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' and ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' frequently include gorillas and other apes when doing an animal theme. Gorilla-themed Rangers appear in ''Gingaman''/''Lost Galaxy'', ''Go-Busters'', and ''Zyuohger'', and ''Gaoranger''/''Wild Force'' and ''Gekiranger''/''Jungle Fury'' also have gorilla mecha in them. ''Kakuranger''/''Mighty Morphin''' Season 3 also has an ape mecha and ''Shinkenger''/''Samurai'' has a monkey.

This trope is named for a Website/{{Superdickery}}.com subpage. And yes, we know it ought to be "Everything's Better With Non-Human Primates" too. After all, everything's also better with ''apes'', who are technically not monkeys in the popular sense.[[note]]It should be noted, however, that apes are cladistically a specific ''type'' of monkey - they are the sister group of the Old World monkeys, together forming the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catarrhini catarrhine clade]] of simian primates. The animals we refer to as monkeys would be more accurately called "non-hominoid monkeys".[[/note]] The difference is actually very simple - in layman's terms, monkeys have tails, while apes (including chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and humans) don't.[[note]]Although there are some non-hominoid monkeys, like Barbary macaques, which lack visible tails, and some humans ''do'' grow tails, but this is an abnormal growth of the tail bone for apes[[/note]] [[InherentlyFunnyWords On the other hand, the word "monkey" is simply funnier.]] (Unless you're addressing a certain [[Literature/{{Discworld}} librarian]]…)

* "My Monkey," about the narrator [[http://www.jonathancoulton.com/wiki/index.php/My_Monkey projecting thoughts and feelings onto his monkey butler]].
* "De-Evolving", where the narrator starts ''turning into'' a monkey.
* "Skullcrusher Mountain" has the mad scientist narrator attempts to woo the object of his affection with the gift of a pony, [[MixAndMatchCritters enhanced by the addition of several monkeys]].
* This trope plays into [[=JoCo=]]'s music so much that when he posted "Space Doggity" - a song about the first dog in space - to his blog, he wrote, "I almost went with the first monkey in space, but I didn't want to be accused of [[DiscussedTrope going overboard with the monkeys]]."

* One of the game modes in ''Pinball/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' is centered around Jack the Monkey.

* ''VideoGame/EnemyOnBoard'': One of the crewmembers you can play as is a monkey in a spacesuit.

* Monkeys feature heavily in an early part of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', and show up later. One subboss is even a baboon (acting under pest control).
** Likewise it's necessary to rescue an innocent monkey from implied death in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', and in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'', you need to pay a monkey to open a dungeon door for you.

* Hanuman from the Sanskrit epic ''Literature/{{Ramayana}}'' is without doubt the most badass monkey ever.
** Not only is he the king of all monkeys in India, he is also a legendary hero and a demigod. Unable to find a rare healing plant on a mountain, he just brought the entire mountain back. Then he helped his friend Rama find his kidnapped wife by jumping from the Indian mainland all the way to Sri Lanka to scout the capital city of the Rakshasa demons. When he was captured and the demon king Ravana had his tail set on fire, Hanuman escaped and jumped from roof to roof, setting the entire city on fire.

* According to some sources, the Librarian of the Unseen University from Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels was turned into an orangutan because it was the funniest thing Pratchett could think of.
** But for god's sake, [[BerserkButton/{{Literature}} don't call him a monkey!]]
*** He is somewhat justified in this anger. Orangutans are ''apes''. Great Apes, to be exact.
** Pratchett is a big fan of orangutans in RealLife, and is a trustee of the Orangutan Foundation, dedicated to preserving the endangered creatures.

* The ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' plays this trope straight with the Ape superheroes Tachyon, Massive, Charity, Bounder, and The Shape. They invert the trope with the Ape supervillains Guido the Killer Chimp and Brainy Ape, not to mention the sinister [[EvilGenius Doctor Simian]] and his [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters "ape liberation" organization, Prime 8]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{MAD}}'' has an episode where monkeys take over the MAD writers, making an entire episode of monkey and ape related sketches.

** ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' had Abu as Aladdin's NonHumanSidekick.
** ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'' was based on ''Tarzan of the Apes'', but Disney did work the monkey trope into a wacky lather in the film, particularly with Tarzan's loud-mouthed female gorilla sidekick Terk, her not-too-bright buddies Flynt and Mungo, and the mischievous baby baboon Manu. On the other hand, some primate characters are completely serious (i.e. Kerchak, the stern silverback and Kala, Tarzan's loving foster mother) or are more [[ManiacMonkeys threatening]] than funny (the baboon horde).
** ''Disney/TheLionKing'' had the shaman-type, Rafiki, who was an African vision-having kung-fu mandrill.
** King Louie from ''Disney/TheJungleBook'' was Disney's original addition to the movie, yet arguably, [[AdaptationDisplacement feels very much as if he belongs to Mowgli's world]]. The original book ''does'', however, have a scene where the monkeys try to make Mowgli their leader, and won't let him go. He was later transplanted to ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin''.
** A few Franchise/{{Disney|AnimatedCanon}} geeks have a theory: this trope is the ''only'' acceptable reason why there are "[[MisplacedWildlife lemurs]]" in the Late Cretaceous period in ''Disney/{{Dinosaur}}''.
** Gorillas and monkeys appear as background characters in ''Disney/{{Dumbo}}''. A ferocious gorilla tries to escape from its cage during a parade, and a whole family of monkeys sleeping on a swing can be seen during the "Baby Mine" number.

** TheMovie, which shows his origin, {{in which|ATropeIsDescribed}} Mojo got together an '''''entire [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal monkey military primate posse simian squad lemur legion orangutan order baboon battalion rhesus regiment ape army catarrhini corps tamarind troop gorilla gang]]'''''.

** In ''Film/TheCamerman,'' he acquires an organ-grinder's monkey as a NonHumanSidekick.