The most-talked-about Dallas Cowboys name this week might not be a player -- or even Jerry Jones. It's Dallas Bryant, Dez Bryant's new pet Capuchin monkey, about whom Dez first posted on Instagram last month.
On Tuesday word came that PETA is trying to get local authorities to seize the monkey and take it to an animal sanctuary. "Monkeys belong in the wild," PETA said in a statement.
While we tend to agree with that, we figured this was a good time to talk about a few of our favorite monkeys in pop culture. (And yes, we know we are improperly lumping in orangutans and chimpanzees on the monkey list. Just go with it.)
Marcel
Another Capuchin monkey, Marcel was Ross' beloved (and totally illegal) pet on the first two seasons of Friends. He was a fixture in Ross' life until he had to be given to a zoo (where he was stolen, after which he went on to a career in showbiz. It was a whole thing). Memorable moment: When Phoebe took a tranquilizer dart meant for poor Marcel.
Bubbles
During the height of his pop super-stardom in the mid-1980s, Michael Jackson acquired Bubbles, a chimpanzee, who took up residence at Neverland Ranch. People were fascinated by the weirdness of the fact that one of the biggest stars in the world would hang out with a chimp 24/7. Jackson even took Bubbles with him on a trip to Japan, an event that was positively surreal. But chimpanzees do not make good pets, particularly as they mature. According to the Jane Goodall Institute, adult chimps can be aggressive and dangerous around people. As Bubbles got aggressive, it became clear that he could no longer live at Neverland. He eventually was taken to an animal sanctuary in Florida, where according to TMZ he still lives today. Here's a piece of trivia for you: Bubbles was born at an animal research facility in Austin. So he's a Texan!
Clyde
Clyde the orangutan was Clint Eastwood's best bud in Every Which Way But Loose. Eastwood plays tough-guy trucker and bare-knuckle fighter Philo Beddoe in this 1978 comedy (and its 1980 sequel, Any Which Way You Can). Philo may have been the fighter, but Clyde could throw a punch (and flip a bird) too.
Rafiki
In The Lion King, the wise and silly mandrill Rafiki was a friend to Mufasa, and gave Simba a lot of valuable advice. Best quote: "The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it."
Mr. Teeny
Krusty the Clown's roller-skating, chain-smoking sidekick on The Simpsons, Mr. Teeny doesn't exactly have it easy in showbiz. Krusty trained the poor guy with a monkey taser, for heaven's sake. But hey, he's got this great pair of underpants going for him.
Annie's Boobs
Annie's Boobs (yes, that's her name) was Troy's pet monkey on Community who was eventually released by Abed and went on to live a life of petty theft in the school's air vents. The monkey, who was played by Crystal the Monkey, who also appeared with Community's Ken Jeong in The Hangover II, enjoyed hitting Jeong's character, Ben Chang.
Ann Pinson contributed to this weird list.
