When Neatorama reader Yoshi Hashimoto (Thanks yoshi!) submitted this YouTube clip, it was like a blast from the past for me. See, I grew up in Indonesia and what the clip shows is a trained monkey in a traditional (and disappearing) kid's show called "Topeng Monyet."
Topeng Monyet means "Monkey Mask". It's a traveling one-man (and one-monkey) circus show. He yells out "topeng monyet" while wandering the streets in a residential area, and you can call him to perform at your house. In a typical show, the monkey is the star: it rides a wooden bicycle, walks around holding an umbrella, wears a mask, and so on.
Topeng monyet monkey riding a wooden bicycle. Photo: Harisichwan [Wikipedia]
As you'll see in the clip, the bicycle has been "upgraded" to a mini motorcycle. The monkey is even smart enough to wait for a break in traffic before zooming about.
As a kid, it was a neat treat to see a topeng monyet show. Whenever my parents called one, the neighborhood kids would gather around to watch. But looking back on it as an adult, I realized that it was a sad deal for the monkey. I don't know how it was trained, though I suspect with a lot of beatings, and when it didn't perform to expectation, the guy would yank the chain hard. (If you watch the clip carefully, you'll see that the monkey is on a very long chain).
This type of show is disappearing in Indonesia. I don't know the reason, maybe it's harder to get a monkey or maybe the city government frowned on the practice. Maybe it's a health scare (monkeys carry rabies and Herpes B, and they've been known to scratch or bite spectators).
Lastly, here's a clip of a more "traditional" topeng monyet show:
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"This type of show is disappearing in Indonesia"
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Dumb monkeys make good roadkills
Sarimin pergi ke pasar....hehehe
JERKS
they tide the neck with rope & hang the monkey so the monkey must standing all day with their feet.
the monkey can't sit or doing anything.
it's an animal abuse...it's a pity to do something like this.
the second "traditional" video was the opposite, and in fact was kind of depressing
put together they make for a good cultural snapshot across the face
The 'motorcycle' is not motorized. The guy jerks the lead and the motorcycle goes. The monkey has learned to 'push start' and jump onto the cycle so that it hurts less when the guy jerks the lead. He has also learned that if he lets the cycle fall it will hurt, a lot. And he has learned to jump off and stop the cycle before the lead runs out, for the same reason.
by the way i read this article from asianoffbeat.com in title-Monkeys Ride Mini Motorcycles on Thai Streets.
i thought this was not an oddity here in Indonesia, than when i point the source...it is from indonesia. my...my...
The people who do this are sick and anyone that posts this as entertainment is just as bad IMO.
This site is going to the hosts file. If this is any indication at all of what you're willing to post as entertainment I don't want to visit it again by accident.