While individual preferences may vary, research suggests that monkeys tend to enjoy:

Monkeys are naturally agile and unpredictable. In films like Every Which Way But Loose or Dunston Checks In , the primate is the ultimate "wild card" that disrupts the stiff rules of human society.

In the mid-20th century, the "monkey act" was a staple of variety shows and early television. Shows like The Ed Sullivan Show frequently featured trained chimpanzees performing human-like tasks—riding bicycles, wearing suits, or playing instruments. These performances relied on the "uncanny valley" effect: the amusement of seeing something so close to human, yet distinctly not.