# First on-screen reference to "monkey boy" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 10, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-on-screen-reference-to-monkey-boy/422267 "2007-10-10T21:17:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-on-screen-reference-to-monkey-boy/422267/1 "2007-10-10T21:17:54Z")
I’ve heard it many times now, the insult “monkey boy”, as in “That’s it for you, Monkey-boy.” My first memory of it is “Buckaroo Bonzai”. Rather than hijack the recent quotable movie thread, can anybody come up with an earlier reference? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-on-screen-reference-to-monkey-boy/422267/2 "2007-10-10T21:51:09Z")
My only thought was Buckaroo Bonzai ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-on-screen-reference-to-monkey-boy/422267/3 "2007-10-10T22:12:09Z")
Yep. Buckaroo is where I picked it up. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-on-screen-reference-to-monkey-boy/422267/4 "2007-10-10T22:33:22Z")
_Originally posted by_ **Dr. Emilio Lizardo** > [@](#): > > Laugh while you can, monkeyboy. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-on-screen-reference-to-monkey-boy/422267/5 "2007-10-11T03:58:46Z")
And later: > [@John Bigbootie](#): > > It’s not my goddamn planet, understand, monkey boy? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-on-screen-reference-to-monkey-boy/422267/6 "2007-10-11T04:17:13Z")
I don’t know… I thought it was much earlier than that… > [@Taylor](#): > > Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty monkey boy! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-on-screen-reference-to-monkey-boy/422267/7 "2007-10-11T04:41:15Z")
I too would be interested to hear a pre-Buckaroo instantiation of this meme, but even if there is one, I’m certain its virulence is due to John Lithgow’s classic performance. “Hallo, honey. I want to talk to John Bigbooty at a Yoyodyne Propulsions a-Systems.” ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-on-screen-reference-to-monkey-boy/422267/8 "2007-10-11T12:37:44Z")
I’d have to vote for Buckaroo Bonzai, too. Of course, you can’t really say “Monkey-boy” without the proper inflection, either. ---
**Author:** ![Raspberry\_NOT\_Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecd19e/32.png) [@Raspberry\_NOT\_Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raspberry_NOT_Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-on-screen-reference-to-monkey-boy/422267/9 "2007-10-11T13:16:18Z")
The genie in Aladdin says it too. To the monkey. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-on-screen-reference-to-monkey-boy/422267/10 "2007-10-11T13:17:46Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny Angel] I too would be interested to hear a pre-Buckaroo instantiation of this meme, but even if there is one, I’m certain its virulence is due to John Lithgow’s classic performance. “Hallo, honey. I want to talk to John Bigbooty at a Yoyodyne Propulsions a-Systems.” [/QUOTE] That’s Bigboo_tay_.