Is It Live or Memorex?

It seems animatronic Chimpanzee's are all the post-holiday rage. It all began with the original Chimp sold by Sharper Image.

My co-worker Andrew absolutely loved downloading the demonstration video showing both sight and sound features of this modern marvel all the way down to life-like chin whiskers. If he ever needed to interrupt the droning silence of work or lighten the mood of the office--he'd play the Chimp video and crank the volume. It always guaranteed a laugh.

As we approach February, I thought it might be a good time to check the clearance section of the Sharper Image website thinking I could get this toy for a great price--like fifty bucks. No such luck. "Alive" Chimpanzee has left the building. However, it's still being sold on Ebay at the princely price of $160.00 which is too rich for my non-anthropoid blood.

Never one to give up on a good hunt, I've discovered that my Chimpanzee has already evolved---into a much cheesier and paler version of the original. WowWee is about to release their own chimp and boy is he ugly. The facial details are so bad that he looks like a Chimpanzee with a crack cocaine addiction. Where's the supple skin? Where are the beautifully detailed glass-like eyes that shine brightly and make you feel guilty for looking away? I encourage you to compare both Chimps to discover what I already know--there is simply no comparison!

I guess the weird thing about this Chimpanzee head is I can't see who would want something like this other than office folks like myself who simply enjoy a manic burst of laughter now and then. But what really fascinates me is how someone invented this toy in the first place. Were they going through the attic one day looking at their old toys and came across one of those Barbie Stylin' Heads from the 70's and thought, "Hmmm. What if we used a monkey instead of a human?"

But I guess in an age where Bratz are the new Barbie's and technology is invading every aspect of our lives, it's no wonder that companies are trying to catch the latest trend in the toy industry. What's surprising is that I still care...