Like taking bananas from a monkey?
Oct. 5th, 2009 10:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkerOne of the TV shows here in Japan had what I thought was a fascinating experiment with monkeys the other day. These were the wild monkeys that are somewhat common here in Japan -- a large pack of them, clearly familiar with the area and rather bold.
The first part of this was showing us what happens when someone walks into their area carrying a banana. First they showed us a woman walking in. She was carrying the banana at about waist level. Within about two steps, they surrounded her, grabbed her skirt, and one of them jumped up and tore the banana out of her hand. Next they showed us a man, about the same height and build. He was carrying a banana in the same way that the woman had. He stepped into the area, and walked across it and back. They cleared his path. One monkey did a half-hearted jump towards the banana, but didn't even really try.
According to the narrator, this is common behavior for the pack of monkeys. They swarm a woman with food, but leave a man alone.
The second part was the fun one. They asked the panel to guess what would happen with the following four people trying the same walk with a banana. First, they dressed the man in a woman's dress. Blond wig, false breasts... as someone on the panel said, he looked like a woman. And the question was, what would happen now when he tried to walk through the monkey pack carrying a banana? Second was a new half -- one who prefers leather, I guess. So this was a man who habitually cross-dresses, but wearing tight jeans, black leather jacket -- somewhat as if a woman were dressing as a man. Long hair, and makeup like a woman. Third... was a female judo wrestler who is built like a sumo wrestler. She wore her judo outfit. They also did a demonstration for the monkey pack before her walk -- they set up a small set of mats, and she threw a smaller man over her hip and down a couple of times. The monkeys surrounded the mats, and seemed fascinated with the demonstration. The fourth was our original man, but this time in a monkey costume. A large brown monkey head, with the pullover suit to make him a very large monkey.
Each one then walked across the area, holding a banana. And what do you think happened?
The man dressed as a woman got stopped, his dress pulled, and the monkeys jumped up and grabbed his banana. Clothes (and a wig and makeup) do make the woman!
The new half also lost his banana. Apparently tight jeans and leather jacket don't make the man?
The reaction to the female judo wrestler was amazing. When she stepped out, the monkeys moved back. They gave her more room than they had the original man. They were clearly not going to argue with her.
And the big monkey? The pack ran. They turned tail and ran.
I'm not sure that this means anything -- I would want to do a lot more trials and combinations if you were really trying to figure out what the monkeys are using to decide who's banana they can safely steal. But it seems pretty clear that there's some kind of monkey business going on.
Incidentally, they rewarded the monkeys with a whole box of bananas after they finished the various walks.
The first part of this was showing us what happens when someone walks into their area carrying a banana. First they showed us a woman walking in. She was carrying the banana at about waist level. Within about two steps, they surrounded her, grabbed her skirt, and one of them jumped up and tore the banana out of her hand. Next they showed us a man, about the same height and build. He was carrying a banana in the same way that the woman had. He stepped into the area, and walked across it and back. They cleared his path. One monkey did a half-hearted jump towards the banana, but didn't even really try.
According to the narrator, this is common behavior for the pack of monkeys. They swarm a woman with food, but leave a man alone.
The second part was the fun one. They asked the panel to guess what would happen with the following four people trying the same walk with a banana. First, they dressed the man in a woman's dress. Blond wig, false breasts... as someone on the panel said, he looked like a woman. And the question was, what would happen now when he tried to walk through the monkey pack carrying a banana? Second was a new half -- one who prefers leather, I guess. So this was a man who habitually cross-dresses, but wearing tight jeans, black leather jacket -- somewhat as if a woman were dressing as a man. Long hair, and makeup like a woman. Third... was a female judo wrestler who is built like a sumo wrestler. She wore her judo outfit. They also did a demonstration for the monkey pack before her walk -- they set up a small set of mats, and she threw a smaller man over her hip and down a couple of times. The monkeys surrounded the mats, and seemed fascinated with the demonstration. The fourth was our original man, but this time in a monkey costume. A large brown monkey head, with the pullover suit to make him a very large monkey.
Each one then walked across the area, holding a banana. And what do you think happened?
The man dressed as a woman got stopped, his dress pulled, and the monkeys jumped up and grabbed his banana. Clothes (and a wig and makeup) do make the woman!
The new half also lost his banana. Apparently tight jeans and leather jacket don't make the man?
The reaction to the female judo wrestler was amazing. When she stepped out, the monkeys moved back. They gave her more room than they had the original man. They were clearly not going to argue with her.
And the big monkey? The pack ran. They turned tail and ran.
I'm not sure that this means anything -- I would want to do a lot more trials and combinations if you were really trying to figure out what the monkeys are using to decide who's banana they can safely steal. But it seems pretty clear that there's some kind of monkey business going on.
Incidentally, they rewarded the monkeys with a whole box of bananas after they finished the various walks.
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no subject
Date: 2009-10-06 05:45 pm (UTC)The fact that the man dressed as a woman was attacked makes me think that the monkeys are depending on sight rather than smell, much like humans. Or perhaps it is the hair length if the new half was not able to hold onto his/her banana. What happens to women with short hair? I also think that establishing your dominance (ie. the judo wrestler) is interesting. All in all I think this also says a lot about human behavior. Perhaps it is more instinctual than we think.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-07 03:02 am (UTC)