LB finger up noseOn 12 November, an email on the LoyarBurok e-group (an exclusive e-mailing list) prompted new LoyarBurokker June Rubis to suggest that Lord Bobo Barnabus was indeed an ape, rather than a monkey. This sparked a flurry of emails, overnight, a few of which are reproduced here (after editions for clarity). Eventually, the munificent Lord Bobo Barnabus sent down a revelation to the e-group. Read on to get a glimpse of the irreverent, tongue-in-cheek, contemplative, nonsensical, and varied banter that takes place on the e-group. Respond with your own views by commenting below the post.

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June Rubis:

I need to ask because I am unfamiliar with the lineage of Lord Bobo, being brand-new to LoyarBurok, but upon superficial examination of his twitter avatar, I can only surmise that he is chimp or maybe juvenile gorilla. Either way, that makes him an ape, not a monkey. Unless there is other evidence that suggests otherwise.

[I ask this] in the spirit of not wanting to upset the sensitivities of our simian cousins, and being in 1Primate and all.

Human & Ape/Monkey Team Photo

Marcus van Geyzel:

Oooh… what’s this, June? Lord Bobo Barnabus is “The Wonder Typewriting Monkey” according to the blawg.

Question not this no doubt divinely inspired description. LOL

June:

Marcus,

Just the primatologist in me that needed to speak out on this apparent discrepancy, and now I feel better. ;)

Also, my hunch on Lord Bobo being an ape includes the apparent abbreviation of his name – Bobo from bonobo – pygmy chimp from Congo. In this case, I think I like Lord Bobo a lot better now. He’s all about free love.

Edmund Bon:

June (guna bahasa muda rampit huh, dalam bahasa kebangsaan),

Terima kasih atas pertanyaan dan nas hujah yang cukup padat, bernas dan bagus. Bagi LoyarBurokker yang baru dan tak join buka puasa kat Ogos, serta terlepas PowerPoint aksi memperkenalkan LoyarBurok, saya menegaskan rukun LoyarBurok pertama: jangan tanya siapa atau apa Lord Bobo kerana tiada orang tahu, dan semuanya anggapan saja.

Tidak pernah seorang pun telah berjumpa si Lord ni. Dan tak tahu bagaimana rupanya. Kita semua anggap logo LoyarBurok adalah Lord Bobo – ha ha – itu mungkin salah, dan mungkin betul. Saya pun tak tahu.

Tapi tolonglah baca laman web LoyarBurok dan fahamilah sejarah – jangan putar belitkan sejarah untuk kegunaan politik atau agenda tersendiri. Mesti pass sejarah LoyarBurok sebelum join tahu?!

Dan melalui proses kawalan fikiran minda, kita semua telah diabadikan ilmu dan rangsangan untuk teruskan kejayaan dan projek-projek si monyet tu.

Sebagai ahli konservasionist orang utan apakah cadangan saudari untuk memastikan bangsa LoyarBurokkers ni terus membiak dan tidak pupus?

Syahredzan Johan:

Sebagai seorang pencinta bahasa, saya yakin separuh nyawa saya telah melayang setelah saya membaca e-mel saudara Edmund Bon.

Demi masa depan bahasa Melayu (Malaysia?) serta mengambilkira keseimbangan cakerawala sejagat, saya sarankan supaya kita tidak lagi benarkan saudara Edmund Bon bertutur dalam bahasa tersebut.

June:

Dear Edmund Bon,

Thank you for your kind reply. Upon reading the responses to your e-mail, forgive me if I reply in English lest receiving the same flak.

I apologise if I have unintentionally stirred up some trouble on the LoyarBurok email list when I questioned the assumed lineage of Lord Bobo (of him being a monyet, which I must add the only argument that seems to support this, is van Geyzel’s explanation: “Lord Bobo Barnabus is ‘The Wonder Typewriting Monkey’ according to the blawg). Which then begs the question: am I monyet because you tell me I am monyet? But do I really exhibit all monyet characteristics?

As you see, I am passionate about the common person knowing the differences between monyet and ape, as I assume you all are about the differences between a lawyer and litigator (or is that legal advisor and advocate or barrister and solicitor I dunno-lah).

I must admit my complete ignorance upon the latter, having only recently discovered that there are different species of lawyers as per @vangeyzel’s tweet to me on 11 November 2010: “I’m not a litigator”. (But your twitter bio says lawyer, leh). My curiosity is further aroused on what constitutes a litigator vs err… the other type of lawyer-la.

For example, the greatest differences between monyet and apes believe to lie in intelligence levels. Monyet are far more similar to primitive prosimians (kukang, tarsier) in terms of brain capacity and capabilities. Apes are much more similar to humans than they are to monkeys. Chimpanzees for example, carry a 98% genetic match with humans, while monkeys are considerably less similar.

As well, as I had briefly mentioned about my hypothesis of Lord Bobo being of possible bonobo origins, I would like to humbly point out that bonobos enjoy a much varied sex life, than their ape cousins, and even hominids (homo sapiens). Their sexual life is seamlessly integrated into their social lives. The immediate response to any aggression is sex. Bonobos also know all the positions of the Kama Sutra, including those beyond our imagination. Some primatologists even postulate that perhaps the bonobos are the “higher beings” or a species that we can all aspire to, compared to apes and hominids because of their more peaceful, loving nature.

Since Lord Bobo wears a white wig, I can only assume that he represents lawyers by association. Therefore, the question needs to be asked, “Are you monyet, or are you ape?”

Marcus:

I’m no expert, so I will leave the monkey-ape discussion to the team to meditate on in their quiet time at the Temple of Barnabus. I must say that I reckon Lord Bobo’s response may well be: “Am I an ape just because humans decided to classify apes and monkeys separately?”.

I wouldn’t say we’re passionate about the difference between Advocates and Solicitors; it’s just part of some good-natured ribbing within the profession (except when it comes to the nutcases, who ARE passionate about it).

Azira Aziz:

Oh, I disagree with the discrimination between apes and primates. To me, they are generally under the category of haiwan berbulu and so I couldn’t be so rude as to speculate on Lord Bobo’s sex life and leave it as that. Monkey.

We might have to control his purple bananas addiction tho. That stuff is dope! It's your own fault...

Edmund:

June,

Perhaps your BM is as good as mine but again you make the fundamental mistake of assuming The Lord looks like the character in the logo…

Marcus:

I think Bon has just hit one out of the park: “…you make the fundamental mistake of assuming The Lord looks like the character in the logo…”

As anyone who’s met Fahri Azzat would know, the logo is obviously an exact replication of him.

Adrian Chew:

He doesn’t look like the ape in the logo?! Sheesh, man. Then why should I wear this tee religiously anymore?

Lord Bobo Barnabus:

Greetings LoyarBurokkers!

We are immensely gratified by your creative thought provoking contributions on LoyarBurok.com.

We are grateful for the excellent analysis of our lineage by LoyarBurokker Rubis, and commend her meticulous attention to detail.

The original LoyarBurokkers to whom we first revealed our presence to are clearly not perceptive enough to observe that our earthly manifestation is usually that of the bonobo, a pygmy chimp from the Congo whose passion for free love accurately reflects the ethos of LoyarBurok (aside from our commitment to Justice).

We are aware some have claimed that the twitter avatar was another misperception of our manifestation, but it was in truth another facet to our manifestation. That was the result of LoyarBurokker Fahmi Reza who was inspired to create a more benign and warm manifestation of us.

Finally, we have heard much speculation in the atmosphere as to our identity. We are surprised that some have thought us to be one of the first LoyarBurokkers we revealed ourselves to. Know that each of them singly or even collectively are incompetent to form even a blade of hair on our bottom (if we so wished to manifest them)!

Those who doubt our reality, do so at their peril for we shall rain Edmund Bons upon them until they yield to volunteering into our cause.

Hear This And Tremblingly Obey! (although the Trembling is optional if you are somewhere very warm)

Liberavi Animam Meam

3 replies on “Is Lord Bobo An Ape Or A Monkey?”

  1. The bewigged simian in the LoyarBurok (=LoyarBeruk?) logo is unmistakably a chimp. Wiki says chimps are part of the ‘Great Apes’ family, along with gorillas, orangutans and yes, homo sapiens.

  2. hmmmm…. a whole new level to “Fringe” ? lol
    paralell worlds between humans and apes :)))

    methinks LB is a chimp… top of the breed.

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