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Depiction of a chimpanzee in a zoo drinking tea.

The Chimpanzee tea party was a type of public entertainment usually watched by families where chimpanzees were dressed in human clothing and served food and beverages from a table, similar to human a tea party.[1][2][3] The London Zoo originated this form of entertainment in 1926, two years after the opening of Monkey Hill, and it was later adopted by other organizations.[1][4][5] This concept quickly gained popularity, drawing crowds to witness these primates mimicking human behavior.[2] The chimps, adorned in hats, dresses, and other garments, would engage in activities reminiscent of a sophisticated tea party, such as sipping from cups, nibbling on snacks, and interacting with each other in playful ways.[1][2][3]

They were put on almost daily during the summer until they were discontinued in 1972.[1] This idea was even used for marketing techniques in the 1900’s.[3] They were the inspiration for the PG Tips television advertisements which began in 1956.[3] Neil Heath notes that concerns over animal welfare and the potential for exploitation have been a result of using chimps to for advertising campaigns.[3]

History

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The Chimpanzee Tea Party began in the London Zoo in 1926 as an attraction for displaying the Zoo’s primates which stopped in 1972.[1] [6] The Wellington Zoo also displayed Chimpanzee Tea Parties around this time which ended in 1956.[2] The phenomenon reached numerous other zoos, spreading to New York, Moscow, and New Zealand, among other places.[1] The act became so popular and well-known that in 1956 the Mayor of Auckland was photographed having tea with chimps from London.[1] The Chimpanzee Tea Party also influenced the beginning of the chimp-themed PG Tips commercials.[3] The chimps also acted out other human characters such as men moving furniture and women ironing laundry.[7]

Once the zoo shows gained popularity in London, this event spread to the marketing world. Notably, companies like PG Tips seized upon the appeal of trained chimpanzees and monkeys to craft television advertisements.[3][8] PG Tips used them for television ads starting in 1956, with the company even using a monkey in their advertising campaigns as late as 2010.[3] These animals quickly became a major hit in the marketing field, and ads of chimpanzees having a tea party were aired from 1956–2002, with monkeys still being a major ad component much later.[3] The practice of the Chimpanzee Tea Party generally fell out of favor around the 1970s, although in select cases, it continued into the 2000's.[1][2][3][8]

Causes

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Originating as a means to enhance the appeal of zoos and attract larger audiences, the introduction of animals into zoo shows emerged as a popular form of entertainment in the early 1900s.[9] Spearheaded by institutions such as the London Zoo, these shows showcased the abilities of chimpanzees and other animals, drawing visitors from distant locales and establishing a trend that transcended geographical boundaries into many other countries.[1]

Impacts

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As popularity rose, The London Zoo began shipping out the juvenile tea party chimps to other zoos and institutions.[1] Allen, Park, and Watt contend that the treatment of the chimps in the Chimpanzee Tea Party reflect the attitude of Euro-Americans toward dark-skinned people as well as children or babies.[1] This attitude expects the subject groups to act in an impolite manner which is also expected of the chimps in the Chimpanzee Tea Party.[1] The discontinuation of this practice was a decision based on both financial consideration and changes in zoo policies based on the changing of the generalized idea of acceptable treatment of animals and entertainment standards.[1] Allen, Parker, and Watt state the tea party chimps were linked to many important topics such as views on youth, status, morals, etc. [1]

Chimpanzees faced some behavioral changes due to the training for Chimpanzee Tea Parties.[3] This changed behavior hindered the socialization of the trained chimps with their untrained comrades, and it lead to increased isolation and human reliance, along with occasional aggressive outbursts.[3][8]

Animal Rights

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With the chimpanzee's rising aggression, this raised concerns about the ethics of the event. The London Zoo soon ended the show and later stopped all commercials featuring the human-like Chimpanzee's. The United Kingdom The Animal Welfare Act of 2006 in the United Kingdom added additional animal rights laws and was the first signing of pet laws since the Protection of Animals Act 1911. This act offers many sections such as:

Prevention of Harm: Knowingly inflicting unnecessary suffering to a protected animal or causing animal fighting [10]

Promotion of Welfare: A person has a responsibility to exercise reasonable care for animals. Healthy nutrition, an appropriate habitat, housing with or without other animals, and defense against illness, pain, and suffering are examples of needs.[10]

Enforcement Powers: If an animal is involved in an animal fighting offense, a constable may confiscate it. If another crime in this Act is suspected, a warrant allowing an inspector or constable to look for evidence of that offense may be issued.[10]

Prosecutions: A person may be prohibited from owning or dealing with other animals by a court order if they are found guilty of a crime.[10]

Since the 1900s, animal rights have expanded in both the United Kingdom and the United States.[10] As stated by Collin Blackstock, one major step for the rights of chimpanzees in the United Kingdom was the ending of PG Tips advertisements using the chimpanzees' tea parties.[7]The Guardian article provides insight into this as Jim Cronin, director of the Monkey World ape sanctuary near Wareham, Dorset, states: "The advertisements have been damaging to chimpanzees. It is great if they are going. They made it acceptable to use chimps for entertainment." The ending of these tea parties and advertisements featuring this event was a major step in the animal rights movement in the U.S., and it led to more pressure toward the Animal Rights Act. [7]

See Also

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References

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  1. Allen, John & Park, Julie & Watt, Sharon. (2008). The Chimpanzee Tea Party: Anthropomorphism, Orientalism, and Colonialism. Visual Anthropology Review. 10. 45 - 54. 10.1525/var.1994.10.2.45.
  2. Blackstock, Colin. “Tea party over as PG Tips chimps are given the bird.” The Guardian, 11 January 2002, https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/jan/12/uknews. Accessed 26 February 2024.
  3. Forsythe, Dawn. “Did your zoo have a chimp show 1940 - 1975?” ZooChat, 10 March 2011, https://www.zoochat.com/community/threads/did-your-zoo-have-a-chimp-show-1940-1975.205520/. Accessed 26 February 2024.
  4. Heath, Neil. “PG Tips chimps: The last of the tea-advertising apes.” BBC, 9 January 2014, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-23508215. Accessed 26 February 2024.
  5. Henninger-Voss, Mary J., editor. Animals in Human Histories: The Mirror of Nature and Culture. University of Rochester Press, 2002.
  6. Laws, Roz. “"You hum it son, I'll play it" Remember the PG Tips advert tea chimps?” Coventry Telegraph, 12 January 2015, https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/lifestyle/nostalgia/you-hum-son-ill-play-8413023.amp. Accessed 26 February 2024.
  7. Maggy Wassilieff, 'Zoos and aquariums - Zoo animals and entertainment', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/18435/chimp-tea-party (accessed 27 February 2024)
  8. Warner, Marina. Monsters of Our Own Making: The Peculiar Pleasures of Fear. University Press of Kentucky, 2007.
  9. Wikipedia contributors. "Animal Welfare Act 2006." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 7 Feb. 2024. Web. 26 Feb. 2024.
  10. "Zoo Tea Room for Apes—Lesson in Table Manners." Daily Mail. 6 April 1927.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Allen, John S.; Park, Julie; Watt, Sharon L. (1994-09). "The Chimpanzee Tea Party: Anthropomorphism, Orientalism, and Colonialism". Visual Anthropology Review. 10 (2): 45–54. doi:10.1525/var.1994.10.2.45. ISSN 1058-7187. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e Wassilieff, Maggy (November 24, 2008). "Chimp Tea Party".
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "PG Tips chimps: The last of the tea-advertising apes". BBC News. 2014-01-09. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  4. ^ Henninger-Voss, Mary J. (2/26/2024). Animals in Human Histories: The Mirror of Nature and Culture. Boydell & Brewer. p. 281. ISBN 978-1580461214. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year=, |date=, and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  5. ^ "Zoo Tea Room for Apes—Lesson in Table Manners". Daily Mail. 6 April, 1927. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Warner, Marina (26 February, 2024). Monsters of Our Own Making: The Peculiar Pleasures of Fear. The University Press of Kentucky. p. 335. ISBN 978-0813191744. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year=, |date=, and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  7. ^ a b c Blackstock, Collin (January 11, 2001). "Tea party over as PG Tips chimps are given the bird".
  8. ^ a b c Laws, Roz (January 12, 2015). ""You hum it son, I'll play it" Remember the PG Tips advert tea chimps?". Lifestyle. Retrieved 26 February 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ F, Dawn (3/10/2010). "Did your zoo have a chimp show 1940 - 1975?". Zoo Chat. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ a b c d e https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Welfare_Act_2006. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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