Sony's Walkman monkey "Choromatsu" passes away at 29

While devices such as the GameBoy and original Atari are more like slivers of history than gadgets of days past, Sony's Walkman has also become transcendent through time, and one of the fellows who helped put it on the map has sadly passed away. Choromatsu, the "meditating monkey" who starred in a Sony spot that eventually won best commercial in the late 1980s, died this past Sunday after living for 29 years. The monkey was famous for his various performances around Japan, and happily retired in 1990 to live out the latter half of his life with his 41 year old "human partner in performances," Goro Murasaki. While Sony's recent marketing attempts have been somewhat intriguing and less subtle than the firm would've hoped, this critter could probably convince anyone that owning a Walkman is a soul-soothing experience, so if you missed his performance back in 1987/88, be sure to click on through for the ad in its entirety.

[Via TokyoMango]

[Liquid @ Jan 16th 2007 11:06AM]

show some respect, this monkey was more famous than you'll ever be.

[Colin @ Jan 16th 2007 11:28AM]

Is it my imagination or is this write up more heart felt than James Kim's?

[Todd @ Jan 16th 2007 11:39AM]

"This is for my homie Choromatsu!

[citykids @ Jan 16th 2007 11:53AM]

It's a shame Sony didn't use him to peddle more of their products, monkeys are great marketing tools!
If a chimp would have told me buy MiniDisc back in the day, I would have!

[Chocolate Starfish @ Jan 16th 2007 5:29PM]

Then you must surely own a PS3. You may have even gotten a second job to pay for it!

[tc @ Jan 16th 2007 12:42PM]

RIP little man

[mike @ Jan 16th 2007 12:42PM]

Liquid, It doesent matter how famous the monkey was, the author is a human being and thus his life is automatically more valuable. And he did show respect. I cant believe you would get mad over at something like that.

[Scooter @ Jan 17th 2007 1:42AM]

mike says human life is 'automatically' more valuable than that of a genetic relative.
What planet are you from, where the sun revolves around your (highly flawed) species?

[Karl Viklund @ Jan 16th 2007 12:57PM]

R.I.P. :/

But lol at that picture :)

[Karl Viklund @ Jan 16th 2007 12:59PM]

But the guy talking sounds a bit gay...

[Ros Carlson @ Jan 16th 2007 1:28PM]

If Goro Murasaki happens to read this you have my sympathies, loosing a loved one, famous or not, human or not, hurts. I'm sure he's feeling the pain of loosing is friend... My thoughts are with you...

[Richard Lai @ Jan 16th 2007 2:04PM]

Imagine what would happen if this monkey did an advert for the PS3.

[eliasgreydrummer @ Jan 16th 2007 2:25PM]

He's dead, you moron. If the monkey did an ad for the PS3, people would freak. A monkey sells, but a dead monkey just creeps people out.

[i @ Jan 16th 2007 6:39PM]

lol, nice ad.

R.I.P

[tekdroid @ Jan 16th 2007 6:45PM]

meditation was easier before SonicStage came out...

[TheBugMan @ Jan 16th 2007 9:57PM]

My little tail sticks up like that too (^_^)

[whatevas @ Jan 17th 2007 11:01PM]

mike is a moron.

prolly a readneck too.

[SOyuncastor @ Jan 17th 2007 11:54PM]

I can't wait to see the new ads made by photoshop's artist using that monkey for fake products and stuff like that....

me, I'd love to see the monkey using his meditacion (fanatism if you wish) to levitate a ps3.

[Brian Link @ Jan 19th 2007 11:00PM]

Aw. I've never seen that commercial - and it got me kinda misty-eyed, since it provides the total retrospective of the little guy's career in the States.

Sleep well, my liege.