On Wednesday, June 18, 2008, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce once again failed to bestow a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to one of the industry’s most beloved and venerable actors – Cheeta the Chimpanzee.

Cheeta starred alongside Olympic champion Johnny Weissmuller in the Tarzan movies of the 30s and 40s. Today, he lives the life of a handsome simian of leisure at the C.H.E.E.T.A. Primate Sanctuary in lovely Palm Springs, CA, painting impressionistic art and enjoying Diet Coke. I should end up so lucky.

Cheeta is also, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest living non-human primate in the world, having recently celebrated what is believed to be his 76th birthday.

Cheeta’s nomination for a star has gone before the Chamber seven times. And seven times the mighty CtC has been denied while others, like the Village People, Howie Mandel and Vince McMahon, get lauded as entertainment geniuses meritorious of marble-based sidewalk enshrinement. This year, Tinkerbell got the nod over Cheeta. Gee, wonder if having a Disney store along the Walk of Fame and a Tinkerbell movie coming out this fall had anything to do with that. Sigh. These people and woodland nymphs aren’t worthy enough to fling Cheeta’s poo.

If you agree – and this really is a bipartisan issue if there ever was one – please sign the petition at GoCheeta.com and help keep hope alive for 2009.

Later,

Fox

Note: This post originally appeared about ten minutes earlier at 12 Point Type.