# BonziBuddy BonziBuddy was a purple gorilla desktop assistant released by Bonzi Software in 1999 that pestered Windows users with text-to-speech jokes while quietly installing spyware and browser toolbars. The FTC fined its makers $75,000 in 2004 for violating children's privacy laws, and the program was discontinued in 2008, though the ape survived as a nostalgic malware mascot after Vinesauce streamer Joel infected an emulated Windows XP with it on video in 2014. ## Origin Bonzi Software launched BonziBuddy on Bonzi.com in 1999 as a desktop companion that would greet users and install browser search add-ons without asking permission[4]. According to Urban Dictionary records of the product's history, earlier builds used an assistant named Peedy before the purple ape became the default avatar[7]. In February 2004, the Federal Trade Commission ordered Bonzi Software to pay $75,000 to settle charges that its banner advertising tricked children into handing over personal information in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act[1]. - **Platform:** Bonzi.com (Windows software) / YouTube and Vinesauce (meme revival) - **Creator:** Bonzi Software - **Date:** 1999 ## Overview BonziBuddy ran as an animated purple primate that floated over other windows, told jokes, read emails aloud, and offered search tips in a cartoon voice similar to Microsoft Office's Clippy[3]. Behind the cute animations, the installer added toolbars, tracked browsing, and served pop-up ads, which is why PC World classified the software as one of the worst products of its era[2]. Jokes about the gorilla lean on two sides of its reputation: the saccharine marketing persona promising a friendly internet companion, and the reality of a program that broke family PCs. YouTube edits often pitch the text-to-speech voice into something menacing, a template that took off after SuperMario157's 2007 video depicted the ape as crude and sexually explicit[5]. Later Vinesauce stream clips turned Bonzi into a mascot for 2000s malware nostalgia[3]. ## How to Use Fans typically run the installer inside an emulated Windows XP or 98 virtual machine, then feed the text-to-speech engine rude scripts or let the character duplicate itself across the desktop until the OS crashes. The Vinesauce-style "Windows Destruction" format pairs BonziBuddy with other late-1990s malware for a stacked infection run, while YouTube edits often slow the voice down to make routine phrases sound sinister. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is BonziBuddy? BonziBuddy was a 1999 Windows desktop assistant from Bonzi Software that put a talking purple gorilla on the screen while installing spyware and ad toolbars in the background[3]. ### Where did BonziBuddy come from? Bonzi Software released it on Bonzi.com, and the FTC fined the company $75,000 in 2004 for pushing deceptive ads to children[1]. ### What does BonziBuddy mean? Internet users treat BonziBuddy as a mascot for early-2000s malware nostalgia, part cartoon friend, part wreckage of the family PC[6]. ### How do you use BonziBuddy? People install it on emulated or disposable Windows machines and record the chaos, following the 2014 Vinesauce template where Joel let the gorilla multiply across the desktop[3]. ### Is BonziBuddy still popular? The original software was discontinued in 2008, but fan-made reinstallers at bonzi.link and Vinesauce clips keep the gorilla in circulation among meme audiences[7]. ## References 1. [https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2004/02/umg-recordings-inc-pay-400000-bonzi-software-inc-pay-75000-settle]() 2. [https://www.pcworld.com/article/127116/article.html?page=5]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bonzibuddy]() 4. [https://web.archive.org/web/20010515072042/https://www.bonzi.com/]() 5. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CReiz-57KBw]() 6. [https://www.pcworld.com/article/130638/article.html]() 7. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bonzi%20Buddy]() 8. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9DST-6jIBU]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/bonzibuddy Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library