I have heard from a Rosh Yeshiva of a Yeshiva in Yerushalayim for overseas students who is often invited by former talmidim to be mesader kiddushin, that in Eretz Yisrael the second highest kibbud is bracha acharisa while in USA the second highest kibbud is krias hakesuba (this means the monkey has been given a great honor).
By the way if I am not mistaken, the context of Rav Shachter saying that the kesuba could be read by a monkey was when asked by feminists whether a woman could read the kesubah. His answer was that reading the kesubah has no halachic significance outside of creating a separation between birchos eirusin and nisuin and as long as it is read that is fine, even by a monkey. Therefore technically speaking a woman could read it, however I assume he would not go for it for other reasons. This does not mean that it is not an important kibud.
If I recall, a feminist looking to stir trouble concluded from there and publicized that Rav Shachter views women as monkeys.