A Master of Hilarious Personality Disorders

Written by Lorrette 14 Comments
Last Updated:: March 2, 2009

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Jeff Dunham: A Master of Hilarious Personality Disorders

by Matt Ryan

: Cover via Amazon

Dressmakers design and model clothes on dummies; that's a whole different department of dummies. Jeff Dunham's creations are dancing, singing, cussing folks, as real as the guy next door. Ventriloquism is a very old art, and Jeff Dunham has come pretty close to perfecting it. Certainly he's come close enough for his millions of fans.

Jeff Dunham has been "practicing" since he was eight years old. He claims that anyone with a normal speaking voice can learn to do what he does. Yeah, maybe, if you're also a natural mimic and a very talented engineer and have a razor-sharp mind and a scorching sense of humor - you just might. Jeff builds his own puppets, and he produces a new one every so often, just to keep you on your toes.

Beginning in the 1980's, Jeff Dunham has been touring the comedy club circuit all over the United States. When he appeared on The Tonight Show in 1990, he became one of only five comedians in Johnny Carson's 30-year tenure to be invited to "the couch". While continuing to average 250 live shows on the road during the year, Jeff also makes his presence known in all areas of the media. He and one of his pals, Walter, did a very effective commercial for Hertz. At his first appearance on Comedy Club Central Presents in 2003, he introduced his early version of four of his sidesplitting cohorts, and he has just gone on from there.

Among the many high points in Jeff Dunham's career are appearances on Good Morning America, 60 Minutes II, Entertainment Tonight and Comedy Central Presents. The American Comedy Awards has twice voted him "Funniest Male Stand-Up Comic", and he is the only one ever to win "Ventriloquist of the Year" two times. His unique brand of pointed and biting humor is irreverent and completelynon-partisan: no one is exempt, and hardly anyone can stop laughing long enough to complain!

Jeff Dunham also has three specials under his belt. The first one, taped in 2006, was "Jeff Dunham: Arguing With Myself" - "myself" being four different puppet personalities. It gets confusing! The second, in 2007 was "Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity", when he brought out Achmed the Dead Terrorist, to great delight (and minor flack from some Muslims). Achmed offers a disclaimer: "Look on my butt. It says 'Made in China'!" On "Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special" the gang performed some very special songs which were later released on the music DVD "Don't Come Home For Christmas". That one includes Achmed's version of "Jingle Bells": "Jungle Bombs". It's horribly funny.

All of the characters Jeff Dunham has 'brought to life' so believably are familiar stereotypes-to-the-max! If old Walter, the penultimate curmudgeon, ever cracks a smile, it may be the last crack he'll ever make. Melvin the Super Hero has only a couple of powers, and they're pretty questionable. Peanut is a Woozle (sorta indescribable) who cracks himself up . . . and the audience as well. Sweet Daddy D is a P.I.M.P. and proud of it. Bubba J is the redneck to end all rednecks. Jose Jalapeno is "a Mexican condiment" on a stick, and his morbid outlook is too funny to explain in a few words, but he does it. Achmed the Dead Terrorist is, in his own opinion, "a terrifying terrorist." He might be dead, but Allah! he's funny!

In technical language, the illusion Jeff Dunham creates is called 'capture'. It occurs when one of the five senses dominates another, as it does when Jeff performs with his "dummies". You know that there is really only one man producing all those voices. It's not really Walter, or Achmed or any of the others yelling, or singing, or belching. But Jeff Dunham's talent is such that even the most blase viewer will find it difficult to believe. That's a "captive audience", all right! Those puppets literally capture the audience's attention to the extent that Jeff is just background.

If all this hasn't convinced you to go see Jeff Dunham, or get one of his DVD's, or both - well, not a problem. You will just be missing out on the funniest and most talented ventriloquist alive today, not to mention the smartest dummies you'll ever meet. Believe it, you really don't want to do that!

Written by Matt Ryan, sponsored by StubPass.com. StubPass sells
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