Jeff Dunham

Jeff Dunham
Birth name	Jeff Dunham
Genres	Stand up, ventriloquism
Website	www.JeffDunham.com

Jeffery "Jeff" Dunham is an American ventriloquist and stand-up comedian who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including Star Search, Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents in 2003, and The Tonight Show, where in his 1990 debut he was invited to sit on Johnny Carson’s couch, considered a mark of approval. In January 2008, Dunham was voted the Top Comic in Comedy Central's “Stand-Up Showdown”. In January 2009, he finished second. Dunham is a native of Texas.

Characters

File:Walterdummy.PNG

Walter, in a shot from Arguing with Myself.

Walter is a retired, grumpy old man with arms always crossed in discontent. Married 49 years, he has a brash, negative and often sarcastic view on today's world. He is a Vietnam War veteran and a former welder, and "doesn't give a damn" about anyone, especially his own wife and certain audience members. Walter is the first character Dunham used for his shows, from the early 1980s onwards. He has used him in every show ever since, including all 3 DVDs. Dunham made the Walter puppet himself.

Sweet Daddy Dee, whom Dunham introduces in Arguing with Myself as his "new manager", calls himself a "pimp", which he says stands for "Player In a Management Position." According to Sweet Daddy because he is a pimp, that makes Jeff the ho. When Dunham objects, Daddy Dee asks Dunham if he is not a comedian, and makes people laugh and feel good for a living. When Dunham agrees that this is the case, Daddy Dee says, "You a ho." When Dunham asks what he would say if he told him that he was a comedian only because he enjoyed it, Daddy Dee responds, "You a dumb ho."

Peanut' is a purple-skinned woozle with white fur covering most of his body, a tuft of green hair on the top of his head, and one sneaker on his left foot. Dunham explains in Arguing with Myself that Peanut is from a small Micronesian island, and that they met in Florida. Peanut's humor is not based on a particular motif or stereotype or archetype as the other characters as those of the other characters are. He often makes fun of Jeff and often torments and mocks José Jalapeño on a Stick. Touching upon his unusual appearance and personality, he asks Dunham in Arguing with Myself, after Dunham denies ever having done drugs, "Then how did you come up with me?"

José Jalapeño on a Stickis a talking jalapeño pepper on a stick who wears a small sombrero. José, who speaks with a thick Spanish accent, is typically paired with Peanut, who often makes fun of José, uses appeals to Latino stereotypes when doing so, and makes fun of his being on a stick.

Bubba J, a beer-drinking redneck that Dunham describes in Arguing with Myself and A Very Special Christmas Special as "white trash trailer park".

Melvin the Superhero Guy wears a blue superhero costume. When asked about his superhuman powers, he indicates that he has X-ray vision, adding, "I love looking at boobies!" He appears to have no other powers, however: When Dunham asks how far he can fly, he responds, "How far can you throw me?"

Achmed, the Dead Terrorist, is the skeletal corpse of an incompetent suicide bomber. He is used by Dunham to perform comedy based on the contemporary issue of terrorism. He is known for yelling, "Silence! I kill you!" to Dunham and people in the audience who laugh at him. Achmed first appeared in Spark of Insanity, and later made an appearance in the Very Special Christmas Special, singing a song called "Jingle Bombs". In 2008 a TV commercial for a ringtone featuring Achmed's act was banned by the South African Advertising Standards Authority after a complaint was filed by a citizen stating that the ad was offensive to Muslims, and portrayed all Muslims as terrorists. The ban angered Dunham, who pointed out that Achmed is clearly stated in the special not to be Muslim (the puppet jokes when asked about this that a label on him says, "Made in China"). Dunham saw the ban as an infringement on free speech and a double standard, arguing, "I've skewered whites, blacks, Hispanics, Christians, Jews, Muslims, gays, straights, rednecks, addicts, the elderly, and my wife", and joked, "I'm considering renaming Achmed, 'Bill.'"

Filmography

His first special Jeff Dunham: Arguing With Myself, was taped in Santa Ana, California. His second special Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity was taped at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.. It was available at Redbox stands on September 4, 2007, and was released on DVD on September 18, 2007.

A Christmas special was taped at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and premiered on Comedy Central as Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special on Sunday, November 16, 2008. It became available on DVD and Blu-Ray on November 18, 2008. The special's premiere was the highest rated telecast in Comedy Central's history.

In addition to these specials, Dunham also released his first music album, Don't Come Home for Christmas, on November 4, 2008. It contains original Christmas songs as well as a parody of "Jingle Bells" by Achmed entitled "Jingle Bombs". All the songs, with the exception of "Jingle Bombs", were written and accompanied by Brian Haner, who has joined Dunham's act as "Guitar Guy". His first onscreen appearance was in Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special.

External links

• Jeff Dunham Official website
• Jeff Dunham at Comedy Central
• Jeff Dunham at IMDb
• "A Pictorial History of Ventriloquism" by Bob Albano at HELLO YORICK