Talk:Jeff Dunham

first puppet

Can someone footnote/confirm that jose was his first puppet? I went to high school with Jeff and clearly recall him having some puppet he always used that wasn't 'jose jalapeno'.

He says it in the DVD commentary of Arguing with Myself. It was the first puppet he ever made. He had puppets before Jose but he didn't make them. --70.96.210.48 16:21, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

New Puppets

On jeffdunham.com,the poster for the new Comedy Central special and DVD "Sparking Insanity" feature silhouettes of two new puppets. Please add them with citations, when available.

Thats melvin and Achmed--24.56.197.128 17:47, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

What about Sweeet Daddy Dee? 84.61.113.246 (talk) 14:01, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

Sweet Daddy Dee only appeared on the "Arguing With Myself" DVD. --C4pt4in W1k1 (talk) 20:54, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

On a STEEK

I could swear I'd heard this routine a LONG time ago. He didn't originate the phrase, right? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.72.21.221 (talk) 02:39, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

what is *really* bothering me is almost the same thing -- the comedian I saw was a LONG time ago, and this whole article makes it sound like Dunham is a really recent comedian. I am certain that I saw another comedian -- I think on TV, am pretty sure it was not live, 'cos I wouldn't have been old enough to go to a club for the time frame that I am thinking of -- who did the 'on a steek' stuff with a jalapeno pepper, and also had the woozle (don't remember what this guy called it) who did the Over The Head move when someone in the audience didn't get the joke 'cos they were dumb. The guy being picked on by the comedian I am thinking of was named Bruno, and I remember laughing hysterically every time the woozle would deliver a joke and then turn to look towards Bruno (in the audience) and shout, 'HEY! Bruno! Viiing!'. And I am also practically certain that he said 'Ving', not 'Neeow'. Are we both thinking of a different comedian? The one I am talking about I had to have seen in the early nineties, possibly late eighties (doubtful), but we are talking about a window of about 1989 - 1994 for sure (a broad range, but it's something I saw on freaking TV, it's not like I went out to get a tattoo to commemorate the event). I know I am sure of this, 'cos I told my sister about it back then, and 'Hey! Bruno! Viing!' is a joke we occasionally make with each other (as well as 'on a steek'), and we have been doing it for way longer than five or seven years, I am pretty certain. So are there two comedians doing the same act, each claiming to have made it up??? Huh? Am I *that* screwed-up chronologically? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.130.142.105 (talk) 21:34, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Back in the early '90s, there was a country music-themed variety show that used to run on NBC...can't remember the name of the show now for anything, but Jeff was a featured comedian on the show several times. Most of his bits were with Walter, but he used Peanut occasionally and may have even used Jose. This was my first exposure to him; is this what you're thinking of? Willbyr (talk | contribs) 15:55, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

Are you talking about the show Hee Haw?--WPaulB (talk) 23:05, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Totally possible...if you could remember the name of the show, I might be able to say for sure. I have been thinking about it, and I am 100% certain I saw it on TV. I don't watch a lot of country music stuff, but eh...I might have. If the comedian was razzing a guy named Bruno, then yes -- that's the show. If that was Dunham, it has taken a long time for him to get some attention, and this article is written like he just came around within the past few years. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.133.69.230 (talk) 07:32, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

That was Jeff Dunham: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWThRmRW6GE Far2 15:23, 31 October 2007 (UTC)

Oh wow so he's been doing this for a LONG time then. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.72.21.221 (talk) 23:59, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

I recall seeing the On a STEEK comic routine on the Super Dave Osborne show. Unfortunately I never could remember who performed it, but Jeff Dunham's voice sounds awfully familiar. Bognus Hecken (talk) 19:12, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

So he makes his own puppets, then?

Somebody said Jose was the first puppet that Jeff made himself. I assume Peanut and Melvin are his handiwork as well. Can anybody confirm this?

Arguing with Myself DVD commentary confirms that Jose was his first puppet that he made. --On the other side ^Contribs|@ 00:43, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

According to the commentary on Arguing With Myself, he designed Peanut but didn't actually make him. He did, however, make the others, or at least was involved in the process (Spark of Insanity includes a brief documentary on the making of Melvin the Superhero Guy - he did much of the work himself, but was assisted by a studio at some points in the development). In the AWM commentary, he goes into detail about the difference between soft puppets (Peanut) and hard puppets (everybody else); apparently he just doesn't do soft puppets on his own, guess he doesn't sew. Nolefan32 (talk) 20:37, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Controversy

Should we mention the controvery he got into in South Africa with Achmed? Emperor001 (talk) 23:45, 2 October 2008 (UTC)

• Find some reliable sources, be bold and add it in. Dp76764 (talk) 00:43, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

Not sure how to site it, but here's the source http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,431866,00.html Emperor001 (talk) 02:20, 4 October 2008 (UTC)

Worm in a Wine bottle

Should we add this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyCYErjzFAk ? Jeff has a Worm in a Wine Bottle part, although I don't think this constitutes a puppet, as you never do see the worm, but I believe some form of mention should be given to the worm. 24.226.23.56 (talk) 04:04, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

Also, if we need pictures of the puppets, I can get pictures and email them to a user who can upload them, no credit needed. I can get the old version of Jose Jalapeno on a Stick. 24.226.23.56 (talk) 04:19, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

http://img411.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jeffdunhampuppetsyj8.jpg There you go. You'll have to separate them all though. 24.226.23.56 (talk) 04:44, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

Any mention of the worm in the wine bottle would have to, of course, be accompanied by the mention of peanut's Jeff doll that he used in early acts. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.252.20.158 (talk) 06:17, 31 December 2008 (UTC)

Suggestions

To those editors working one the article i would suggest two main things. 1. Start beefing up this bio as he seems genuinely talented and hard-working and likely to have some interesting material to work with. 2. Look to filling out the main characters list including an introduction to that section that explains his first ones, handmade, etc. Instead of citing al lot of gags I would focus on general characteristics and maybe cite one or two prime examples from each. -- Banjeboi 00:37, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

1960 or 1968?

The past few times I saw the Jeff Dunham page it said he was born in 1960, but it was changed to 1968. Is there a source that proves he was born in 1968? --C4pt4in W1k1 (talk) 20:58, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

I changed his year of birth from 1968 to 1960 based on the following:

(1) IMDB entry indicates his birth year as 1960,

(2) He graduated from Baylor University in 1986 (see http://www.baylor.edu/pr/news.php?action=story&story=2397 or http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=11969). I have not found anything to indicate that he graduated from Baylor at the age of 18, which would be the case if he were born in 1968. [User:AtxApril|AtxApril]] (talk) 20:27, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

Per Jeff's management firm, Jeff's Dunham's birth year is officially 1962. This year is consistent with his passport. --Dunhamreg1 (talk) 00:48, 7 April 2009 (UTC) --00:48, 7 April 2009 (UTC)

We need a verifiable source for that. DP76764 (Talk) 01:22, 7 April 2009 (UTC)

What sort of source would be considered reliable? --Dunhamreg1 (talk) 17:25, 17 April 2009 (UTC)

Jeff's official bio on his website now states that he was born in 1962. (Look at whttp://www.jeffdunham.com/#/bio) How do we change the link at the bottom of the page from "1960 births" to "1962 births". —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dunhamreg1 (talk • contribs) 18:52, 17 April 2009 (UTC)

Official website is good enough for me. See WP:RS for what constitutes a reliable source. Births category has been changed. DP76764 (Talk) 22:33, 17 April 2009 (UTC)

Agreed. Wikipedia does not consider imdb a reliable source, and one cannot deduce his year of birth from his year of graduation. He could've graduated early, late, or his birthday might be in the beginning of the school year or the second half of it, etc. Nightscream (talk) 13:52, 7 April 2009 (UTC)

Melvin's Hair

A correction should be made in the article about Melvin. His hair did not break and come off it was intentionally part of the character from its inception. In the DVD extras you see Jeff constructing him and the hair falling off was constantly mentioned during every step of the contruction. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.252.20.158 (talk) 06:19, 31 December 2008 (UTC)

Flashpenny's edits

Regarding the information that Flashpenny keeps adding, which I keep reverting:

• Articles should summarize information, and not include an excessive amount of details or examples. The information on Walter's flatulence (especially when you mention it in both Walter and Achmed's sections), Jose's comments about Peanut's parents, etc., and the number of gags you attribuet to Achmed is just overkill.

• Material in articles need to be supported by reliable, verifiable sources cited in the text, and need to exhibit a Neutral Point of View, rather than a point of view of the editor adding it. It is unclear, for example, whether Melvin's hair merely fell off accidentally, or whether it's intended to be an actual wig of his that is incorporated into his character. Indicating an opinion on this is a violation of WP:NPOV. Whether Peanut's explicit references to his being a puppet means that the others do not know that they are puppets is a POV. That Bubba J is "arguably Jeff's most deranged puppet" is a POV. The perception of how Achmed pronounces "kill" is a POV.

• Material in articles needs to be factually accurate, yet a number of the statements and quotes Flashpenny added are wrong. The comment by Sweet Daddy Dee, for example, is "You a dumb ho.", not "That makes you the stupid ho". Bubba J said he did not use beer to extinguish the flames engulfing Santa because it would be a waste of beer, not because beer if flammable. Melvin did not indicate to have a strained relationship with most other superheroes, he simply wasn't impressed with their powers, and contracted a disease from Catwoman. His response to the Hulk's powers referenced "every white trash guy on COPS, not Republicans. Flashpenny mentioned in the sections for to Sweet Daddy Dee and Melvin that Melvin appears in only one special. In fact, Melvin appeared in two, and Sweet Daddy Dee has been around for a while, appearing on other TV programs, clips of which can be found on YouTube. An early version of Melvin with small, black, beedy eyes appeared in one special before the modified version with large, blue, crossed eyes in Spark of Insanity. Achmed does not say, "Half of them are ugly men!!!", he says, "There are some ugly-ass guys out there." It's inappropriate to use quotation marks if one cannot produce the exact quote. Dunham asks if the 72 virgins necessarily were to be female, not whether they were to be unattractive.

Other passages that touch upon these problems include: The manner in which Achmed achieved his current state is not a "mystery and frequent source of humor", as it was mentioned in just one joke in one special, and thus this statement is unsourced POV; The details about the Supreme Court Justice and the gas station do not appear in the televised version of Spark of Insanity. If they come from some other source, then it needs to be cited.

I've removed most of this material again, though I tried to retain some more detail than was in before as a compromise, but in a manner that is accurate, and more salient with respect to the characters. Please do not revert this without keeping WP:V, WP:BLP, WP:CS, and WP:NPOV in mind. Thanks. Nightscream (talk) 03:42, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

"A Muppet on crack"

I either heard or read Peanut described by someone (can't remember if it was Jeff, Walter, possibly a critic, or whomever) as a "Muppet on crack", which is definitely an apt description. Would we want to use that description here, or would that be the sort of thing that, under Wiki guidelines, needs to be backed up with the source I cannot for the life of me recall before it can be included? Nolefan32 (talk) 20:51, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

• Yes, you will want a reliable source for that, otherwise it would be considered original research. DP76764 (Talk) 21:05, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Yeah, that's what I figured. If that brain cell ever fires again, I might put it in - I loved that description of Peanut, and think anyone wanting to get an apt and suscinct description of the character, there it is. Nolefan32 (talk) 21:07, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Walter once referred to Peanut as reminding him of a muppet on heroin during Jeff Dunham's appearance on Jonathan Winters' Traveling Circus back in the late 80's or early 90's. I only remember this because it was my first exposure to this 'team'. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.230.115.13 (talk) 05:02, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Out of act interaction.

Somebody needs to note the instances where the puppets that are put away make wisecracks and comments during the act. The one's i've seen so far are:

Sweet Daddy Dee commenting during peanuts act in arguing with myself, jose's serenade in arguing with myself, and Walter laughing during Achmeds performance in Spark of insanity Ormick (talk) 05:10, 15 February 2009 (UTC)

And how would that be notable as opposed to fancruft or trivia? DP76764 (Talk) 05:12, 15 February 2009 (UTC)

Why the hell not? Lighten up man. It's worth noting what he does in his act. You don't have to be such a hardass.Ormick (talk) 07:00, 15 February 2009 (UTC)

It's not really notable. And please, don't speak that way to other editors. It violates WP:Civility. Nightscream (talk) 01:52, 24 March 2009 (UTC)

Personal Life Changes Needed

This section was obviously written by someone who saw the CMT video and "summarized" the contents without having any knowledge of Jeff's activities or home built aircraft or realizing that some of Jeff's comments were "tongue in cheek".

Jeff's helicopters are not "built from scratch", they are helicopter kits purchased from Rotorway and assembled by Jeff. The helicopter shown is a Rotorway 162F and is the third helicopter Jeff has built. It is licensed by the FAA in the Experimental category and the FAA Registration Number is N418JD. The Rotorway 162F can fly up to 115 mph and has a service ceiling of 10,000 feet. Jeff has been the subject of an article on this in Sport Aviation magazine which is the magazine of the Experimental Aircraft Association. In 2008 Jeff performed his show (sponsored by Rotorway) at the EAA Annual show (AirVenture) in Oshkosh.

Search on "rotorway Jeff Dunham" for numerous articles. Here's one: http://www.kitplanes.com/magazine/rotorcraft/204-1.phtml

68.18.182.190 (talk) 11:31, 30 March 2009 (UTC)Steve Franklin, EAA member

"This section was obviously written by someone who saw the CMT video and "summarized" the contents without having any knowledge of Jeff's activities or home built aircraft..." Yes, that's how Wikipedia works. The validity of the material added to it is predicated on reliable, verifiable cited sources, and not personal knowledge. This is how Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, and not just experts. See here for more on this. As for the from scratch/from kits point, thanks for pointing that out. I obviously misunderstood the video, which the page you linked us to clarifies. I fixed that passage accordingly. Thanks. :-) Nightscream (talk) 01:54, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

So far so good however the sentence "Although his creations are unlicensed by the FAA, he can fly them up to 600 feet in the air, and up to 90 miles an hour" still needs correction. http://www.rotorway.com/specs.html —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.18.181.83 (talk) 22:53, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

Jeffery or Jeffrey?

In the first line Dunham's name is written "Jeffery"

'Jeffery "Jeff" Dunham is an American ventriloquist [...]'

but in the little box on the right side it's written without the "e" at another position, Jeffrey.

I'm not sooo good at English so I don't know which form is the correct one, for me "Jeffrey" sounds more like the correct name but I'm not sure at all... Loilo92 (talk) 21:02, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for pointing that out. Since Both pieces of information are unsourced, I removed them both. Thanks. :-) Nightscream (talk) 02:00, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Achmed

there is a video on utube now that shows achmen with a mustash i would like to know when that was because it looks like this is really the first time he was used in jeffs act. the jokes are somewhat the same too and he said the cellphone part of the blown up at the gas station too also the foot loke and the arm pop off joke was donr too EMPSBladeKnight60 04:56, 11 April 2009

If you have information about the date of the performance in that video, then feel free to provide it. A link to that video would help too. Btw, new messages and threads go at the bottom, not the top, and you can sign your posts by typing four tildes (~~~~) at the end of them. Thanks. Nightscream (talk) 14:44, 11 April 2009 (UTC)

Jeff's Birthday

Just wanted to let someone know that can actually change semi protected articles that his birthday is on April 18. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zerofire.3 (talk • contribs) 05:59, 21 April 2009 (UTC)

Do you have a reliable source that others can verify this claim with? DP76764 (Talk) 15:42, 21 April 2009 (UTC)

Sorry it took so long to get back to this, but I worked a tour stop and we celebrated his birthday on that day. That's all I got. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zerofire.3 (talk • contribs) 07:52, 10 December 2009 (UTC)

"Characters" heading needs fixing

{{editsemiprotected}} There is an extra equal sign ("=") that shows up in front of the "Characters" heading.

My apologies that I cannot follow the format of this template exactly: I have looked at the page source to try to figure out the exact change that needs to be made to get rid of the extra "=" (it appeared after Hikarulight's recent edits), but the typo is not obvious, whatever it is.

Fongj (talk) 07:51, 2 May 2009 (UTC)

 Already done —Ms2ger (talk) 13:25, 2 May 2009 (UTC)

Jose's Heritage

In Spark of Insanity, Jeff and Peanut both indicate that Jose is mexican, to which he agrees. However, in Arguing With Myself, Jose insists he is not Mexican because he is not from Mexico (He says he's Cuban, because he's from Florida.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.209.116.39 (talk • contribs) 05:57, 26 June 2009

Yeah, and in another appearance, the joke is modified so that he says he's Puerto Rican, because he's from New York, or something to that effect. When writing about fiction, material must be presented in an out-universe perspective, not an in-universe perspective. In other words, information such as this cannot be presented as fact because it is fictional. In the case of Dunham's puppets, the information they reveal about themselves is done so for the sake of humor, so it cannot be seen as "true" or "untrue". Nightscream (talk) 02:35, 9 October 2009 (UTC)

Except that discussing the characters histories themselves is inherently in-universe - the article includes mention of Walters 'wife' and Achmed's 'past as a terrorist', although those would be in-universe 'truths'. While i understand that such 'facts' are completely flexible and continuity isn't maintained for such things as comedy acts, it's worth noting as a discussion item. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.209.116.39 (talk) 01:50, 18 October 2009 (UTC)

The whole point of discussion on article Talk Pages is to improve the article. Discussion not intended for this purpose falls outside Wikipedia's Talk Page guidelines. Also, please make sure you sing you posts (you can do this by typing three tildes (~~~~) at the end of them), and if you intend to continue editing, it is expected that you register for an account with a username. Thanks. :-) Nightscream (talk) 02:34, 18 October 2009 (UTC)

Income

He was on Forbes richest list for his tour shows being so popular. 30 million dollars a year.Hard to believe. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/53/celebrity-09_Jeff-Dunham_O8UE.html http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/03/forbes-100-celebrity-09-comedians-magicians_slide_5.html --Ericg33 (talk) 05:18, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

Television Debut

Jeff Dunham's first televised appearance was when he was on the Super Dave Osborne show in 1987 (episodes 70 and 77), 3 years before his debut on the Tonight Show. He performed with Peanut and Jose Jalapeno. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.66.17.164 (talk) 01:52, 21 July 2009 (UTC)

Delta Farce

Jeff Dunham was in delta farce as amazing ken, shouldn't that be referenced? Firio (talk) 13:49, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Add ref

{{edit-semiprotected}}

Please add the following ref at the end of the first paragraph: <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/magazine/01ventriloquist-t.html |title=Comedy for Dummies |publisher=New York Times Magazine |date=2009-10-29 |first=Jon |last=Mooallem}}</ref>

-- 67.98.206.2 (talk) 22:02, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

 Already done by Tim1357.[1]. snigbrook (talk) 14:20, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Character descriptions

{{edit-semiprotected}} Walter - the line "Yeah, it was forty-seven years ago" doesn't make any sense without the preceding question and answer of "How long have you been married" to which walter replies "Fourty 6 years" You could change the line "Has been married for decades" to "46 years" and then the reply would make more sense

Peanut - Peanut is covered in purple fur, not white.

69.73.88.43 (talk) 05:08, 12 December 2009 (UTC)

 Not done Peanut is purple skinned with white fur, if you look at Jeff Dunham's official website you can see a picture of him. As far as the question about Walter, are you saying to change the quote? Is the quote incorrect? If it is incorrect, do you have a source for the correct quote? ~~ GB fan ~~ ^talk 13:51, 12 December 2009 (UTC)

Peanut - agreed, sorry about the mis-information

For walter, the quote is correct, however without Jeff's preceding question, it doesn't make much sense to put emphasis on the "Seven" because we don't know why he was happiest 47 years ago. with the information that Walters been married for forty six years, then it makes sense why he was happiest 47 years ago.

69.73.88.43 (talk) 04:29, 15 December 2009 (UTC)