The Smartest Dummy In The Room
He’s brought the ventriloquist’s art to fresh heights of irreverence with his Achmed the Dead Terrorist character and now earns almost as much as Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock. Jeff Dunham explains why a dummy can say things a stand-up comic never would and makes an unsolicited confession involving The Corrs.
Craig Fitzpatrick, 04 Oct 2011
It’s long been said that the primary reason guys pick up guitars is to get girls. With that in mind, does picking up a dummy and hitting the stage work just as well? “I think it’s kinda the opposite,’ laughs Jeff Dunham, the undisputed king of ventrilo-comedy. “If you want people to leave you alone you should get a dummy! I wouldn’t recommend it. If you’re going to pick up chicks, get a guitar! I always had girlfriends, but it must have been a unique girl who either put up with, or was drawn to, a guy with a doll.”
For those ladies drawn to that ‘guy with a doll’, did the onstage act ever invade the bedroom? “Haha, girlfriends along the way – and my ex-wife – used to get that question a lot! ‘Does he make things talk in the bedroom?’ I made that joke in my show, that voices would come from places where... there shouldn’t be voices!”
Dunham’s voice is coming down the phoneline all the way from LA. But surely a long-distance chat is cheating for a ventriloquist. “Nah, I’m not cheating. Honestly, I’m not moving my lips one little bit at all!” We believe him – he’s a dab hand at this quirky art of his and has been hugely responsible for taking the antiquated craft of ventriloquy into the modern ages. He’s also added a little edge and a lot of humour to the once-corny form of entertainment. Now, he’s reaping the rewards. A genuinely massive star Stateside, he’s been dubbed ‘America’s favourite comedian’ and ranks just below Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock on the list of comedy’s top-earners. Thanks to clips of routines with his Achmed The Dead Terrorist dummy going viral, Dunham’s cracked it in Europe as well. It meant he could visit Irish shores several years ago, performing in the Olympia Theatre. “It was great,” he says of the show. “Obviously, being a US comedian going to Ireland or anywhere in Europe, you wonder how you’re going to be accepted. If people are going to laugh. With YouTube, the world has become a very small place. 90% of the people there knew what they were getting themselves into, they knew the material and the characters...” A considered pause. “I don’t know if I should admit this... I like The Corrs!” He will later claim that this is his attempt at sucking up to Irish readers. Nice try Jeff.
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