Good Old Neon Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 From the New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/magazine/01ventriloquist-t.html An excerpt: Recently, Forbes listed him as the third-highest-earning comedian in America, after Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock, both of whom make their piles largely on television syndication and film royalties. Dunham has neither; his first series, “The Jeff Dunham Show,” had its premiere on Comedy Central on Oct. 22. Instead, he has toured relentlessly for 25 years. In the past year, he has played 150 shows and grossed $38 million in ticket sales, far more than any other comic. Peanut, a hyperactive purple Muppetish dummy, kicked off his portion of the show just by saying different words for breasts — “bodacious ta-tas” got the biggest laugh — and closed with a bit about ordering Chinese food, done in a preposterous Fu Manchu accent. By the encore, when Dunham brought out his redneck character to do a routine from his first DVD, all 7,000 people in the arena were ecstatically chanting the dummy’s punch lines together — a choir of thrown voices. (Dunham: “Do you have a drinking problem?” Everyone: “No! I’ve pretty much got it figured out!”) Then, when it was over — after Dunham fired some balled-up Jeff Dunham T-shirts into the upper decks with the kind of air-powered bazooka you see during N.B.A. halftimes — he literally ran out the arena’s back door and onto his bus, where he went back to work on the Umpire. In fact, the jokes that get some of the wildest, loudest reactions aren’t really even jokes, just statements. Like when one puppet shouts that all Mexicans should learn English, or when Dunham wishes Walter “Happy Holidays” and Walter responds: “I’ve been wanting to say this for a couple of years now: Screw you, it’s ‘Merry Christmas’!” And the crowd doesn’t laugh; it riotously applauds. Dunham describes them as moments of “catharsis,” when the dummy says something “everyone wants to laugh about, or that you snicker at with one or two friends, but that you could never say out loud.” Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 WTF is right. I was dismayed that he was featured on the last episode of "30 Rock." I just don't like the dude, or his humor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I can't stand ventriloquism, so it comes as no surprise to me that this guy is so successful. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 He's no Señor Wences. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jules Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I don't see the problem. Sounds like he works pretty hard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bleedorange Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I saw him years ago on The Jonathan Winters Traveling Show on HBO or Showtime. It was probably about 20 years ago, and I thought Dunham was hilarious (as were the other comics on that particular episode). It seems like he has found enormous success playing to the Larry the Cable Guy crowd with the typical jokes that work for that type of audience. He's added some terrible characters to use that crowd to his advantage -- the redneck character and a "dead terrorist" character. It's hard to fault someone for tailoring an act to achieve stardom after laboring in relative obscurity for most of your career (see Kings of Leon). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 I don't see the problem. Sounds like he works pretty hard. It’s not really a problem, he just sucks ass. Most of his material is so old, and so tired, that I think it has pretty much passed into the public domain. Dunham: “Do you have a drinking problem?” Everyone: “No! I’ve pretty much got it figured out!” My grandfather used to say that, when he was like, 84. And outside of grade school, who the hell laughs uproariously at “bodacious ta-tas”? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I don't see the problem. Sounds like he works pretty hard.Working hard isn't the same thing as being funny. I'll even grant that the guy has talent. I just don't like his stuff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GtrPlyr Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 WTF is right. I was dismayed that he was featured on the last episode of "30 Rock." I just don't like the dude, or his humor.I think his use in the show made sense, he wasn't funny, making Jack's selection of him as the new cast mate ridiculous; a typically absurd 30 Rock moment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I think his use in the show made sense, he wasn't funny, making Jack's selection of him as the new cast mate ridiculous; a typically absurd 30 Rock moment.You're right, of course. But it was still exposure for Dunham, which I could have done without. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Normally I would not care about the success of someone like Jeff Dunham, but I was held hostage at my Sister in laws last thanksgiving while being made to watch one of his DVD's. Could happen again this year. Just really unfunny stuff (to me) and I don't get the success. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
So Long Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 You know what, I year or two ago I saw his Comedy Central Presents, and I thought it was alright. Not the funniest thing I've ever seen, but a perfectly acceptable way to waste 22 minutes. But lately I've read a lot of press about how racist/homophobic much of his act is, and the fact that it's all disguised under the mask of ventriloquism, and I am a bit confused. People didn't seem to have a problem with him until he started making millions of dollars. There are a lot of bad comedians in the world, and this bad comedian happens to have a shtick that allows him to tell bad jokes. I was really hoping 30 Rock would dig into him a little more this week... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 Dunham is, of course, free to practice his brand of comedy however he sees fit, but the difference, I think, between a good socially aware (though that’s probably a drastic overstatement) comedian and a bad socially aware comedian, lies in the comedian’s willingness or ability to explode stereotypes, rather than confirm and/or strengthen them. Or, if you’re going to go the other way, and play to stereotypes and broad generalizations, at least come up with some actual fucking jokes. Though there are about a million and one stylistic differences between Sarah Silverman and Dunham, she also works with stereotypes, but her tone is much more mocking, and, and this is a big and, she’s really fucking funny. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Dunham is, of course, free to practice his brand of comedy however he sees fit, but the difference, I think, between a good socially aware (though that’s probably a drastic overstatement) comedian and a bad socially aware comedian, lies in the comedian’s willingness or ability to explode stereotypes, rather than confirm and/or strengthen them. Or, if you’re going to go the other way, and play to stereotypes and broad generalizations, at least come up with some actual fucking jokes. Though there are about a million and one stylistic differences between Sarah Silverman and Dunham, she also works with stereotypes, but her tone is much more mocking, and, and this is a big and, she’s really fucking funny.Is your issue that he doesn't tell jokes, or is it that his core audience is Branson MO? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jules Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Is your issue that he doesn't tell jokes, or is it that his core audience is Branson MO?I think his issue is that he makes a lot of money. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedling Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I think his issue is that he makes a lot of money.I think he should spread some of that wealth. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I think his issue is that he makes a lot of money.Bill Maher don't work for free either. $55 if you wanna see his ass in Kingston. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I heard that Dunham dressed up as David Foster Wallace for Halloween Quote Link to post Share on other sites
watch me fall Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Bill Maher don't work for free either. $55 if you wanna see his ass in Kingston. How much to see the rest of him? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 zing! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ikol Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 How much to see the rest of him? Is there a rest of him? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
watch me fall Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Is there a rest of him? Good point. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yermom Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Though there are about a million and one stylistic differences between Sarah Silverman and Dunham, she also works with stereotypes, but her tone is much more mocking, and, and this is a big and, she’s got really fucking bodacious ta-tas. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I'd just listen to Steven Wright instead, unless this guy is accosting on you on the street doing his stand up, isn't he easy enough to ignore? Christ, I sound like my mother. What was I saying? Flame on! --Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Is there a rest of him? Well played. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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