Stand-Up Puppet Show: Jeff Dunham

August 14, 2024

» EXPRESS: You must have had a lot of fun in class as a kid.
» DUNHAM: Back when I was a kid, there was always an ad in the back of Popular Mechanics or Boys Life that was like “Fool your friends!” by throwing your voice, and that’s where it all started. In high school, I could make this loud siren noise. It actually started a fire drill. I got sent to the office.

» EXPRESS: How do you come up with each character?
» DUNHAM: There’s no real formula; each one of them is in their own genesis. Just like an actor you draw from you own experience and past, and if that’s not there you got to do some research. These are the guys that say what you think to say but don’t say out loud. Achmed the dead terrorist is just another interesting approach to say what most people could not. Terrorism is a frightening thing, but we all want to laugh at our fears. I’m making fun of not what they do, but who these guys are.

» EXPRESS: How do you think you’ve revamped the art of ventriloquism?
» DUNHAM: When I first moved out to L.A., I knew that to keep working that I had to go toe-to-toe with the big names. Strictly a variety act wasn’t going to get me very far. I realized that the best approach was just doing stand-up comedy and use the character as the vehicle of the comedy. I make the audience really entertained and get them laughing, and they come back because they like the comedy and the goofiness.

» EXPRESS: Name one person in D.C. whose mouth you’d like to put words in.
» DUNHAM: While it’s not putting words in mouths, one of my older characters is Sweet Daddy Dee. I put him on the shelf, but now, with Obama there, I think he should come out of the cabinet. He would be appointed the Secretary of Love.

» EXPRESS: What do you want your audience to walk away with after they see your show?
» DUNHAM: It’s a show with no redeeming value whatsoever. I don’t think anyone is going to walk away learning anything or bettering their lives. They just have a goofy time. It’s like Disneyland — you spend some money, you go home and nothing happened.

» Patriot Center, 4500 Patriot Circle Fairfax; Fri. Jan. 2, 8 p.m., $49.50; 800-551-7328.

Written by Express contributor Robyn Mincher
Photo courtesy Shock Ink

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