Jeff Dunham here... I’m a comedian/ventriloquist who makes a living arguing with myself. Ask me, (or the guys in the trunk), anything!

How stoned were you to come up with Peanut??

LOL.

Next question...

Hi Jeff! Have you ever considered trying to be funny?

Yes, but I keep tripping over my ticket sales.

And by the way, your mother loved my performance.

Hey Jeff! What is the hardest thing (sound, pattern, routine, etc.) to "ventriloquize," and if possible, explain why it is so difficult?

Well, not to get too technical, the difficult letters are BFMPVW and Y. All those are tough to say without moving your lips! The ventriloquist gets around it by substituting sounds that sound LIKE those, and then mastering the fake sound to sound most like the sound. B is said with a D; M is said with an N, etc.

Loved Achmed when I was younger, do people still like him, or have they complained about his character being stereotypical or racist in any way?

The fans that show up to the live shows LOVE him. He is a failed terrorist that has fallen in love with all the great ”trapping” of the free world... Shopping, movies, cars, etc.... But he still feels like he needs to be a terror. Achmed is very conflicted. Makes for great comedy. anyone who comes to a show realizes it’s all good stupid fun.

What is something that you are passionate about other than what you do for a living?

My family is number one... But then there’s building the dummies, cars, collecting vintage toys, and did I say my family?

Hey... I’m here! Ask away!

Have any of your girls expressed interest in learning how to be a ventriloquist?

No, and I’m fine with that! They are all three doing really well with their own unique endeavors. Thanks for asking!

I've heard you're big into 3D printing since you make your puppets. What sort of setup do you have?

I have a ten year old machine (Dimension SST 1200es) that I have done all my printing with in that time and I love it. The layers are 20 thousandths thick, but I’m okay with that, because the platform is so much larger than most... It will do 10“ x 10“ x 12”, and that’s perfect for a dummy head.

When writing jokes, do you try and zone in to certain characters one at a time, or just let the material come to you and fit it to characters that way? Big fan of your stuff!

Great question. I focus focus focus on one character at a time when writing or creating bits for them. That allows me to get into their heads and stay in character as I write for them. On the other hand, a great joke is a great joke, and sometimes I just have to decide who would tell that joke the best.

Does Walter prefer boxers or briefs?

Commando.

Just kidding. Gross. Briefs FOR SURE! And WHITE. Nothing but WHITE. So sad.

What would you recommend to someone who is interested in being a ventriloquist?

RUN AWAY.

​

Just kidding! Get a dummy; get a mirror; watch our YouTube videos on how to be a ventriloquist, and then practice, practice, practice. OH, and then learn how to be funny. THAT is WAY more difficult.

It's been 20 minutes and you haven't replied to a single question. Are you just waiting for the right questions or did you die?

I didn’t die... I think your Internet did.

Do you ever go on stage and NOT feel like you wanted to perform that night? What helps you through it?

Great, great, question. It can be just like any job... Sometimes you feel like it; sometimes you don’t. But honestly, after about a minute of laughs and all those people WANTING to laugh, something always kicks in and I have a blast every single show. I know that folks have paid good, hard earned money for their tickets, and it’s my job to make sure they walk away that night having had the most fun I could possibly give them.

Who’s your favorite comedian ?

Since my junior high days, it has absolutely always been Steve Martin for so many reasons. Lewis Black still kills me, and before we found out all the bad stuff, as a child it was Bill Cosby. Today, Joe Rogan kills me. So damned honest and unfiltered. GREAT.

are your dreams as weird as your puppets? if so, describe a dream you think was the weirdest

I dreamed I had a real job... Once. It was terrifying.

If your comedy career started today as opposed to the 90's, what would you do differently?

Oh man, that is a very difficult and great question... (And my professional career actually began in the ‘80s...). I don’t envy the folks coming up today in the standup world... So many limitations and judgmental people. I think the ONLY thing I would do differently would be to.... I actually don’t have a clue. Such a tough question... Impossible. I’m just incredibly thankful for my fans today.

What ever happened to Melvin the superhero? He hasn’t been on stage in a while.

MELVIN! He DOES need to come back. I’ve actually been thinking about it and yes, I will probably bring him back at some point. Thanks for asking!

Morning from Down Under!!! What's the furthest Achmed's leg has ever gone into the audience? Has anyone ever tried to not give it back?

LOL. It’s yet to fly into an audience! I would pull a few MMA moves to get that thing back if someone tried to run off with it! Achmed would KEEL them!

Why doesn't Peanut where any clothes?

He does! He has one shoe!!

Hey Jeff! Me and my friend enjoyed your show in Tampa Saturday night. My question is, why didn’t little Jeff make an appearance and will he be at any other tours?

Thanks for the great question... The main guys, Peanut, Walter, Bubba J, and Achmed are always in the show. I love introducing new characters now and then and rotating them in and out. Little Jeff may be back one day... Right now it’s Rich and Happy, and a NEW guy will probably be on the bill in a couple of weeks!

How did you manage success, despite being so painfully unfunny?

Come on Mom, leave me alone!