Jeff Dunham, America's Favorite Ventriloquist

Jeff Dunham has sold more than 4 million DVDs, and his videos have received upwards of 350 million YouTube hits, resulting in him being one of the most popular online entertainers ever. Dunham's holiday special, "A Very Special Christmas Special," had the highest viewership of any telecast in the history of Comedy Central. The DVD version of the special went quadruple platinum in its first two weeks of distribution, selling nearly half a million copies. Forbes has reported that Jeff Dunham earned about $30 million between June 2008 through June 2009, making him one of the highest paid comedians. So voicing comedy through the mouth of a ventriloquist dummy has proven to be a lucrative venture for Dunham.

Born in Dallas, Texas, Duhman was an only child who began to learn ventriloquism when he was eight years old. He says that ventriloquism is a skill you can learn, just like juggling, and anyone who has a normal speaking voice can learn to do it. He began to perform in front of audiences when he was a teenager, and after he graduated from Baylor University he moved out to Los Angeles to pursue his dream. Dunham says now that he never had a "real job" because all his earnings have been made by doing standup comedy.

In 1985, Dunham appeared with Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller in the Broadway show Sugar Babies, and later he appeared at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island, New York. In those early experiences, he used characters such as Jose Jalopeno on a Stick, which helped him realize the importance of modifying his act according to the region he was playing in. The Hispanic character making jokes about jalopenos were not as well received in Long Island as they had been in Texas.

Dunham made his television debut in 1990, on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. After he finished his act, Johnny invited him to sit on his couch, which Dunham considered to be a sign of approval. He later appeared in a 1996 episode of the Ellen Degeneres show, Ellen, where he played a ventriloquist who was participating in a convention in the same hotel meeting room where Ellen's friend was getting married. He later appeared in a television commercial for Hertz auto rentals, and then on Hollywood Squares, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, and Blue Collar TV.

By the late 1990s, Dunham's career was in full swing. His first solo appearance on Comedy Central came in 2003, with a 30-minute show featuring his favorite characters, Peanut, Walter, and Jose Jalopeno on a Stick. He later taped a full-length Comedy Central special in 2006 called "Jeff Dunham: Arguing With Myself," with a second special, "Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity," following in 2007. In addition to the video specials, Dunham also released an album of music, Don't Come Home for Christmas, in 2008. His holiday collection contains original songs in addition to a parody version of "Jingle Bells" sung as "Jingle Bombs," by Dunham's character, Achmed the Dead Terrorist.

Dunham's career has not been without controversy, however. Although he has been voted Top Comic by Comedy Central viewers and he is the only person to have twice won the "Ventriloquist of the Year" award, he has been accused by some people of creating characters who are simply racist caricatures. In fact, the South African Advertising Standards Authority banned Dunham's television commercial for an Achmed the Dead Terrorist ringtone, saying that a citizen had complained that the ad was offensive to the Muslim community because it implied that all Muslims are terrorists.

Dunham is puzzled and angered by the criticism his characters have elicited, and rightfully so. "Achmed makes it clear in my act that he is not Muslim," says Dunham, pointing out that his routines are not targeted at any particular ethnic group. "I've skewered whites, blacks, Hispanics, Christians, Jews, Muslims, gays, straights, rednecks, addicts, the elderly, and my wife," he adds. "I'm considering renaming Achmed 'Bill."