Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham makes bank! Not only is he considered the top-grossing stand-up comedy act in North America, he s also ranked the third highest-paid comedian in the U.S. behind Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock. Who knew playing with puppets could be so profitable?
Still, as popular as he is, Dunham, 54, who rolls into San Antonio for his Perfectly Unbalanced tour, isn’t a stranger to controversy, specifically for using two of what many of his detractors call racially insensitive and stereotypical ventriloquist dummies in his act — Achmed the Dead Terrorist
(“I keel you!” ) and José Jalapeño on a Stick.
So, why hasn’t president-elect Donald Trump already booked him as pre-show entertainment for the inauguration? Well, maybe it’s because Dunham isn’t what most critics would consider a funny guy.
Bluntly put: He aims for the low-hanging fruit and eats well. He’s the Tyler Perry of ventriloquism. Gawker once called him one of the “Most Hated Comedians of All Time.” Current New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik once asked, “In all seriousness: What is it about Jeff Dunham that I do not get?”
The answer is most certainly nothing.
$49.50, 7:30pm, Wed. Nov. 30, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Pkwy., (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com.
