media post 3- Jeff Dunham

Ventriloquism is a lost art, but comedian Jeff Dunham brings it back to life with his many characters. In his new special on Comedy Central, Spark of Insanity, Jeff is in D.C. and his skit is very racially motivated. One of his characters is a skeleton, Achmed the dead terrorist, who is probably the most racist of all the puppets, oh and was a suicide bomber. Jeff interacts with his puppets and the whole skit is hilarious but very wrong, considering racial tendencies.

Some of the things that Achmed says are completely awful such as when he says “God damnit” then the audience laughs and Achmed corrects himself and says, “oh I mean Alla damnit.” Alla is who the Middle Eastern people worship. Achmed even has a turban on his skull further showing that he is of Middle Eastern descent. Achmed proceeds to tell a joke, “okay two Jews walk into a bar” and Jeff says “ no, no”. Then Achmed replies “what you don’t let Jews in your bar, you racist bastard” and Jeff rebuttals and says “I don’t want any racist jokes in my act.” Which or course is an odd statement in and of it self, considering the whole skit, including the other characters, is very racist. And what is even more interesting is the fact that the Spark of Insanity tour, premiered in Washington D.C.

Continuing on with Achmed’s Jewish jokes, he says, “what if I kill the Jews”
Jeff says “no.”
Achmed says, “ I’m kidding, I would not kill the Jews, I would throw a penny between them and watch them fight to the death.”
Then Jeff reprimands Achmed and tells him “jokes like that offend people.”
Achmed says, “what do I care I’m dead.”

All of these “jokes” reminded me of Zinn’s “Drawing the color line.” Although Zinn is talking mainly about blacks being slaves, it still applies here because the whites motivate it. The Middle Eastern are a more recent version of suppression. The stereotype, now, for any Middle Eastern person is, Oh you must be linked to terrorism or a terrorist yourself. In the past it was, your black so you must be a slave (Zinn page 24). Zinn says that the “experience the first settlers acted as pressure for the enslavement of blacks.” (Zinn page 23) This still tends to be true, but for the Middle Eastern. We are on their land fighting and killing them, so they can be free. Which is very closely related to slavery, I will give you a place to live after you have been exported to America, but you have to do manual labor for me. Even though Zinn is talking about blacks and slavery in Drawing the Color line, it still applies for any and all races. Every race in history that has been seen as a minority has been discriminated against; the Jewish, Irish, African (Black), Muslim, Asian, the list could go on forever. However now, no matter what race you are, if you look white, you are white. All this racism starts with “the color line” and it starts with White America discriminating against those that don’t look like them. None of this racism is natural but our socioeconomic system is making it harder and harder for us to see that its not.

I like Jeff Dunham I think he is very funny, but this skit I didn’t find quite as hilarious as his first one, Arguing with myself. Previously I would have found this to be funny, but after taking this class I realize its not as funny as everyone thinks. Racism is a hot button issue and he took advantage of that, poking fun at it just to get some laughs. Even though it is his characters actually saying the comments, he thought of them and he’s the one who makes them talk. So, in all actuality it his thoughts and “jokes” we are hearing not Achmed’s. Whether Jeff is racist, in real life, or not, he is still very offensive.