Puppet Play

Jeff Dunham is America’s most famous redneck ventriloquist. But his more conservative fans might not adore him so much if they realized what his schtick really consists of: fisting male Islamicists and rubbing the stick of an illegal immigrant named José Jalapeño. We refer, of course, to Achmed the Terrorist...

By Penn Bullock

May 13, 2010

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Jeff Dunham is America’s most famous redneck ventriloquist. But his more conservative fans might not adore him so much if they realized what his schtick really consists of: fisting male Islamicists and rubbing the stick of an illegal immigrant named José Jalapeño.

We refer, of course, to Achmed the Terrorist and José Jalapeño on a Stick, a literal Mexican jalapeño who may or may not be here legally, who are two of Dunham’s many characters. Our favorite is Walter the Old Guy, so curmudgeonly that he actually managed to shout down the live band on the David Letterman Show. For a preview, you can check out a YouTube video of Achmed, a skeleton suicide bomber who had a “premature detonation.” It’s one of the most widely viewed videos online. But to see him live, catch Dunham at 10 p.m. Wednesday at the BankAtlantic Center (1 Panther Parkway, Fort Lauderdale). Tickets cost $45.25. Call 954-835-7000, or visit bankatlanticcenter.com.
Wed., May 19, 10 p.m., 2010

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