Talk:Jeff Dunham/Archive 1

Start Over...
Jeff Dunham must have been born before 1968 (1958?) due to the fact that he worked at "Six Flags Over Texas" in the summer of 1981, and he had a mustache, evidence may be found of this, as there is a photograph of Jeff on stage with his puppet in a picture of the 1981 Six Flags Employee Yearbook. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Derekcolvin (talk • contribs) 02:39, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

This article needs a complete rewrite. It's not an encyclopedia article. It's a ripoff/spoiler of his best jokes, and probably contains several MAJOR copyright violations. There is no mention of his history at all, and very little about his career, except recently. Did you know that he appeared on Johnny Carson in 1990? In fact, he was one of the few comedians that was ever invited to sit with Carson after his first performance! This is an honor "granted to only four other comics look in Carson’s 30 years." Dunham appeared on the Carson show more times than any other ventriloquist.

Quit being so obsessive about the puppets. Geez... There's far more detail about his puppets than there is about him. A simple character description of the puppets (and maybe pictures) would suffice. Do NOT include ANY dialog from his shows! I can watch his DVDs if I want that. Information from extras on his DVD's would be far more interesting in an encylopedic article than a script of the DVD. See http://www.secondweddingdj.com/CLIPJDunham.pdf. Especially note the "Everyman" comment Jeff makes about Walter. That's the kind of thing that should appear in the article.

I would rewrite it from scratch myself, but someone will just revert it.

Rewrite. Somebody. Please. Robertwharvey (talk) 19:14, 8 April 2008 (UTC)


 * I don't think this article needs a complete rewrite but the sections on his puppets do need to be toned down a lot. I find it completely ridiculous that there's a huge section on his puppets while the section on his person life is only 4 sentences long. This article is mainly focused on his puppets and not Jeff Dunham himself. Not only that, but there's tons of original research in this article. I do agree that this article is in need of a cleanup but to get rid of everything and start from scratch is unnecessary. -- On the  other side  Contribs 00:49, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

I removed some of the excess information regarding the puppets. If what I removed is deemed wikiworthy then I definatly think it should make it's way into seperate articles and let this article focusing on Dunham himself. (about whom we definatly need some more information about to even be encyclopedia worthy.) --83.254.46.137 (talk) 00:25, 16 October 2008 (UTC)

I like this thingjack (talk) 17:09, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Articles for each puppet?
I was wondering if we should have separate articles for each puppet of Dunham's. By that, I mean not every single puppet he's had but just the main ones (Walter, Peanut and Jose). Your thoughts? --Tuspm 23:15, 10 June 2006 (UTC)

Nah, there's really not enough to justify a full-blown article for each puppet. A list of his major pupppets and some quotes from them as part of this article would be sufficient. Willbyr (talk | contribs) 14:09, 12 June 2006 (UTC)

We need pics for each of the puppets

DEFINITELY second the notion for pics of each of the puppets. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.147.197.141 (talk) 23:21, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

, and definitively the most popular puppet, I think it's OK to give the pupper Achmed a seperate article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lilduff90 (talk • contribs) 16:50, 8 January 2008 (UTC)


 * I've uploaded an image for Walter, but I haven't added it to the article yet. Can someone tell me if the fair-use I've used is correct?  Here's the image.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Walterdummy.PNG CardinalFangZERO 11:19, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

merge Peanut
I have suggested merge of Peanut (puppet) into this article. As the above discussion mentions, it's simply not substantial enough for the puppet to have its own article. This article is barely existant as it is; a subsection on Peanut (or any other puppet one might want to add) would be quite sufficient, IMO. In addition, half of the trivia (that he's married, where he went to school) is notable biographical information and probably shouldn't He HAS been doing this a long time but there is no information about his or career or its beginnings.be reduced to mere trivia. TheHYPO 03:08, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

Support the merge, per the above discussion. Willbyr (talk | contribs) 03:39, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

overkill
I'd like to suggest that the sections on each puppet contain an unnecessarily detailed play-by-play of specific bits involving those puppets which are both overkill, and spoiling. I suggest they be culled down to encyclopedic information and not synopses of DVD extras and whatnot TheHYPO 07:17, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

introduction
The first sentence, "Jeff Dunham is a great ventriloquist and a great stand-up comedian." violates the basic premise of NPOv.

Neutrality
There is currently a tag saying the neutrslity of the article is disputed. However I see no conversations about this on the talk page, so I think it should be removed. BioYu-Gi! 16:26, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Biography?
There's currently no biography. I'm curious to see where Jeff Dunham is from, because I remember seeing a ventriloquist at the county fair in Viroqua, WI when I was a kid, the year must have been somewhere around 2000 or 2001, and I have a strong feeling that Jeff Dunham was the guy, but I'm not sure and a biography (including where he's from) could possibly help clear this up. --Josh1billion 04:10, 13 September 2007 (UTC)


 * Agreed. I do not see anything that talks about Jeff, as if his Puppets are more important than him. Place and date of birth, his early raising, his inspiration, and his early days, all these should be part of the biography. I am looking for this information, and once I find anything, I'll post it here. Aboosh 00:31, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

New DVD
This page says his new DVD came out on 9/4/07, but Amazon, Walmart, and NewEgg all have the release date pegged for 9/18/07. His personal website says nothing (that I can find) about the release date. Can anyone find a definitive source for this information? --Bennybp 04:24, 13 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Nevermind, I found a definitive source at the DVD publisher's site here and fixed it up. --Bennybp 04:37, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Vandalism
There has been a few vandalisms on this page concerning the puppet Achmed the Dead Terrorist and Bubba J. I have reversed the vandalism but if anyone wishes to cancel it please leave a valid reason. Bognus Hecken (talk) 19:06, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

Racism/Stereotypes
Isn't it really irresponsible that this article makes no mention of how this idiot makes a living off of exploiting thousand year old stereotypes? Am I on the fringe when I'm offended? Or is the world just going to end? —Preceding unsigned comment added by El burito carlito (talk • contribs) 08:57, 24 November 2007 (UTC)
 * He is a comedian. Since time immemorial, comedians have tended to offend people with no sense of humor. --Storkk (talk) 13:52, 11 December 2007 (UTC)


 * Welcome to comedy. If you're going to get offended, you may just leave and never laugh again. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.60.170.23 (talk) 14:26, 15 December 2007 (UTC)


 * while im not offended by this 'comedian' i still think that his humour is unoriginal and not funny.

i think that ud have to be pretty soft to be offended, but you make a valid point. however its just an opinion and i doubt that ud find any sources or anything of the like to be able to add anything to the article. sux to be you 59.100.2.153 (talk) 07:11, 17 December 2007 (UTC)


 * As Mr. 193.60.170.23 said, welcome to comedy. I would like to see you try to find a comedian who has not been "racist" or "stereotypical". Let alone a VENTRILOQUIST! If you are offended, please speak with Jeff himself and say, "It is really irresponsible that yadda yadda yadda exploit stereotypes yadda yadda yadda..." I'm sure that he'll say, "Okay, i'll take all of the funny out of my show..." I mean, I am not offended by any of the stereotypes...but that's just me. The stereotypes are what make the show funny. I'm not insulted by Sweet Daddy Dee. You shouldn't be insulted. It's that simple. Meefinat0r (talk) 20:45, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

Of course comedy can be offensive, that's not the bloody point. I think most reasonable people would, however, object to jokes about the holocaust, or the kind of jokes about African-Americans that used to be told in the Jim Crow south. Dunham's jokes are similarly immoral, particularly his anti-Arab racism, which comes at a time when Arabs in the United States face racist vigilante violence against them or anyone who white Americans think might be Arab. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.190.127.103 (talk) 16:11, 27 May 2008 (UTC)


 * My response is not intended as a personal attack so much as humor... here on a website concerning humor, the author of the previous post calls ethnic-based jokes immoral and in the SAME sentence stereotypes and attacks "white Americans." Now that's funny.  Does the author have a citation for his claim? (p.s. that's a rhetorical question not expecting an answer)  24.56.229.246 (talk) 23:02, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

Yh i suppose you can be offended by it,but get a sense of humour its just a joke,however this achmed bullshit isnt funny and is bordering on the rasicst Luke12345abcd (talk) 20:04, 9 July 2008 (UTC)

Actually, the Achmed routine isn't the only one that relies on racial stereotypes and borders on bigotry. But that doesn't mean people don't find him funny or he isn't popular. If any commentators or reviewers have mentioned these racism concerns anywhere, it wouldn't be wrong to include a line about this with a cite to one of those articles. Until then, though, he's still just a guy playing with puppets. - Stephen Goldmeier |  Profile  |  Talk  |  (._.)  | 08:20, 29 July 2008 (UTC)


 * There are plenty of guys funnier than Jeff Dunham, but I still watch him because he is a great ventriloquist. As a comedian, he's actually pretty bad, but he's an expert ventriloquist and that itself is worth watching. His skill is unmatched by any other. Better than impressionists at least, they have no talent at all. AznWarlord (talk) 02:06, 20 November 2008 (UTC)

He actually sucks at ventriloquism. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.57.190.1 (talk) 19:14, 5 December 2008 (UTC)

he is not humourous at all, he is just a bad comedian and it is only because he uses dummies in his act that people somehow seem to let it go by. his jokes are basically all leftovers from the 1960s and 70s, without any irony or self reflection that exists in comedy that has kept up with the times —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.249.73.49 (talk) 04:47, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Achmed
The achmed section was a literary disgrace. No spaces, capitalising every word in the quotes, reptitive sue of "said". I've neatened it up a bit, but I'm really tired and not thinking straight right now, so someone else can touch it up if they feel the need. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.60.170.23 (talk) 14:36, 15 December 2007 (UTC)
 * I've touched it up a bit, but it still doesn't seem to flow with the rest of the article, as it features a more or less verbatim recital of the routine instead of just characteristics of the puppet (including the phrase, "audience laughs.") The Melvin section is also guilty of similar flaws. I only fixed the poor grammar, though; I didn't rewrite the entire section.
 * I reworded those parts, mixing them in with the rest of the article. I took out the dialogue completely; if people want to know the act, they should see the act.  We don't want to be responsible for copyright violations.  =David ( talk )( contribs ) 16:39, 22 December 2007 (UTC)


 * I'm pretty sure the proper spelling of "Achmed" is "Ahmed", even with the "-ch" accent. Though it may be pronounced "Achmed", it's still spelled Ahmed. AznWarlord (talk) 02:09, 20 November 2008 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure Ahmed and Ahkmed are to seperate names, Jeff Dunham is just a moronic hillbilly who couldn't be bothered to google Arabic names. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.57.190.1 (talk) 19:16, 5 December 2008 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Achmed.jpg
Image:Achmed.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 04:27, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Criticism/Reviews
Does anyone have any references to review/criticism of Dunham's work? (83.13.39.98 (talk) 21:09, 15 February 2008 (UTC))

Melvin the Superhero
The last two sentences of this section seem to be conflicting. The first I know to be true, I dont know about the second--Omnipotence407 (talk) 03:29, 28 February 2008 (UTC)

Why is the subsection labeled "Melvin the Superhero Guy"? I've never heard the "Guy" part. In Spark of Insanity, it was always "Melvin the Superhero" or "the superhero, Melvin". Emperor001 (talk) 00:47, 12 April 2008 (UTC)
 * I think he called him "Melvin the Super Hero Guy" when Dunham was on Comedy Central Presents back in the early 2000's. -- On the  other side  Contribs 01:00, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

Cut, cut, cut.
I took an axe to most of the quoted jokes, unsourced stuff and character descriptions of puppets, in the hope to help this article a little further towards an encyclopedic level. If people take offense, feel free to revert. Channel &reg;  22:11, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

Walter and his powers
I think it should be mentioned in the article that according to both Melvin and Achmed, Walter has gas. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.149.72.45 (talk) 20:18, 17 May 2008 (UTC)

Ummm...yeah. That's encyclopedic. Robertwharvey (talk) 20:35, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Walter
Was Walter originally named Gus? I just saw a Youtube video that looked kind of old and Walter was referred to as Gus. Emperor001 (talk) 03:21, 8 June 2008 (UTC)

Political Orientation?
In the segment called "Walter for President," Walter claims he'd choose John McCain as his running mate as they have a lot in common. When asked about Hillary, he mocks her. This may show that Walter and maybe even Jeff are Republican.PokeHomsar (talk) 05:11, 26 June 2008 (UTC)
 * While I agree that watching his material does give me the general impression that Dunham is conservative and/or Republican, placing anything to this effect in the article would be original research. Glass  Cobra  20:10, 14 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Walter portrays the stereotypical old white conservative, but judging from Dunham's material, he does seem to be pretty Conservative. AznWarlord (talk) 02:09, 20 November 2008 (UTC)

This article is not very good,its too in depth about the puppets.
This article is not very good,its too in depth about the puppets. I'm going to tidy it up a bit. I know someone (probably a fan) will revert it back, but its just awful. And on the article page it says if you can improve it do so, so here I go.--70.146.150.238 (talk) 04:41, 13 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm cleaning the article mainly because of this-This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate details which may only interest a specific audience..--70.146.150.238 (talk) 04:43, 13 July 2008 (UTC)

Okay,I did it. I think the article looks cleaner. The way it was before was just too much. I mean each puppet having a 2 and 3 paragraph description is crazy. There was more info about the puppets than about Jeff Dunham.--70.146.150.238 (talk) 04:57, 13 July 2008 (UTC)
 * I've replaced most of the details about the puppets; I personally have no problem with them being there, as they're integral parts of Dunham's act, and therefore a key aspect of his notability. What would people think of creating a Puppets of Jeff Dunham article, or something similar, and moving the extra details there? Glass  Cobra  20:12, 14 July 2008 (UTC)

Hey Glasscobra, that's a good idea. I don't know how to make a article since I'm new to this. Can you do it?--70.146.150.238 (talk) 21:26, 14 July 2008 (UTC)


 * I don't get the comments that there's too much about the puppets and not enough about Jeff. The puppets are Jeff. Without him they're inanimate objects. Beyond physical appearance, everything about them is Jeff. Malirath (talk) 21:53, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Ring Tone
The Little Terrorist Ring Tone (Silence! I Keel You!) is currently being widely promoted on Australian TV. FoolesTroupe (talk) 15:39, 25 October 2008 (UTC)

Puppet Articles
I propose we make a page entitled "List of Jeff Dunham Puppets". That way fans will stop complaing and this article can be soley used for Dunham himself--68.37.128.37 (talk) 22:37, 16 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Be bold! DP 76764  23:21, 16 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Very well. I have logged in and will get started.--Wassup!!- D33 Dee D33 Guy  '''Is the SuperComputer of Code Wiki!!??... R.I.P. Dad 01:15, 17 November 2008 (UTC)

Who keeps removing Jeff's personal life?
Jeff has a life BEYOND his little guys you know. - Jasonbres (talk) 18:45, 27 November 2008 (UTC)


 * Fortunately no one cares. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.57.190.1 (talk) 19:18, 5 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Don't say that! - Jasonbres (talk) 22:24, 5 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Or you'll cry? Andrewhime (talk) 01:02, 28 December 2008 (UTC)

Add content from List of Jeff Dunham puppets to this article?
After reviewing the List of Jeff Dunham puppets, I am led to believe that it is better to include the information with this article rather than have it as a fringe page. First, the article lacks any decent structure, and will always be devoid of structure due to the nature of the content. Trivia facts will make up most of the information, which will read more like a fan site then an encyclopedic article. If someone is really interested in the age of a puppet, I am confident that it can be found on Jeff Dunham's official website or a fansite. Second, the article contains a large amount of images that are not licensed under a free license. This is problematic because the images do little to enhance the article as a whole, and it can possibly violate the rights of Comedy Central (who I assume own the rights to Jeff Dunham's DVDs...). Third, if the article is to be kept, it needs a major overhaul; it lacks any sort of references for the majority of the text (with the exception of the recent information I added on the South African ban of a puppet) and even lacks a lead. This sort of quality leads college professors to doubt the authority of Wikipedia.

Personally, I think it is better to just scrape it and move what is worthwhile to this page. Thoughts? &mdash; Aiuw 03:01, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

First puppet
Can someone footnote/confirm that jose was his first puppet? I went to high school with Jeff and clearly recall him having some puppet he always used that wasn't 'jose jalapeno'.
 * He says it in the DVD commentary of Arguing with Myself. It was the first puppet he ever made. He had puppets before Jose but he didn't make them. --70.96.210.48 16:21, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

New Puppets
On jeffdunham.com,the poster for the new Comedy Central special and DVD "Sparking Insanity" feature silhouettes of two new puppets. Please add them with citations, when available.

Thats melvin and Achmed--24.56.197.128 17:47, 15 April 2007 (UTC)


 * What about Sweeet Daddy Dee? 84.61.113.246 (talk) 14:01, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

Sweet Daddy Dee only appeared on the "Arguing With Myself" DVD. --C4pt4in W1k1 (talk) 20:54, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

On a STEEK
I could swear I'd heard this routine a LONG time ago. He didn't originate the phrase, right? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.72.21.221 (talk) 02:39, 26 September 2007 (UTC)


 * what is *really* bothering me is almost the same thing -- the comedian I saw was a LONG time ago, and this whole article makes it sound like Dunham is a really recent comedian. I am certain that I saw another comedian -- I think on TV, am pretty sure it was not live, 'cos I wouldn't have been old enough to go to a club for the time frame that I am thinking of -- who did the 'on a steek' stuff with a jalapeno pepper, and also had the woozle (don't remember what this guy called it) who did the Over The Head move when someone in the audience didn't get the joke 'cos they were dumb.  The guy being picked on by the comedian I am thinking of was named Bruno, and I remember laughing hysterically every time the woozle would deliver a joke and then turn to look towards Bruno (in the audience) and shout, 'HEY!  Bruno!  Viiing!'.  And I am also practically certain that he said 'Ving', not 'Neeow'.  Are we both thinking of a different comedian?  The one I am talking about I had to have seen in the early nineties, possibly late eighties (doubtful), but we are talking about a window of about 1989 - 1994 for sure (a broad range, but it's something I saw on freaking TV, it's not like I went out to get a tattoo to commemorate the event).  I know I am sure of this, 'cos I told my sister about it back then, and 'Hey! Bruno! Viing!' is a joke we occasionally make with each other (as well as 'on a steek'), and we have been doing it for way longer than five or seven years, I am pretty certain.  So are there two comedians doing the same act, each claiming to have made it up???  Huh?  Am I *that* screwed-up chronologically?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.130.142.105 (talk) 21:34, 28 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Back in the early '90s, there was a country music-themed variety show that used to run on NBC...can't remember the name of the show now for anything, but Jeff was a featured comedian on the show several times. Most of his bits were with Walter, but he used Peanut occasionally and may have even used Jose.  This was my first exposure to him; is this what you're thinking of?  Willbyr (talk | contribs) 15:55, 9 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Are you talking about the show Hee Haw?--WPaulB (talk) 23:05, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Totally possible...if you could remember the name of the show, I might be able to say for sure. I have been thinking about it, and I am 100% certain I saw it on TV. I don't watch a lot of country music stuff, but eh...I might have. If the comedian was razzing a guy named Bruno, then yes -- that's the show. If that was Dunham, it has taken a long time for him to get some attention, and this article is written like he just came around within the past few years. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.133.69.230 (talk) 07:32, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

That was Jeff Dunham: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWThRmRW6GE Far2 15:23, 31 October 2007 (UTC)


 * Oh wow so he's been doing this for a LONG time then. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.72.21.221 (talk) 23:59, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

I recall seeing the On a STEEK comic routine on the Super Dave Osborne show. Unfortunately I never could remember who performed it, but Jeff Dunham's voice sounds awfully familiar. Bognus Hecken (talk) 19:12, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

So he makes his own puppets, then?
Somebody said Jose was the first puppet that Jeff made himself. I assume Peanut and Melvin are his handiwork as well. Can anybody confirm this?
 * Arguing with Myself DVD commentary confirms that Jose was his first puppet that he made. -- On the  other side  Contribs 00:43, 23 April 2008 (UTC)


 * According to the commentary on Arguing With Myself, he designed Peanut but didn't actually make him. He did, however, make the others, or at least was involved in the process (Spark of Insanity includes a brief documentary on the making of Melvin the Superhero Guy - he did much of the work himself, but was assisted by a studio at some points in the development).  In the AWM commentary, he goes into detail about the difference between soft puppets (Peanut) and hard puppets (everybody else); apparently he just doesn't do soft puppets on his own, guess he doesn't sew. Nolefan32 (talk) 20:37, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Controversy
Should we mention the controvery he got into in South Africa with Achmed? Emperor001 (talk) 23:45, 2 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Find some reliable sources, be bold and add it in. Dp76764 (talk) 00:43, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

Not sure how to site it, but here's the source http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,431866,00.html Emperor001 (talk) 02:20, 4 October 2008 (UTC)

Worm in a Wine bottle
Should we add this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyCYErjzFAk ? Jeff has a Worm in a Wine Bottle part, although I don't think this constitutes a puppet, as you never do see the worm, but I believe some form of mention should be given to the worm. 24.226.23.56 (talk) 04:04, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Also, if we need pictures of the puppets, I can get pictures and email them to a user who can upload them, no credit needed. I can get the old version of Jose Jalapeno on a Stick. 24.226.23.56 (talk) 04:19, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * http://img411.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jeffdunhampuppetsyj8.jpg There you go. You'll have to separate them all though. 24.226.23.56 (talk) 04:44, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

Any mention of the worm in the wine bottle would have to, of course, be accompanied by the mention of peanut's Jeff doll that he used in early acts. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.252.20.158 (talk) 06:17, 31 December 2008 (UTC)

Suggestions
To those editors working one the article i would suggest two main things. 1. Start beefing up this bio as he seems genuinely talented and hard-working and likely to have some interesting material to work with. 2. Look to filling out the main characters list including an introduction to that section that explains his first ones, handmade, etc. Instead of citing al lot of gags I would focus on general characteristics and maybe cite one or two prime examples from each. -- Banj e b oi   00:37, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

1960 or 1968?
The past few times I saw the Jeff Dunham page it said he was born in 1960, but it was changed to 1968. Is there a source that proves he was born in 1968? --C4pt4in W1k1 (talk) 20:58, 30 December 2008 (UTC)


 * I changed his year of birth from 1968 to 1960 based on the following:
 * (1) IMDB entry indicates his birth year as 1960,
 * (2) He graduated from Baylor University in 1986 (see http://www.baylor.edu/pr/news.php?action=story&story=2397 or http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=11969). I have not found anything to indicate that he graduated from Baylor at the age of 18, which would be the case if he were born in 1968. [User:AtxApril|AtxApril]] (talk) 20:27, 4 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Per Jeff's management firm, Jeff's Dunham's birth year is officially 1962. This year is consistent with his passport.  --Dunhamreg1 (talk) 00:48, 7 April 2009 (UTC) --00:48, 7 April 2009 (UTC)


 * We need a verifiable source for that. DP 76764  (Talk) 01:22, 7 April 2009 (UTC)


 * What sort of source would be considered reliable? --Dunhamreg1 (talk) 17:25, 17 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Jeff's official bio on his website now states that he was born in 1962. (Look at whttp://www.jeffdunham.com/#/bio) How do we change the link at the bottom of the page from "1960 births" to "1962 births".    —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dunhamreg1 (talk • contribs) 18:52, 17 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Official website is good enough for me. See WP:RS for what constitutes a reliable source.  Births category has been changed.  DP 76764  (Talk) 22:33, 17 April 2009 (UTC)

Agreed. Wikipedia does not consider imdb a reliable source, and one cannot deduce his year of birth from his year of graduation. He could've graduated early, late, or his birthday might be in the beginning of the school year or the second half of it, etc. Nightscream (talk) 13:52, 7 April 2009 (UTC)

Melvin's Hair
A correction should be made in the article about Melvin. His hair did not break and come off it was intentionally part of the character from its inception. In the DVD extras you see Jeff constructing him and the hair falling off was constantly mentioned during every step of the contruction. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.252.20.158 (talk) 06:19, 31 December 2008 (UTC)

Flashpenny's edits
Regarding the information that Flashpenny keeps adding, which I keep reverting:
 * Articles should summarize information, and not include an excessive amount of details or examples. The information on Walter's flatulence (especially when you mention it in both Walter and Achmed's sections), Jose's comments about Peanut's parents, etc., and the number of gags you attribuet to Achmed is just overkill.


 * Material in articles need to be supported by reliable, verifiable sources cited in the text, and need to exhibit a Neutral Point of View, rather than a point of view of the editor adding it. It is unclear, for example, whether Melvin's hair merely fell off accidentally, or whether it's intended to be an actual wig of his that is incorporated into his character. Indicating an opinion on this is a violation of WP:NPOV. Whether Peanut's explicit references to his being a puppet means that the others do not know that they are puppets is a POV. That Bubba J is "arguably Jeff's most deranged puppet" is a POV. The perception of how Achmed pronounces "kill" is a POV.


 * Material in articles needs to be factually accurate, yet a number of the statements and quotes Flashpenny added are wrong. The comment by Sweet Daddy Dee, for example, is "You a dumb ho.", not "That makes you the stupid ho". Bubba J said he did not use beer to extinguish the flames engulfing Santa because it would be a waste of beer, not because beer if flammable. Melvin did not indicate to have a strained relationship with most other superheroes, he simply wasn't impressed with their powers, and contracted a disease from Catwoman. His response to the Hulk's powers referenced "every white trash guy on COPS, not Republicans. Flashpenny mentioned in the sections for to Sweet Daddy Dee and Melvin that Melvin appears in only one special. In fact, Melvin appeared in two, and Sweet Daddy Dee has been around for a while, appearing on other TV programs, clips of which can be found on YouTube. An early version of Melvin with small, black, beedy eyes appeared in one special before the modified version with large, blue, crossed eyes in Spark of Insanity. Achmed does not say, "Half of them are ugly men!!!", he says, "There are some ugly-ass guys out there." It's inappropriate to use quotation marks if one cannot produce the exact quote. Dunham asks if the 72 virgins necessarily were to be female, not whether they were to be unattractive.

Other passages that touch upon these problems include: The manner in which Achmed achieved his current state is not a "mystery and frequent source of humor", as it was mentioned in just one joke in one special, and thus this statement is unsourced POV; The details about the Supreme Court Justice and the gas station do not appear in the televised version of Spark of Insanity. If they come from some other source, then it needs to be cited.

I've removed most of this material again, though I tried to retain some more detail than was in before as a compromise, but in a manner that is accurate, and more salient with respect to the characters. Please do not revert this without keeping WP:V, WP:BLP, WP:CS, and WP:NPOV in mind. Thanks. Nightscream (talk) 03:42, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

"A Muppet on crack"
I either heard or read Peanut described by someone (can't remember if it was Jeff, Walter, possibly a critic, or whomever) as a "Muppet on crack", which is definitely an apt description. Would we want to use that description here, or would that be the sort of thing that, under Wiki guidelines, needs to be backed up with the source I cannot for the life of me recall before it can be included? Nolefan32 (talk) 20:51, 12 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes, you will want a reliable source for that, otherwise it would be considered original research. DP 76764  (Talk) 21:05, 12 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Yeah, that's what I figured. If that brain cell ever fires again, I might put it in - I loved that description of Peanut, and think anyone wanting to get an apt and suscinct description of the character, there it is. Nolefan32 (talk) 21:07, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Walter once referred to Peanut as reminding him of a muppet on heroin during Jeff Dunham's appearance on Jonathan Winters' Traveling Circus back in the late 80's or early 90's. I only remember this because it was my first exposure to this 'team'. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.230.115.13 (talk) 05:02, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Out of act interaction.
Somebody needs to note the instances where the puppets that are put away make wisecracks and comments during the act. The one's i've seen so far are:

Sweet Daddy Dee commenting during peanuts act in arguing with myself, jose's serenade in arguing with myself, and Walter laughing during Achmeds performance in Spark of insanity Ormick (talk) 05:10, 15 February 2009 (UTC)
 * And how would that be notable as opposed to fancruft or trivia? DP 76764  (Talk) 05:12, 15 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Why the hell not? Lighten up man. It's worth noting what he does in his act. You don't have to be such a hardass.Ormick (talk) 07:00, 15 February 2009 (UTC)
 * It's not really notable. And please, don't speak that way to other editors. It violates WP:Civility. Nightscream (talk) 01:52, 24 March 2009 (UTC)

Personal Life Changes Needed
This section was obviously written by someone who saw the CMT video and "summarized" the contents without having any knowledge of Jeff's activities or home built aircraft or realizing that some of Jeff's comments were "tongue in cheek".

Jeff's helicopters are not "built from scratch", they are helicopter kits purchased from Rotorway and assembled by Jeff. The helicopter shown is a Rotorway 162F and is the third helicopter Jeff has built. It is licensed by the FAA in the Experimental category and the FAA Registration Number is N418JD. The Rotorway 162F can fly up to 115 mph and has a service ceiling of 10,000 feet. Jeff has been the subject of an article on this in Sport Aviation magazine which is the magazine of the Experimental Aircraft Association. In 2008 Jeff performed his show (sponsored by Rotorway) at the EAA Annual show (AirVenture) in Oshkosh.

Search on "rotorway Jeff Dunham" for numerous articles. Here's one: http://www.kitplanes.com/magazine/rotorcraft/204-1.phtml

68.18.182.190 (talk) 11:31, 30 March 2009 (UTC)Steve Franklin, EAA member


 * "This section was obviously written by someone who saw the CMT video and "summarized" the contents without having any knowledge of Jeff's activities or home built aircraft..." Yes, that's how Wikipedia works. The validity of the material added to it is predicated on reliable, verifiable cited sources, and not personal knowledge. This is how Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, and not just experts. See here for more on this. As for the from scratch/from kits point, thanks for pointing that out. I obviously misunderstood the video, which the page you linked us to clarifies. I fixed that passage accordingly. Thanks. :-) Nightscream (talk) 01:54, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

So far so good however the sentence "Although his creations are unlicensed by the FAA, he can fly them up to 600 feet in the air, and up to 90 miles an hour" still needs correction. http://www.rotorway.com/specs.html —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.18.181.83 (talk) 22:53, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

Jeffery or Jeffrey?
In the first line Dunham's name is written "Jeffery"

'Jeffery "Jeff" Dunham is an American ventriloquist [...]'

but in the little box on the right side it's written without the "e" at another position, Jeffrey.

I'm not sooo good at English so I don't know which form is the correct one, for me "Jeffrey" sounds more like the correct name but I'm not sure at all... Loilo92 (talk) 21:02, 30 March 2009 (UTC)


 * Thanks for pointing that out. Since Both pieces of information are unsourced, I removed them both. Thanks. :-) Nightscream (talk) 02:00, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Achmed
there is a video on utube now that shows achmen with a mustash i would like to know when that was because it looks like this is really the first time he was used in jeffs act. the jokes are somewhat the same too and he said the cellphone part of the blown up at the gas station too also the foot loke and the arm pop off joke was donr too EMPSBladeKnight60 04:56, 11 April 2009


 * If you have information about the date of the performance in that video, then feel free to provide it. A link to that video would help too. Btw, new messages and threads go at the bottom, not the top, and you can sign your posts by typing four tildes (~) at the end of them. Thanks. Nightscream (talk) 14:44, 11 April 2009 (UTC)

It should be noted that Achmed made the stand up tour circuit with Jeff before appearing to the OVERALL public in Spark of Insanity. I know this for a fact because I saw him for my birthday on November 25, 2006 at the Improv at the Spectrum in Irvine California. So by the time he had appeared on Spark of Insanity, he had already appeared to most of the public, as well as having short videos on YouTube. Aidensdaddy2k9 (talk) 01:38, 27 August 2012 (UTC)User Aidensdaddy2k9 on 8/26/12 21:34.Aidensdaddy2k9 (talk) 01:38, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

Jeff's Birthday
Just wanted to let someone know that can actually change semi protected articles that his birthday is on April 18. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zerofire.3 (talk • contribs) 05:59, 21 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Do you have a reliable source that others can verify this claim with? DP 76764  (Talk) 15:42, 21 April 2009 (UTC)

Sorry it took so long to get back to this, but I worked a tour stop and we celebrated his birthday on that day. That's all I got. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zerofire.3 (talk • contribs) 07:52, 10 December 2009 (UTC)

"Characters" heading needs fixing
editsemiprotected There is an extra equal sign ("=") that shows up in front of the "Characters" heading.

My apologies that I cannot follow the format of this template exactly: I have looked at the page source to try to figure out the exact change that needs to be made to get rid of the extra "=" (it appeared after Hikarulight's recent edits), but the typo is not obvious, whatever it is.

Fongj (talk) 07:51, 2 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Pictogram voting wait.svg Already done —Ms2ger (talk) 13:25, 2 May 2009 (UTC)

Jose's Heritage
In Spark of Insanity, Jeff and Peanut both indicate that Jose is mexican, to which he agrees. However, in Arguing With Myself, Jose insists he is not Mexican because he is not from Mexico (He says he's Cuban, because he's from Florida.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.209.116.39 (talk • contribs) 05:57, 26 June 2009

Yeah, and in another appearance, the joke is modified so that he says he's Puerto Rican, because he's from New York, or something to that effect. When writing about fiction, material must be presented in an out-universe perspective, not an in-universe perspective. In other words, information such as this cannot be presented as fact because it is fictional. In the case of Dunham's puppets, the information they reveal about themselves is done so for the sake of humor, so it cannot be seen as "true" or "untrue". Nightscream (talk) 02:35, 9 October 2009 (UTC)


 * Except that discussing the characters histories themselves is inherently in-universe - the article includes mention of Walters 'wife' and Achmed's 'past as a terrorist', although those would be in-universe 'truths'. While i understand that such 'facts' are completely flexible and continuity isn't maintained for such things as comedy acts, it's worth noting as a discussion item. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.209.116.39 (talk) 01:50, 18 October 2009 (UTC)


 * The whole point of discussion on article Talk Pages is to improve the article. Discussion not intended for this purpose falls outside Wikipedia's Talk Page guidelines. Also, please make sure you sign you posts (you can do this by typing four tildes ( ~ ) at the end of them), and if you intend to continue editing, it is expected that you register for an account with a username. Thanks. :-) Nightscream (talk) 02:34, 18 October 2009 (UTC) edit: WPaulB (talk) 17:56, 4 January 2010 (UTC)

Income
He was on Forbes richest list for his tour shows being so popular. 30 million dollars a year.Hard to believe. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/53/celebrity-09_Jeff-Dunham_O8UE.html http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/03/forbes-100-celebrity-09-comedians-magicians_slide_5.html --Ericg33 (talk) 05:18, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

Television Debut
Jeff Dunham's first televised appearance was when he was on the Super Dave Osborne show in 1987 (episodes 70 and 77), 3 years before his debut on the Tonight Show. He performed with Peanut and Jose Jalapeno. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.66.17.164 (talk) 01:52, 21 July 2009 (UTC)