re: Have you ever enjoyed a ventriloquist act?

When I was a little kid, I was obsessed with ventriloquism for some reason. One time I nagged my mother to bring me to the library so that I could check out books on the subject. When I was checking out, a stereotypical old librarian with bifocals looked down at me and jokingly said, "Now when you bring these books back, I want to see some ventriloquism."

Only, I didn't perceive it as a joke. I perceived it as a command. A threat even.

As it turned out, ventriloquism is hard as hell to learn--especially for a little kid learning from a book.

I avoided the library for a very long time for fear that library would command me to perform for her and publicly out me as a failed ventriloquist, like a kid who had failed his homework miserably.

That was the time my ventriloquist dreams died.

And also, why the hell were all of the Mr. Wizard books always checked out at the library no matter what?

quote:

---

Which is a lifetime for comedians

---

That's the key. The dummy is just a prop - the act lives or dies on whether it's funny.

Yes

The whole genre seems "hackey".

quote:

---

Maybe as a kid. Dunham irritates me, though. I have no idea how the dude sells out arenas, or at least used to in his "prime".

---

Oh he still does. I think his stuff is okay but not great. the reason he gets so much play is he is actually a decent comedian without the puppets. The ten minute bits he does before he brings them out make me chuckle a bit. That's why he has a head up on all other ventriloquists they are not good comedians at all.

I like Jeff Dunham

Yeah I don't understand the Jeff Dunham thing either. It's impressive but not something interested in.

I was laughing pretty good at that one