Jeff Dunham Returns to Comedy Central Special Filmed at Warner Theater in DC – WTOP News

Listen to our full conversation on my “Beyond the Fame” podcast.

WTOP’s Jason Fraley talks with Jeff Dunham (Part 1)

Ventriloquist comedian Jeff Dunham returns with the one-hour “Jeff Dunham: Me the People,” which was filmed last month at the Warner Theater in DC.

The special will premiere Friday on Comedy Central and Paramount+ at 8 p.m

This is Dunham’s eleventh show and the second recorded at the Warner Theatre. The first film was shot in the fall of 2007.

“It’s kind of a full circle,” Dunham told WTOP. “Things kind of kicked off for me after that. I’ll tell you, you can feel the smartness of the crowd in their laughter. … That D.C. crowd was sharp, and they were fast on that Saturday night. It was hot, hot, hot.”

We expect to see a new twist on classic puppets like the puppet Walter, who takes on pilots as President Joe Biden after a similar impersonation of Donald Trump a few years ago.

“When Trump was in office, I had Walter, the grumpy old man, Gramp the hair,” Dunham said. “Now we have another guy in the office. People said Walter looks just like Biden, so I embraced it… Being Trump, you say sexy, ridiculous things, and when you’re Biden you say things that don’t make any sense at all.”

Born in Dallas in 1962, Dunham dabbled in ventriloquism as a child, much to the admiration of his classmates and teachers. After graduating, he set a goal to appear on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” for the next ten years. He passed the ninth test.

“I graduated in May 1980 and I did ‘The Tonight Show’ in April 1990, so I did it for one month,” Dunham said. “The magic came when Carson waved me over to the couch… He turned to me at the end of the show and said, ‘Walter, I hope we see you again. ‘” Walter says, “It’s going to be a cold day in hell before you put me back on that damn show.”

Dunham admits that the comedy landscape has changed since Carson’s days.

“It was with Will Rogers, and Bob Hope, and Carson and Leno, and you never knew what their politics were, and they didn’t pick sides and they made fun of both sides,” Dunham said. “These guys didn’t go to the jugular… Leno and I had that conversation: You make fun of one person, you don’t make fun of a group of people. I just make fun of what’s going on.”

His most recent tour was titled “Not Canceled”, a reference to his most controversial figures, incl Achmed the Dead Terrorist, who first appeared in DC in 2007.

“It was my response to 9/11,” Dunham said. I said: I know where Osama bin Laden is, he died in my bag. … I went to the Middle East in Abu Dhabi to 4,000 Muslims. Who was their favorite character? I put down the dead terrorist… after two nights in Tel Aviv, Israel for 4,000 Jews, who was their favorite? Put down the dead terrorist.”

Dunham also advocates for his named Latino doll Jose Jalapeno on a stick.

“I’ve never had a complaint from a Hispanic person before Jose JalapenoDunham said. “When I left him off the show, people got upset! A lot of Hispanics say he’s their favorite character because I don’t make fun of anyone. He’s a j.”Alabino on a stick has a Mexican accent and picks peanuts as much as he picks peanuts.”

Peanut, of course, is a hyperactive, purple-skinned creature nicknamed a “woozle” with white fur covering most of his body, a tuft of green hair and a sneaker on his left foot.

Other characters include, Bubba J, the NASCAR fan slacking off at the trailer park, and the all-new character Url, spelled like a web link URL, who wears a cuddly beanie and air discs.

Of them all, Walther fits our present moment the best. He doesn’t speak for the rest of his classmates, but we ended up asking Walter what it was like to put Jeff’s hand on his butt.

“He has soft hands,” said Walter. “He lost his watch.”

WTOP’s Jason Fraley talks to Jeff Dunham (Part 2)

Listen to our full conversation on my “Beyond the Fame” podcast.