The Jeff Dunham Show: A Review

Every so often, I start to feel warm toward my fellow man. I start to think thoughts like "We're all in this together" and "actually you aren't a complete idiot." These notions don't last, as undoubtedly the public will elevate meaningless twaddle to levels of popularity that befuddles people like me (and hopefully you) who like to think about what is going on in front of our faces and the faces of our friends. But since it's fun to write about, I watched the first episode of The Jeff Dunham Show with the intent to write a review last Saturday. After a minor emotional breakdown followed by a descent into solipsism, I am finally ready to write. Let's begin.

The show is introduced by puppet Achmed the Dead Terrorist, who says "Greetings Infidels please welcome Jeff Dunham!" At this point I knew I was in for a real treat.

I know that it isn't fair to breakdown a joke, but it's also not fair that Dunham is getting any work above playing elementary school for racist children, so I'm going to do it.

Dunham's old man puppet, Walter, finds it hard to believe Puppetmaster got his own show. I empathize so far.
Walter: Are you serious? You have your own show?
Dunham: Yeah you know why?
Walter: Youtube was sick of you?
Walter: Seriously, they'll give anyone a show nowadays.
Dunham: What makes you say that?
Walter: Read my lips, the "Jeff Dunham Show."
Audience: Masturbatory Laugh

And that basically sums up the show, a self-referencing disaster. When he said they'll give anyone a show, we all knew he was talking about Dunham, yet that was the punchline? It doesn't work you. It should have fallen flat. But the audience loved it. If he said read my lips, the "New York Goes to Work," the joke would have at least made sense, granted it would have been lazy.

But that isn't a problem for Jeff Dunham. He uses homophopic and racist stereotypes in a way that would make Carlos Mencia blush. The next sketch features Achmed doing standup comedy, highlighting these stereotypes with such gems as:

"The economy is so bad, I had to sell my goat. now if I want sex, I have to do it with my wife."
"So any Jews here tonight? Oh ok, skip that bit."
And so on.

Now, politically incorrect humor is my favorite, and comedians like Daniel Tosh and Louis C.K. do it extraordinarily well. But this isn't funny. It's not clever.

What could make the episode better than a bit of corporate whoring? Enter Brooke Hogan. Dunham makes a little joke about blatantly advertising her presumably awful CD by looking at the camera and saying they listen to it in the car. However, Brooke Hogan actually stars in the next sketch which is reminiscent of Chris Martin in Extras, which satirizes exactly this kind of shameless promotion.

Also, this is a puppet show.

Comedy is an art form in the right hands. But because Dunham wasn't blessed with a particularly comedic mind, he puts stereotypical puppets in his hands and sells tickets to the cretins that go around reciting awful punchlines. This show is a national embarrassment that once again highlights the idiocy in mainstream pop culture. It's a show that uses punchlines and a laugh track to let it's idiot viewers know when to laugh.

Overall I give it a four out of five.