Jeff Dunham Videos

We have this global conscience, right? It’s part of our one world makeup. We all think the same way, right? We’re all incredibly sensitive unless you are talking about Christians and Americans. We have this whole global conscience now. To illustrate my point, remember when Norway published those cartoons of the Prophet (I feel like I am suddenly in a Harry Potter novel, something like saying He Who Shall Not be Named or drawn, or any of the above) a few years ago and the whole world just flipped? That happened, right? People got upset. It’s part of our new sensitive world.Remember when those soldiers in Gitmo supposedly flushed a Koran, right (thank you Newsweek)? Folks in other countries were turning over their cars! It was nuts! And so typical of our new global mindset.

So here we are, a couple of years later, older smarter, wiser, that kind of thing, and Jeff Dunham takes the stage. Jeff Dunham is unique in that his comedy centers around puppets. His act has been considered controversial from time to time but it is fresh and ridiculously relevant.

Like most folks with some hilarity and a unique presence, he has been tapped to be an international cell phone ringtone. Here is where the controversy comes in. Part of Jeff’s act involves a dummy of a dead terrorist. Okay, he’s a puppet (I forget puppets are sensitive too). I mean the terrorist, not Dunham. The terrorist is the puppet! Dunham is the puppeteer.

I know what you’re thinking. I thought it too. Isn’t that being redundant? What — dead and terrorist or dummy and terrorist? It doesn’t matter. Point is this guy, this Jeff Dunham, does this act that can be seen on Youtube now and the whole world watches and we all laugh because it’s funny and supposedly we all have a sense of humor.

Jeff and his dead terrorist puppet have become one of those Internet phenomena. It’s like a couple of years ago when that fat kid did the Star Wars thing in his garage that everyone just went nuts over. Remember? The twirl, lunge, repose, lightsaber duel against… eh, I don’t know. (Point is tubby was going to town against someone with his golf clubs and the world watched!) Or when that androgynous guy, er, gal (what was that anyway?) was all hysterical over poor Britney. (Leave What’s-her-face alone!) Yeah? Yeah. Who cares. Point is Jeff Dunham and his dead puppet have become the latest Internet phenomenon.

The problem with being an Internet phenomenon and becoming an international ringtone is some sensitive folks get a little upset about comedy. In this case, a country is upset. (Dude, Jeff, you pissed off a whole country! Righteous, man!) Seems South Africa is offended by the little dead guy and the guy pulling the strings and they have their panties all in an uproar. They claim the terrorist puppet could be offensive to Muslims, that it could hurt Muslims’ feelings. Really? With our new global conscience have we become so juvenile that we can no longer manage our feelings? By expanding into a global culture are we now no longer capable of being objective? Or are we so stuck in paranoid innuendo and weakened by our inability to laugh that we cannot simply turn the TV off?

I’m glad there aren’t more important things in the world right now and that we have time to all give a collective crap about being offensive, whatever that means.

I can see how the feelings of a religion, a culture (whatever we are calling it this week that is not offensive), and how mere association with some fringe psychopathic movement really should count. (And God bless you, South Africa, for pointing it out.) It’s not like the Catholics haven’t apologized enough for the Crusades, or that America can’t say sorry enough for the Jimmy Carter years.

In the scheme of things haven’t we all bent our super-sensitive knee a bit too much? Aren’t we taking our eye off more important things? Maybe that is the point. Maybe there aren’t more important issues and we can tackle these fluff issues. It’s not like Iran is threatening to blow up Israel or that China is totally trashing their folks with crappy milk. It’s not like we Americans have an election that is so underwhelming as to not be noticed (although the Messiah is involved in this one, too bad that doesn’t count for something) or an economy that really should be the butt of late night jokes the world round. (Really, am I the only one watching Chicken Little run around in circles? And really, the world round would be laughing except their economies suck, too.)

Luckily the Sudan has a handle on things, thank you, Amnesty International, oil is cheap now, bless you, OPEC, and energy is plentiful. (Didn’t Ahmedinejad say energy was a strategic commodity? Or was it Chavez? Or the devil? I don’t remember.) Even Al Gore is thrilled the polar bears aren’t drowning anymore, or eating each other, or taking up belt fed weapons, or whatever the hell else polar bears do when they aren’t dying from the horrors of global warming (good to see all those carbon offsets paid off).

So with the whole world under control, South Africa has a right to be concerned about Muslims and terrorists and their feelings! Super. Right on, man. You go, girl. Whatever. Hey pass the suicide vest, will ya? Yeah, the extra large. I got a bus to catch.