Jeff Dunham made his rise to fame by performing with dolls. The famous comedian/ventriloquist has been performing with the same dolls, Walter, Peanut, and Achmed, for years.
These dolls have become household names, and their characters are loved by millions of people. However, Achmed, the dead terrorist whose catchphrase is “I Kill You,” recently got Dunham in a bit of trouble.
Jeff has currently been traveling for his All Over the Map tour, and Achmed seemed to go over well with the majority of his stops. However, Malaysia did not find Achmed the least bit funny or charming.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Culture and Arts demanded that Dunham make some major changes to Achmed’s script and his name. They did not want Dunham to use anything in his routine that would reference their religious beliefs.
Dunham said that while he was a firm believer in the freedom of speech, he would respect the host country and rewrote his script just hours before he was scheduled to perform.
“While I respect the wishes of our host country, I’m also an American and a firm believer in the freedom of speech. On the other hand, I wanted to avoid Achmed and I getting thrown in jail and being caned,” Dunham said.
“So let’s just say that the character that took center stage in Malaysia was strikingly familiar to all in attendance, but it was a last minute twist that became the highlight of the entire tour,” he explained. “Who knew Achmed had a brother?”
One of the many reasons that Dunham’s fans fell in love with him was because of his tendency to break down any cultural, political, or religious walls, and entertain seemingly all types of audiences.
“I believe that most people throughout the world share the same general concerns, hopes, and loves, so no matter where we’re from, or what our individual beliefs or culture, we all tend to laugh at the same things,” Dunham added. “Like an inept suicide bomber whose love of life harshly conflicts with his own profession.”
Image via Wikimedia Commons