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By now you probably already know this, but last week (and last decade, wow!), on December 29th, 2009, the world enjoyed a last minute Christmas Miracle. From the New York Times
In an e-mail message, Comedy Central said, “We currently have no plans to produce a second season” of “The Jeff Dunham Show,” a half-hour comedy series featuring the titular ventriloquist that had its debut in October. The decision comes as a bit of a surprise given that “Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special,” a performance shown on Comedy Central in 2008, is that channel’s most-viewed broadcast ever, drawing 6.6 million viewers, and that the premiere of “The Jeff Dunham Show” was watched by 5.3 million viewers. (Ratings for subsequent episodes declined to under two million viewers.) Comedy Central said it would continue to work with Mr. Dunham on a larger deal it signed with him this year, which includes a live tour, a standup special, DVDs and other products.
Canceled! Goodnight! It is one of those very rare instances when the world, which is usually so busy careening itself off a cliff, momentarily rights itself on its broken axis. It is one of those very rare instances where we are NOT reminded that our worldview is in direct (and frustrated, and impotent) opposition to the way things actually are, but that in fact our worldview can occasionally, albeit incredibly briefly, align with something larger than itself.
Because that show was fucking awful! If you ask me, it should never have been made in the first place!
Now, over the course of the week, as this story was reported in the entertainment press, Videogum was cited more than once as one of the actual REASONS and/or CAUSES for the Jeff Dunham Show‘s cancellation. (Here we are in the New York Times, and here we are in an AOL story called What Killed the Jeff Dunham Show? in which the answer seems to be: Videogum, mostly). Personally, I think that is overstating the case, but whatever, WE’LL TAKE IT!
Of course, what those articles barely gloss over is the fact that in late 2009, on a major cable network that is well respected in the world of television, a show was broadcast that traded in cheap puns and overt, unapologetic, and unfunny racism, homophobia, misogyny, and anti-Semitism. Like, that happened. And if the ratings hadn’t tanked (because it turns out that people [in 2009!] don’t want to watch disembodied puppets sitting on a couch spewing bile for some reason) the show would still be on. There was no moral reckoning on the part of Comedy Central, or on the part of Jeff Dunham. There was just a mild rebuke on the part of South Park fans who made their displeasure known by turning off the TV and playing XBOX, or whatever.
My point is that sure, the Jeff Dunham Show is canceled, and that is great news because that show was awful and mean spirited and backwards. And we should start 2010 being grateful for what we have (or in this case being grateful for what we don’t have). But we can’t let our guard down either. Every time a Jeff Dunham Show is killed, a Lopez Tonight rises to take its place. Basically. And this is not the last we will hear from the nightmaretriloquist, either. What, you expect Jeff Dunham to content himself with the hundreds of millions of dollars he has earned through public hate speech? No. He will be back. And we will be ready for him.
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Actual, live footage of Videogum monsters after the news broke:
hey, didn’t you get married? congratulations!
I did! Thanks! We got back from the Bahamas yesterday.
I am glad I am not the only one who felt that “Braveheart” moment right now…
Overstating the case?
Keep saying that Gabe, but we all know it was the Videogumerati.
My favorite part of the recognition VGum got over this was the angry influx of all of Jeff Dunham’s fans to comment and tell us how terrible we are. So, like two comments.
Yeah, you know that those boards are exploding all over JeffDunhamgum.com.
Wow, Gabe. AOL called you a “critic”, which means you are a legit television critic now. You’ve arrived.
On the Gabeometer, this show rates a zero! Brrrrr!
“You’ve arrived” sounds like a polite confirmation of ejaculation.
Ratings??? We KEELL You!!!
Something tells me I need to majorly change my lifestyle considering how TEN of my friends joined a Jeff Dunham fan page on Facebook and three others joined a Facebook group to bring his show back.
The war has begun.
At least you have (at least) thirteen friends.
Or “had”.
Well, Fox News, you’re back to having the monopoly for stoking fears of minorities. Have fun with it, make it yours and godspeed.
USA! USA! USA!
This guy from the AOL story understands comedy gold when he sees it: “I agree, the premise of all comedy is to make me laugh. Jeff Dunham makes me laugh. I think he may be a little too edgy for the children who also love to watch him. Puppets are funny. People are just too up tight.
Heck I used to have a ventriloquist act myself. Had to give it up though when I got too big for the guy’s lap.
Now,that’s funny right there. I don’t care where you came from!”
Then what did he say?
“And the zeal of the prophet Gabriel hath accomplished it. Let all the monsters say hallelujah, for their foe has been humbled.”
Not to kill the mood, but has anyone else seen that Youtube has a whole slew of Censored Jeff Dunham clips? Like, a thinking person actually bleeped out all the “dammits” and “shits” to make it safe for, you know, family viewing? And the Youtube commenters can’t think of words nice enough to thank whoever did this? So that they can show it to their kids? Probably? Except for several (SEVERAL!) people who are mad that he bleeped out “God” but not “Allah?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYpzv64N36M&feature=fvw
We ain’t outta the woods yet, Monsters!
Ugh. I’m on page 18 of 177 in the comments on the AOL story. Are you guys reading these? I mean, don’t. They’re depressing. At first I thought, “These people sound like YouTube commenters.” And then I realized, no, they sound like… most people in the world.
What I’m trying to say is: I love you, Videogum commenters. (Full homo.) This place is a safe haven.
Exhibit A: “He should stick to the old ways.” Someone actually wrote that as advice Jeff Dunham. I can only assume that means less TV shows and more lynching.
The comments on that AOL story are making me
all over the place. They ruined my Jeffdunhamiscancelledwoot! glow-basking.
I think the real story is that anyone reads anything by AOL. Way to bury the lede Videogum!
Underpantseyes! What about your digital cleanse? I think you need a colon cleanse, because you are full of it! I’m going to @ johncmayer and he is going to be supes disappointed.
(Just kidding, you know I e-love i-you.)
Couldn’t halp it though. Don’t tell anyone.
Words cannot express how happy I am to be back at work, where I can come on Videogum and e-hang with my i-homies. I feel like part of some special task force for good in this world.
Every time I read, “jeff dunham says what americans are thinking!”, I die a little bit.
On the other hand, thanks to the AOL comment thread, I now know that the ACLC and “Affirmative Action” are trying to ruin comedy. Oh, and apparently being “Politically Correct” is still a real thing.
God, I’m reading the thread while trying to write my first-ever Videogum comment, and it just gets more and more fucking depressing. Ahmed the Dead Terrorist ringtones? Theories as to the show’s failure coming from it being scheduled against “Survivor”? This is a Brad Pitt at the end of Se7en, “WHAT’S IN THE BOX” level of horror and repulsion and grief.
Everytime I read “Jeff Dunham says what americans are thinking” I’m a little more gratefull about not being american. But in any case, the comments at AOL made me want to cry.
It was so horrible, I even forgot I was happy about the cancelation in the first place
It’s no great comfort that Comedy Central will continue to market Jeff Dunham to his established fans through tours and DVDs and Jeff Dunham Reisling.
The Jeff Dunham Riesling is rather dry, with notes of racism up front and not-so-subtle hints of homophobia. Slight citrusy finish.
The AOL article included “mysteries are all around us”. This was the icing on some already grrreat newscake.
Oh man, does this mean we’re going to get an influx of angry Dunham-heads now from all of the outside linking? This is supposed to be my safe place! No bad people are supposed to enter my safe place!
Fuck yeah, Gabe. I mean, on one hand, it is sad and appalling that Videogum was probably the only site that came up when those journalists asked Jeeves why Jeff Dunham is a monster. On the other hand, I can’t imagine a better resource on this topic than your posts. Keep on fighting the good fight!
Great job, everyone. High fives all around. Oh and weird story: I could have sworn George Lopez had died, and yet I kept seeing commercials for “Lopez Tonight” and I got a little bit frightened that we’d started broadcasting shows from beyond the grave. I still haven’t figured out just why I was so sure that he was dead…
I think Comedy Central used Jeff Dunham to make money so they could finally put the Daily Show and Colbert Report on in HD and give us another season of The Sarah Silverman Program coming this February Wednesdays(Demetri Martin is also getting another season premiering right before TSSP.) We may just win this war.
That was one inspiring-ass article; I feel like a warrior! I had this weird vision the other day of Jeff Dunham with an Avatar puppet; they both had ponytails, and they connected, and it was weird but also kind of special. Like, you can hate the parties involved, but you can appreciate the bond, know what I mean? But then he made a joke about “indian giving,” and I was like “nope. Abort vision.”
Good thing I stockpiled all that Jeff Dunham wine. Hello profit!
It seems like the unintentional (?) Videogum Everywhere Mission was a total success. Well played, Gabe.
I hope all news outlets start taking Videogum headlines 100% seriously.
I want to hear Wolf Blitzer say “I can confirm that the driver of the stolen ice cream truck is, in fact, my boyfriend”.
Bill Paxton would kick Jeff Dunham’s ass!
HUZZAH! However, I really wish they had asked Gabe for a comment.
Are you guys still talking about Jeff Dunham? Last year at work everybody was like “Did you watch Jeff Dunham last night?” and I was “Uh…I was watching the J.D. Christmas Special a couple of years ago on my iPhone maybe!” So 09.
All praises to Gabe and Videogum! I can feel my bodies hatred levels lessening… Ahhhhh, I will be able to sleep well tonight. To Jeff: Good riddens, you ignorant hack job. Fade Fast, or DIE.
Jeff is my dad, and all I can say is,”Congradulations. Now we’ll have to go poor again and live with Grandma and Gramps.” I feel discouraged that you’d say all this about my father, but you typed it and now it’ll never go away. Don’t be too excitied though. They don’t have any plans YET. My dad has lawyers and can still sue Comedy Central. What do you say to that? Or are you those Indians at Technical Support that go,”Thank you for calling Technical Support. This is Peggy speaking.” and can’t answer a simple question because your phone lines are too busy?