Have you noticed the increasing numbers of ventriloquist dolls being bought and sold that are characters designed to be "evil, haunted, scary, spooky", etc.? It's a trend that I find disturbing, but maybe mine is a generational position. Take a look at some of the dozens of characters being offered by "Haunt-Master" right now on eBay: Click here The more prevalent such characters become, the more difficult it will be for the "traditional" entertainer to book a show...the ghosts of "Dead of Night" and "Magic" and similar shows continue to haunt. 
(The figures shown here are produced by "Haunt-master" with photos copyrighted by same.)
Colossiams 3:2 "Set your mind on things above"...
ReplyDeleteWhat is more precious to an entertainer? Laughs and smiles from children and adults alike, or screams, moans, and expressions of fear at our performance? How will we and our acts be remembered? The clear choice is ours. Will we be remembered as purveyors of evil thoughts, abetted and encouraged by the devil, or as one of those who brings happiness and the Light of God wherever we go and wherever we perform. Who is your mentor and whose servant are you? Christ's or the devil's? Think carefully.
I think it dangerous and sad. In the movies, one gets a break from the monsters, gangsters, what-have-you, but these vent figures ... 'creatures' are in constant view. How can any comedy be performed with such a thing looking constantly at the audience; at a child?! I wonder if anyone has actually seen a performance with thses grotesque things? Maybe this is just another e-Bay joker trying to push product. I cannot dislike them more.
ReplyDeleteI think you all are missing something here. I do not believe these are being sold as performance dummies, but are being sold/bought as collectibles. The dummies he is altering are a dime a dozen that you can find in abundance on ebay or even the JCPenny Catalog any day of the week, and would not be suitable for performance in their original state because they are dime-a-dozen, store bought dummies of well known established character. I think you all here just have sour grapes.
DeleteI agree that this is troublesome... I have a childrens ministry and the other night the first thing the kids asked me before I got my dummie out was..... Is it Walter?? Jeff Dunams doll..... Nothing aganist Jeff but kids watch so much TV thses days they soak up what they see and what they hear and this is why we need dolls like Clintons that are cute and freindly in nature. I know people will do anything for a dollar these days and I understand that in such hard times but these people dont have our kids in mind when they make and sell things like this knowing that Kids are drawn to puppets. We need prayer more than ever for what our children face in the future and even now.
ReplyDeleteJoe O
www.JoeOverfeltMinistries.com
I have to say I agree with the prior comments regarding these scary looking vent dolls which are being peddled on eBay. Unfortunately, if this merchant chose to sell more along the lines of audience friendly characters, I think he might find that his sales would greatly improve. But, what really gets me is how ventriloquism & ventriloquist figures continue to be portrayed in the movies as well as the media, in what usually ends up as something trashy or horror movie-like, which is a real shame. It's also a shame once again that by selling these scary vent dolls, it just continues to feed into that negative stereotype that many ( not all) attach to the words: ventriloquist dummy. I know we can do better than this and I just thank my stars for the Terry Fators of the world who continue to shed a much deserved light on the art of ventriloquism.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Joe! & as far as Jeff Dunham goes, I remember seing him in person & on tv when he wore a suit & tie, shaved, & did CLEAN vent. Sad he had to go to the other side. I do not understand why this needs to happen. I think of vents like Senor Wences, Edgar Bergen, Jimmy Nelson, Paul Winchell, Willie Tyler, Jay Johnson, Ronn Lucas, & {so far} Terry Fator. These incredible vents did'nt feel the need for an evil puppet or a "turn the air blue" routine. It's a true shame, & a discrace to this wonderful art form! I'll hold out for clean humor, & LIKEABLE puppets! Bill Smith
ReplyDeleteI agree, but I don't think it's a generational thing. I think there's a lot of us who find this stuff objectionable. Why does it seem so hard to find good, clean family entertainment? As an aspiring vent, I'm committed to entertainment I wouldn't be embarrassed for my 4 and 6 year old to watch.
ReplyDeleteThis guy/gal has no shame! Now they have a Micheal Jackson vent figure up (claiming to be one of a kind, but stating it will take 4 weeks to complete). I think the Jackson Estate (mainly their lawyers) will be contacting thim shortly.
ReplyDeleteI was in a toy store the other day and noticed the top-selling action figures were the most hideous-looking creatures I had ever seen. Why this development has occurred, I don't know. I do a clean act and have to compete on open mic at a local comedy club with blue acts galore. I think the problem is that liquor sells mostly to people who like the down and dirty, and that's where clubs make their money. I am trying to stay clean even in the face of that.
ReplyDeleteI think you all are missing something here. I do not believe these are being sold as performance dummies, but are being sold/bought as collectibles. The dummies he is altering are a dime a dozen that you can find in abundance on ebay or even the JCPenny Catalog any day of the week, and would not be suitable for performance in their original state because they are dime-a-dozen, store bought dummies of well known established character. I think you all here just have sour grapes.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally I think the owner of this blog should be careful posting copyrighted pictures that they effectively stole from the owner without permission. Using the owners name as a pseudo credit, is not the same as permission.