Ventriloquism is an act in which a person creates an illusion in which their voice is coming elsewhere, usually a puppeteer or dummy.

History

Ventriloquism originally was a religious practice. The Greeks called this gastromancy (εγγαστριμυθία.) One of the earliest recorded group of prophets to use this technique was the priestess at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. The shift from ventriloquism as spiritual forces to ventriloquism as entertainment switched in the 18th century.

My favorites

              Comedians have a humorous personality and they can make anything funny. I think ventriloquism can go further because not only do they have a humorous personality, they probably can connect with the audience as well.

1. Paul Zerdin

              Born on August 21, 1972, Paul Zerdin is a British comedian and ventriloquist from London. In 2015, he was the winner of America’s Got Talent season 10! Whenever I watched the results night, I was speechless because I picked him from the very beginning!

2. Jeff Dunham

              Although Jeff Dunham was not on America's Got Talent, he is a pretty funny guy. He has been credited with reviving ventriloquism and doing more than anyone since Edgar Bergen. Jeff Dunham has been called America’s favorite comedian by Slate. He is the top standup act in North America and among the most successful acts in Europe as well. Please note: some of his stand-ups are not suitable for children so beware of this.

3.  Darci Lynne

              Born October 12, 2004, Darci Lynne is an American ventriloquist and singer. She won America’s Got Talent in 2012, making her both the third female and third child to win Following Bianca Ryan in season 1 and Grace VanderWaal in season 11. Lynne also became the third ventriloquist following Terry Fator in season 2 and Paul Zerdin in season 10.

other ventriloquists

              Born June 10, 1965, Terry Fator is an American ventriloquist, impressionist, standup comedian and singer from Dallas Texas. He was the winner of America’s Got Talent season 2 and received the prize of1,000,000. The following year, he signed on as the headliner for the Mirage hotel and casino in Las Vegas Nevada with a five-year $100,000,000 contract.

 Types of dummies

              modern ventriloquists use multiple types of puppets in their presentations. These range from soft cloth, or foam, flexible latex and the traditional hard headed knee figure. The technical name for classic dummies used by ventriloquists Is ventriloquial figures. These very incise anywhere from 12 inches tall to human size and larger with the height usually falling between 34 and 42 inches. Traditionally, these puppets are made from wood but in modern times, other materials are used. These include fiberglass-reinforced resins, urethanes filled latex and neoprene.

Phobia

              Some people might have a fear of ventriloquist dummies. Films and programs referring to dummies being alive include: Magic, Dead of Night, The Twilight Zone, Devil Doll, Dead Silence, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Goosebumps, Tales from the Crypt, Seinfeld, the episode “The Chicken Roaster,” the episode “I’m Your Puppet,” Gotham, the episode “Nothing’s Shocking,” Friday the 13th (the series,) Toy Story 4 and Doctor Who in different episodes. Literary examples include: The Horrible Dummy by Gerald Kersh and the Glass Eye by John Keir Cross.  in the world of music, NRBQ’s video for their song Dummy in 2004 has 4 ventriloquist dummies that are modeled after the band members who are wandering around a dark and abandoned house while lip-synching the song.

              Ventriloquism is fascinating and interesting because of the imagination ventriloquists have.  they may be able to make anything fun and entertaining. For example, I watched a ventriloquist go up on stage and talk about politics. While he didn't make it political, he did make it fun and entertaining so people may not feel offended. Some people do ventriloquism for a living while others may do ventriloquism just for fun. If you would like to learn more about ventriloquism or practice on your own, please check out this link! Just remember, you can do anything you put your mind to. If you practice, practice, practice you just may have a career in ventriloquism!