Columns
Here’s a Thought: Opening Act
By Taylor Mason
For those of you not familiar with how I roll: I’ve been a comedian for 25-plus years and been an “opening act” for a variety of performers. Some highlights. ...
Here's a Thought: Death by Cancer
By Taylor Mason
My sister-in-law passed away last Thursday, felled by cancer after a seven-year battle. She was a dignified, lovely, inspiring wife and mother who beat the odds over and over again.
Time Out: Safety ‘Net
By Patty Elder
Summer in DC means storms, and storms mean power outages. And power outages bring out my worst fear, and it's NOT the dark. ...
Here’s a Thought: Hot Enough for Ya?
By Taylor Mason
The heat was debilitating this summer, so much so that the word “hot” doesn’t do justice to the grades of temperature we've sweated these past few months.
Time Out: Make Yourself at Home
By Cara Garretson
It’s beach week, and so far so good. We bust into our rented beach house and it looks great – the bathrooms are sparkling, the décor is charming, the kitchen is retro. ...
Here’s a Thought: BacktalkJuly 14, 2010
By Taylor Mason
It takes place the middle of July every year, at a non-descript hotel in an obscure suburb of Cincinnati on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. It is a convention of ventriloquists. Go ahead and start making your own jokes. There are approximately 422,397 “ventriloquist convention” punch lines, and almost seven of them are funny. I’ll pause as you explore your psyche for some hilarious monologue material. Yes it’s funny. And yes, the “art” of ventriloquism is beyond random. It doesn’t scale. It’s just odd. The shy guy with a puppet, and all these facets of his personality come out as he makes his sidekick talk. Uh, not quite. The modern ventriloquist is a comic, a musician, a director, an actor and a writer. He (and she – there are lots of excellent female ventriloquists – check out Lynn Traefzger) works in movies, theatrical productions, television commercials and on television, often having to work as part of a team or company or revue. The quirky weirdo with the goofy alter ego has been replaced by a slick professional who knows as much about story and character arc and improvisation as any Hollywood player. Ventriloquists headline shows in Las Vegas, in London’s West End, in comedy clubs and on cruise ships. The single most-popular live entertainer in the U.S.A. for 2008 was a ventriloquist named Jeff Dunham – yes, you’ve seen him - he has the “dead terrorist” which was one of the first viral YouTube sensations. The truth is that there are more people making more money than ever before as professional and semi-professional ventriloquists. Sit down. This will come as a shock. We’re living in “The Golden Age of Ventriloquism.” So a few hundred “vents” (as they call themselves) gather every year in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, and throw themselves a kind of puppet party. They network. They have classes in writing and acting and performance tricks. They perform for one another and for the public. One of the great things about ventriloquism is that there are no six degrees of separation. The “stars” of voice-throwing (there is no such thing as “throwing your voice,” by the way) are accessible and friendly and are often sincerely giving of their time and advice. Yes, there are icons in the field. The afore-mentioned Mr. Dunham; Terry Fator of “America’s Got Talent” fame (after he won, Bill Maher opened his TV program with the joke, “A ventriloquist won America’s Got Talent. Proving that America doesn’t have any talent.” The real joke: Fator does better numbers on his website than Maher’s TV show does!); Ronn Lucas does a world-class show in Las Vegas; Jay Johnson (from “Soap”! Remember?) has an award-winning show that played off-Broadway and in London; Dan Horn and Kevin Johnson are two of the most popular cruise ship acts in the business; Mark Wade is perhaps the most successful children’s show ventriloquist in history. The business is expanding. The convention gets national media coverage. So many people are getting into the business it can truly be said that it is one of the few “growth industries” in the country today! The convention features the most un-heralded members of the community, although they’re the most important: the dummy-builders. The puppet-makers. It’s a small group, an eclectic group, and a very, VERY busy group. You might have to wait months for a new, custom-made figure. If you’re a ventriloquist? It’s worth it! The business is changing. I never thought I would say this, but it’s true: ventriloquism is “hip.” It’s cutting-edge. They’re having a convention for pete’s sake! Wish I could be there. …
Taylor Mason is a comedian, a musician, a ventriloquist, writer and gadget freak. And his new book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ventriloquism
And also check out Taylor's blog and recent Here's a Thought columns:
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is available at the link below! He has headlined every major comedy club in the United States, and has played Carnegie Hall and The Sydney Opera House in Australia. He has been part of two Emmy-winning television programs, including his children’s TV show, “Taylor’s Attic.” He is featured in comedy DVDs "