Comedian-ventriloquist Jeff Dunham to perform Dec. 30 at Schottenstein

Jeff Dunham might be the star of his show, but he wouldn’t be as big without his puppet friends.

The comedian-ventriloquist has become an arena-filling headliner, thanks to his wisecracking relationships with hand-crafted, hand-held antagonists, such as curmudgeonly Walter, hyperactive Peanut and Achmed the Dead Terrorist.

Dunham, in the Guinness World Records for Most Tickets Sold for a Stand-up Comedy Tour, has performed 11 television specials, including his latest, streaming on Comedy Central since Nov. 25.

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Dunham, who visited the Schottenstein Center in 2014 and 2019, spoke in advance of his Dec. 30 return there.

What do you like about Columbus, the third stop of your tour?

I love that part of the country. I have great appreciation for Ohio, going all the way back to my comedy club days … in the mid-1970s. I garnered a good following in the Funny Bone chain of clubs, with great fans, and every 18 months I’d come back. It’s a no-brainer. Why wouldn’t you go where people like you?

Why is your tour named ‘Still Not Canceled’?

I thought it was funny, but hopefully, it also lets people know that I’m very aware of what’s happening out in society and what can also easily happen to someone, very quickly. It’s self-awareness, I think.

How important is free speech to comedy?

The debate on what free speech actually is, or should be, will continue … but a good comedian knows how far to push the commentary and jokes before it’s truly too far for too many. In my act, I never attempt to school the audience with political diatribes. A lot of other comics, however, pick a side and then will call anyone with an opposing viewpoint an idiot. I think that’s a mistake. I try to make fun of who’s currently in office and who’s in the news but then dole it out as evenly as possible.