Ventriloquism through the ages

Ventriloquism through the ages.

In the Middle Ages, practising ventriloquism could get you burned at the stake as a witch, making it a surprisingly dangerous hobby, right up there with shark annoying and lion tickling. It wasn't until the 19th Century that it completely lost it's reputation for being magical, with phony mediums using it as part of their seances, conjuring up voices from beyond the veil to placate grieving relatives left behind... For a small (read: large) fee, of course.

Obviously these days no one would claim there was actual magic involved unless they were in a Goosebumps novel (and since I didn't just move to a small American town with a spooky looking shop round the corner from my new house and I don't have to babysit my annoying kid brother/sister, I'm going to guess I'm not). The first person to actually create a character for his act as a ventriloquist was Joseph Askins, who spoke to 'his invisible familiar, Little Tommy', who can thus be considered the spiritual forerunner of ventriloquist dolls. Once some unknown hero of ventriloquism hit on the idea of using a puppet or doll as the recipient for their voice, the idea caught on.

We say there's no magic involved but you can sometimes forget when you watch a master ventriloquist at work: It's easy to imagine how people in the Middle Ages and beyond could have mistaken these strange voices for the work of witches, demons and spirits. Ever since Edgar Bergen and his various sidekicks made their radio (yep, radio!) debut in the 1930s, ventriloquists and their dolls have almost always been comedy duos, relying on quick repartee and wit for their success. Bergen, and his favourite Doll, Charlie McCarthy, weren't only radio stars: They also co-starred in several movies and even in a comic strip, as well as appearing frequently on television. Many of Bergen's most famous dolls, including Charlie, are available as replicas so you can recreate their routines or write your own with a perfect copy perched on your knee (the original Charlie's sitting pretty in the Smithsonian, in case you were wondering, although we hear he sometimes gets out at night for a stroll around DC).

And if you do want to get in on the ancient art of ventriloquism (we recommend following the comedy route, rather than the fool-people-into-thinking-you're-their-dead-grandma route – you won't get burned at the stake, but still) you'll need more than a doll: You'll have to work out how to get all the sound rights, too! Fortunately, in the internet age you can find all kinds of free tips and hints that weren't available to the pioneers of the ventrolquist doll in era of vaudeville and music hall so you can perfect your routine before you start to pull it out at office parties (warning: Many dolls get overexcited at parties and get their owners in trouble. They always find a way to pin it on you, don't they?) or wherever else you fancy. We're sure there's room in the market for ventriloquism's first YouTube star! Maybe strum a ukulele to some Rhianna with a doll as a back-up singer and see what happens. You never know till you try! Although, if it works, I'm taking all the credit for the idea.

Celebrity Vent Dolls Are Fun and Great For Playing

The ventriloquist doll, or vent doll as it is also called, has been a part of the comedy world for generations. Talented ventriloquists can speak through their dolls to create some fun routines and to joke around as well. Today you can find many quality celebrity vent dolls if you're looking to get into this fun hobby.

These dolls are made with many of the best-quality materials that you would traditionally find on the market. These include all sorts of sturdy wood materials and plenty of fine fabrics to create a quality look for a dummy.

These are great to find but what makes them so special is that they are dolls that feature some familiar looks. You will love to see just how such vent dolls can be designed to come with some brilliant looks that are fine and fun to play around with. You will certainly enjoy what's around when finding something that you know will be great for your comedy routine needs.

Signs Of a Fine History:

Celebrity vent dolls are often designed to be true to life replicas of many of the most famous dummies in history. From Edgar Bergen's Mortimer Snerd and Charlie McCarthy to Willie Tyler's Lester, these dolls have made people laugh for generations. These are well-made models that are iconic and today you can use them for your own desired when creating some fun things of use for a show.

You can get vent dolls like these to recreate your own fun routines and to make all sorts of new gags with some familiar faces in the ventriloquist world. You just might become the next Terry Fator or Jeff Dunham with some of these dolls if you work on your skills well enough.

What About Other Stars?

Many vent dolls are designed based off of the familiar and instantly recognizable looks of many celebrities from the past. You can create a fun routine with a doll designed to look like Groucho Marx, Emmett Kelly Jr. or even Bozo the Clown. These are amazing dolls that are created to look like their famed likenesses and can really add something that is fun for any routine that you want to hold. It can create a real sense of charm for whatever you want to display in your show.

Famed Characters Are Around Too:

Some other popular vent dolls to check out include many other puppets that were created by many masters of the art as well as some unique fictional characters. Howdy Doody was one of the first famous characters in early television history and today you can get a Howdy Doody doll to play with when planning your own routines.

You an even find some dolls that can create some real scares. Famed young adult horror writer R.L. Stine created one noteworthy dummy in Slappy the Dummy in one of his works. It has become one of the most noteworthy characters in horror and today can be used in many scary routines.

You might be amazed at what you will come across when finding celebrity vent dolls. The only real question you'll have here is to figure out just what you plan on doing with your dolls as you prepare some fun routines with them.

The Therapeutic Benefits of Ventriloquism

The Therapeutic Benefits of Ventriloquism:

Whilst many people may think you are mad for talking to yourself, there are many well researched benefits that practicing ventriloquism can bring. In a documentary tracking her life’s work, the famous comic ventriloquist Nina Conti spoke quite movingly about the role that ventriloquism has played in her life, and how her dummies help her to make sense of her emotions and deal with grief, love and everything in between.

Overcoming Shyness:

Daniela Hadasy, from the Schneider Children's Medical Center in Israel, uses ventriloquism as one part of her drama therapy. She uses her puppets to communicate with children, particularly those in hospital, who may find it easier to address the humorous personas of the puppets. In this way, they can get out their concerns and anxieties, which in turn can lead to a better treatment. It can be quite intimidating for a child to speak to an adult, especially in a formal setting and the ventriloquism helps to break down a barrier.

Children with autism, or who have issues surrounding shyness, can gain similar enjoyment from interacting with a dummy. This can be particularly effective if the dummy represents a famous character, one they are familiar with. On the other side of things, learning ventriloquism can be a way for an anti-social child to learn communication skills, as they will feel less restrained if they are speaking through the dummy. The dummy, as many of you will be aware, can act as a vessel for many aspects of your personality that you may feel do not fit or require further studying.

Speech Therapy:

Another way in which children can benefit from time spent with a dummy is an aid to speech therapy. With conditions such as stuttering, taking the time to consciously think about what is being said and how you are going to say it can help reduce the occurrence of the stutter. It acts as a way of implementing the auditory feedback that comes to most people naturally.

One of the earliest TV ventriloquists, Paul Winchell used this method himself to overcome a stutter that he had suffered with for most of his life. He went on to enjoy great fame, years before science could confirm the efficacy of what he had put into practice.

Dementia:

It is not only children who can benefit from ventriloquism led therapy. In the June/July 2012 issue of the Australian Journal of Dementia Care, James Baldwin writes about a study ran on patients with dementia, monitoring their level of interaction with friends and family, staff and puppets. Astonishingly, the dummies saw a 28% increase in patient interactivity, showing that shyness, anxiety and depression can all lead to us becoming withdrawn. As mentioned before, Baldwin draws attention to the role of the dummy as an avatar, that can be treated as human without having to worry about human interaction.

This is by no means an thorough analysis of the benefits that working with dummies can bring, but cases like the ones talked about should make us optimistic and encourage us to keep looking at ways that our work can have a positive impact on others.