Beware the Axis of Achmed John McCain – the superannuated pensioner who would be president – will have you believe that the sinister forces of lily-livered liberalism have transformed America into the land of the cowed and the h
ome of the politically correct.
Judging by the latest comedy sensation to sweep the States his fears seem to be somewhat ill-founded. Prepare for your jaw to drop as I give you.....
Achmed the Dead Terrorist.
Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham's grotesque and staggeringly offensive comedy creation has got rednecks from Alabama to Alaska bursting their dungarees with laughter.
Texan Dunham tackles the issue of the so-called War on Terror delicately and in a sophisticated fashion by appearing on stage with his arm up the backside of a turban-wearing skeleton with a wispy beard.
The charred spectral suicide bomber has 'em rolling in the aisles by yelling his catchphrase "Silence! I kill you!" at anyone in the audience who dares to raise the faintest chuckle.
Much to the amusement of stetson-wearing comedy fans, Achmed also expresses his distaste for Chinese cuisine and "hilariously" laments that American breakfast cereals go "right through" him.
The joke certainly appeals to much of Middle America with a staggering 60 million people watching one of his sketches on YouTube.
Similarly ringtone downloads of his catchphrases including "You racist bastard" have become best-sellers.
Dunham, however, takes great glee in taunting his vile creation by pointing out that he has "Made in China" stamped on his rear end.
It makes the late, unlamented Bernard "I'm not racist, but" Manning seem like a muesli-munching, sandal-wearing social worker
Fur flies over X-rated puppets The Muppet Show it ain't. Yet more offensive puppets are proving to be a huge hit on MTV.
The station's new show
Fur TV makes Jackass – the hugely controversial programme where stuntmen compete to mutilate each other in ever more elaborate ways – seem like Songs of Praise.
The marionette stars spend their days "unwinding" in front of porn videos, drinking themselves unconscious, avoiding deranged drug-dealers and frequenting brothels and cage fights.
The show has already been likened to The Sooty Show on ketamine.
Surely, subverting this most family-friendly of mediums will be enough to have modern day Mary Whitehouses frothing at the mouth.
Perhaps they should demand a return to the golden age of wholesome broadcasting which provided such gems as The Black And White Minstrel Show and Love Thy Neighbour.
Weird Week
The Supperclub, Amsterdam, Holland It's more likely to have diners reaching for the sick bag then tipping off the Michelin judges.
Bizarreness abounds at the Netherlands' most fashionable eatery. Guests at the
Supperclub are shown to a bed rather than a table and are entertained by a series of migraine-inducing psychedelic images projected on the wall.
In a culinary cross between Heston Blumenthal and Dr Frankenstein, chefs create a nightly selection of "mystery dishes".
Diners are given syringes to inject bizarre looking unnamed liquids into their soup, while latex gloves are given in lieu of cutlery to allow diners to eat their food by hand.
Anyone managing to get to their pudding without barfing deserves a medal.
The full article contains 542 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
