Ventriloquism is an illusion where a person appears to have their voice come from another object. There are two forms: ventriloquist neighbor and remote ventriloquism. Ventriloquists manipulate objects, often a dummy, to make the sound appear to come from that source. Certain sounds must be replaced as they cannot be created without lip contact. Ventriloquism dates back to ancient Greece and had its big breakthrough during American vaudeville. Notable famous ventriloquists include Jules Vernon, Edward Berger, and The Great Lester.
Ventriloquism is a form of entertainment in which a person appears to have their voice emanate from another object. Ventriloquism is an illusion as it is absolutely impossible to change the source of your voice by any analog method. As with many illusions, however, ventriloquism is a popular form of entertainment.
There are two forms of ventriloquism. Ventriloquist neighbor, which is more popular in the modern era, is when ventriloquists make their voice sound like it’s coming from something nearby, like a dummy. Remote ventriloquism, which many don’t consider “true” is when the voice comes from an unseen place, but appears to come from an object.
As mentioned above, the ventriloquist doesn’t actually change the source of his voice. Ventriloquists are skilled at speaking without moving their lips or jaw. By manipulating another object, often a dummy, the ventriloquist makes the sound appear to come from that source. This is caused by two conflicting senses. Our eyes notice that the ventriloquist doesn’t move his mouth, yet we still hear the sound. When we see that the mannequin’s mouth is moving, our brain makes the connection that the sound must come from the mannequin.
There are certain sounds that must be sacrificed in order to perform ventriloquism effectively. Sounds like m, b and p need to be replaced with similar sounding consonants, as they cannot be created without lip contact. If a ventriloquist replaces, say, the “m” with a “d” and if it’s said fast enough, the audience shouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
Ventriloquism dates back to ancient Greece, where it was often associated with magic. During the Middle Ages, performing ventriloquism was often considered a form of witchcraft, complete with all punishments. The modern form of ventriloquism didn’t emerge until the 16th century, when it was accepted as a form of entertainment and not magic to be feared.
Ventriloquism had its big breakthrough during the era of American vaudeville. During this period, numerous ventriloquists paved the way for modern performers. Notable famous ventriloquists include, but are not limited to, Jules Vernon, Edward Berger, and The Great Lester. While many of these individuals used multiple dummies in their act, it was Big Lester who popularized single dummy ventriloquism acts.
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