Jeff Dunham and his curmudgeonly character Walter perform at the BankAtlantic Center. (Andrew Nathanson / GatorProduction.com)

Anyone over age 12 making funny voices with puppets might merit a comfortable room nicely appointed with padded walls. If you are Jeff Dunham, however, you end up headlining arenas, starring in television specials, and one of your characters becomes an unofficial mascot of the military. Smartly, this ventriloquist weaved symbolic commentary on racism throughout the show in comedic fashion, and blatantly stated it is wrong even as he mocked many stereotypes.

To a mostly full house at the Florida Panthers’ arena, the BankAtlantic Center, Dunham owned the audience to their collective delight this night. Dunham took the stage with a 20-minute monologue and supporting photos projected on the circular screen. He started with his home life and talked about making puppets at a young age. Dunham presented shots from his yearbooks starting in seventh grade – a way to get a professional photo each year. In ninth grade he noted braces as ironic for a guy who makes a living with his mouth closed stating, “What’s the point!”

Photos: Jeff Dunham at the BankAtlantic Center | Visit Andrew Nathanson’s website

To show his “normal” upbringing he presented a photo of his parents as Batman and Robin as they were headed to a party he thought. Or maybe they stayed home and sent him to bed early that night. The laughs allowed him tell the audience they were a sick crowd.

Speaking of sick crowds, Dunham said he did a show at Penn State not too long ago. Aware of the sensitive nature, he spoke about comedians crossing the line. He told that audience he wasn’t going to make jokes. “He didn’t … they did,” referring his “friends.” He told how awkward it was at that show, his dressing room was backstage – “that’s where iPeanut an alien looking purple gorilla said, “Please don’t make me take a shower.” Walter said he was nervous: “I’m small and you can make me not talk.” Ahmed the Dead Terrorist said he didn’t care because he didn’t have a rear. Dunham noted the Penn State crowd laughed slightly louder than here.

Dunham showed picture of him in yellow short shorts stating prior to the shot that this was one that he should’ve had an older brother to punch him in the head so a photo like that couldn’t be taken. He showed shots of his mini Doberman Roadie. He spoke of his divorce three years prior, which provided lots a new material in exchange for half his money.

Finally, it’s the main event and out comes crotchety curmudgeon Walter. Walter wants the world to know he’s not Joe Biden, stating, “He sits on someone else’s lap.” On the other side of the aisle he noted a Mitt is a kids’ toy and a Newt is something kids torture in a fish tank.

Walter was in his typical bad mood. After a few curse words from the puppet, Dunham warned him, “Language.” Walter responded, “English. And you didn’t have to push 1,” to substantial applause. Jeff asked Walter if he’s always unhappy which brought the response, “It’s a good thing or you’d be out of work.”

The comedian said they would be driving through Davie the next day and the geezer responded, “We’ll go slower.”

It has been a couple of years since Dunham brought “Bubba J” on tour. This character is a security guard — apparently Bubba J’s first day was a good one: he got shot at. Incredulous, Dunham asked how that could be good and the redneck responded that the bullet missed him. After a verbal miscue, Bubba asked how it was possible that he talks perfectly but the ventriloquist makes the errors.

The hardest part of security job: getting the labels of Coke and putting them on beer bottles. As he works at a beer plant and suggesting he’s always drunk, Dunham asked if he was drunk on the job. The response: “Not at first!”

After an intermission, Jeff brought his dog Roadie on the stage to do a couple of tricks — joking that it makes him a tax write-off in so doing. Dunham brought his fiancé on stage and asked if she ever walked onto a stage in front of 11,000 people before. She told him no and he that it was because it was really 10,500.

Achmed the Dead Terrorist took the stage and Dunham noted they appear on Jay Leno’s show Monday. He said he didn’t know yet what he would do but, “It will be crap you know.” He spoke of the insanity around Achmed going viral globally. The military tracked it on Google and the USA was No. 7 for hits with South Africa No. 1, followed by Germany and Poland.

Jeff Dunham said he was humbled by the military response and gets chills from it. He received photos of Achmed in strange places; on tanks, in a helicopter, with a soldier carrying a large machine gun, and on the serious machine gun mounted on a jeep. Dunham received a patch made by some in military featuring Achmed with the words, “We kill him, now we kill you!”

Achmed the Terrorist greets fans, “Greetings Infidels,” to loud applause. He said he wasn’t happy to be here. It’s winter and with people talking about being frozen to the bone, they’re talking about him. The whistling wind, “Through his bones.” More applause. “Silence…wait for it…I kill you!” More applause. “I’m like Charlie Sheen.”

Did he watch Madonna’s halftime show at the Super Bowl? Madonna called MIA’s hand gesture immature. “This coming from a woman who used to wear cones.”

Peanut, Dunham’s famed purple gorilla, looks out at the venue and noted, “It’s huge, it’s clean, it’s paid for. We must be on an Indian reservation.” Dunham said the PC term is Native American. Peanut said that’s better as couldn’t tell what people meant when they said it, going into a diatribe in the country’s dialect and then a chant for the locals. Showing no fear, Peanut stated if he got scalped all they would get is a fishing lure flashing his fluorescent green mane.

At one point when Dunham makes a mistake Peanut exclaims, “What kind of idiot are you? You know I could get another guy.” Dunham starts to chuckle, “I haven’t heard this before so it make me laugh.”

Jose, the jalapeno “on a stick”, tells Dunham he’s excited and Peanut jumped in stating it’s because Dunham’s holding his stick.

During a funny and wild exchange between Peanut and Jose, Dunham adds, “I’m just listening.” Accurately Peanut retorts: “We know this is all you.”

Peanut let Dunham know he’s going into ventriloquism as well. He’s got a really ugly dummy he calls Little Ugly Jeff. Dunham says, “He looks a little like me.” Peanut says, “He looks a lot like you,” to loud laughter from the audience. From his box, Jose said, “I laughed so hard I cracked my stick.”

After Dunham and his character thank the audience, Dunham starts to fire Peanut dolls into the crowd from an air gun. When they don’t quite go too far, Dunham revealed an air cannon, quickly firing 15 dolls deep into the venue to end the show.