Out of Sync: Ventriloquism in Popular Media From Vinyl to Tiktok

"Out of Sync is a cross-disciplinary exploration of ventriloquism across transatlantic popular culture at the turn of the twenty-first century. Through case studies of performers such as Milli Vanilli, Nina Conti, and Jeff Dunham, and platforms like TikTok, Sarah Rebecca Kessler examines the effects of ventriloquism's synchronization of sound and image as influenced by and portraying dynamics of racialization, gendering, and sexualization. She argues that the practice evokes the cultural detritus of a prior historical moment, lending it an aura of anachronism alongside continued popularity and prevalence. In highlighting the enduring practice of ventriloquism, Kessler prompts readers to reconsider the voice and its alignments and disconnects with the human body that reinforce and reconfigure fixations with contemporary audiovisual syncing across media"-- Provided by publisher.