Matt Weinstock considers the career of ventriloquist Shari Lewis:
[T]he profession of ventriloquism was assurance that Lewis would never have to interact onscreen with anyone other than herself. I recently watched her 1996 guest appearance on Sesame Street; the episode is ostensibly about a kittenish Lamb Chop learning how to meet new people, but what struck me was how furiously Lamb Chop and Lewis kept their eyes on each other throughout. Big Bird, Lamb Chop’s “new friend,” just stood there like a lug while the two of them sang. A new friend, of course, would throw their rhythm off. Their shtick is self-sufficient.
The Dish 