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Revision as of 09:57, 10 September 2004 by MisfitToys (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Dustin the Turkey, more commonly simply Dustin, is a popular Irish television puppet, star of RTÉ's The Den since the 1980s. He claims his full name is Dustin Hoffman. He joined the show with fellow puppets Zig and Zag but remained with the show since their departure in the late 1990s. He has also outlasted two human co-hosts: Ian Dempsey and Ray D'Arcy. He makes appearances outside of The Den, including an annual appearance on The Late Late Show Toy Show special where he torments the show's regular host Pat Kenny. Dustin is perhaps the best known and most loved personality on Irish television.
Music
Dustin is a regular contender for the number one position in the Irish singles chart at Christmas time and has had three number-one albums: Dustin: Not Just a Pretty Face, Dustin: Unplucked and Faith of Our Feathers. These albums have featured backing vocals from many Irish stars including Bob Geldof and Boyzone.
Politics
Dustin has, on occassion, expressed an interest in politics. He has run campaigns for a number of presidential elections (though he was never an official candidate). He ran as a representative of 'Fianna Fowl' (a play on Ireland's largest political party Fianna Fáil) and of the 'Poultry Party'. His major campaign promise was to "bring the DART to Dingle". Many Irish voters have spoiled their votes by writing Dustin's name on their ballot papers.
Identity
The identity of the puppeteer responsible for Dustin is not common knowledge, though it is known that he attended school in north County Wicklow.