# Demento-Diminuendo?



## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

It's interesting how certain thoughts turn into different arcs of memories. Today, I was talking to a co-worker... and the conversation made me think of a song featured on some of the programs of the once nationally prominent radio personality, *Dr. Demento*! [I won't go into details about the song... I will say, though, that it shares its title with an office-services "bricks & mortar" franchise that allied itself with FedEx not long ago.]

Well, there was a time when the mention of Dr. Demento would bring smiles (or sniggers) of recognition from a lot of the student crowd, in addition to many of the "students-at-heart" among us. We also knew that Dr. Demento was the proud owner of one of the largest private collections of singles (humorous _and_ otherwise) in the nation. Very much like his _eleveé_ "Weird Al" Yankovic, we recognized that behind his whimsy is a considerable intellect. (I've since read that he made Berg's _Wozzeck_ and Debussy's _Pélleas & Mélisande_ the subjects of his college theses.)

Therefore, it was with a pang of disappointment that I read that his once coast-to-coast syndicated radio program had dwindled to not much more than half-a-dozen American outlets. I'm aware that competition for the entertainment attentions of his traditional demographic has never been greater. Still, "when old age shall t[his] generation waste," or when the last affiliate turns down the syndication option, or when the man simply decides to call it a career, I can't help but think that something valuable will be gone for good. Yes... from Spike Jones' wartime recollection of "heil-ing" [insert vaguely flatulent noise here] "right in the Führer's face" to Stan Freberg, on through to 'Boris' Pickett's "Monster Mash" to "Weird Al" himself, getting his start by recording in the bizarre acoustic of his college dorm "necessary room" and then sending the tapes to the good Doctor, there will be a lot of us who'll look back on that time with a sense of loss.


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