For 40 years, Barret Hansen-- better known as Dr. Demento-- has worked to entertain and occasionally disgust the world. The 69-year-old Los Angeles resident became famous as the host of his titular radio program, a variety show featuring comedy sketches and novelty songs. Hansen's show was a staple of syndicated radio which popularized comedic musicians including Spike Jones, Tom Lehrer, Benny Bell, and " Weird " Al Yankovic. Even at an old age, and even with the decline of both syndicated radio and novelty songs, Hansen continued his show, and ended each program by telling his audience to " stay demented! ".
A month ago, Hansen finally ended his syndicated radio broadcast. The Dr. Demento show continues on Hansen's webpage, streaming broadcasts old and new alike. But the program has been discontinued in its original format. The broadcasts had been losing money for many years, and Hansen's affiliates often rejected him for being too demanding. It was surprising that the Dr. Demento show lasted on the internet as long as it did.
The Dr. Demento radio show's cancellation was surely inevitable, but it remained a cult favorite during its long run, and its greatest strength was in keeping novelty songs in circulation. When it was on syndicated radio, the show appeared on a consistent schedule and had less competition from similar programs. But the online Demento site requires that a potential listener not only go out of their way to find the website, but pay a monthly membership fee of $14.95. Since only die-hard Demento fans would pay that monthly fee, this removes the show and its venerable acts from the public circulation they once enjoyed.
Still, it's hard to fault the gross-out appeal of such songs as Barnes and Barnes' " Fish Heads " and Tom Lehrer's " Poisoning Pigeons in the Park ". If you want to experience the novelty music for the first time, or just relive those childhood classics, you can go to Hansen's site judge the value of a Dr. Demento Club Membership for yourself.
Comments
Somehow, I've gone through life never having heard the good doctor. I consider myself lucky. But I do worship at the altar of Tom Lehrer.
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