The doctor was in for the last time. After 55 years of weirding out radio listeners and influencing the likes of “Weird Al” Yankovic, Dr. Demento honked his horn for one final broadcast yesterday, hosting the final episode of The Dr. Demento Show. To mark the occasion, Demento treated dementors and dementoids to the longest nationally broadcast Dr. Demento Show ever, a three-and-a-half-hour-long extravaganza, counting down Demento’s “top 40 most demanded demented discs and tapes” from across his career.
Minneapolis native Barret Hansen first introduced radio listeners to his demented alter ego in 1970. Originating on KPPC in Pasadena, California, Demento has been bringing his vast collection of obscure novelty and comedy records to the ears of delighted listeners ever since. Perhaps best known for giving “Weird Al” his start, Demento is the type of cultural figure that’s too rare, someone who takes seriously the unserious ephemera that makes our world tolerable without overhyping, overintellectualizing, or acting above it. Where else on the radio is someone going to hear the dolcet burps of “It’s A Gas” by MAD magazine mascot Alfred E. Neuman? Sirius? Don’t be ridiculous.
Demento released his final traditional episode on May 31. The following day, he announced his retirement and spent his remaining months on air hosting retrospective episodes, counting down his favorite records decade by decade. At 84, Dr. Demento has undoubtedly earned his retirement. Curating popular culture’s most disposable art form is hard and thankless work. Considering how fractured the media landscape is now, it’s unlikely we’ll see someone like Demento again. However, we welcome people to try! If there’s one thing a society can always use, it’s a top hat-wearing DJ who specializes in comedy records.
Check out the final episode and the entire Dr. Demento archive at DrDemento.com. Enjoy retirement and, most importantly, stay demented, Dr. Demento!
