Farewell, Dr. Gene

We were saddened to learn that Dr. Gene Scott of Los Angeles had died of a stroke at 75.

Dr. Gene, a cigar-chomping, oft-cussing televangelist who founded his own church and satellite TV network, was one-of-a-kind. Entertaining, goofy and occasionally even inspirational. And 100% red-blooded America. If the phones weren't ringing with enough pledges, Dr. Gene would light up another cigar, wheel his forefinger around a time or two and command the band to keep on playing "until you get up off your asses and start dialin' in."

It was pragmatic in a rough-hewn, Andrew Jacksonian sort of way. It fascinated us, and we're Roman Catholics. There was no danger of a conversion but it did surprise us from time-to-time how ecumenical Dr. Gene could be. He was no stranger to history, and he did not try to pretend the Protestant churches existed before 1520. Behind the theatrics and odd appearance there was a real intellect and an earthy spirituality that perhaps only God Himself could totally appreciate.

Dr. Gene was so entertaining that the local "morning zoo" radio guys in Tulsa came up with their own knock-off (tribute) version: Dr. Gene Squat. Sometimes they were as funny as the real thing.

For whatever reason -- the arbiters of good taste might have intervened with the cable company -- Dr. Gene's grainy signal quit showing up late nights on Tulsa TV, and thus we lost contact a few years back. Another victim of the corporate homogenization of the airways. It was a sad loss then, and a sad loss today.