In 1978, a mischievous gathering
called the Doo Dah Parade made its premier in Pasadena
California. One year later, Deb Roberts graduated from high
school in Zanesville, Ohio. Eight more years would pass before
Deb and Doo Dah would meet to form a bond that has blossomed
into some wildly disorganized fun.
Columbus was the second city in the nation to embrace the Doo Dah tradition. For
Deb Roberts a.k.a Deb Doo Dah, Chair Chick of the city’s most outrageously fun
parade, however, Columbus’ Doo Dah Parade is second to none.
“The parade is the star! Who cares
about me,” Deb says. And she can say that all she wants, but
people who love Doo Dah, certainly know Mz. Doo Dah! If you
don’t know her by now, check out some fun facts about the Queen
of Disorganization.
Deb wanted to live in Columbus since she was a kid in Zanesville. Traveling to
see family in Toledo she would go past Columbus. “I would see the skyline and
think, that’s so pretty, I really want to live there,” she says. She moved here
in 1982.
Deb developed a fascination with radio at a young age. “I remember driving back
from the Dayton air show with my family, listening to the radio and the D.J.
said the record was stuck. I said ‘the record? I thought a band was playing!’ I
mean I was real little,” she laughs.
She started working in radio in 1979 when she was still in high school. She
worked at WHIZ radio. She did the same in Columbus “I said I got to get on that
radio station in Columbus, WNCI, I love that station. I have to work there” So
she called once a month for two years to persistently ask if there were any job
openings. It finally paid off; she went in for an interview and got the job the
next day.
Deb briefly left Columbus to live in Florida for awhile, do a summer in Europe
and then return to the city she loves, where she makes her home in Victorian
Village.
Deb has a talented family. “My
mom always had great taste in Country and Western music. I
have hardcore instrumentalists in my family.” Famous
country and western singer, Connie Smith, is her great
aunt. “I can’t sing a lick, can’t draw…but I think I can
come up with some pretty nifty ideas.”
In addition to being consumed
by Doo Dah, now Deb has a business of her own. “I sell
travel, I have a web site where you can book your own
travel or I can book travel for you.”
Nine years ago Deb agreed to
sign off on the permits and other necessary paperwork
needed for the parade and Mz. Doo Dah was born. Her
husband told her she needed to be incorporated so now she
signs off as Mz. Doo Dah, LLC.
She met her husband of 7
years, Charlie Loutzenheiser, when they were both walking
their dogs in the park. She, of course, got him involved
in Doo Dah. “The first year he said ‘that was fun, that
was weird,’ he was blown away by all of it. He’s all go go
go Doo Dah now, he’s right with me now,” she says.
Columbus may have been the
second city to hold a Doo Dah Parade, but Deb was the
first to copyright the name and purchase the websites,
www.doodahparade.com,
www.doodahparade.org and
www.doodahparade.net “Now anyone who is doing it in
the state of Ohio is breaking a copyright infringement
law. And we love to find those,” she laughs. “As we say on
the Web site, no matter how poorly you spell it, it’s
still Doo Dah.”
[the parade: a day of disorganization]
Deb thinks she may have recently
uncovered the origins or inspiration for the first Doo Dah
Parade in Pasadena while she was watching an old episode of The Beverly Hillbillies from 1965 called “The Possum Day
Parade.”
“Granny wanted to have a possum
parade so Mildred went to city hall to say ‘let ‘em have a
possum day parade,’ Everyone looked at them like they were crazy
but they said ‘Forget that Rose Bowl Queen what about a Possum
Queen!’” Deb explains. “It was totally building the original
idea of the Doo Dah Parade for the Pasadena people. I’m thinking
that’s where they got the idea, because in the background
they’re playing the Doo Dah song and they’re saying all these
nutty things that come to fruition in these Doo Dah Parades.”
The Doo Dah philosophy can be
summed up simply. “It is one of the funniest days of the year.
If you like walking around seeing everybody smiling and
laughing, watching everyone making kind fun, it’s like the day
of the year when you get a smile from ear to ear.” Deb says.
“It’s a true neighborhood come together. It brings people from
the other neighborhoods down here. It lets them see, ‘man these
people know how to live.’”
Deb says so many people get involved with the
parade behind the scenes doing things like hanging up parking
signs, flyers on the doors of the houses and apartments on the
parade route, printing t-shirts and creating art for flyers and
posters, other promotional materials.[current events with a twist]
Each year regulars line up to
participate in the parade, new people show up and even people
from places like Chicago and Seattle make there way to Columbus
for a day of uninhibited fun.
Deb says even though she doesn’t
always know people in the parade by name, she knows them by
their memorable participation.
One man she sees each year with his
entourage always puts on a creative performance. “One year the
group took a truck and put plastic derrieres all over it with
different sayings commenting on the smoking ban debate raging in
the city,” she remembers. Deb also recalls 9 years ago in 1997,
five days after 39 members of Heaven’s Gate killed themselves at
the behest of their cult leader, the same man had a Hale-Bopp (a
comet that coincided with their suicide) float in the Doo Dah
Parade. “He’s very current. Last year he did the human-sized
ribbon car magnets.”
A mainstay is the Marching Fidels, who always have a great topical theme going
on. But not everyone is current, “They might have an issue that’s been bugging
them for a whole year. They been waiting to get out,” Deb says.[are you in or are you out?]
Because there’s no entry fee or
registration, it’s hard for Deb and the DisOrganizers to know
who everyone is. “What do we care who shows up?” she say
stopping to think about who they’ve turned away. “Let’s see, who
haven’t we let in? …Pretty much nobody.”
They don’t turn many people away.
But full nudity is not allowed. That’s not to say you won’t see
some skin on parade day because participants have been known to
push that envelope, but anyone showing up completely sans
clothing will be turned away.
“You can’t stop people from expressing their first
amendment rights. I mean that’s what it’s about, liberty and
lunacy,” Deb says.
There are some reasons to turn people away.
“Blatant advertisers will be turned away. You come dressed
normal just holding your business sign…get out of here! You’re
not funny,” Deb says.
She stresses the importance of taking
part in the festivities. She reveals a secret about a
group that’s coming. 65 motorcyclists are coming in
support of a certain someone (we can’t give away too
much!). Deb gave them a stern warning, “You better be
funny!”
[water balloon wars]
But don’t cross the line… Deb says
several years ago, a war involving water balloons started.
“Don’t let your kids out on Neil Avenue with super soakers. Why
would you want to ruin people’s art in the parade?”
The problem is minimal compared to
what it used to be. Several years ago they had to cancel the
parade because of a water balloon war that started on the ground
by an onlooker who threw water balloons at the procession. The
next year people in the parade retaliated and threw balloons at
the crowds. It escalated. They “cancelled” the parade, but ended
up having it anyway. “We just didn’t tell those ding dongs,” Deb
reveals.
[the accidental participant]
She says watching people line up at Park Street
ready to march in the parade is a show in and of itself. “And
what is really funny is when some poor, unsuspecting motorists
accidentally drives onto the route and gets stuck in the
parade,” Deb says. “There have been so many people who have
gotten into the parade by accident,” she laughs. “Some of the
best entries are the unplanned ones. The cars that have
absolutely nothing going on is probably someone who got in there
by accident, those are actually pretty funny.”
[less than honorable participants]
There will be 23 Less Than
Honorable Judges judging the floats this year (to reflect
23 years of Doo Dah success). Awards and trophies go to
the best and the worst. Another less than honorable
tradition is the Less Than Grand Marshall.
“Less Than Grand Marshalls
are showing up for the parade, they used to not show up,
which was kind of the joke,” Deb says. “Bob Nunelly of
channel 4, he was the first Less Than Grand Marshall to
show up. He was funny. Fritz the Night Owl showed up, and
Andrea Cambern showed up. Her entry was hilarious. She had
good Andrea and bad Andrea, which was a guy in drag.”[a good cause]
Money made from the Doo Dah parade goes to local
businesses. Deb says it’s very important to support the
neighborhood businesses and organizations.
Before telling a joke my father would always say,
“If you don’t want to laugh you better leave the room.” I offer
similar advice about the Doo Dah Parade. If you don’t want to
laugh and you’re not interested in having fun, then don’t bother
attending the Doo Dah Parade this year!
[where in the doo
dah?]
The doo dah parade begins on July 4, 2008 at
1:00pm. Lining up for the parade starts at noon at the corner of
Goodale Blvd and Park St pointing towards Buttles Ave. There's
no entry fee other than what your expenses are for your get-up,
just show your face at the line-up point and get walking.
The parade route straggle out Park Street, slope across Buttles,
shoot down Dennison, sneak across Collins, scale Neil Avenue,
swing East onto 2nd Avenue, and then slide down High Street and
stop at the last unlit arch.
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Roberts graduated from high
school in Zanesville, Ohio. Eight more years would pass before
Deb and Doo Dah would meet to form a bond that has blossomed
into some wildly disorganized fun.
trophies go to
the best and the worst. Another less than honorable
tradition is the Less Than Grand Marshall.
oo Dah parade goes to local
businesses. Deb says it’s very important to support the
neighborhood businesses and organizations.
