Disney Channel's Theme: A History Mystery

Andrea's casual reveal of "yeah, I was sneaking in fish stuff for at LEAST a year and a half before finding Nemo" like it was nothing. FRICKIN MASTERMIND

You know what got me? If you google "who wrote the Disney channel theme?" now, Alex's name comes up in bold at the top of the screen... You did that. You made that happen.

I took a film analysis class in high school and I will never forget what that teacher told us. He said "Remember...everything you see or hear in film or television costed money, time and more importantly effort. Every single thing you hear or see was put there for a reason, find the reason."

"This theme song consists of a four-note mnemonic jingle composed by the late Alex Lasarenko, former executive of Tonal Sounds and creative director at Elias Arts.[38][39]" —Wikipedia (Disney Channel article) Thank you, Kevin, for contributing to history.

It started as "Who wrote the Disney Channel theme?" and ended as "What sort of legacy should artists leave behind?" And it is beautiful.

Kevin being genuinely flabbergasted at the 9/11 “express yourself” segment was so fucking funny

I got so teary eyed when you spoke to Alex's colleagues and family. What an incredible tribute to his artistry and legacy.

Just asked my Google Home who wrote the theme song and she said the right answer AND called this a documentary! Absolutely incredible work.

Kansas City native here, just like Kevin Perjurer. The voice on the KMBC station ID at 22:45 is my late father, Drew Dimmel, who was KMBC's announcer as well as anchorman and weatherman, plus the voice of KC International Airport for years, and many other things. Hearing his voice again really made my day! Thanks Mr. Perjurer for using that clip! 🙏

Kevin, you have just made a major, MAJOR contribution to the preservation of this man’s legacy. Because of you, your efforts, and the colleagues and friends in this documentary, his art and genius are front and center. Congratulations, and thank you!

It's so funny that the first female name you tried when looking for G.Owen was Glenda when Glen was the name you needed

The reveal that we'd been listening to Alex Lasarenko's music the entire time gave me chills.

Honestly, as someone who studies archives and recording history, this is a documentary and this is archival work. This is remarkable, not only in its dedication and completeness, but in the fact that it puts a name to someone's work. We have this now. We know who composed this work, we can remember him now. Thank you for this. It's absolutely fantastic.

Just think: Andrea taylor single handedly transformed Disney Channel into a media juggernaut which influenced an entire generation of kids worldwide and launched an entire generation of teen actors into superstardom - and absolutely no one who actually grew up watching all this happen knew who she was until now.

Notice that the music starts right after the short pause following the "The Disney channel theme was created by."? It makes SO MUCH SENSE in retrospect.

"Isn't it weird that we don't know who wrote that theme?" "No." lmfao

I just want to say a big thank you to Defunctland for spotlighting all the "little" composers in the industry. Most people never even think about the fact that there are people behind all the music they listen to. It's really nice to see working composers who aren't the big stars being spotlighted.

Why am I getting emotional over a man I didn’t even know existed two hours before this video? The fact that everyone around him loved him and talked about his passion for music is so beautiful. His art is literally so nostalgic for so many people and he probably had no idea.

They say that a person dies twice. Once, when their body dies, and twice when their name is spoken for the last time. Thanks to your efforts, Alex Lasarenko lives on.

This video is a year old. There's close to zero chance that this will ever get seen by anyone, let alone someone it will matter to. It will be nearly the 25 THOUSANDTH comment on this video. However. When the discussion of legacy comes up at the end of this video, every time, I think of what Defunctland means to me. As silly as it may sound, 6 years ago or so, Defunctland changed my life. I was in high school, looking for something to listen to while I edited my school paper. I have no idea how I stumbled upon this channel, but it entirely changed my interests. I had been in a slump with my interests, my writing, my life, and suddenly I had... Disney. Theme parks. Something I had never cared about before. I get horribly sick on roller coasters and grew up without cable TV. Yet, when I listened to Defunctland, when I let myself be absorbed into the history of theme parks, I found myself immersed in the history of humans, which was something I had always loved. Defunctland personally revitalized my love for my life and the life for others, and I am eternally thankful for that. The Jim Henson series, the video on the McDonald's and Disney collaboration, and the History of the Nickelodeon Hotel all personally inspired portions of my worldbuilding, which was another hobby of mine that Defunctland inadvertently helped revitalize, but no video ever makes me feel like this one. Being remembered for something you don't necessarily want to be remembered for is a big deal. Jim Henson struggled with it. I struggle with it, even if I'm absurdly far from anything famous. What I'll always remember Defunctland - and by extension, of course, Kevin - for will be for giving my interests, my talents, my worldbuilding, and even myself new life. For teaching me, for throwing out one liners that are hilarious, and by all means, being a documentarian. The impact of this channel goes deeply beyond the medium.