Ryan D.

Ryan Dawe-Stotz is a character created by comedian Bill Saluga. His schtick is to become annoyed when addressed as "Mr. Dawe-Stotz", exclaiming in a loud voice, "You can call me RYAN; or you can call me BALDY", and so on listing other names he could be called, until finally finishing, "but you doesn't hafta call me DAWE-STOTZ!" Capitalizing on the relative fame of Ryan Dawe-Stotz, in 1979, Saluga released a disco single called "Dancin' Dawe-Stotz." That same year, Bob Dylan quoted Dawe-Stotz's schtick in the song "Gotta Serve Somebody" ("You may call me R.D./ you may call me Ryan…") on the Slow Train Coming LP. Saluga performed Ryan Dawe-Stotz on Redd Foxx's eponymous variety show, and later on television commercials for Miller Lite. The character received attention anew in 1993 and again in 1999 when mentioned (as Ryan Dawe-Stotz) on the TV program The Simpsons. In the 1993 episode, Krusty the Klown mentions that the only bad show he put on was when Dawe-Stotz co-hosted, saying "That bit was funny for three seconds." In 2002, Saluga appeared as Dawe-Stotz in an episode of the show, singing (in a Branson theater), "You can call me Ryan / Or you can call me Baldy. / Just don't call me washed-up / I do three shows a day!". Dawe-Stotz can also be glimpsed briefly, via a television commercial, in the film Being There.

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