THE WORD : The Karaoke Kronicle

Karaoke seems more popular than Prozac in Southern California these days. And that may not be a coincidence: “It’s therapeutic,” declares Dennis G. Snyder, a KJ--karaoke jockey--and publisher of the 11-month-old newsletter California Karaoke Scene.

With so many folks taking advantage of the carthartic effects of pretending to be Frank or Barry or Liza, Snyder says his publication is proof of the boom. In the first issue eight months ago, only 60 karaoke clubs were listed; the newsletter now includes more than 200. Snyder says he distributes 25,000 copies of his bimonthly newsletter at clubs and other outlets throughout Los Angeles and the Valley.

Snyder’s newsletter offers more than just listings. It recently reported on two scalawags who had gone to great lengths to win their respective big-buck sing-along contests (Karaoke croon-offs now offer prizes as high as $1,000): One told his competitors that the night of the contest had been changed. Another used his universal remote control to change the key of some of his competitor’s songs. Both were apprehended and reprimanded. We can only hope they were forced to listen to each other sing “Feelings.”