After "The Gong Show" went off the air, Barris kept a lower profile (did not attract as much attention), but still worked in television. In the 1980s, he published a memoir, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind". Barris claimed in the book to have been a CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) agent and assassin, who regretted his earlier life. He also regretted making "puerile" (childish) television shows, that catered to poor taste. It was republished in the 1990s.