Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Disco Demolition rally II



The Disco Demolition Rally in 1979 marked a low point in American cultural history  - that sad moment when middle America (read: white majority) rose up against the supposed  evils of disco and said 'enough'. The event was initiated by a radio DJ named Steve Dahl  who said it had nothing to do with race or sexuality (even tho disco had its origins in the black, gay community), but it sure doesn't read like that.

Now, the idea has been revived, and aimed at artists who have nothing to do with disco...

via Digital Music News: "Minor league baseball team Charleston RiverDogs hosted “Disco Demolition 2: You Better Belieb It” on Saturday, July 19th. Fans were invited to bring Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus music and merchandise. The items were put in a boombox and blown up on the field.

This was a followup to the Disco Demolition of 1979, where a crate of disco records was blown up between a double header between the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers.

The original Disco Demolition event was a disaster (depending on how you look at the situation). The audience rushed the field and the White Sox had to forfeit.

Mike Veeck was the promotions director of the White Sox in 1979, and he is now President of the Charleston RiverDogs.

RiverDogs General Manager Dave Echols gave a statement prior to the July 19th game:

“‘Disco Demolition 2′ is dedicated to the eradication of their dread musical disease, like the original Disco Demolition attempted to do. We are going to take Bieber and Cyrus’s merchandise and memorabilia, put it in a giant box, and blow it to smithereens. It is all in good fun, and we guarantee there won’t be a forfeit of a game…”

Disco Demolition 2 seems harmless, despite the confusing and pointless uproar over Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber. However, continuing the tradition of the first Disco Demolition is a little concerning.

Disco Demolition 1 was organized by white men who wanted to “eradicate” disco, music that bubbled up from African American and gay clubs. 

After Disco Demolition, Dave Marsh wrote this in Rolling Stone:

“It was your most paranoid fantasy about where the ethnic cleansing of the rock radio could ultimately lead… white males, eighteen to thirty-four are the most likely to see disco as the product of homosexuals, blacks, and Latins, and therefore they’re the most likely to respond to appeals to wipe out such threats to their security. It goes almost without saying that such appeals are racist and sexist, but broadcasting has never been an especially civil-libertarian medium.”

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