American Experience (TV Series) The War on Disco (2023) User Reviews

"War on Disco" was a backlash on gay and black people?

[Sproketer · 6/10 · 5 January 2024]

This documentary proposes that the backlash on disco music was some sort of anti-gay, anti-black movement. Certainly there were some elements within that backlash that felt that way, but that wasn't how I perceived it at the time. It was more a backlash on radio airplay heavily dominated by disco over rock, which caused radio listeners to feel resentment. Also, the Komisky Park riot did not bring down disco, the fans of disco changed their tastes. It happens with every aspect of popular music. Just ask the Monkees. Changing tastes, and changing artists, led to disco's disappearance. However, this was a fascinating examination of the era, and it did bring up my own memories of the 1970s and the rise of disco, and my own feelings of difficulty in accepting the trend. It was highly interesting in that way.

Disco died...but why?

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 29 February 2024]

"The War on Disco" is an episode of "The American Experience", a PBS series that I have loved for many years. However, to me, this was a rather weak episode...mostly because it tended to interject racism and homophobia in a situation that for most had nothing to do with race or sexual orientation. The show's tending to blame the fall of Disco on these factors isn't super-surprising as often "The American Experience" emphasizes prejudices and bigotry in its narrative.

When it comes to race and sexual orientation, I do agree with the show's premise that Disco gave voice and legitimacy to these groups. Clearly, mainstream America embraced the music which was already popular with gays and black Americans. But the reason that Disco fell is not so easy to equate to race. Some folks, undoubtedly disliked Disco for these reasons...but trying to blame Disco's death ONLY on these reasons just seems lazy. The show does mention these other factors but considering how little they discussed them compared to race shows a bit of a bias on the show's part.

Now, I am NOT saying this is a terrible documentary. It is entertaining and informative. But the show did seem to boil down a complex issue mostly to bigotry seems to be a major overstatement. So I saw watch it...and realize that there were many reasons Disco music faded.

"American Experience: The War on Disco" was an interesting look at the backlash against Disco's popularity in the late '70se

[tonyvmonte-54973 · 7/10 · 18 March 2024]

I finally got to watch this "American Experience" ep just now. In about an hour, it explored both how Disco music came to be and how the backlash against it led to an infamous event in a Chicago ballpark eventually known as "Disco Demolition Night". Among the people interviewed was the Indian (or in more modern terms "Native American") from The Village People. While I found the whole thing fascinating, I wish it had delved further into how Disco became more popular in the mainstream permeating more of the cultural scene as well as what other anti-Disco events led to that night in Comiskey Park. Events that I read on Wikipedia after watching this...