Category Archives: Popular Culture

Stayin’ Alive, For Three Decades

On its thirtieth anniversary (boy, does that make me feel old) John Derbyshire has a long review of Saturday Night Fever.

I learned a lot about it that I hadn’t known before. But then, I’ve never seen the movie, for two reasons. First, it had John Travolta in it. Second, it was chock full of disco, which I’ve long thought a tool of the devil, and did at the time. Like rap, I’ve never had much interest in music in which the drums (and occasionally bass) carried the melody. Also, as many have since noted, it destroyed vibrancy of the club scene for years, when it was a lot easier and cheaper to hire a deejay with his disco records than a live band. And because
of that, despite his rave review, I think I’ll continue to remain an SNF virgin.

[Update a few minutes later]

Here’s an endorsement:

Disco–favorite music of the deaf!

Stayin’ Alive, For Three Decades

On its thirtieth anniversary (boy, does that make me feel old) John Derbyshire has a long review of Saturday Night Fever.

I learned a lot about it that I hadn’t known before. But then, I’ve never seen the movie, for two reasons. First, it had John Travolta in it. Second, it was chock full of disco, which I’ve long thought a tool of the devil, and did at the time. Like rap, I’ve never had much interest in music in which the drums (and occasionally bass) carried the melody. Also, as many have since noted, it destroyed vibrancy of the club scene for years, when it was a lot easier and cheaper to hire a deejay with his disco records than a live band. And because
of that, despite his rave review, I think I’ll continue to remain an SNF virgin.

[Update a few minutes later]

Here’s an endorsement:

Disco–favorite music of the deaf!

Baseball Blogging

From a world class pitcher. That’s what I call disintermediation, and it’s pretty cool, but I suspect that not all baseball players are articulate enough to do this. And as Joe Katzman points out, the jealousy of the sports writers, and this comment, are pretty amusing.

On a side note, I watched the Tigers blow a game against the Royals yesterday. They’re doing pretty well so far this year, but they can’t give up tying runs in the ninth, and then lose it in the tenth, and get back to the series. Especially against the cellar team in their division.