For many of us, the summer of 1979 was a tough one. It certainly appeared as if President Jimmy Carter was in over his head and radio was saturating us with disco music.
It was no coincidence that two of the most famous days of that summer happened this week.
On the political front, we had “the malaise speech” or the speech that left most people dumbfounded.
On July 15, 1979, a frustrated President Carter gave that famous “malaise” speech that probably sank his presidency.
Fair or unfair, the speech and the word he didn’t use, defined President Carter. He spoke of a “new age of limits” and that just exposed him to attacks from Ronald Reagan, the ultimate optimist about the U.S. The U.S. is not a country of “limits.” It does not seem to like leaders who tell them to “downsize” their dreams.
Fair or unfair, the speech and the word he didn’t use, defined President Carter. He spoke of a “new age of limits” and that just exposed him to attacks from Ronald Reagan, the ultimate optimist about the U.S. The U.S. is not a country of “limits.” It does not seem to like leaders who tell them to “downsize” their dreams.
In other words, the speech did not work.
Then came “disco night” at the old Comiskey Park in Chicago. By the summer of 1979, disco was here, there, and everywhere. It got to a point that Frankie Avalon recorded a disco version of “Venus” and we heard a disco version of the “I Love Lucy” theme.
On July 12, 1979, the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers were scheduled to play a doubleheader. The Chisox needed a promotion and they got one by joining forces with Chicago DJ Steve Dahl, one of many rock fans who resented how disco threatened rock ’n’ roll.
The “Disco Demolition” promotion called for fans to blow up disco vinyl 45’s and LP’s between games.
What could possibly go wrong? Everything did, as the Chicago police department will tell you.
It happened one week in 1979. As for disco, it probably died that night, but, assailed by punk and new wave, it was dying already anyway.
As for “malaise”, it got worse for President Carter, from the Iran embassy hostages, to the failed rescue, the challenge from Senator Ted Kennedy and the humiliating defeat in 1980.
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