Bar Mitzvah Disco: The Music May Have Stopped, but the Party's Never Over

by Roger Bennett, Nick Kroll, Jules Shell

The Music May Have Stopped, but the Party's Never Over.
Bar Mitzvah Disco. Everyone's Invited
Pick up your table card and come be our guest on this journey back to a time when style, music, and lust went hand in hand with a Day-Glo necklace, a pair of Z Cavaricci jeans, and Vuarnet shades. In this parallel universe, tall girls slow-danced with short boys at arm's length, suburban break-dance pioneers vied with Lionel Richie fanatics for dance-floor space, Aunt Edna came ready to mount an assault on the dessert buffet in her best lime-green polyester pantsuit, and the phrase the higher the hair, the closer to God took on a whole new meaning.
With special appearances from:
AJ Jacobs, 99 red balloons, Ben Lee, the California Raisins, a well-intentioned Burt Reynolds impersonator, Jessi Klein, Joel Stein, DJ Squeak E. Clean, members of Foreigner (circa the Agent Provocateur tour), Sarah Silverman, OJ Simpson, Noah Tepperberg, Wendy Spero, the cast of Breakin', Mark Ronson, Steve Fortgang and southern Florida's number one Bar Mitzvah band
Bar Mitzvah Disco is an irresistible journey, two parts Fantasy Island to one part Vegas, rife with gorgeous girls, piles of cash, and ungracious thank-you notes presented straight from the source.

Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, Judaism, Humor

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[Kris K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can usually tell when someone scans past this on the shelf. They tend to stop their neck scroll. Momentarily move on. Then double back a bit while cocking their head to the side ever so slightly. Almost like a doge trying to figure out a card trick.

It’s followed up with a “Do what now?”. Then it is pick it up and the rad pictures of totally futuristic robots and mad fresh hair styles wash over them.

3.89 stars as book. 5 stars as drunken Amazon purchase.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheer genius. If you turned 12/13 in the 1980's this is the book for you.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a really cute book and I learned a few new things like what the Coke and Pepsi game is.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just look at the pictures and tell me it doesn't bring you back to a better time... with alot more frills and braces.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book. I cant say enough about it. Whether you are flipping through the pictures or reading the stories, its great.

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Tons of fun memories from yesteryear. Kudos to the authors for putting this together!

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photos were great. Sometimes the stories or section starts left more to be desired.

[Sean Keeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Semi-quick, funny read with loads of photos. If you wanna giggle, reminisce about a simpler time and look at how we used to dress, then this is the book for you.

[Elaine Meszaros · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don’t need to be a Jew to appreciate this glorious collection. Bennett et al. collected thousands of Bar and Bat Mitzvah photos from the 60’s through the 80’s. And lord are they hideous. Acres of acne, mounds of poof sleeves and blue eye shadow, braces gleaming left and right and horrible, horrible photos of People Who Cannot Dance getting down. Oy! And yet, it is so fun. The writers and their "subjects" gleefully share stories of the preparation for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah, parental melt-downs, the careful choosing of the guest-list, the special outfit (special ruffled socks made to match the ruffled dress), the pathetic attempts at learning enough Hebrew to get through the reading (you know you are a reform Jew when the reading is spelled phonetically - Bah-ruk Add-on-i) and the gobs of cash and gifts. Perhaps what I enjoyed most about the book is the lack of snarkiness (I know, it’s a first). The only jokes made are by the participants themselves. Even the DJ is skintight, shiny purple spandex pants and tweed jacket gets only a tiny bit of ribbing. Enjoy, browse, remember ghastly middle school dances, birthday blow-outs and the horror and humor of being 13. As an added bonus, there is a great "where are they now" section at the end of the book. See, there is hope for any 13 year old dork! Ohhh, and the site says a video documentary is on the way. Joy!

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across the title of this book on a book website under the title
"Weird Books". I added it to my Amazon wishlist and there it sat forgotton about until now. I actually looked this up at my library and was surprised to find it on the shelve's. So much better to borrow novalty books than to buy and then regret the purchase later. I would have regreted buying this.

I have never had nor have I ever been to a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. This book started with a forward by the Village People and is basically pictures and stories of the parties from the 60's, 70's and 80's. Even the comedian Sara Silverman contributes a story.

It was ok for a book to look through but not something I would buy and keep in my library.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never went to a bar Mitzvah when I was a kid. My only one was when I was 25 years old and it was my boyfriend at the time little brothers Bar Mitzvah.Completely hysterical, the pictures and stories are priceless and brought back plenty of memories of growing up in the 70's and 80's.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know the guy on the cover!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The clothes, the hair - there is nothing not to love.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun photos. I look forward to checking out the camp book.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely hysterical, the pictures and stories are priceless and brought back plenty of memories of growing up in the 70's and 80's.

[Edy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just thought the forward by the Village People was pretty funny.

[Rochelle Stern · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must view/read for anyone who had a Bar/Bat Mitzvah in the 1970s/1980s. Very sentimental, memorable, and fun.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you were raised in the 50s or 60s, you will see yourself in this book.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is photographic crack. Enjoy.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny. Could have used more late 1970s & early 1980s images.