Ridiculous History – "Disco Balls are Ridiculous, and We Love Them"

Podcast: Ridiculous History
Hosts: Ben Bowlin, Noel Brown
Super Producer: Max Williams
Release Date: October 2, 2025
Duration: ~48 mins (content covered through ~46:50)

Episode Overview

This episode celebrates the surprisingly deep, dazzling, and occasionally absurd history of the disco ball. Hosts Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown dive into the origins, cultural waves, technological changes, and enduring appeal of the mirrored sphere—showing how a device originally intended as a lighting "flex" became a cultural touchstone, then a symbol, and finally, an object of cozy, post-pandemic home décor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Rise of the "Myriad Reflector": Early Origins

[06:07 – 10:18]

• Way Older Than Disco:
  The mirrored ball didn’t start with disco in the 1970s, but actually dates back to at least 1897.

• First Sightings:
  An electricians’ union in Charlestown, MA, created a dazzling “mirror ball” for their annual ball to “emit light visible for miles around Boston," as reported in The Electrical Worker magazine.

• Original Name:
  The device was first called the "myriad reflector," emphasizing its multiple reflective facets.

• Patent Filed:
  In 1917, Louis Bernard Woest filed a patent for the "myriad reflector," describing it as a polyhedral device covered with mirrors, capable of being suspended and rotated to create dramatic lighting effects.

  "A myriad reflector comprising mirrors mounted to form a polyhedron bounded by a convex system of plane faces [...] so that it may be swung and rotated simultaneously to produce, wait for it, myriad reflections when light rays from an extraneous source are thrown thereon."
  —Ben Bowlin quoting Woest's patent [14:05]

2. Twenties, Swing, and the Interwar Years

[19:47 – 22:32]

• Spread to Popular Venues:
  Commercial production by Stevens & Woest took off in the 1920s, with the "magnificent globe" (27” sphere, 1,200 mirrors) being sold to dance halls, skating rinks, jazz clubs, and nightclubs.

• Not Just for Parties:
  One 1921 Illustrated World photo caption joked that the image wasn’t a starfield—but a nightclub in Dayton, OH.

• Great Depression:
  Production stopped during the depression due to diminished demand for sparkly decor.

  "Which place are you going to go to? You’re going to go to the one with the mirror ball."
  —Ben Bowlin [20:32]

3. Omega National Products & The Industrialization of Disco Balls

[22:32 – 29:14]

• Post-War Revival:
  Omega National Products, based in Louisville, KY, revived mirror ball manufacturing in the 1940s, along with flexible, mirrored sheets used in art deco furniture and flamboyant props (notably Liberace’s mirrored piano).

• Workforce:
  During WWII, women predominantly worked in disco ball production.

• Sizing for All:
  Omega offered every size—from keychain “tiny boys” (2”) to massive 6 ft. spheres (at $4,000 in the 1940s, ~ $20K now).

• The Monopoly:
  Omega at one point produced 90% of the world’s disco balls.

• Celebrity Clients:
  Clients have included Beyoncé, Madonna (who emerged from a giant disco ball in concert), "Dancing with the Stars," and the Academy Awards.

  “You are in the C-suite of Omega National and you say: I make 90% of the world's disco balls. Not 100%. But very humble.”
  —Ben Bowlin [27:31]

4. How Did the Disco Ball Become Synonymous With Disco?

[29:14 – 34:54]

• 1970s NYC Scene:
  The ball's association with disco crystalized in New York City clubs, notably The Loft and The Gallery, run by disco legend Nicky Siano.

• Media & Pop Culture:
  Saturday Night Fever (1977) and club scenes cemented the disco-disco ball relationship.

• Disco Demolition Night (1979):
  The infamous Chicago White Sox promotion involved the public destruction of disco records, devolving into chaos and symbolizing growing hostility against disco (often with racist and homophobic undertones).

• Culture War:
  Disco’s decline was not just musical but cultural; the destruction of disco records paralleled attacks on Black, Latino, and queer club communities.

  "It felt like a Nazi book burning."
  —Nile Rodgers, on witnessing Disco Demolition Night [38:13, relayed by Ben]

5. Legacy, Rediscovery, and the Disco Ball at Home

[40:00 – 43:41]

• Musical Afterlife:
  Disco’s “four-on-the-floor” beat influenced punk, dance-punk (e.g., LCD Soundsystem), and electronic music.

• Pandemic Resurgence:
  Home-bound folks embraced disco balls as joyful décor, with producers like Libby Rasmussen noting 5,000+ home orders during COVID lockdowns.

• Statistical Spike:
  Etsy searches for "disco ball" were up nearly 400% in early 2022.

• Queer Origins:
  As noted by artist Sophie Peoples, disco balls have long been embedded in queer nightlife and home spaces—and trends often originate in the queer community before broad mainstream adoption.

  “Oftentimes, queer and trans people are kind of the creative pavers of what’s on trend, and it just sometimes takes everyone else a little bit longer to catch up.”
  —Sophie Peoples, quoted by Noel [42:04]

6. The Aesthetics of Celebration

[46:08]

• Why Now?
  Quoting historian Kate Regev, the disco ball’s revival is part of a wider movement away from cozy, muted pandemic-era interiors toward more decadent, sparkly, and celebratory spaces:

  "They're looking for moments of joy."
  —Kate Regev, via Noel [46:50]

Memorable Quotes & Fun Exchanges

• On the patent:

  "Every patent is a pitch."
  —Ben Bowlin [12:18]

  "A myriad reflector reflecting surfaces, the same to be arranged in such a manner that the several reflections shall be projected at varying angles, the device itself being arranged so that it may be rotated or otherwise moved so that the reflections may create spectacular effects."
  —Louis Bernard Woest, patent (read by hosts) [13:04]

• Nostalgic Flex:

  "I own about five disco balls in my house."
  —Noel Brown [06:07]

• On the disco ball comeback:

  "You wake up in the morning to a sparkly, dancy, twinkly light show, and it rules. It just feels good."
  —Noel Brown [41:32]

Notable Timestamps

• [06:07] – The real (non-disco) origins of the mirror ball
• [08:46] – Eloquently poetic description from the 1897 trade paper
• [14:05] – Reading from the original patent
• [19:47] – [22:32] – The interwar years, Dayton, OH club photo, and the Great Depression bust
• [22:32] – [28:22] – Omega National Products’ postwar dominance & manufacturing innovations
• [29:14] – [34:54] – The disco era, NYC clubs, Saturday Night Fever, and Disco Demolition Night
• [38:13] – Nile Rodgers on the “book burning” feeling of disco's backlash
• [40:00] – [43:05] – The home disco ball renaissance during the COVID-19 pandemic
• [46:08] – [46:50] – Kate Regev on 1970s design revival and celebration

Episode Wrap-up

The episode closes by reflecting on the cyclical nature of trends, the joy disco balls continue to bring, and their deep roots in marginalized communities and celebratory aesthetics. As Ben puts it:

"A disco ball… absolutely fits that criteria [of a thoughtful gift]." [46:02]

Additional Notes

• Hosts’ Tone: Conversational, gleefully nerdy, and effervescent. They sprinkle jokes (“tiny boy,” “hotdog buns before the game,” “melted disco ball”) with genuine research.
• Memorable Product Shoutout: melteddiscoball.com [44:52]
• Cultural Reflection: The episode ties the disco ball's history to shifting social dynamics, innovation, and ongoing resilience as a symbol of collective joy.

TL;DR

Disco balls began as a quirky lighting effect in 1897, patented as the "myriad reflector." They soared through jazz age dance halls, faded in the depression, roared back thanks to Omega National Products, and became disco era icons—embodying inclusion, ingenuity, and celebration. Hated and lionized, they’re now back as sought-after art objects and home décor, catching the light (and our hearts) once again.