The (fairly widespread) longevity issues with original run of DiscoVision disks undoubtedly didn't help but it's not as if LD is the only format that suffers "Laser rot". (Which is actually a manufacturing flaw in the affected disks, nothing to do with the laserdisk format per se.) There have been bad runs of CDs and DVDs with similar problems. It might certainly have been a factor in confusing the public about the difference between LD and CED, since CED disks *by design* wear out while LD's killer feature was (in theory) the discs should be practically immortal.
Play a VHS tape a few dozen times in a dirty VCR (or once in a broken one) and it'll look as bad as a pretty terminal case of laser rot.
Play a VHS tape a few dozen times in a dirty VCR (or once in a broken one) and it'll look as bad as a pretty terminal case of laser rot.