The web has almost an endless supply of resources, but racial hegemony? That’s a new one.
Christian Lander, author of The New York Times best selling novel “Stuff White People Like” along with the corresponding blog of the same name that started it all, will visit UT students as a part of the “Post Racial Comedy Tour” Wednesday night in the UC Auditorium.
Lisa Dicker, Issues Committee chair and junior in political science and Asian studies, said the event was brought to students in hopes of sparking talk about a touchy subject.
“We really wanted to have an open dialogue about stereotypes in America and social stratification but we wanted it to be a really relaxed and entertaining environment for discussion,” Dicker said.
Lander’s popularity began on his satirical website where he and a friend, Myles Valantin, list stereotypical interest and other things associate with white people. The website has garnered some upset among visitors, but Lander explains on his website that the topics are less about race and more about class divides. Dicker said that, because of the sensitivity of these type of discussions, students often stray away from talking about these subjects. She said the popularity of Lander’s work will set the right tone for students to become progressive about these type of issues.
Dickers believes campus organizations have improved concerning bringing events to discuss stereotypes among people.
“I think campus organizations especially in recent years have done a really good job breaking the ice on these issues,” she said. “It’s not totally acceptable in conversation. …”T
ia Shack, junior in journalism and electronic media, believes campus organizations have increased their coverage of these types of events.
“In several of the shows they put on you can always tell which crowd they are aiming to attract or who they are generating toward,” Shack said.
The “Post-Racial Comedy Tour” with Christian Lander will begin at 7 p.m. in the UC Auditorium and is free to the public. The event is being held by the Central Programming Council and the Issues Committee.
