First off, let me begin this entry with an emphatic “Wow.” For those who know me (or frequently read the recess staffbox), it should be pretty clear as to why I enjoyed this video. Mixed Company, meet your biggest fan. Of course, I’m not pre-med, so this might be a lot of barking up the wrong tree.
Now that I’ve got that out of the way, I would like to highlight how “Single Asians” carries just as much insight into the human mind as the song that inspired Mixed Company’s masterpiece. Whereas “Single Ladies” revealed the foundations of human sexual jealousy, “Single Asians” is an interesting example of a widely acknowledged cognitive phenomenon: stereotype threat. Championed primarily by Stanford’s Claude Steele, the theory behind stereotype threat posits that simply exposing people to prevalent stereotypes alters their behavior to fit these preconceived notions.
And after decades of research, there’s little doubt that stereotype threat is psychological fact. In perhaps the most famous example, Steele gave two groups of black students a sample math section from the SAT. One condition took the test and afterwards completed a form asking them to identify their race. The other condition took the same test but filled out the race questionnaire first. As Steele hypothesized, those students who took the test after identifying themselves as black did much worse than those who thought about their race after the test. (more…)
Leave it to Yale girls to produce this video. Jumping on the bandwagon a little bit late, Eli a capella group Mixed Company has just realized a sort of parody of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” entitled “Single Asians.” They can’t dance as well as Mrs. Z, but they have wit. And even if it’s rooted in Asian stereotypes, as IvyGate says, “But given that all of the girls singing the song appear to be Asian, it’s no big deal, right?” Enjoy?
Camera Obscura’s new album My Maudlin Career is set to drop April 21 on 4AD and the band has just released their summer tour schedule. It includes a stop at the Cradle June 20, enriching what is already shaping up to be a pretty spectacular summer concert schedule for the Triangle. Check out the video for their first single below and the full list of dates after the jump.
This Wednesday at 7 p.m., renowned American conceptual artist Dario Robleto will be coming to Nasher Museum of Art to discuss his work and upcoming involvment in the museum’s upcoming exhibit, The Record. Robleto’s work has been featured at galleries such as Whitney Museum in New York. The talk is presented by the Barbra and Andrew Rothschild Lecture series.
A reception will follow the lecture. Seating is limited, and reservations can be made here.
Contrary to a previously held belief, Twitter can be useful. Case in point: I just learned from the Wine Authorities Twitter that one of Durham’s finest food outposts, OnlyBurger, will be returning to the streets of the Bull City this Wednesday. The burger truck has been out of commission since Dec. 5 when, according to its Twitter, it was in a collision.
According to Carpe Durham, Wine Authorities also sent out an e-mail with the details of the roach coach’s return. Wine Authorities and OnlyBurger will be hosting a “Burger Speakeasy” at the former’s store (2501 University Dr.) Wednesday, March 25 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The e-mail also says that a third member has joined the team of Tom Ferguson (Durham Catering Co.) and Sam Poley (Restaurant Starlu). Check out the e-mail in full here.
Between its inception and accident, the truck spent a good deal of time on Duke’s campus, often parked under the plaza. It also paved the way for the forthcoming Diablo Taco truck and, to the best of my knowledge, is Durham’s first and only non-taco-vending eatery on wheels.
Regardless, OnlyBurger’s return could not have come sooner.
