Lee Camp, a New York-based standup comedian, writer, commentator and outspoken advocate for Occupy Wall Street, will occupy himself today with a standup show at GG’Bubble Tea & Lounge, 19 South Court St.
Besides writing for The Huffington Post and The Onion, Camp has also made numerous appearances as a TV commentator. His criticism of Fox News on the station’s own morning show has drawn millions of online viewers.
“I prefer to call myself a cultural ‘commentarian’ or a ‘satirista,’ even though neither of those words exists,” Camp said. “Most of my jokes are about our society, what we value and who’s stealing it from us, and then sometimes I throw in a pun.”
Last night, Camp presented the inaugural Mel Helitzer Humor in Communication Lecture sponsored by the Mel Helitzer Fund and E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. The lecture is in honor of the Mel Helitzer, an OU professor who died in 2009.
Robert Stewart, director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, introduced the lecture last night as a gift to the late Helitzer, who would have celebrated his 87th birthday tomorrow.
As someone who usually performs standup, Camp said presenting a lecture was a new experience for him.
“I’m so used to continuous laughter, but that’s really not what giving a lecture is about. It’s like you are a tennis player, and somebody asks you to run a race,” Camp said after the lecture. “But it was fun, and I hope everyone got something out of it, and I think all of the questions were really good.”
Baker Theatre was filled to capacity during the lecture, with at least 20 people forced to stand or sit in the aisles.
Kyle Phelps, a sophomore studying history, said he decided to come to the lecture after reading some of Camp’s stories in The Onion.
“He seems to be a fairly funny guy, just what I expected from somebody from The Onion,” Phelps said.
Carson Wagner, an assistant professor in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, nominated Camp for the lecture.
“Even though I may sometimes disagree with him, I believe that what he writes and says is not only hilarious, but it’s provocative and makes you think,” Wagner said.
Camp performed at GG’s Bubble Tea & Lounge last April, the same place he will take the stage tonight. Camp said he is looking forward to performing in Athens again because the OU audience is looking for more than entertainment.
“I have a lot of shows where the audience is lovely, but they’re only there to laugh. They laugh, and they go home,” Camp said. “At OU, the people are there to learn and grow and stand up for their beliefs.”
sw454711@ohiou.edu
Correction: The photo caption has been updated to correct the photographer's name.
