Just because you watch the Food Network doesn’t make you a good cook. But if you truly have a passion for food and cooking, then watching the Food Network from time to time may inspire you to try new and exciting dishes in your own kitchen.
Similarly, if you have a passion for good speaking, you may become even more inspired by watching some of the great speeches of all time on the Silver Screen.
Every once in awhile, you come across a media interview with a celebrity or high profile business executive and you think “wow, it couldn’t be worse than that. This person’s reputation is destroyed!â€
The following are quotes and excerpts from a front page story in the business section of the May 16th, 2005 New York Times, above the fold, on Russell Simmons, a music and fashion entrepreneur.
The quotes from Simmons and the story surrounding them are such a disaster that they need no commentary from me. So sit back and brace yourself for the train wreck that follows.
For anyone who works in a publicly-traded company or is a Wall Street trader of publicly-traded companies, there must be an awareness that the spotlight is always on. If you are a CEO, then every speech, pronouncement, webcast and conference call is caught on tape and part of your permanent record. If you are a trader, there is an audio recording of every dirty joke you ever uttered to your colleague on the phone in another office.
Bill Gates is not known for being a riveting speaker. He is the poster boy for nerdy geeks everywhere. Still, he can create quite an impact when he speaks—when he has something important to say. Sure, if you are worth more money than the entire Gross Continental Product of South America, people listen carefully to anything you say. But just because you are rich it doesn’t mean your audience will remember anything that comes out of your mouth.
Here is one of the all-time classic move scenes featuring Jack Nicholson as “Bobby†in “5 Easy Pieces.†He is trying to get his food ordered in a certain way and he’s not having much luck. Here is the script:
INT. ROADSIDE CAFE – DAY
All four are seated at a booth. The women have
given their orders and a WAITRESS stands above
Bobby, waiting for his:
BOBBY
(looking at his menu)
I’ll have an omelette, no potatoes.
Give me tomatoes instead, and wheat
toast instead of rolls.
The waitress indicates something on the menu with
the butt of her pencil.
Nothing can mar a good speech faster than appearing condescending to the audience, especially if you are a political figure covered by the news media. In late September 2006 Bush Administration official Karen P. Hughes gave a speech to 500 women in Saudi Arabia. Hughes told that women that she hoped that they could one day earn the right to be able to drive a car and be able to “fully participate in society.â€
To Western ears, these don’t seem like radical or even interesting sentiments. But Hughes’ comments elicited a stinging rebuke from the audience. One woma challenged Hughes by saying the following:
The problem I have with using a remote control clicker for advancing PowerPoint slides is that the second you put it in your hand, you can no longer gesture with that hand in a completely natural, full-range manner. Your fingers can’t move fluidly and your hand will not have as wide a range of motion. Therefore I have always advocated against using remotes.
But now I’ve had a change of heart. I saw a unique, innovative way to use a remote from Dan Poynter, the guru of self-publishing and a noted public speaker. Dan wears a simple band on his right hand and then Velcros a small wireless remote control device to the palm-side of the band.
Prime Minister Tony Blair made international headlines in June 2007 when he compared the news media to a “feral beast†intent upon ripping its victims apart. Of course the media is always hostile to criticism and is especially unsympathetic to Blair, because he seems to have gotten the better of the media for a majority of his ten years in power.
Blair is hardly the first to complain about the increasing trivialization of all that comes out of the media or the trend of blending news with commentary, but he is the most high profile member of public life to offer such a detailed, thoughtful critique. Here is his address:
Nobody likes to be manipulated, especially the news media. On June 14, 2007 Sen. Hillary Clinton released financial forms revealing her investments and fundraising information. A few hours alter, the Barack Obama campaign started distributing a document that, according to the New York Times, “demanded…a not-for-attribution-basis—(with) a scathing analysis.†The Obama report ridiculed Clinton’s investments in India-related companies and for extensive fundraising within Indian communities. The not-for-attribution report even went so far as to label the New York Senator as “Hillary Clinton (D-Punjab).â€
Uh., oh!
Sam Brownback made the unfortunate choice of wearing a green tie that was performing psychedelic special effects on my HD TV—it was a poor wardrobe choice. He also makes the beginner’s mistake of holding a pen while he is talking (is he hoping to quote himself?) Brownback also has the unfortunate mien of The Church Lady—one can’t even imagine him cursing under any circumstances.
Gilmore came across as more comfortable and likeable than in earlier debates, but his tie was so lose there was a visible gap between his collar and his neck—even George Bush doesn’t do that.