I’m sick and tired of public officials and corporate executives reading from a script when speaking to the public. I used “sick and tired,” a phrase I am sick and tired of hearing. Sick? Really? And Tired? – Come on, nobody is SICK and TIRED in a literal sense. I vote to retire the phrase. Anyhow, I’m sick and tired of people in power who are unable to stand up and say what’s on their mind without reading from a script or a teleprompter.
It’s especially irritating when they are commenting on a tragedy. They say how sorry they are for the family and add, “Our thoughts and prayers are with them.” Okay, a nice sentiment, I suppose, but not when the speaker looks down at a script or off to the side at a teleprompter. It makes you think they don’t really mean what they are spouting, most likely written by someone else.
Okay, I admit it; it’s not easy to speak in public. Some surveys rate it right up there with the fear of flying and death. If a speaker doesn’t want to forget an important point, then have a small list of major points to keep them on track, but speak from the heart. Be real, not an actor playing a role.
Sometimes, in addition to reading from a script, a speaker will have a line of people behind him or her to pass off the tough questions to during a Q & A session that follows the “play.” Or, even worse, the dreaded Power Point presentation.
The other part of my “sick and tired” rant is the length of these speeches. Five minutes is a good place to start wrapping it up; at that point, 50% of the audience is off wool gathering. At ten minutes, the rest go to more pleasant places in their mind, wondering what to have for dinner, what the weather will be tomorrow, how long will this gas bag go on, and finally, “How can I get out of here?”
There once was a tactic taught in public speaking classes called, “KISS.” Keep it Simple Stupid! It’s smart to have a spouse or a good friend in the back of the room when you are speaking, to blow you a kiss, sending you the “Keep It Simple Stupid” message. Unfortunately, those stuffed shirts, who never look up from their script or away from the teleprompter, won’t get the message. When it comes to speaking or writing, less is more!
Time for me to KISS off.
I enjoyed this commentary. I have enjoyed the Old Coot column for years. I am writing a book about buzzwords and 21st Century cliches… By the way, the first time I recall hearing the phrase “sick and tired” was in Stevie Wonder’s classic 1974 hit “You Haven’t Done Nothin.’”