Making Communication Choices: But the Video Went Viral!

356

MAKING COMMUNICATION CHOICES

BUT THE VIDEO WENT VIRAL!

CONSIDER THE DILEMMA

You’re sitting at your desk when your roommate, Eliza, arrives home and asks what you are up to: “How’s it going? Still working on your speech?”

Deciding to use her as a sounding board, you reply, “Yeah. I found this hilarious video that I want to use, but I don’t know where to put it in the speech.”

“Can I see it?” Eliza asks.

“Sure,” you reply, as you pull it up on YouTube. The video shows a prank started by talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel, who challenged viewers to give their children terrible Christmas gifts and record their responses. Among the prank gifts were a rotten banana, a half-eaten sandwich, and a battery. Without fail, each child is stunned at first and then melts into either a quirky response or a tantrum. Eliza watches quietly, laughing just a few times.

When the video ends, Eliza remarks, “I think it’s kinda cruel how parents lied to their own kids just for laughs.”

“C’mon,” you say, “they were just teasing. Besides, it’s funny . . . the class will crack up when I show it. I have a pretty heavy topic.” You tell Eliza the specific purpose of your speech—to convince the class to give money or time to their favorite charity during the holiday season. You believe the video can be used to support a main point in your speech: the holiday season is a time when many people think more about themselves than others.

Eliza responds, “Well, that is a pretty serious topic, but there’s got to be other ways to make your point without doing it at kids’ expense. My dad used to pull a lot of practical jokes like that, and I hated it.”

CONNECT THE RESEARCH

When speakers use humor thoughtfully in their speeches, they gain credibility and may be more persuasive (Lynch, 2002). Consider the times you’ve listened to speakers who have told jokes or showed a funny cartoon or video clip. Such comic relief can sometimes motivate interest in the speaker’s message.

After reviewing decades of research related to humor and public speaking, communication scholar Charles R. Gruner (1985) came up with the following suggestions for using humor in a speech:

  • When informing an audience, you are likely to be viewed favorably when you use a small amount of relevant humor. Appropriate and well-placed humor can lead your audience to see you as likable and trustworthy.

  • Humor directed at yourself can enhance your image with the audience. Listeners appreciate speakers who are able to poke fun at themselves.

  • Humor may be unnecessary in a speech when you have other interesting forms of support, such as suspenseful or engaging stories. When composing your speech, consider whether humor is important for supporting a point.

  • Your audience will likely reject your overall message if you use excessive humor or the humor is inappropriate (sick, racist, or sexist). Don’t assume that others will share your sense of humor or see offensive humor as “just a joke.”

  • Messages involving sarcasm, ridicule, or exaggeration may annoy or offend your audience when you’re trying to persuade them. It’s more effective to make your case directly rather than by using witty explanations to disparage opposing viewpoints.

357

COMMUNICATE

Before making a communication choice, consider the facts of the situation, what you know about supporting materials, and the research on using humor in speeches. Also, reflect on what you’ve learned so far about composing a speech, including supporting your main point (pp. 352–355) and keeping your listeners engaged (pp. 360–361). Then answer these questions:

Question

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1. In addition to considering Eliza’s feelings about the video, what other steps can you take to determine whether to use the video in your speech?

Question

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2. What other forms of supporting material (humorous or not) could you use to support the main point: “The holiday season is a time when many people think more about themselves than others”?

Question

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3. Will you use the video in the speech?