Friday Vid Picks: Oratory

Is great oratory on the decline? I am not a pessimist and am far too young to claim any greater value of things from “back in my day,” but lengthy, articulate, and confident grandiloquence has clearly found a comfortable home online. Where else could a 22-minute speech originally aired on C-SPAN become a national sensation?

Maybe I’ve been hanging out with Aaron Sorkin too much, or I’ve been attending too many lectures, or perhaps I was recently inspired by the Digging of TED speeches, but I’m in the mood for some serious talking heads. Here, for your weekend edification, are some amazing speeches from some excellent orators that have found a comfortable home online.

Paul Hawken speaks at Bioneers 2006


Combining his soft-spoken demeanor, a powerful message and amazing visualization of nearly every environmental organization on the planet, author Paul Dawken connects the audience at the Bioneers Conference with the global green movement.

What Do Teachers Really Make? Taylor Mali Explains…

Slam poetry is an extremely powerful form of oratory. Evoking the quick wit and wordplay of Shakespearean repartee, slam poetry is the metered delivery of precise words. Teacher and slam poet Taylor Mali laments the failing conviction and precision of today’s inarticulate youth and demands that we do better, and his delivery even more than his message proves how a command of language can be a powerful tool.

Mr. Rogers talks to the U.S. Senate

From the YouTube time warp comes Fred “Mr.” Rogers, speaking with a heartfelt candor and gravity rarely seen in Congressional hearings. Delivering a “philosophical statement” in defense of funding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Rogers outlines how the programming on public television directly contributes to the mental health of the nation. Rogers, breaking into song at one point, articulates his intense passion for children’s well-being and melts the cold, Vietnam-era heart of then-Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Pastore.

Ira Glass on Storytelling

Ira Glass’s mildly nasal observational reflections accompany me on my daily commute with This American Life, which provides a venue for some amazing oratory from authors and storytellers who otherwise might not have their voice heard. Here Glass explains how storytelling on broadcast is unique in its inherent construction and how the medium demands a certain structure. (Note: After searching Current’s new site I was not able to find this clip listed anywhere. What’s the deal?)

Prof. Randy Pausch’s Last LectureDiagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in August, Randy Pausch was told he had three to six months of good health left. Pausch, who has a PhD in computer science, has designed video games with Electronics Arts (ERTS), consulted on user interface for Google (GOOG), authored numerous books and articles and worked as an Imagineer for Disney (DIS) — and says he has very few regrets. This is his last lecture; it has garnered a huge amount of attention as such is well worth the 100-minute investment.

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