Public Speaking [January 29, 2013]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

"Hey there," Josh said, putting down his coffee to greet the class as they sat down. "We've covered informative speeches. Political speeches--and we'll get to your speeches on political speeches in a minute--cover a weird space between informative speeches and persuasive speeches, and if you're smarter than an eggplant, you can probably guess what our next section is. I'll write it down anyway."

He scrawled "PERSUASIVE SPEECH" on the whiteboard. "There are three ways to persuade people, using ethos: credibility, image, public reputation, perceived expertise; logos: using words and concepts to make your point; and pathos, the manipulation of emotions, feelings, and gut reactions.

"All right," Josh continued. "To use ethos, you must already be an expert in your field in the eyes of your audience. I could lecture credibly on Democratic politics, the executive branch, the legislative branch, and any number of domestic hot button issues. If I tried to convince you about anything related to nuclear physics, you'd laugh me out of the room. Basically ethos is summarized as 'I'm whoever, and I endorse this message', and trusting that who you are is enough to persuade people of how right you are. No one's gonna buy cereal on my say-so, but they might take a second look at a primary candidate I endorse."

He leaned back against his desk. "Logos is using--not shocking--logic to present your arguments. 'I believe this, here are three reasons why you should too.' It's the hardest way to persuade people, but it's also the most permanent. You're teaching people using facts, or at least your facts, since chances are the other side has facts too. Their facts just aren't as good as your facts, and if they are, what the hell are you doing arguing the other side anyway?"

He smiled. "Finally, there's pathos, or using emotions. Scare tactics go here, as do guilt trips. Most of the Republican platform for the last fifteen years has been based entirely in pathos because the Democrats have them on the ropes when it comes to, you know, facts."

He clasped his hands together. "Right then. Next week you're going to have an interactive persuasive speech exercise, and that's all I'm telling you. For now, let's here your speeches about other people's speeches. Oh, and we have two press secretaries today: Jessica Drew and--" he pointed at Maddie, "Skippy there. You're up."

Comments

Sign in [1/29]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Persuasively!

Re: Sign in [1/29]

[hasadestiny]

Lex Luthor

Re: Sign in [1/29]

[mummyspromdate.livejournal.com]

Maddie Berry

Re: Sign in [1/29]

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

Jessica Drew

Listen to the lecture!

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Learn about ethos, pathos, and logos! Or try to nap with your eyes open.

Make your speech [1/29]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Five minutes on a political speech that you think worked and why. Bonus kiss-ass points if you pick one by Jed Bartlet.

Re: Make your speech [1/29]

[hawkeye-too.livejournal.com]

Kate spent her five minutes examining Robespierre's 1794 speech (http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/413/) justifying the political morality of the Terror.

She did a good job with it too...possibly because she'd had to write an essay about it last semester at her old school.

Re: Make your speech [1/29]

[nomelancholy.livejournal.com]

Ulrik's speech focused on one of Mike Stearn's speeches- specifically, the one regarding how the two great evils which loomed before the world at that point are chattel slavery in the New World and serfdom in eastern Europe.

Press Secretaries of the Day: Jessica Drew & Maddie Berry

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Come on down, ladies!

For the Press Secretaries! [1/29]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Re: For the Press Secretaries! [1/29]

[mummyspromdate.livejournal.com]

Maddie groaned internally. Not so much because she had to do this, because she knew that was coming, but she had to do this along with someone who was actually probably good at this sort of thing.

Re: For the Press Secretaries! [1/29]

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

Jessica took a short breath, preparing herself to deliver zingers and nonsense answers that circled back on themselves. And maybe real answers.

For the Reporters! [1/29]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Address your questions to one or both of our poor volunteers today!

Re: For the Reporters! [1/29]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, this is for both of you," Josh declared. "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie pop? And were the orange ones the nastiest lollipops ever, or was that just me?"

Re: For the Reporters! [1/29]

[mummyspromdate.livejournal.com]

"Studies show three, but we should probably update that with someone who's not an owl," Maddie said, because that study was also cheating by biting right into the Tootsie pop, which you learned was a mistake if you ever copied what you saw on TV. "As for the orange ones... it's all a matter of personal taste and I'm sure there are people who love the orange ones?"

You didn't want to offend the orange Tootsie pop people, right?

Re: For the Reporters! [1/29]

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Frankly, this administration supports a more aggressive strategy of chomping down on the Tootsie pop in order to shock and awe the Tootsie Roll center into surrender," Jessica said.

Re: For the Reporters! [1/29]

[hasadestiny]

"Miss Berry, who put the bop in the bop shoo bop shoo bop?" Lex asked with a perfectly straight face, then without a pause. "Miss Drew, who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong?"

Re: For the Reporters! [1/29]

[hawkeye-too.livejournal.com]

"Ms. Berry, Ms. Drew, how do you respond to concerns that gremlins are becoming endangered and the calls to classify them as such?"

Re: For the Reporters! [1/29]

[wasthecuteone]

"Ms. Berry, Ms. Drew," Petra began, "What would you say to those misguided individuals who claim there is such a thing as, quote, 'too much glitter,' end quote?" Lex.

Re: For the Reporters! [1/29]

[abitlowkey]

"A follow up to Ms. West's question," Loki chimed in. "Would your administration ever try to take our--" Yes, that was a snicker. "--god given right to keep and bear glitter?"

Talk to Josh or the TAs!

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Persuasively.

Re: Talk to Josh or the TAs!

[hasadestiny]

Lex wondered which of the three blackmail fell under, Lionel was kind of fond of it as a persuasive argument.

Re: Talk to Josh or the TAs!

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie was here.

Not to be persuaded into anything by anyone. But, here!

OOC

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Man, everyone guest starred on West Wing. Hello there, random Amy Adams.

Re: OOC

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

I curse work and vow to answer any questions once I'm home!