Oscar Speech Impediment | Headphones and Speakers Blog
By: Mike Doria
I still don’t understand how actors can memorize upwards of two hours worth of lines for a movie yet some of them can’t concoct a simple 35 second acceptance speech without uttering the words “I know I’m forgetting somebody” midway through. The nomination alone gives the actor a one in five chance of actually winning — so the idea that he or she might even practice a speech or give some serious thought t0 its contents prior to awards ceremony wouldn’t be peculiar or far-fetched. This also applies to Directors, Producers, Composers, etc. In case you ever find yourself in a situation where you might need to make a speech –think office setting, charitable event or even at a funeral — I can provide you some top-notch tips. But I first want to continue talking about the golden little guy. He’s interesting.
Did you know the Oscar (and some actresses for that matter) weighs 8 1/2 pounds? Height wise — he stands just 13 1/2 inches tall. Although the Oscar winner takes the award home with him or her — the trophy is still technically the property of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. According to moviefone, before the winner can sell it in an estate sale or put it up for auction, the Academy has the right of first refusal to buy it back for just a dollar. That seems weird. What would the Academy do with it? Would the members scratch off the original winner’s name, etch in a new name and hand it out at the next Academy Awards as party of some recycling effort?
Next fact: it seems the Academy Award is the only one in the mix of major awards to have a nickname. Whi
le question remain how “Oscar” got started, the it no one seems to know how this the exact reason of how it came into existence, the Academy believes the woman in the photo to the right is responsible for coining this moniker. Margaret Herrick — who served as the Academy’s Librarian and later as the Executive Director — apparently made a comment one day that the award resembled her Uncle Oscar. From then on, the Academy staff apparently continued to address the little guy as “Oscar.” I’m not quite sure what magical land, molding factory or planet Ms. Herrick’s family hails from because closer examination of the statue below and you come to an interesting and almost undeniable conclusion. It seems as though Ms. Herrick’s Uncle Oscar was actually Ironman — and suffering from Gynecomastia (man boobs).
So you have a speech to give and no idea where to begin..or end for that matter. Since speeches come in a few different forms — a different touch or approach can be applied to each. If the speech resembles a presentation or state of affairs, etc. — then a lesser known but exceptionally interesting fact regarding the subject matter works as a great opener. If you’re finding the middle of the speech to be tricky — try including a real-life story that drives or supports the overall content. In the end — wrap with a vision or ask the audience a rhetorical or challenge question.
Are you receiving some type of award for which you must also give an acceptance speech? Try to get the audience laughing right away. Now that you’ve loosened yourself up and scored points with the guests — the remainder of the speech should be gravy. Give thanks to people (maybe even a mentor), give a quote — then get off the stage. Keeping it short and sweet prevents defeat. Finally, will you be speaking at funeral or maybe even delivering the eulogy? If so, truly speaking from the heart will help pull off an Oscar worthy performance. Share a moment in which the lost loved one showed another side to him or her or a moment in which he or she inspired you. Pick out moments in that person’s life timeline that were impressive. It’s also ok to balance your speech with a couple of the not so great moments with that person — if that’s where you’re lead and so long as it’s done respectfully and tastefully. Why? Because you never know who you may be helping in that room by being open and honest.
Movies Containing Memorable Speech Moments:
