a speech is entertaining when

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43 18.1 Understanding Entertaining Speeches

Learning objectives.

Understand the purpose of entertaining speeches.
Explain the four ingredients of a good entertaining speech.

In broad terms, an entertaining speech is a speech designed to captivate an audience’s attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a message. Like more traditional informative or persuasive speeches, entertaining speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner of speaking used in an entertaining speech is typically different. Entertaining speeches are often delivered on special occasions (e.g., a toast at a wedding, an acceptance speech at an awards banquet, a motivational speech at a conference), which is why they are sometimes referred to as special-occasion speeches. However, they can also be given on more mundane occasions, where their purpose is primarily to amuse audience members or arouse them emotionally in some way. Remember, when we use the word “entertain,” we are referring not just to humor but also to drama. The goal of an entertaining speech is to stir an audience’s emotions.

Of all the types of speeches we come in contact with during our lives, the bulk of them will probably fall into the category of entertainment. If you spend just one evening watching a major awards show (e.g., the Grammys, the Tonys, the Oscars), you’ll see dozens of acceptance speeches. While some of these acceptance speeches are good and others may be terrible, they all belong in the category of speaking to entertain.

Other speeches that fall into the entertaining category are designed to inspire or motivate an audience to do something. These are, however, different from a traditional persuasive speech. While entertaining speeches are often persuasive, we differentiate the two often based on the rhetorical situation itself. Maybe your school has hired a speaker to talk about his or her life story in an attempt to inspire the audience to try harder in school and reach for the best that life has to offer. You can imagine how this speech would be different from a traditional persuasive speech focusing on, say, the statistics related to scholastic achievement and success later in life.

Entertaining speeches are definitely very common, but that doesn’t mean they don’t require effort and preparation. A frequent trap is that people often think of entertaining speeches as corny. As a result, they don’t prepare seriously but rather stand up to speak with the idea that they can “wing it” by acting silly and telling a few jokes. Instead of being entertaining, the speech falls flat. To help us think through how to be effective in delivering entertaining speeches, let’s look at four key ingredients: preparation, adaptation to the occasion, adaptation to the audience, and mindfulness about the time.

Be Prepared

First, and foremost, the biggest mistake you can make when standing to deliver an entertaining speech is to underprepare or simply not prepare at all. We’ve stressed the need for preparation throughout this text, so just because you’re giving a wedding toast or a eulogy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think through the speech before you stand up and speak out. If the situation is impromptu, even jotting some basic notes on a napkin is better than not having any plan for what you are going to say. Remember, when you get anxious, as it inevitably happens in front of an audience, your brain doesn’t function as well as when you are having a relaxed conversation with friends. You often forget information. By writing down some simple notes, you’ll be less likely to deliver a bad speech.

Be Adaptive to the Occasion

Not all content is appropriate for all occasions. If you are asked to deliver a speech commemorating the first anniversary of a school shooting, then obviously using humor and telling jokes wouldn’t be appropriate. But some decisions about adapting to the occasion are less obvious. Consider the following examples:

You are the maid of honor giving a toast at the wedding of your younger sister.
You are receiving a Most Valuable Player award in your favorite sport.
You are a sales representative speaking to a group of clients after a mistake has been discovered.
You are a cancer survivor speaking at a high school student assembly.

How might you adapt your message and speaking style to successfully entertain these various audiences?

Remember that being a competent speaker is about being both personally effective and socially appropriate. Different occasions will call for different levels of social appropriateness. One of the biggest mistakes entertaining speakers can make is to deliver one generic speech to different groups without adapting the speech to the specific occasion. In fact, professional speakers always make sure that their speeches are tailored for different occasions by getting information about the occasion from their hosts. When we tailor speeches for special occasions, people are more likely to remember those speeches than if we give a generic speech.

Be Adaptive to Your Audience

Once again, we cannot stress the importance of audience adaptation enough in this text. Different audiences will respond differently to speech material, so the more you know about your audience the more likely you’ll succeed in your speech. One of our coauthors was once at a conference for teachers of public speaking. The keynote speaker stood and delivered a speech on the importance of public speaking. While the speaker was good and funny, the speech really fell flat. The keynote speaker basically told the public speaking teachers that they should take public speaking courses because public speaking is important. Right speech, wrong audience!

Be Mindful of the Time

The last major consideration for delivering entertaining speeches successfully is to be mindful of your time. Different entertaining speech situations have their own conventions and rules with regard to time. Acceptance speeches and toasts, for example, should be relatively short (typically under five minutes). A speech of introduction should be extremely brief—just long enough to tell the audience what they need to know about the person being introduced in a style that prepares them to appreciate that person’s remarks. In contrast, commencement speeches and speeches to commemorate events can run ten to twenty minutes in length.

It’s also important to recognize that audiences on different occasions will expect speeches of various lengths. For example, although it’s true that graduation commencement speakers generally speak for ten to twenty minutes, the closer that speaker heads toward twenty minutes the more fidgety the audience becomes. To hold the audience’s attention and fulfill the goal of entertaining, a commencement speaker would do well to make the closing minutes of the speech the most engaging and inspiring portion of the speech. If you’re not sure about the expected time frame for a speech, either ask the person who has invited you to speak or do some quick research to see what the average speech times in the given context tend to be.

Key Takeaways

Entertaining speeches are speeches designed to captivate an audience’s attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. Speakers engage in entertaining speeches generally at special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals) or are asked to deliver a keynote address.
Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations: preparation, adaptation to the occasion, adaptation to the audience, and mindfulness of the time. As with all speeches, speakers need to prepare the speech. Second, speakers need to think about the specific occasion. Third, speakers need to adapt their speeches to the specific audience. Lastly, speakers need to think about how long they should speak.
Type in the word “roast” into YouTube and watch a few minutes of a roast. Did the speaker clearly exhibit the four clear ingredients of an entertaining speech?
Watch several toasts and acceptance speeches on YouTube. Can you identify specific ways in which each speaker adapts the speech to the occasion and the audience?

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PRDV008: Preparing and Delivering Presentations

Entertaining speeches.

Read this chapter to learn about presentations whose general purpose is to entertain.

The final general purpose people can have for public speaking is to entertain. Whereas informative and persuasive speech making is focused on the end result of the speech process, entertainment speaking is focused on the theme and occasion of the speech. An entertaining speech can be either informative or persuasive at its root, but the context or theme of the speech requires speakers to think about the speech primarily in terms of audience enjoyment.

Why We Entertain

Entertaining speeches are very common in everyday life. The fundamental goal of an entertaining speech is audience enjoyment, which can come in a variety of forms. Entertaining speeches can be funny or serious. Overall, entertaining speeches are not designed to give an audience a deep understanding of life but instead to function as a way to divert an audience from their day-to-day lives for a short period of time. This is not to say that an entertaining speech cannot have real content that is highly informative or persuasive, but its goal is primarily about the entertaining aspects of the speech and not focused on the informative or persuasive quality of the speech.

Common Forms of Entertainment Topics

There are three basic types of entertaining speeches: the after-dinner speech, the ceremonial speech, and the inspirational speech. The after-dinner speech is a form of speaking where a speaker takes a serious speech topic (either informative or persuasive) and injects a level of humor into the speech to make it entertaining. Some novice speakers will attempt to turn an after-dinner speech into a stand-up comedy routine, which doesn't have the same focus. Roye, S. (2010). Austan Goolsbee a funny stand-up comedian? Not even close… [Web log post]. After-dinner speeches are first and foremost speeches.

A ceremonial speech is a type of entertaining speech where the specific context of the speech is the driving force of the speech. Common types of ceremonial speeches include introductions, toasts, and eulogies. In each of these cases, there are specific events that drive the speech. Maybe you're introducing an individual who is about to receive an award, giving a toast at your best friend's wedding, or delivering the eulogy at a relative's funeral. In each of these cases, the speech and the purpose of the speech is determined by the context of the event and not by the desire to inform or persuade.

The final type of entertaining speech is one where the speaker's primary goal is to inspire her or his audience. Inspirational speeches are based in emotion with the goal to motivate listeners to alter their lives in some significant way. Florence Littauer, a famous professional speaker, delivers an emotionally charged speech titled "Silver Boxes". In the speech, Mrs. Littauer demonstrates how people can use positive comments to encourage others in their daily lives. The title comes from a story she tells at the beginning of the speech where she was teaching a group of children about using positive speech, and one of the children defined positive speech as giving people little silver boxes with bows on top.

Sample: Adam Fink's Entertainment Speech

The following speech, by an undergraduate student named Adam Fink, is an entertainment speech. Specifically, this speech is a ceremonial speech given at Mr. Fink's graduation. As with our earlier examples, while this speech is written out as a text for purposes of analysis, in your public speaking course you will most likely be assigned to speak from an outline or notes, not a fully written script. Notice that the tenor of this speech is persuasive but that it persuades in a more inspiring way than just building and proving an argument.

Good evening! I've spent the last few months looking over commencement speeches on YouTube. The most notable ones had eight things in common. They reflected on the past, pondered about the future. They encouraged the honorees. They all included some sort of personal story and application. They made people laugh at least fifteen times. They referred to the university as the finest university in the nation or world, and last but not least they all greeted the people in attendance. I'll begin by doing so now.

President Holst, thank you for coming. Faculty members and staff, salutations to you all. Distinguished guests, we are happy to have you. Family members and friends, we could not be here without you. Finally, ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2009, welcome to your commencement day here at Concordia University, Saint Paul, this, the finest university in the galaxy, nay, universe. Really, it's right up there with South Harlem Institute of Technology, the School of Hard Knocks, and Harvard. Check and check!

Graduates, we are not here to watch as our siblings, our parents, friends, or other family walk across this stage. We are here because today is our graduation day. I am going to go off on a tangent for a little bit. Over the past umpteen years, I have seen my fair share of graduations and ceremonies. In fact, I remember getting dragged along to my older brothers' and sisters' graduations, all 8,000 of them – at least it seems like there were that many now. Seriously, I have more family members than friends.

I remember sitting here in these very seats, intently listening to the president and other distinguished guests speak, again saying welcome and thank you for coming. Each year, I got a little bit better at staying awake throughout the entire ceremony. Every time I would come up with something new to keep myself awake, daydreams, pinching my arms, or pulling leg hair; I was a very creative individual.

I am proud to say that I have been awake for the entirety of this ceremony. I would like to personally thank my classmates and colleagues sitting around me for slapping me every time I even thought about dozing off. Personal story, check and now, application!

Graduates, don't sleep through life. If you need a close friend or colleague to keep you awake, ask. Don't get bored with life. In the words of one of my mentors, the Australian film director, screen writer, and producer Baz Luhrman, "Do one thing every day that scares you". Keep yourself on your toes. Stay occupied but leave room for relaxation; embrace your hobbies. Don't get stuck in a job you hate. I am sure many of you have seen the "Did You Know?" film on YouTube. The film montages hundreds of statistics together, laying down the ground work to tell viewers that we are approaching a crossroad. The way we live is about to change dramatically. We are living in exponential times. It's a good thing that we are exponential people.

We are at a crossing point here, now. Each of us is graduating; we are preparing to leave this place we have called home for the past few years. It's time to move on and flourish. But let's not leave this place for good. Let us walk away with happy memories. We have been fortunate enough to see more change in our time here than most alumni see at their alma mater in a lifetime. We have seen the destruction of Centennial, Minnesota, and Walther.

Ladies, it might not mean a lot to you, but gentlemen, we had some good times there. We have seen the building and completion of the new Residence Life Center. We now see the beginnings of our very own stadium. We have seen enough offices and departments move to last any business a lifetime.

Let us remember these things, the flooding of the knoll, Ultimate Frisbee beginning at ten o'clock at night, and two back-to-back Volleyball National Championship teams, with one of those championship games held where you are sitting now. I encourage all of you to walk out of this place with flashes of the old times flickering through your brains. Reflection, check!

Honorees, in the words of Michael Scott, only slightly altered, "They have no idea how high [we] can fly". Right now you are surrounded by future politicians, film critics, producers, directors, actors, actresses, church workers, artists, the teachers of tomorrow, musicians, people who will change the world. We are all held together right here and now, by a common bond of unity. We are one graduating class.

In one of his speeches this year, President Barack Obama said, "Generations of Americans have connected their stories to the larger American story through service and helped move our country forward. We need that service now". He is right. America needs selfless acts of service.

Hebrews 10:23–25 reads, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching".

Let us not leave this place as enemies but rather as friends and companions. Let us come back next fall for our first reunion, the Zero Class Reunion hosted by the wonderful and amazing workers in the alumni department. Let us go and make disciples of all nations, guided by His Word. Let us spread God's peace, joy, and love through service to others. Congratulations, graduates! I hope to see you next homecoming. Encouragement, check!

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8 Public Speaking Techniques to Wow Your Audience

What is the goal of professional speaking?

The goals of professional speaking are to entertain, inform, inspire, and get the audience to take action.

The truth is, in order for your presentation or speech to have its greatest effect you need to be able to entertain and wow your audience.

I’m going to give you 8 presentation skills I use in my speeches to keep my audience on the edge of their seats until the end of my talk.

1) Say Something Right Off The Bat That Connects to The Audience

Let me give you an example of how I open a talk, and you know I’ve given over 5,000 talks and seminars. I almost always open with the same words.

I say, “Congratulations for being here. This means that you are in the top 10% of adults in our society today.”

I say this in Russia, I say it in China, Finland, Canada, and I say it in Atlanta.

“You are among the top 10% of adults in our society today. Why is that? It’s because you’re here. You see, only the top 10% of people in any society ever come to a seminar like this to learn how to be better in some way. The other 90% always have a reason for not being here.”

Then I’ll ask, “How many of you know people who could have been here but had an excuse for not coming?”

Everybody in the audience nods and visualizes and thinks of the person who’s not here, who is usually not a very successful person.

Then I tell them that,

“The fact they are here means that they are in the top 10%. And by the way, how can you tell who a person really is? How can you tell what they believe in, what their goals are, and what their hopes, dreams and values are? Can you tell by what they say? Is it what they hope or wish? No. It’s only what they do. The fact is that you are here. You’ve taken the actions to be here, and that means you’re in the top 10%.”

Then I’ll say,

“Many of you are thinking that if he knew how much money I’m making, he wouldn’t say I was in the top 10%. Maybe not, but remember that it doesn’t matter where you’re coming from. All that really matters is where you’re going. And where you are going is determined by what you are doing at the moment. And the fact that you are here means that you intend to have a great future. Remember that future intention determines present action.”

That’s how I start off.

I’ll even say that I’m going to share some ideas with them, that are practiced by the top 10% of people in this field. I’ll tell them that these ideas can help them to move ahead faster than they ever imagined possible. Then do my best to avoid filler words like um and like, and with this in mind – I launch into my talk.

2) Connect with Emotion

Sometimes when I’m talking to my audiences I will say, “Tell me, what percentage of people’s thinking is emotional, and what percentage is rational or logical?”

And people will guess for a while, and then they’ll finally say, “Oh, well it’s 10% logical and 80% or 90% emotional.”

I tell them “No. People’s thinking is 100% emotional.”

What does this mean? This means that people think emotionally and justify logically. The subconscious mind, and our emotions actually function at several thousand times the speed of logic.

For example, you may meet a person and instantly like them. You may find later that there are a lot of reasons for you to instantly like that person. Your emotions acted like a switchblade, instantaneously, but your logic followed after and you figured out the reasons.

3) Tell The Audience How Good They Are

Throughout the talk, I will loop back and say.

“Because you’re in the top 10%, you know this…”

“People in the top 10% like yourself do this…”

“People who aspire to be in the top 10% set goals or manage their time this way.”

So I’m always linking back and telling them that they are in the top 10% and that’s how good they are. Now that’s one way to make it entertaining and enjoyable, because people will all smile and feel happy.

They’re thinking…

“Boy, this guy’s really smart. I didn’t even realize I was in the top 10% until he told me.”

4) Link Back to Your Opening During Your Speech

Starting with a strong opening line or a really good story that you can link and hook your whole talk back into, is very, very powerful.

And I’ve done this year after year.

5) Relate To The Audience’s Self-Interests

What motivates people to be really interested in your talk, aside from the subject, which many of them may have to be there for?

Many people have told me that they were forced to come to my seminar. They didn’t want to come, because they didn’t think they would learn anything.

So they weren’t there because I was such a wonderful person. They were there because they had to be.

The question you have to ask is, what are the motivations that you need to appeal to so that they will really listen?

Truthfully, I’ve found is that one of the great motivations is self-interest.

That’s why I ask how many people would like to double their income.

They all raise their hands spontaneously.

Then I say,

“Well, in the time we spend together I’m going to give you several ways that you can double your income. These are ways that have been tested and proven by people all over the world. They’ve done these things over and over, and I’ve used them myself to go from rags to non-rags. I’ll give you those same ideas. Would that be a good use of our time together today?”

And they all say, “Yes! Yes!”

I have their total interest.

If you’re speaking on golf, for example, you ask if they would like to reduce their score by five strokes, every single game consistently.

“Well, I’m going to show you how to do that using psychological and physical techniques.”

6) Entertain Your Audience With Stories

The key to entertaining an audience is stories. Stories are the most important part of a good presentation.

Read this article I wrote if you need help with coming up with great ideas for a PowerPoint presentation .

You can tell very short stories, and they can be your stories or someone else’s stories.

If it’s your personal story, that’s even better.

But if it’s someone else’s story that is just fine.

Start by saying, “I heard a story just the other day.”

And then you tell the story.

Or, “Let me tell you a story,” or “This is something I heard recently that really moved me.”

Whenever you start to tell a story, the whole audience pays 100% attention.

When you’re giving facts and figures and details and strategies, methods and techniques, they will pay a certain amount of attention.

But when you tell a story they will listen intently.

And if you can design your talk around three stories, you’ll be amazed at the response.

Design Your Talk Around 3 Stories

When you think about your talk, remember that “Less is more.”

This should be the basic structure of your talk:

Your opening
Your 3 key points

You have a strong opening, first key point, and then a story.

Transition, second key point, and a story.

Transition, third key point, and a story.

Summarize, and then a close.

The stories link it all together. And you can tell stories that are inspiring, or emotional; that make people feel very strongly. You can tell stories that are motivational; that have to do with greater success and achievement as the result of persisting.

7) Appeal To Patriotism, Loyalty or Personal Gain

You can appeal to certain motivations to gain the attention of your audience.

For example:

“Our country is going through great difficulties today and I’m going to give you five things that we have to do to make America once again the land of the free, the home of the brave, and full of opportunity for you, and me, and for our kids.”

So, you have to ask yourself what are the motivations of the people in your audience.

Related: There’s only 1 tip left, if you want more speaker training, check out my best blogs, videos, and courses on the public speaking resource page .

8) Tell the Audience EXACTLY What They are Going to Gain

Great motivation is a desire for gain.

If you can convey to them that they’re going to gain things from your talk, like time, money, or greater success or prestige in any area, then they will be listening and they’ll want to know how they can do that.

A wonderful way you can open a talk, by the way, is you can say “There are three things you need to do if you want to double your income in the next 12 months.”

Then you pause.

The Power of the Pause

When you pause, do you know what happens?

People lean forward and say to themselves, “I wonder what it is. They wonder what the three things are.”

Then you say,

“The three things are these. You have to be able to do this, and this, and this.”

And then the question they ask in their mind is, “I wonder how to do that.”

Now it’s almost like fishing…

You just reel them in.

Using any of these tips can help you entertain an audience throughout your entire presentation, no matter how long it is without feeling any speech anxiety . What do you think?

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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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Entertaining Speech: 6 Tips for Amusing your Audience

An entertaining speech is not a mere joke, it’s the art of delivering valuable information in an amusing and interesting way. Many people make the mistake of thinking of it as just another joke, while in fact, you could very well entertain people in all sorts of ways. Let’s start with a clear definition of an entertaining speech…

This is one of our posts on the types of speech series, should you be interested in learning about other types of speeches, please click on of the links below when you are done reading this article. For now, let us dive into how to deliver a memorable and effective entertaining speech first.

Part I. 8 Persuasive Speech Techniques & Topics

Part II . 9 Tips for Writing and Amazing Informative Speech and 120+ Topic Ideas

Part III. 5 Quick Tips on how to Give an Effective Motivational Speech

Part IV. 15 Demonstration Speech Ideas and Techniques

Part V. How to Give an Effective Special Occasion Speech?

Part VI. 6 Key Tips for a Memorable Entertaining Speech + Topics and Ideas

Part VII. Explanatory Speech: 7 Key Tips to Help You Deliver an Effective Speech

Part VIII. 5-Step Strategy for an Effective Debate and Speech Delivery

Part IX. 7 Oratory Secrets: How to Deliver Effective Oratorical Speeches

Part X. Public Speaking Contests: 7 Ways to Nail at Forensic Speech Competitions

Part XI. 80+ Impromptu Speech Topics & 7 Ways to Nail One

Part XII. 13 Ways to Effectively Deliver Pitching Presentations

Part XIII. Farewell Speech – An 8-step guide to help you deliver a Memorable one

Part XIV. Eulogy Guide: How to Give a Heartfelt Funeral Speech (with 4 Eulogy examples)

HOW TO GIVE AN EFFECTIVE ENTERTAINING SPEECH? 6 Basic Tips

All speeches should be entertaining. Of course, it all depends on the occasion and the audience. But I believe everyone should try to make their speeches as entertaining as possible.

Here are some tips to consider in giving an entertaining speech

1. set the tone.

How you start your speech is important. How you begin will either make your audience relax and look forward to what you have to say or become defensive and nit-pick your every word. A joke, witty comment or an unusual greeting are all great options. For maximum effect, make sure you understand your audience, know what to say to get them into a relaxed mood. Stories on the state of the economy will appeal to adults while the latest Disney cartoon will resonate with kids.

However, there is no one size fits all, your opening might not appeal to everyone in the room, but if you have a majority on your side, you are set. The fun energy will hopefully transfer to the other “less-impressed” members of the audience as the speech goes on.

Here’s 10 best tips on how to start your Speech with a Bang!

2. STRUCTURE IS STILL IMPORTANT

Related Article: 4-Stage Strategy on How to Outline your Speech

3. ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE

When it comes to delivering entertaining speeches, its all about confidence. Your audience needs to see you as someone who is worth listening to. If you believe you have no confidence, then fake being confident when giving an entertaining speech, who knows? That confidence might stick you.

Constantly interact with your audience, ask questions, give relatable examples and tell funny and emotional stories. Another great way to engage your audience is to have your audience perform one task or the other, like raising their hands, standing to their feet or yelling out some words. Always be aware of the overall mood in the room, if the energy seems to have tanked, drop a bombshell to get things going again.

4. USE SIMPLE LANGUAGE

How do you intend to entertain your audience if they can’t even understand what you are saying? An entertaining speech shouldn’t be an avenue for you to talk about the nuances of quantum physics, except if your audience is made up of physics professors.

Use language and words that your audience will have no trouble understanding. You don’t want your audience trying to figure out what the words you are speaking mean instead of enjoying your speech. Avoid touchy subjects. An entertaining speech shouldn’t be used to advance any agenda your audience may not agree with. All in all, keep it simple.

5. USE TIME AS AN ALLY

6. a memorable ending is the way to go.

Keep the best stuff for last. Make those ending moments as memorable as possible. Your audience might not remember all that you said during your speech, but your conclusion has the potential to stay with them for a while. Put some effort into crafting concluding sentences that can’t easily be forgotten.

ENTERTAINING SPEECH TOPICS

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
Why you should try meditation.
Why we need to take care of our planet.
How to stay grateful.
How to communicate in the 21 st century.
Online dating, good or bad.
Here’s why you should skip college.
Why you should learn a new language.
Dogs are truly man’s best friend.
How will future cities look like?
Is world peace attainable?
Half-full or half empty.
What does it mean to be an average person?
Where do we go when we die?
What does happiness mean to you?
Is following your passion a good idea?
How would you tackle world problems relating to lack?
Books you need to read before you die.
Does being normal do you any good?
Movies that will change your life.
How to best describe yourself.
How to get fired.
Do lawyers actually lie?
How to get arrested.
Fake it till you make it.

Rules and principles aside, it’s important that you be yourself. Sincerity and honesty will always crack any audience, any day, anytime. Be sure to enjoy every moment of your speech and hopefully your audience will too. Draw upon your unique strengths and abilities in giving an awesome speech that your audience won’t forget in a hurry.

REFERENCES & FURTHER READING

https://answershark.com/writing/informal-presentations-and-speeches/how-to-write-entertaining-presentation.html

Entertaining Speech Topics [195 Ideas To Keep Audience Engaged]

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Types of Public Speaking →

Types of Public Speaking: Entertaining Speaking

Public speaking is an essential skill that allows individuals to captivate and influence their audience, and entertaining speaking is a particularly effective method of achieving this.

As one of the five primary types of public speaking, this enjoyable approach not only educates but also amuses listeners, leaving a lasting impression. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of entertaining speaking by discussing its purpose, characteristics, various forms such as humorous speeches and storytelling performances, and indispensable techniques for delivering impactful messages with flair.

Key Takeaways

Entertaining Speaking is a type of public speaking that aims to amuse and engage the audience through humor, storytelling, music or performance art while still conveying an important message.
Successful entertaining speeches possess good communication skills , evoke different emotions in listeners, maintain perfect timing and offer memorable and unique content.
Different types of entertaining speaking include humorous speeches, storytelling speeches, inspirational speeches and even musical and poetry performances.
Essential techniques for effective entertaining speaking include knowing your audience, practicing your delivery, using humor and emotion effectively and engaging your audience through compelling storytelling techniques.

What Is Entertaining Speaking?

Definition and purpose of entertaining speaking.

Entertaining speaking is a type of public presentation that aims to captivate, engage, and delight an audience, often by evoking their emotions or appealing to their sense of humor.

This form of oral communication focuses on delivering messages in an enjoyable and memorable manner while still maintaining the intended message’s core essence.

The purpose of entertaining speeches goes beyond simply amusing or captivating the listeners; it also creates connections between the speaker and the audience. By tapping into shared experiences or sparking laughter through clever jokes , entertaining speakers are able to build stronger relationships with those they’re addressing while reinforcing key points within their presentations.

Characteristics Of A Successful Entertaining Speech

To deliver a successful entertaining speech, certain characteristics should be present. Firstly, the speaker must possess good communication skills and have an excellent stage presence to engage their audience fully.

They should also evoke different emotions in their listeners by using humor, anecdotes, or other storytelling techniques.

Secondly, timing is critical when giving an entertaining speech. Speakers must time their jokes or humorous statements to perfection to ensure that they land effectively on the audience.

Thirdly, memorable and unique content creates impact in entertaining speeches.

Finally, creativity plays a crucial role in delivering an entertaining message; entertainers who think outside of the box come up with ideas for delivering speeches creatively tend to leave lasting impressions on their audiences.

In summary, mastering effective communication skills along with possessing strong creativity ensures success as an entertainer giving speeches captivating your audiences’ attention through emotion-evoking delivery techniques resulting in memorable performances leaving them wanting more.

Different Types Of Entertaining Speaking

Entertaining speaking comes in many forms, including humorous speeches, storytelling speeches, inspirational speeches, and even musical and poetry performances.

Humorous Speeches

Humorous speeches are a type of entertaining speaking that focuses on making an audience laugh. Humor can be used to break the ice and establish a connection between the speaker and their listeners, making it easier for them to absorb the message being delivered.

A good humorous speech is not just about telling jokes but also involves creating funny situations, using irony or sarcasm, and incorporating personal experiences into the narrative.

As an entertaining public speaker, it’s crucial to know when humor is appropriate and how much of it should be included in a speech. Too many jokes or poorly placed ones can detract from the primary message of the presentation.

Storytelling Speeches

Storytelling speeches are a popular type of entertaining speaking that hinges on the power of narrative. In this kind of speech, the speaker shares personal or fictional stories with their audience in order to convey an important message or emotion.

Storytelling speeches can take many forms, from humorous anecdotes to moving tales of overcoming adversity.

A great example of a storytelling speech is Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement address , in which he shares three stories from his life to inspire and motivate his audience.

Through these stories, he imparts valuable life lessons about following your passions and embracing change.

Inspirational Speeches

Inspirational speeches aim to motivate and uplift listeners, encouraging them to strive for greater heights. They are often delivered by keynote speakers at important events such as graduations or corporate conferences.

A successful inspirational speech should tap into the audience’s emotions, leaving them feeling empowered and ready to take action. For example, a famous example of an inspiring speech is Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address in which he shared three stories from his life that taught him valuable lessons about following one’s passion and persevering through tough times.

Musical And Poetry Performances

Musical and poetry performances are great ways to add an entertaining element to your public speaking. These types of speeches involve using music or poetry to convey a message or evoke emotions from the audience.

For instance, reciting a poem can be used as a way to tell a story or illustrate complex ideas in an easy-to-understand manner.

One famous example of musical performance in public speaking is the “I Have A Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. , where he incorporated his words with lyrics from various spirituals and hymns.

By doing so, he was able to engage his listeners on both intellectual and emotional levels, creating an unforgettable experience for everyone present.

Essential Techniques For Effective Entertaining Speaking

To effectively entertain your audience, it is crucial to know who you are talking to, practice your delivery beforehand, use humor and emotion strategically, and engage them through compelling storytelling techniques.

Knowing Your Audience

To deliver an entertaining speech, it is essential to know your audience. Understanding their interests, backgrounds, and perspectives can help you tailor your message to capture their attention and keep them engaged.

It’s also helpful to consider the setting and context of your speech. Are you speaking at a formal or casual event? Is the audience expecting a certain type of performance or presentation? By taking these factors into account, you can adjust your delivery style and content accordingly.

Practicing Your Delivery

In order to deliver an entertaining speech successfully, it is crucial to practice your delivery. This involves rehearsing your speech multiple times in front of a mirror or with friends or family members who can provide constructive feedback.

Additionally, practicing allows you to identify areas that might need improvement such as intonation, pacing, or body language.

Remember that the more prepared you are, the better equipped you will be to connect with your audience through storytelling techniques and keep them engaged throughout your presentation.

Using Humor And Emotion Effectively

One of the key elements of effective entertaining speaking is using humor and emotion in a way that resonates with your audience. A well-timed joke or personal anecdote can help break the ice and put your listeners at ease, while strong emotions can inspire them to action or move them in unexpected ways.

For example, if you’re delivering an entertaining speech about procrastination, you might start by sharing a humorous story about the time you waited until the last minute to finish a project for school.

This could help demonstrate your point while also engaging your audience on a personal level.

The key is to be authentic in your use of humor and emotion—don’t try too hard to be funny or overly sentimental. Instead, focus on what works for you as an individual speaker and what connects most strongly with your specific audience.

Engaging Your Audience Through Storytelling Techniques

Engaging your audience through storytelling is an essential technique for any entertaining speaker. A well-told story can capture their attention, connect with them on an emotional level, and leave a lasting impression.

To effectively engage your audience, start by knowing who they are and what kind of stories will resonate with them.

It’s important to practice delivering your story in a way that engages the audience from beginning to end. Use pacing and tone changes to build suspense or add emphasis where needed.

Incorporating descriptive language helps paint vivid mental images for listeners as you transport them into your world or experience.

An example could be a comedian using personal anecdotes about everyday life situations like getting lost while driving but adding humorous exaggeration may have people laughing out loud with recognition at their own similar experiences!

Overall, when done correctly, engaging storytelling techniques are one surefire way to captivate your audience throughout the duration of speech delivery whether for informative public speaking or for entertainment purposes only!

Conclusion: The Importance Of Entertaining Speaking In Captivating Your Audience

In conclusion, Entertaining Speaking is a type of public speaking that aims to captivate the audience’s attention and stir their emotions. It involves different techniques such as humor, storytelling, music, and poetry performances.

Knowing your audience, practicing your delivery and engaging them through effective usage of humor and emotion are essential for delivering an impactful entertaining speech.

Entertaining Speaking has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its ability to amuse and delight audiences while also conveying important messages effectively.

1. What is entertaining speaking?

Entertaining speaking involves delivering speeches or presentations that are designed to captivate and engage audiences through the use of humor, storytelling and other creative techniques.

2. How do I prepare for an entertaining speech?

To prepare for an entertaining speech, it’s important to identify your audience, determine their interests and preferences, and tailor your material accordingly. You might also want to consider incorporating multimedia elements such as videos, images or music into your presentation.

3. What are some common topics used in entertaining speaking?

Some common topics used in entertaining speaking include personal anecdotes, pop culture references, current events or social trends. The key is to find a subject that resonates with your audience while showcasing your unique personality and style.

4. Can anyone become an entertaining speaker?

While there is no single formula for becoming an effective entertainer speaker, anyone can develop the skills necessary to engage and connect with audiences over time through practice and refinement of their presentation skills – including delivery techniques such as pacing, tone of voice or body language – while honing their content creation skills through research & experimentation until they find what works best based on context & audience preferences.

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Types of Speeches: The Entertaining Speech

In the context of this series, an entertaining speech is one whose sole purpose is to have the audience enjoy the presentation. The purpose of an entertaining speech is not to educate, inform or inspire … it is to make the audience smile, relax, enjoy and maybe even laugh their heads off. (Figuratively, of course … real heads falling off would cause a nasty mess!)

If you decide to become a professional speaker or use speaking as an integral part of your marketing strategy, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the various types of speeches you might be asked to give. In this series of posts, I’ll give you the basics of a variety of types of presentations you can prepare. At the end of this post, I’ve listed previous articles in this series.

Let’s be honest here, entertainment truly is in the eye of the beholder. What one person finds entertaining, another may find duller than dishwater. So, you really have to know your audience in order to entertain them.

But what does that mean?

Although many — if not most — entertaining speeches are funny, they do not need to include humor to be entertaining. Dramas are entertaining but not funny, right? Here are some tips for creating an entertaining speech:

How to write an entertaining speech

There are many ways to entertain an audience. You can:

tell funny stories
dramatize an anecdote
tell a scary story

When it comes right down to it … there are probably as many ways to entertain as there are entertainers … and audiences.

That said, there are some guidelines for creating an entertaining speech.

Chose an appropriate topic: You don’t want the topic to be too dense, complicated or heavy. Remember, you’re not trying to give your audience a greater understanding of anything. You’re there to help them have a good time.
Enjoy yourself: Believe it or not, it is hard for an audience to enjoy your presentation if it looks like you are not enjoying presenting it!
Keep it simple: Your presentation should be easy to follow. Don’t make it hard for your audience to keep up with you mentally … or in any other way.
Make it visceral: Use vivid word pictures. This is not the type of presentation where you can be lazy in your descriptions. Make your words pop with strong images that pop in their minds.
Say it like a roller coaster, baby! Add unexpected twists and turns to your presentation. When you surprise your audience with where your story is going, that adds to the entertainment factor.

Resources for developing entertaining speeches:

List of Funny Speech Topics
How to Write an Entertaining Speech for Any Occasion
How To Make An Entertaining Speech/Presentation

Did you miss these?

Here are the previous posts in this “Type of Speeches” series:

The Keynote Address
The Training Session
The Motivational Speech

The next post in this series is The Demonstration .

Did you like this post? Please share!

About the author

Carma Spence, is author of Public Speaking Super Powers. She is fiercely committed to guiding women to Owning their Superpowers and turning their knowledge and interests into a profitable business. She is masterful at helping her clients see what is possible for them and supporting them on the journey from where they are to where they want to be, releasing the Mind Goblins of self-doubt, self-sabotage and second-guessing that keep them stuck.

With 20+ years experience in marketing communications and public relations, natural intuitive skills and certification in using some of the most effective transformational coaching tools available, Carma’s mission and commitment is to unleash the inner power every woman entrepreneur possesses so they can boldly go out into the world, transforming the fabric of people’s lives in meaningful and positive ways.

You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Google+ and LinkedIn . Her website is CarmaSpence.com .

2 comments on “Types of Speeches: The Entertaining Speech”

18.1 Understanding Entertaining Speeches

Learning objectives.

Understand the purpose of entertaining speeches.
Explain the four ingredients of a good entertaining speech.

In broad terms, an entertaining speech Speech designed to captivate an audience’s attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. is a speech designed to captivate an audience’s attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a message. Like more traditional informative or persuasive speeches, entertaining speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner of speaking used in an entertaining speech is typically different. Entertaining speeches are often delivered on special occasions (e.g., a toast at a wedding, an acceptance speech at an awards banquet, a motivational speech at a conference), which is why they are sometimes referred to as special-occasion speeches. However, they can also be given on more mundane occasions, where their purpose is primarily to amuse audience members or arouse them emotionally in some way. Remember, when we use the word “entertain,” we are referring not just to humor but also to drama. The goal of an entertaining speech is to stir an audience’s emotions.

Be Prepared

Be Adaptive to the Occasion

You are the maid of honor giving a toast at the wedding of your younger sister.
You are receiving a Most Valuable Player award in your favorite sport.
You are a sales representative speaking to a group of clients after a mistake has been discovered.
You are a cancer survivor speaking at a high school student assembly.

How might you adapt your message and speaking style to successfully entertain these various audiences?

Be Adaptive to Your Audience

Be Mindful of the Time

Key Takeaways

Entertaining speeches are speeches designed to captivate an audience’s attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. Speakers engage in entertaining speeches generally at special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals) or are asked to deliver a keynote address.
Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations: preparation, adaptation to the occasion, adaptation to the audience, and mindfulness of the time. As with all speeches, speakers need to prepare the speech. Second, speakers need to think about the specific occasion. Third, speakers need to adapt their speeches to the specific audience. Lastly, speakers need to think about how long they should speak.
Type in the word “roast” into YouTube and watch a few minutes of a roast. Did the speaker clearly exhibit the four clear ingredients of an entertaining speech?
Watch several toasts and acceptance speeches on YouTube. Can you identify specific ways in which each speaker adapts the speech to the occasion and the audience?

My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

Entertaining Speech Topics [195 Ideas To Keep Audience Engaged]

Amanda Green was born in a small town in the west of Scotland, where everyone knows everyone. I joined the Toastmasters 15 years ago, and I served in nearly every office in the club since then. I love helping others gain confidence and skills they can apply in every day life.

You need to offer persuasive speech that is informative with a specific purpose that will bring the event to life. Above all, to be an entertaining speaker, you need an interesting and unique speech topic or even impromptu speech (though that is difficult to achieve) that will last more than a few minutes and engage the audience with an interesting story/stories. There are a lot of topics you can cover that will be entertaining, such as funny speech topics , informative speech topics , or even demonstrative speeches , but make sure you consider your audience before you choose one.

In this article:

How To Develop An Entertaining Speech Topic

How to deliver an entertaining speech, entertaining speech ideas.

There are many ways to write and develop a topic for a speech to entertain. And there are lots of fails to report.

My main objective is to make you aware if the fact that you do not pretend to by the nice and humorous girl or guy . Nope, better is to set up a flat face and deliver the lines dry with an English stiff upperlip – that is why I used the word pokerfaced … A trick I have learned from my masters …

Use this speechwriting checklist for every issue of your choice.

Can We Write Your Speech?

Get your audience blown away with help from a professional speechwriter. Free proofreading and copy-editing included.

It is possible to bring a serious message with funny proven techniques listed below. Like these examples of serious/funny entertaining speech topic chapter. And stay to that theme. My main advice is: just talk on a specific theme.

Consider your entertainment topic from different points of view.
Choose for an unusual or strange angle of approach.
Wonder what the reason is for some habits or daily grind.
Give a normal issue, subject or topic a personal, dramatic twist.
List xx ways to …
Perform dialogues and metaphores.
Tell a story about a personal experience, interrelate the humorous anecdote in the main theme.
Give mocking comments on perfectly ordinary things, persons, places, values or thoughts.
Ridiculize large organizations or institutions. But do not offend.
Laugh at and ridiculize professional jargon or dialogues.
Find similarities between opposing subjects. That can be a very humorous and entertaining for your audience.
Ask: What If and press the possibilities till it becomes ridiculous, funny and amusing.

My five additional rousing tips for further development are:

Organize and structure your diverting text in a way your presentation will flow just right; try to work to some sort of a climax.
Establish your speechwriting goal or purpose. That’s no problem if you talk about one theme.
If you tell funny or humorous things about some individuals in your public: don’t insult and be sensitive.
Try to deliver your public speaking speech topics extemporaneously as much as you can. So practice a lot. Ask a friend if it is witty enough.
And practice on the timing the smooth flow of your entertaining speech topic:
The Worst Joke I Ever Heard
The First Time I Got Caught
Why Did the Chicken Actually Cross the Road
How I Got My Nickname
How to Get a Toddler to Go the Sleep in 383 Easy Steps
The Funniest Thing My Kid Ever Said
Deep Fried Oreos and Dieting
My Worst Date
That Time I Shot Milk Out of My Nose
My Favorite Misheard Song Lyric
How to Embarrass Your Teenager
A Middle Aged Mom Figures Out Snapchat
Pick Up Lines that Will Never Work
The Key To Being Successful at Watching Television
How to Live in Your Mom’s Basement
My Biggest Pet Peeve
Things a T-Rex Can’t Do with Its Little Arms
How to Ruin a Date
How to Stay a Bachelor
What Not to Do On a Blind Date
Why Pineapple Is Not a Pizza Topping
How to Fail a Driver’s Test
Ways to Take the Worst Passport Picture Possible
The Worst Ideas for Halloween Costumes
My Biggest Auto Correct Fail
How to Trick Your Dog into Going to the Vet
The Time I Laughed at a Completely Inappropriate Time
Something That Made Me Laugh So Hard, I Cried
Lost in Translation
My Dinner with My Favorite Video Game Character
That Thing I Shared on Facebook that Maybe I Shouldn’t Have
The Right Way to Lie
My Most Embarrassing Childhood Memory
The Worst Haircut I Ever Had
My Life Motto
How My Cat Will Take Over the World
How to Be the Center of Attention
How to Freak out Your Roommate
Passive Aggressive Ways to Get Your Spouse to Do the Dishes
Alternatives to Cleaning
The Best Dad Jokes of All Time
Skinny Jeans or Where Have All the Men Gone?
Why does Halloween Have to Be the Only Holiday We Wear Costumes For?
Horrible How To Instructions
Going Out Versus Going to Sleep at 9 pm on a Saturday
My Worst Traffic Violation
That Time I Sent the Email to the Wrong Person
How To End a Bad Date
Why I Make the Best Pancakes
Nutella: Why I Just Can’t
How To Survive Your Brother’s Wedding
Why I’m Still Single
How to Fall In Love in 308 Easy Steps
An Argument for Leaving Your Christmas Tree Up All Year
Horrible Valentine’s Day Cards
I Love to Say I Told You So
My Biggest Fashion Mistakes
How To Act Like a Dude
Worst Twitter Mistakes
How to Lose Your Mind in 10 Days
Ten Dumb Things I’ve Done So You Don’t Have To
Things I’ve Only Told My Therapist
How I Knew I Didn’t Get the Job
Getting To Know the Little Voice in the Back of My Head
When To Give Up
How To Pretend to Have It All
Don’t Touch the Thermostat: My Rules for Surviving Winter
Sleeping with the Fan On Just for the Noise
How to Make the Worst of a Best Situation
Lies I Told Myself
Why I Sleep with Five Pillows
Hogging Your Side of the Bed: My Strategy to Sleep Alone
Why My Dog is My Best Friend
Why Nothing Rhymes with Orange
The Worst Color in the World
How to Ruin a Marriage: My Trip to Ikea
Why Hipsters Are the Worst
There Is No Such Thing as Too Much Caffeine
My Worst Hair Dye Experience
The Ugliest Facial Hair I’ve Ever Seen
The Case for Bubble Baths
The Worst Life Hack I’ve Ever Tried
That Time I Got Arrested
My Funniest Online Dating Story
How I Lost My Pants
The Worst Habit I Know I Have
The Worst Thing I Ever Smelled
That Time I Was a Hypochondriac
My Worst Experience with Rain
How to Make Sure He Doesn’t Call
How to Be Patient When You Just Can’t
Shoe Size: Does It Matter?
Why I Love You Anyway
The Worst Sound in the World
The Best Thing about Being Me
The Worst Song Lyric I Ever Heard
How to Be Lame
Times When Ice Cream is Appropriate
How Not to Decorate a Cake
Where Do All the Missing Socks Go?
Ten Things That Are Better Than Doing the Dishes
The Worst Chore I’ve Ever Had to Do
The Worst Punishment I Ever Had as a Kid
How I Knew I Was Done Having Children
Why I Don’t Bother Keeping Up with the Joneses
How to Pretend to Be Interested
How Not to Be Subtle
Why Are Horses the Only Animal We Ride?
What Your Dog Really Thinks about You
Best Reasons to Quit Your Job
The Best Thing I Ever Ate
The Coolest Thing I’ve Ever Seen
Why I Can’t Even
My Real Life Superpower
How to Win at Life
How to Cheat at Cards
How Not to Make Friends
Popcorn Is Underrated
Making the Least of Your Time
If I Were Invisible
Why I Still Use a Nightlight
Leaping Before You Look
What I Learned from High School
How to Be Awesome
Socks and Sandals Are Okay
If I Had A Million Dollars
How to Get Fired
When to Do the Grand Gesture
How to Panic
Relaxation Techniques that Haven’t Worked For Me
Reasons to Be Scared of the Dark
Why I Make My Bed Every Morning
The Perks of Being the Life of the Party
Changing My Mind, Again
My Guilty Pleasure
Best Places to Nap
Something I Thought I Knew
My Biggest Regret
The Invention of Lying
When I Knew I Wasn’t a Kid Anymore
The Kid’s Toy I Still Love to Play with
My Childhood Imaginary Friend
Hobbling Across the Finish Line
Finger Painting: Not Just for Kids Anymore
Why we don’t win the lottery.
Excuses for every occasion.
How to buy condoms discreetly.
Most stupid labels.
I am new in this place, entertain me!
IQ tests revealed.
How to impress a woman.
Crime does pay.
Breaking up isn’t hard.
Comparisons that won’t hold.
Grandchildren’s phrases.
Stereotypes of college students can generate lots of speech topics.
How to slowly drive your girlfriend crazy.
The male guide to selecting an outfit for a high school prom.
Crazy things to do in a final that doesn’t matter.
Chinese proverbs explained.
What to do when you are bored on a lazy Sunday.
Don’t say this to a police officer.
Things men would never say.
Extreme golf courses in the world.
Freudian slips of the tongue.
Test your popularity.
Marriage advice and strange counseling assistance.
Why Santa Claus is a woman.
About the French.
Things I learned from sports.
Things you wouldn’t know without watching films.
How to sing the blues from the heart.
Rare pronounciations of ordinary words and phrases.
The art of kissing.
Bad hair day solutions.
Shopping guide for a man.
Problem solving in an entertaining way.
Funny facts of life are popular topics for an entertainment speech.
Golfing at night or in the snow.
Lawyers and the truth.
Creative marriage proposals.
How to play the singing saw.
Gift wrapping tips for men.
How to photograph a puppy.
Are you ready for children?
Strange dress codes.
A man’s dilemma: beer or women?
Clean your house in 30 minutes.
Stages of a hard working employee.
Office work rules up side down.
Insults from famous people.
Basic rules for driving in – fill in a big city.
Things your mom would never say.
Explain baseball or football to a foreigner.
Applicant speaks in job letters is a great material-oil well too.

Types of Public Speaking

136 Speech Topics About Animals [Persuasive, Informative]

5 thoughts on “Entertaining Speech Topics [195 Ideas To Keep Audience Engaged]”

How useful your school stationeries can be for survival!! (e.g. permanent marker can be used as lightening)

Noice topics!

Things you don’t say to your husband!

Hi, I’m Lila. I have to write a speech and I am completely stuck! I would like a entertaining speech, but still informative. I am so stuck on the topic I should do! Do you have any ideas what to do?

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How to Write an Entertaining Speech for Any Occasion

When we hear the word “entertainment,” the first association that comes to mind is laughing and smiling. Jokes, comedies, stand-up — we consider these genres to be entertaining.

However, entertainment isn’t only about fun and laughter. Horror stories, tragic plays, and sad movies are also aimed at entertaining the audience. Therefore, entertainment is about holding the attention of your audience and triggering strong emotions.

Giving entertaining speeches requires confidence, well-developed public speaking skills, and, of course, charisma. You can improve all these skills and abilities and deliver great speeches on any occasion. We hope that our guide on how to write an entertaining speech will be helpful.

Read our instructions, tips, and example and entertain your audience like a professional!

How to Write an Entertaining Speech Step by Step

As we’ve mentioned, entertaining speeches aren’t necessarily funny. You may give an entertaining speech at a wedding, birthday party, or Christmas party — these speeches are called special-occasion speeches.

But this kind of speech is very specific — every company and group of friends needs an individual approach. That’s why we’ll give you recommendations on how to write an entertaining speech for an unknown audience, for example, for a contest.

1. Pick the topic

If the topic isn’t specified, you may pick it by yourself. We recommend you to choose a theme that is related somehow to your experience and worldview. In such a manner, you’ll sound more persuasive and confident.

2. Generate and select the best ideas

Brainstorming works well even if you don’t have a team, but work on your own. Think about all the associations related to your topic. Read a few articles, or watch inspirational movies. Write down all your ideas (even the weirdest) and then choose the best ones.

3. Make an outline

Your entertaining speech, like an essay, should be well structured. Compose an outline and think about smooth transitions between different parts of your entertaining speech.

4. Think of examples

Examples make any speech more understandable and exciting. Think about real-life stories or episodes from popular movies/books that may help to illustrate your speech.

5. Write jokes and test them

Entertainment isn’t only about laughter; entertaining speeches are mostly aimed at amusing your audience. And jokes are an effective way to make someone smile. Before giving a speech, we recommend you to test your jokes and make sure that they are fun not only for you.

6. Practice and note the time

Public speeches have time limits — you can’t talk forever. Read your speech out loud and write down the time. Make sure that you don’t go beyond the specified limits.

7. Mind your gestures and body language

Your speech might be brilliant, but you won’t be able to make a good impression if you don’t control your body and gestures. Practice in front of the mirror and mind your gestures.

8. Use various intonations

Your voice is your main tool. Slow down, make emphasis on concrete phrases, or talk quietly — every change in your intonation will attract the attention of your listeners.

9. Compose a motivating and memorable ending

Your audience will get a general impression from your speech, but the only thing that they probably will remember is the ending. You have to do your best while composing your final sentences.

10. Give a test speech

Even professionals rehearse before going on stage. Practice at home, with your friends, and in front of the mirror to make sure that you’re ready for a bigger challenge.

How to Write an Entertaining Speech: Quick-Fire Tips

A good plan isn’t enough to write an impressive entertaining speech. You need some tips to make it smooth and memorable. Below, you’ll find tips both about the writing process and public speaking:

Start with a greeting

An unusual greeting will grab the attention of your audience and make them interested. Instead of a standard “Hello everyone,” you can say something unexpected or ask a question to make contact with your listeners.

Keep in mind your audience

Although you don’t know everyone in your audience personally, you are probably aware of some basic characteristics — average age, interests, level of education, etc. You should understand that entertaining speeches for college students, adolescents, and grown-ups are totally different. Students won’t understand jokes about raising kids, while adults won’t get your superhero movies quotations.

This tip is basic, but amateur speakers frequently find it challenging. Smiling is an indispensable part of your charisma. Remember that even though your listeners don’t know you as a person, they can still see the difference between a sincere smile and a forced facial contortion. So, forget about your worries and give your audience your best smile!

Visual aids

Pictures are much easier to memorize than words. If you want to entertain your audience but also teach them something at the same time, prepare a presentation for your speech.

Be confident

Being confident is key to a successful speech. You should worry about how you speak, look, and move before your performance. As soon as you walk on the stage — forget about your anxiety. Be 100% confident about your words, clothes, and gestures. And you’ll rock it!

Engage with the audience

Engaging with the audience is crucial for an entertaining speech. There are three basic methods to build a connection with your listeners. The first and most classy technique is eye contact. You can’t look at all the faces simultaneously, but you should never look at the ceiling or floor. Imagine that you’re serving champagne to your listeners:focus on one guest, then move to the next.

The second standard way to interact with your audience is to ask questions — rhetorical or real. The third technique is to make your listeners do something, for example, raise hands or clap. That will keep them awake!

Forget about complex sentences

You’re not at an exam! Forget about complexity. Use simple words, expressions, and sentences. Don’t make your audience google every single word you say.

Adopt your speeches

When you’re giving a speech, you always need a back-up plan. If your audience seems bored — add some humor. If your audience is eager for communication — don’t be afraid of asking some extra questions.

Keep an eye on time

Inspiration and adrenaline may take you far, but don’t forget that you have time limits. If you’re bad at sensing the time, then you should take care of it before the presentation. You may wear a watch or ask an assistant to give you a sign.

Enjoy your speech

Sincerity is the key to the heart of your audience. Your entertaining speech is your opportunity to share your emotions and worldview with the general public. It might be scary, but you’ll enjoy it – we promise!

How to Write an Entertaining Speech: Example With Comments

The best way to explain something is to give a good example. Below, you’ll find an entertaining speech provided by one of our writers. We’ve also added comments so that you can learn more about the proper structure of entertaining speeches.

Click the images to see their full size.

how to write an entertaining speech example

Now, you know how to write an entertaining speech and amuse your audience! We hope that our guide, tips, and example are enough to inspire you for writing your own speech. Remember that entertaining speeches require as much hard work and preparation as a speech at a conference or wedding.

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Entertainment Speech Maker

✅ 6 Benefits of the Tool

💬 What Is an Entertainment Speech?

🔢 entertaining speech types, 📍 how to write an entertainment speech, 💡 top 21 entertaining speech topics, 📝 4 world-famous entertainment speech examples, 🔗 references.

Do you have a pending entertainment speech assignment but aren’t sure how to write it well? No need to worry because our instant AI entertainment speech generator can help you with this critical school task.

You can use it to create the most entertaining and persuasive speeches. Try our free online entertainment speech maker today.

✅ 6 Benefits of This Informative Speech Generator

How does this free informative speech generator benefit your efforts?

We will focus on the 6 essential benefits:

Broadly, we can define an entertainment speech as one that seeks to captivate or entertain listeners’ attention while delivering a crucial message.

This speech exploits an audience’s emotions and communicates to it in a manner that melts the ice of formalities.

Speakers often deliver entertainment speeches on special occasions.

These events include:

Award ceremonies
Conferences

That’s why entertaining speeches are also called special-event or occasion speeches. However, speakers give them in more mundane events, intending to amuse listeners. Remember, the main focus here is entertainment, which stirs an audience’s emotions.

Entertainment speeches come in 3 main forms:

Do you want to master how to draft a long or short 3-minute entertainment speech? Here is a detailed explanation to make you a master speech writer.

Below are the steps to prepare an amusing entertainment speech.

Determine your speech’s purpose . Clarify what the aim of your speech is before embarking on its creation. While this speech is amusing, don’t confuse it with a stand-up comedy strip. Therefore, you should understand clearly why your audience has gathered before drafting a speech.
Identify your audience’s laughter points . Research what makes your listeners laugh. This stage requires an in-depth understanding of your audience because what amuses you may not sound funny to your listeners.
Match your topic with your listeners . Do sufficient audience research and match your topic with it. Your title should be as simple as possible. Therefore, just include enough amusement in your speech to make it more palatable and drive your message home.
Avoid insults . Don’t make comments that could insult anyone, even if they sound funny. A safe choice is to make funny comments that make listeners laugh at you instead of saying things that make them feel you are insulting them.
Use plain language . Use plain everyday language everyone understands. Avoid all jargon and the “big word” syndrome.
Be precise . Be precise and keep your presentation short and sweet.
Use your personal experiences . When possible, use the examples related to your life to illustrate your message.
Involve your listeners . Let your audience ask questions, answer questions, and make comments.
Be yourself . Draft your speech to portray the original you and not a clone. Remember, your listeners came to listen to you and want to see the real you.
Finish on a witty note . End your speech on a witty, amusing note.
My best joke.
My first day in marriage.
How I got my nickname.
My first lie.
My worst holiday.
Humour and jokes: what’s so funny?
My first international visit.
The first day I boarded a plane.
Humor as a way to cope with stress .
The first day I swam alone in the ocean.
How to live with teenagers.
Humor in the workplace: does it help?
Maximizing the benefits of teenage period.
Optimizing your singlehood.
Different tastes of humor .
How to be the best employee.
Why truth is better than lies.
Comedy and humor in world literature .
My secret to happiness.
The best alternative to exams.
Sense of humor: how does it help?

Below are descriptions of entertainment speeches focusing on inspiration and acceptance.

Sandra Bullock - 2010 Oscar Acceptance Speech

Sandra Bullock delivered this acceptance speech in 2009 when she won an academy award in the Actress in a Leading Role category. She won it based on the role she played in the film The Blind Side. The emotionally charged speech appreciated all who helped her scoop the award.

Will Smith - The Best Things in Life Are on the Other Side of Fear

Will Smith made this speech while discussing why and how to face one’s fears as the key to getting the best things lying beyond the comfort zone. The speech’s moral is that the best things in life arrive after you stop being afraid and move on.

Frances McDormand - 2018 Oscar Acceptance Speech

This speech focused on Frances’ quest for gender equality in the entertainment industry after accepting the Oscar for Best Actress at tonight’s Academy Awards.

Ray Lewis - The Two Sides of Pain

This speech focuses on Ray’s life story . He used it to share his inspiring childhood, where he learned the two sides of pain. He discussed suffering and examined what pain drives one to do. His moral is that success is the end of pain.

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This free online entertainment speech maker will quickly generate an exciting speech example for you. Just follow the prompts and add the details so that your result will fully meet your requirements. As a bonus, find here entertaining speech examples and topics.

Speech Writing

Entertaining Speech Topics

Entertaining Speech Topics for Your Next Debate

10 min read

What is an Entertaining Speech?

Speech writing is an extremely boring task, but it becomes interesting when humor is added.

An entertaining speech is designed to amuse the audience while delivering the message. These speeches are written to entertain the audience and make them laugh.

Like other types of speeches , entertainment speeches should communicate a clear message. However, the manner of speaking is not the formal way and is slightly different from traditional styles.

Although entertainment and funny speeches follow the same speech format as other types of speeches, they can be really fun to write.

Tips for Choosing an Entertaining Speech Topic

When we say the word “entertainment,” we don’t refer to the ‘humor’ only but also the ‘drama’. Therefore, you need to choose a topic for an entertaining speech that brings joy to the audience and intrigues their emotions.

Here are some basic tips from experts to choose the best topic for a funny and entertaining informative speech:

Think of your interests and your inspiration so that you don’t get bored while delivering the speech. If that happens, your audience will lose interest immediately.
Think of your audience and things that interest them. Choose a topic that is interesting for both of you, i.e., you and your audience.
Conduct research and collect some humorous ideas that are unusual and unique
Pick up a normal issue or subject and give it a dramatic twist.
Tell a funny story about some personal experience.
Laugh at, and ridicule institutions and organizations but do not offend.
Ask what if? And show the possibilities until it becomes amusing.
Decide what message you want to communicate with your speech.

If you use this checklist to choose a topic for an entertaining speech, you can easily deliver a serious message while making the audience laugh.

Amazing Entertaining Speech Topics for Students

Now that you know what aspects you need to consider while selecting an entertaining speech topic, let’s choose a topic for your speech.

Entertaining Speech Topics for Middle School

The funniest thing I did to my father
How to eat deep-fried Oreos in 259 easy steps
Once I shot milk out of my nose.
When I don’t want to go to school, I tell my mom that my stomach is hurting.
I popped in my pants on my first day at school.
I want to marry Cameron Diaz.
Don’t eat vegetables; they have feelings too.
Kids should have an hour’s break to watch cartoons in school.
I lied to my teacher about my granny’s death.
Can I have jalapeno on my dark chocolate fudge cake?

Entertaining Speech Topics for Grade 5

The Adventures of My Pet
Why I Love Playing Video Games
The Funniest Jokes I Know
The Magic of My Favorite Fairy Tale
A Day in the Life of a Superhero
The Coolest Science Experiments You Can Do at Home
The Wackiest Inventions in History
How to Train Your Dragon (or Pet)
The Mystery of Ancient Pyramids
My Dream Treehouse: A World of Imagination

Entertaining Speech Topics for Grade 6

The Art of Telling Ghost Stories
My Favorite Mythical Creatures
The Funniest Pranks I've Pulled on My Friends
The Secret Language of Emoji
How to Become a Master Chef in Your Kitchen
The World of Unicorns and Rainbows
The Quirkiest Sports You've Never Heard Of
The History of Superheroes: From Comics to Blockbusters
Exploring Haunted Places: Fact or Fiction?
The Magic of Harry Potter: A World of Wizards and Spells

Entertaining Speech Topics for Grade 7

The Art of Memes: A Humorous Look at Internet Culture
Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse: A How-To Guide
The Science of Laughter: What Makes Us Giggle
The History of Board Games: From Ancient Egypt to Modern Classics
The Strange Habits of Your Favorite Celebrities
Time Travel: Where Would You Go and Why?
The Power of Dreams: Unlocking Your Imagination
Movie Magic: Behind the Scenes of Hollywood Blockbusters
The World's Weirdest and Tastiest Ice Cream Flavors
The Mythical Creatures of Native American Folklore

Entertaining Speech Topics for Grade 8

Worst Twitter mistakes.
My most embarrassing childhood memory.
What are the major features of the city of the future?
The funniest thing I’ve ever heard.
The most memorable childhood moment.
What is your favorite song?
Worst messages on a birthday card?
Funny informative speech topics.
What your favorite weather says about you.
Tallest basketball player of all time.

Entertaining Speech Topics for High School

My favorite misheard song lyrics.
How did I tell my best friend that I love her?
I have a personal experience of watching a ghost dancing on the terrace.
Higher education is a guarantee to be a successful person.
How to get a toddler to go to sleep in 595 easy steps?
My worst encounter with my ex?
Have you ever mixed a Pina Colada with coffee?
When nothing goes right, go left.
The worst date I ever had.
The day my mom figured out Snapchat.

Funny Entertaining Speech Topics for College Students

When I got caught cheating on my girlfriend?
Boys do more gossip than girls.
Everything that goes wrong with me is because of my horoscope.
When I took an ice bucket challenge for the first time?
A breakup insurance policy needs to be invented.
Explain baseball or football to a foreigner in an exciting way.
Who came first: The egg or the chicken?
How did I meet your mother?
A monkey snatched my bag.
Boys should not wear skinny jeans.

Easy Entertaining Speech Topics

The worst pickup lines.
17 easy steps to take a nap after 16 hours of sleep.
How to lie efficiently?
Adults are a weird species.
How to tell someone to get lost without saying the word ‘get lost’?
You need to be young and stupid to get old and wise.
How to control your facial expressions?
Life should come with background music and pleasant air.
I don’t need to make notes; I’ll remember everything.
Whenever I need expert advice, I talk to myself.

Good Entertaining Speech Topics

How to become friends with a 3-year-old baby?
A silent woman is more dangerous than an angry tiger.
How to win an argument when you know that you are wrong?
It’s funny how 8 glasses of water a day seems impossible, but 8 glasses of wine can be done in one meal.
I regret all those naps that I didn’t take as a child.
A man’s “I’ll be there in 5 minutes” is the same as a woman’s “I’ll be ready in 5 minutes”.
How to control your laugh at a serious moment?
I will start studying tomorrow.
If you don’t like me, raise your standards.
How to keep your parent off of Facebook?

Motivational and Interesting Entertaining Speech Topics

I’m not weird; I’m just the limited edition.
My life seems to me like a test I didn’t study for.
People make mistakes, just to be sure.
Always keep smiling; it drives people crazy.
We should have a day every week in which we can be as useless as a “P” in psychology.
If you don’t like me, no problem, everyone doesn’t have good taste.
Before you decide to marry someone, you should see how they react to traffic congestion.
Cinderella is proof that a pair of shoes can change your life.
A woman is rolling her eyes behind every successful man.
How to love Mondays?

Informative Entertaining Speech Topics

The best things in life are not free.
We cannot live without the English language.
The new American dream is to balance work and social life.
Girls are beautiful, even without makeup.
Why we should not completely rely on autocorrect?
How to be the center of attention?
The correct way to lie?
The right way to make your spouse do the dishes?
How to make the best pancakes?
How to fall out of love in 508 steps?

Impromptu Entertaining Speech Topics

Why I’m still single?
My weekend plans mean that I want to stay at home, watch Netflix, and chill.
How to make a horrible Valentine's Day card?
Why do women treat their faces like a coloring book?
The biggest fashion fail of the year.
How to behave like a princess?
How to win an argument?
How to play with someone’s feelings?
I can’t believe I got the job.
When to give up?

Entertaining Persuasive Speech Topics

Most people are all bark, but no bite.
Autocorrect can ruin your life.
Money does not talk, but it loves to say bye-bye all the time.
The good news is nothing lasts forever; the bad news is nothing lasts forever.
Worst Instagram mistakes that everyone should avoid?
How to pretend that you have understood everything?
How to pretend to be interested?
How to be patient when you just can’t?
The world has real superheroes.
Most of the famous people out there are crazy.

Demonstrative Entertaining Speech Topics

How to deliver a speech most funnily?
How to tell a lie and not get caught by your mother?
How to steal your professor’s glasses?
How to embarrass your childhood friend in 36 ways?
How to make fun of your brother’s snickers?
How to get dumped by your girlfriend?
How to ruin your first date?
How to find the love of your life on a blind date?
How to blame your dog for ruining your prom night?
How to eat nachos with vanilla ice cream?

Unique Entertaining Speech Topics

The Art of Stand-Up Comedy: Making People Laugh Through Laughter Therapy.
The Unbelievable History of Magic and Illusion: Secrets Revealed.
From Myth to Reality: The Science Behind Superheroes.
The World of Competitive Eating: Chomping Records and Chasing Glory.
The Language of Memes: A New Form of Global Communication.
Inside the World of Extreme Sports: Thrills, Risks, and Triumphs.
The Mystery of Unsolved Mysteries: The Art of Investigation.
The Evolution of Video Games: From Pong to Virtual Reality.
The Power of Laughter: How Comedy Can Heal and Bring People Together.
The Peculiar Habits of Famous Inventors: Where Genius Meets Eccentricity.

Tips for Writing a Hilarious Entertaining Speech

Hopefully, you will have chosen the topic for your speech by now. Let’s compose an entertaining speech structure. The following tips will help you organize and write your speech easily.

Start the speech by introducing yourself.
Conduct research and collect some fun facts and details about the topic.
Craft an outline to organize your content logically.
Hit the audience with a humorous and attention-grabbing statement.
Give some reasons for the audience to listen to or agree with what is being said.
Include some funny and humorous things to make your speech interesting and entertaining.
You can use funny quotes and dialogue to make your speech effective.
Once you are done with the writing process, practice delivering it.
Practice as much as you can, and try to include some funny gestures.

Entertaining speeches are really fun to deliver, but the speech writing process might stress you out.

You can effortlessly relieve the stress by seeking professional assistance for the speech writing process.

Our speech writing service specializes in delivering top quality speeches. Our expert writers are ready to furnish you with exceptional speeches at highly competitive rates.

Don't wait any longer, contact our essay writing help online for your writing needs.

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Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

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18.2 Special-Occasion Speeches

Learning objectives.

Identify the different types of ceremonial speaking.
Describe the different types of inspirational speaking.

A man giving a birthday speech for his friend

M+MD – Birthday Speech – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Many entertaining speeches fall under the category of special-occasion speeches. All the speeches in this category are given to mark the significance of particular events. Common events include weddings, bar mitzvahs, awards ceremonies, funerals, and political events. In each of these different occasions, speakers are asked to deliver speeches relating to the event. For purposes of simplicity, we’ve broken special-occasion speeches into two groups: ceremonial speaking and inspirational speaking.

Ceremonial Speaking

Ceremonial speeches are speeches given during a ceremony or a ritual marked by observance of formality or etiquette. These ceremonies tend to be very special for people, so it shouldn’t be surprising that they are opportunities for speech making. Let’s examine each of the eight types of ceremonial speaking: introductions, presentations, acceptances, dedications, toasts, roasts, eulogies, and farewells.

Speeches of Introduction

The first type of speech is called the speech of introduction , which is a minispeech given by the host of a ceremony that introduces another speaker and his or her speech. Few things are worse than when the introducer or a speaker stands up and says, “This is Joe Smith, he’s going to talk about stress.” While we did learn the speaker’s name and the topic, the introduction falls flat. Audiences won’t be the least bit excited about listening to Joe’s speech.

Just like any other speech, a speech of introduction should be a complete speech and have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion—and you should do it all in under two minutes. This brings up another “few things are worse” scenario: an introductory speaker who rambles on for too long or who talks about himself or herself instead of focusing on the person being introduced.

For an introduction, think of a hook that will make your audience interested in the upcoming speaker. Did you read a news article related to the speaker’s topic? Have you been impressed by a presentation you’ve heard the speaker give in the past? You need to find something that can grab the audience’s attention and make them excited about hearing the main speaker.

The body of your introductory speech should be devoted to telling the audience about the speaker’s topic, why the speaker is qualified, and why the audience should listen (notice we now have our three body points). First, tell your audience in general terms about the overarching topic of the speech. Most of the time as an introducer, you’ll only have a speech title and maybe a paragraph of information to help guide this part of your speech. That’s all right. You don’t need to know all the ins and outs of the main speaker’s speech; you just need to know enough to whet the audience’s appetite. Next, you need to tell the audience why the speaker is a credible speaker on the topic. Has the speaker written books or articles on the subject? Has the speaker had special life events that make him or her qualified? Lastly, you need to briefly explain to the audience why they should care about the upcoming speech.

The final part of a good introduction is the conclusion, which is generally designed to welcome the speaker to the lectern. Many introducers will conclude by saying something like, “I am looking forward to hearing how Joe Smith’s advice and wisdom can help all of us today, so please join me in welcoming Mr. Joe Smith.” We’ve known some presenters who will even add a notation to their notes to “start clapping” and “shake speakers hand” or “give speaker a hug” depending on the circumstances of the speech.

Now that we’ve walked through the basic parts of an introductory speech, let’s see one outlined:

Specific Purpose: To entertain the audience while preparing them for Janice Wright’s speech on rituals.

Introduction: Mention some common rituals people in the United States engage in (Christmas, sporting events, legal proceedings).

Main Points:

Explain that the topic was selected because understanding how cultures use ritual is an important part of understanding what it means to be human.
Janice Wright is a cultural anthropologist who studies the impact that everyday rituals have on communities.
All of us engage in rituals, and we often don’t take the time to determine how these rituals were started and how they impact our daily routines.

Conclusion: I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Wright at the regional conference in Springfield last month, and I am excited that I get to share her with all of you tonight. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Wright (start clapping, shake speaker’s hand, exit stage).

Speeches of Presentation

The second type of common ceremonial speech is the speech of presentation . A speech of presentation is a brief speech given to accompany a prize or honor. Speeches of presentation can be as simple as saying, “This year’s recipient of the Schuman Public Speaking prize is Wilhelmina Jeffers,” or could last up to five minutes as the speaker explains why the honoree was chosen for the award.

When preparing a speech of presentation, it’s always important to ask how long the speech should be. Once you know the time limit, then you can set out to create the speech itself. First, you should explain what the award or honor is and why the presentation is important. Second, you can explain what the recipient has accomplished in order for the award to be bestowed. Did the person win a race? Did the person write an important piece of literature? Did the person mediate conflict? Whatever the recipient has done, you need to clearly highlight his or her work. Lastly, if the race or competition was conducted in a public forum and numerous people didn’t win, you may want to recognize those people for their efforts as well. While you don’t want to steal the show away from winner (as Kanye West did to Taylor Swift during the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards, for example http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/435995/taylor-swift-wins-best-female-video.jhtml#id=1620605 ), you may want to highlight the work of the other competitors or nominees.

Speeches of Acceptance

The complement to a speech of presentation is the speech of acceptance . The speech of acceptance is a speech given by the recipient of a prize or honor. For example, in the above video clip from the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards, Taylor Swift starts by expressing her appreciation, gets interrupted by Kanye West, and ends by saying, “I would like to thank the fans and MTV, thank you.” While obviously not a traditional acceptance speech because of the interruption, she did manage to get in the important parts.

There are three typical components of a speech of acceptance: thank the givers of the award or honor, thank those who helped you achieve your goal, and put the award or honor into perspective. First, you want to thank the people who have given you the award or honor and possibly those who voted for you. We see this done every year during the Oscars, “First, I’d like to thank the academy and all the academy voters.” Second, you want to give credit to those who helped you achieve the award or honor. No person accomplishes things in life on his or her own. We all have families and friends and colleagues who support us and help us achieve what we do in life, and a speech of acceptance is a great time to graciously recognize those individuals. Lastly, put the award in perspective. Tell the people listening to your speech why the award is meaningful to you.

Speeches of Dedication

The fourth ceremonial speech is the speech of dedication . A speech of dedication is delivered when a new store opens, a building is named after someone, a plaque is placed on a wall, a new library is completed, and so on. These speeches are designed to highlight the importance of the project and possibly those to whom the project has been dedicated. Maybe your great-uncle has died and left your college tons of money, so the college has decided to rename one of the dorms after your great-uncle. In this case, you may be asked to speak at the dedication.

When preparing the speech of dedication, start by explaining how you are involved in the dedication. If the person to whom the dedication is being made is a relative, tell the audience that the building is being named after your great-uncle who bestowed a gift to his alma mater. Second, you want to explain what is being dedicated. If the dedication is a new building or a preexisting building, you want to explain what is being dedicated and the importance of the structure. You should then explain who was involved in the project. If the project is a new structure, talk about the people who built the structure or designed it. If the project is a preexisting structure, talk about the people who put together and decided on the dedication. Lastly, explain why the structure is important for the community where it’s located. If the dedication is for a new store, talk about how the store will bring in new jobs and new shopping opportunities. If the dedication is for a new wing of a hospital, talk about how patients will be served and the advances in medicine the new wing will provide the community.

At one time or another, almost everyone is going to be asked to deliver a toast . A toast is a speech designed to congratulate, appreciate, or remember. First, toasts can be delivered for the purpose of congratulating someone for an honor, a new job, or getting married. You can also toast someone to show your appreciation for something they’ve done. Lastly, we toast people to remember them and what they have accomplished.

When preparing a toast, the first goal is always to keep your remarks brief. Toasts are generally given during the middle of some kind of festivities (e.g., wedding, retirement party, farewell party), and you don’t want your toast to take away from those festivities for too long. Second, the goal of a toast is to focus attention on the person or persons being toasted—not on the speaker. As such, while you are speaking you need to focus your attention to the people being toasted, both by physically looking at them and by keeping your message about them. You should also avoid any inside jokes between you and the people being toasted because toasts are public and should be accessible for everyone who hears them. To conclude a toast, simply say something like, “Please join me in recognizing Joan for her achievement” and lift your glass. When you lift your glass, this will signal to others to do the same and then you can all take a drink, which is the end of your speech.

The roast speech is a very interesting and peculiar speech because it is designed to both praise and good-naturedly insult a person being honored. Generally, roasts are given at the conclusion of a banquet in honor of someone’s life achievements. The television station Comedy Central has been conducting roasts of various celebrities for a few years.

In this clip, watch as Stephen Colbert, television host of The Colbert Report , roasts President George W. Bush.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSE_saVX_2A

Let’s pick this short clip apart. You’ll notice that the humor doesn’t pull any punches. The goal of the roast is to both praise and insult in a good-natured manner. You’ll also see that the roaster, in this case Stephen Colbert, is standing behind a lectern while the roastee, President George W. Bush, is clearly on display for the audience to see, and periodically you’ll see the camera pan to President Bush to take in his reactions. Half the fun of a good roast is watching the roastee’s reactions during the roast, so it’s important to have the roastee clearly visible by the audience.

How does one prepare for a roast? First, you want to really think about the person who is being roasted. Do they have any strange habits or amusing stories in their past that you can discuss? When you think through these things you want to make sure that you cross anything off your list that is truly private information or will really hurt the person. The goal of a roast is to poke at them, not massacre them. Second, when selecting which aspects to poke fun at, you need to make sure that the items you choose are widely known by your audience. Roasts work when the majority of people in the audience can relate to the jokes being made. If you have an inside joke with the roastee, bringing it up during roast may be great fun for the two of you, but it will leave your audience unimpressed. Lastly, end on a positive note. While the jokes are definitely the fun part of a roast, you should leave the roastee knowing that you truly do care about and appreciate the person.

A eulogy is a speech given in honor of someone who has died. (Don’t confuse “eulogy” with “elegy,” a poem or song of mourning.) Unless you are a minister, priest, rabbi, imam, or other form of religious leader, you’ll probably not deliver too many eulogies in your lifetime. However, when the time comes to deliver a eulogy, it’s good to know what you’re doing and to adequately prepare your remarks. Watch the following clip of then-Senator Barack Obama delivering a eulogy at the funeral of civil rights activist Rosa Parks in November of 2005.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRsH92sJCr4

In this eulogy, Senator Obama delivers the eulogy by recalling Rosa Parks importance and her legacy in American history.

When preparing a eulogy, first you need to know as much information about the deceased as possible. The more information you have about the person, the more personal you can make the eulogy. While you can rely on your own information if you were close to the deceased, it is always a good idea to ask friends and relatives of the deceased for their memories, as these may add important facets that may not have occurred to you. Of course, if you were not very close to the deceased, you will need to ask friends and family for information. Second, although eulogies are delivered on the serious and sad occasion of a funeral or memorial service for the deceased, it is very helpful to look for at least one point to be lighter or humorous. In some cultures, in fact, the friends and family attending the funeral will expect the eulogy to be highly entertaining and amusing. While eulogies are not roasts, one goal of the humor or lighter aspects of a eulogy is to relieve the tension that is created by the serious nature of the occasion. Lastly, remember to tell the deceased’s story. Tell the audience about who this person was and what the person stood for in life. The more personal you can make a eulogy, the more touching it will be for the deceased’s friends and families. The eulogy should remind the audience to celebrate the person’s life as well as mourn their death.

Speeches of Farewell

A speech of farewell allows someone to say good-bye to one part of his or her life as he or she is moving on to the next part of life. Maybe you’ve accepted a new job and are leaving your current job, or you’re graduating from college and entering the work force. Whatever the case may be, periods of transition are often marked by speeches of farewell. Watch the following clip of Derek Jeter’s 2008 speech saying farewell to Yankee Stadium, built in 1923, before the New York Yankees moved to the new stadium that opened in 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJrlTpQm0to

In this speech, Derek Jeter is not only saying good-bye to Yankee Stadium but also thanking the fans for their continued support.

When preparing a speech of farewell, the goal should be to thank the people in your current position and let them know how much you appreciate them as you make the move to your next position in life. In Derek Jeter’s speech, he starts by talking about the history of the 1923 Yankee Stadium and then thanks the fans for their support. Second, you want to express to your audience how much the experience has meant to you. A farewell speech is a time to commemorate and think about the good times you’ve had. As such, you should avoid negativity during this speech. Lastly, you want to make sure that you end on a high note. Derek Jeter concludes his speech by saying, “On behalf of this entire organization, we just want to take this moment to salute you, the greatest fans in the world!” at which point Jeter and the other players take off their ball caps and hold them up toward the audience.

Inspirational Speaking

The goal of an inspirational speech is to elicit or arouse an emotional state within an audience. In Section 18.2.1 “Ceremonial Speaking” , we looked at ceremonial speeches. Although some inspirational speeches are sometimes tied to ceremonial occasions, there are also other speaking contexts that call for inspirational speeches. For our purposes, we are going to look at two types of inspirational speeches: goodwill and speeches of commencement.

Speeches to Ensure Goodwill

Goodwill is an intangible asset that is made up of the favor or reputation of an individual or organization. Speeches of goodwill are often given in an attempt to get audience members to view the person or organization more favorably. Although speeches of goodwill are clearly persuasive, they try not to be obvious about the persuasive intent and are often delivered as information-giving speeches that focus on an individual or organization’s positives attributes. There are three basic types of speeches of goodwill: public relations, justification, and apology.

Speeches for Public Relations

In a public relations speech, the speaker is speaking to enhance one’s own image or the image of his or her organization. You can almost think of these speeches as cheerleading speeches because the ultimate goal is to get people to like the speaker and what he or she represents. In the following brief speech, the CEO of British Petroleum is speaking to reporters about what his organization is doing during the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCfa6AxmUHw

Notice that he keeps emphasizing what his company is doing to fix the problem. Every part of this speech is orchestrated to make BP look caring and attempts to get some amount of goodwill from the viewing public.

Speeches of Justification

The second common speech of goodwill is the speech of justification, which is given when someone attempts to defend why certain actions were taken or will be taken. In these speeches, speakers have already enacted (or decided to enact) some kind of behavior, and are now attempting to justify why the behavior is or was appropriate. In the following clip, President Bill Clinton discusses his decision to bomb key Iraqi targets after uncovering a plot to assassinate former President George H. W. Bush.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mpWa7wNr5M

In this speech, President Clinton outlines his reasons for bombing Iraq to the American people and the globe. Again, the goal of this speech is to secure goodwill for President Clinton’s decisions both in the United States and on the world stage.

Speeches of Apology

The final speech of goodwill is the speech of apology. Frankly, these speeches have become more and more commonplace. Every time we turn around, a politician, professional athlete, musician, or actor/actress is doing something reprehensible and getting caught. In fact, the speech of apology has quickly become a fodder for humor as well. Let’s take a look at a real apology speech delivered by professional golfer Tiger Woods.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs8nseNP4s0

When you need to make an apology speech, there are three elements that you need to include: be honest and take responsibility, say you’re sorry, and offer restitution. First, a speaker needs to be honest and admit to doing something wrong. The worst apology speeches are those in which the individual tries to sidestep the wrongdoing. Even if you didn’t do anything wrong, it is often best to take responsibility from a public perception perspective. Second, say that you are sorry. People need to know that you are remorseful for what you’ve done. One of the problems many experts saw with Tiger Woods’s speech is that he doesn’t look remorseful at all. While the words coming out of his mouth are appropriate, he looks like a robot forced to read from a manuscript written by his press agent. Lastly, you need to offer restitution. Restitution can come in the form of fixing something broken or a promise not to engage in such behavior in the future. People in society are very willing to forgive and forget when they are asked.

Speeches for Commencements

The second type of inspirational speech is the speech of commencement , which is designed to recognize and celebrate the achievements of a graduating class or other group of people. The most typical form of commencement speech happens when someone graduates from school. Nearly all of us have sat through commencement speeches at some point in our lives. And if you’re like us, you’ve heard good ones and bad ones. Numerous celebrities and politicians have been asked to deliver commencement speeches at colleges and universities. One famous and well-thought-out commencement speech was given by famed Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling at Harvard University in 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkREt4ZB-ck

J. K. Rowling’s speech has the perfect balance of humor and inspiration, which are two of the main ingredients of a great commencement speech.

If you’re ever asked to deliver a commencement speech, there are some key points to think through when deciding on your speech’s content.

If there is a specific theme for the graduation, make sure that your commencement speech addresses that theme. If there is no specific theme, come up with one for your speech. Some common commencement speech themes are commitment, competitiveness, competence, confidence, decision making, discipline, ethics, failure (and overcoming failure), faith, generosity, integrity, involvement, leadership, learning, persistence, personal improvement, professionalism, reality, responsibility, and self-respect.
Talk about your life and how graduates can learn from your experiences to avoid pitfalls or take advantages of life. How can your life inspire the graduates in their future endeavors?
Make the speech humorous. Commencement speeches should be entertaining and make an audience laugh.
Be brief! Nothing is more painful than a commencement speaker who drones on and on. Remember, the graduates are there to get their diplomas; their families are there to watch the graduates walk across the stage.
Remember, while you may be the speaker, you’ve been asked to impart wisdom and advice for the people graduating and moving on with their lives, so keep it focused on them.
Place the commencement speech into the broader context of the graduates’ lives. Show the graduates how the advice and wisdom you are offering can be utilized to make their own lives better.

Overall, it’s important to make sure that you have fun when delivering a commencement speech. Remember, it’s a huge honor and responsibility to be asked to deliver a commencement speech, so take the time to really think through and prepare your speech.

Key Takeaways

There are eight common forms of ceremonial speaking: introduction, presentation, acceptance, dedication, toast, roast, eulogy, and farewell. Speeches of introduction are designed to introduce a speaker. Speeches of presentation are given when an individual is presenting an award of some kind. Speeches of acceptance are delivered by the person receiving an award or honor. Speeches of dedication are given when a new building or other place is being opened for the first time. Toasts are given to acknowledge and honor someone on a special occasion (e.g., wedding, birthday, retirement). Roasts are speeches designed to both praise and good-naturedly insult a person being honored. Eulogies are given during funerals and memorial services. Lastly, speeches of farewell are delivered by an individual who is leaving a job, community, or organization, and wants to acknowledge how much the group has meant.
Inspirational speeches fall into two categories: goodwill (e.g., public relations, justification, and apology) and speeches of commencement. Speeches of goodwill attempt to get audience members to view the person or organization more favorably. On the other hand, speeches of commencement are delivered to recognize the achievements of a group of people.
Imagine you’ve been asked to speak before a local civic organization such as the Kiwanis or Rotary Club. Develop a sample speech of introduction that you would like someone to give to introduce you.
You’ve been asked to roast your favorite celebrity. Develop a two-minute roast.
Develop a speech of commencement for your public speaking class.

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Mariska Hargitay Calls Out Harvey Weinstein Ruling, Gives Fiery Speech on Sexual Abuse Survivors: ‘Risky to Let Women Speak? You’re Damn Right It Is’

By Emily Longeretta

Emily Longeretta

Variety’s Power of Women Honorees Call for Change at New York Event: ‘We Need Every Person to Use Their Voice’ 6 days ago
Mariska Hargitay Calls Out Harvey Weinstein Ruling, Gives Fiery Speech on Sexual Abuse Survivors: ‘Risky to Let Women Speak? You’re Damn Right It Is’ 6 days ago
Rosie O’Donnell Joins ‘And Just Like That’ Season 3, Reveals Character Details and Premiere Episode Title 7 days ago

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star Mariska Hargitay gave a powerful speech on Thursday in New York during Variety ‘s Power of Women event, presented by Lifetime. The two-time Emmy winner, who celebrated 25 years of “SVU” this year, was honored at the event for her work as an advocate for sexual assault survivors.

Hargitay took the stage at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum following an introduction by her close friend, Glenn Close. After many years of acting, “she still finds the heart, the art and the power in her craft,” Close said of Hargitay.

“I want to talk today about reversing convictions,” Hargitay said. “It’s impossible to reverse my conviction that survivors matter, that what happened to us matters, and that our society must respond to survivors more compassionately, more holistically, with a deeper, more nuanced understanding of what healing means.”

She called upon those in the entertainment industry to “use your power as a catalyst for change” and “examine how your actions either contribute to either keeping the system the way it’s always been or to change it.”

Hargitay also spoke of the irony that Weinstein’s conviction was overturned because “too many” victims testified at his trial.

“I do want to say something about the overturned Harvey Weinstein conviction. Specifically about the reason it was overturned: Too many women’s voices. Too many women were allowed to speak,” she said, referring to the conviction being overturned after the court found testimony against Weinstein was unfairly allowed based on allegations that weren’t part of the case.

“Risky to let women speak? You’re damn right it is. Too many women speaking brings change,” she said. The backlash to #MeToo is evidence of “how powerful those voices are,” she continued.

The foundation has launched numerous programs including the End the Backlog initiative, prioritizing eliminating the massive backlog of untested rape kits in police departments.

“It’s impossible to reverse my conviction that we must listen to survivors,” Hargitay continued, talking about the work of the Joyful Heart Foundation.

“It’s impossible reverse my conviction, and the conviction of my extraordinary team at Joyful Heart, that the backlog of untested rape kits can be brought to zero, that the testing of all new kits must be mandated, that we need a statewide kit tracking system, and that survivors have the right to access the status of their kits,” she said.

“Her decades of steadfast advocacy on behalf of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse has truly changed how we all talk about these crimes,” says Joyful Heart executive director Robyn Mazur. “Her passion and encouragement has been the driving force at the organization, and every day I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish next.”

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NCIS: Hawai'i Delivered A Frustrating Cliffhanger In The Series Finale, And Sam's Final Speech Makes The Cancellation Hurt All Over Again

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Warning: spoilers ahead for the series finale of NCIS: Hawai'i on CBS, called "Divided We Conquer."

The third season of NCIS: Hawai'i has come to an end, and fans have sadly known for weeks now that the beloved drama won't be coming back for Season 4 later in the 2024 TV schedule . Despite a renewal for NCIS and two new franchise shows in the works, the Aloha State-set series was cancelled back in April after the finale had already been filmed. Now, "Divided We Conquer" aired to reveal the cliffhanger that would have made a great hook for a fourth season, but it was Sam Hanna 's final speech that really bummed me out all over again that the show got the axe.

The Cliffhanger

"Divided We Conquer" tied up the loose ends for the case that spanned the two-part finale event , so fans at least aren't left hanging about the bioweapon or its antidote. The kicker came after a time jump of some weeks, when Sam was recovered enough from his near-death experience courtesy of Compound X to enjoy a surprise party with the ohana. Tennant went home after, expecting to find her daughter Julie waiting, only to discover none other than Maggie Shaw sitting in her home, with Julie White reprising her role.

This was Maggie's first appearance since the Season 2 finale, when her thunder was a bit stolen by the exciting news about LL Cool J coming over from NCIS: LA . NCIS: Hawai'i was apparently holding her return for a big cliffhanger to keep fans guessing over summer hiatus... only for the brutal cancellation news to break . Maggie ultimately got the very last line of the series when she said this to Tennant: "You're probably gonna need a drink for what's coming next."

Alas, the only thing that could be "coming next" for Jane Tennant might be if one of the other NCIS shows – which will include the original show, NCIS: Origins with young Gibbs ,and the Tony/Ziva spinoff with Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo – dedicates an episode or two to wrapping up the Hawai'i stories, which I don't think is particularly likely.

After all, Origins is set in a different era, Tiva presumably have more going on, and the NCIS Season 21 finale set up its own mysteries to be explored. So, Maggie Shaw returned for an NCIS: Hawai'i cliffhanger, and we likely will never see whatever was planned for the payoff. While I was more or less resigned to the cancellation by the time "Divided We Conquer" began on May 6, Sam's final speech really salted the wound.

Sam's Speech

One of the brightest spots of the finale was that it did take the time for one last big team scene, as they came together for a surprise party (with champagne) to welcome a recovered Sam and Tennant back. It felt like a scene that was needed in a series finale, so it was a stroke of luck that it was included in an episode that was originally only intended as a series finale.

When Sam toasted the rest of the team, though, it really reminded me that there was still a lot of heart (and plenty of stories) that could have kept this show going into Season 4 and beyond. Over a glass of champagne, Sam said:

When I first arrived on the island, I think some of you might've been a little wary. But thanks to your boss Jane Tennant, that didn't last long. And I'm truly honored to be thought of as part of your 'ohana, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Considering that I had big questions about my own about what Sam was hiding back when he arrived in early Season 3, I can vouch that the characters weren't the only ones feeling a little wary earlier this year. By the end, he felt like he fit with the Hawai'i team just about as well as he did the NCIS: LA team. His heartwarming toast just ahead of the Maggie Shaw cliffhanger would have been a great temporary sendoff for the show heading into hiatus.

Unfortunately, unless efforts to save the show are successful , we can only wait and see if anybody from NCIS: Hawai'i will open up about what the plan was for Season 4 to continue the story of the cliffhanger, and whether that would involve Sam again. The full run of the Hawai'i-set show is also available streaming with a Paramount+ subscription now, so you can always revisit the first three seasons at your streaming leisure.

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Disney’s $1.9b disneylandforward plan gets final approval from anaheim city council; major changes set for walt’s original park, uzo aduba to deliver commencement address at chapman university’s film school.

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She starred alongside Matthew Broderick in Netflix’s 2023 limited series Painkiller, and other recent credits include Solos, National Champions and voice roles in Lightyear , Steven Universe: The Movie and Steven Universe Future. Upcoming roles in The Residence, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat and Greedy People.

Aduba recently launched her production company, Meynon Media, and signed a multiyear producing deal with CBS Studios, where she is set to produce and star in the Showtime limited series All Her Little Secrets .

Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts is among the top-ranked film schools in the country.

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Chapter 18 Speaking to Entertain

Understanding entertaining speeches, learning objectives.

Understand the purpose of entertaining speeches.
Explain the four ingredients of a good entertaining speech.

Be Prepared

Be Adaptive to the Occasion

You are the maid of honor giving a toast at the wedding of your younger sister.
You are receiving a Most Valuable Player award in your favorite sport.
You are a sales representative speaking to a group of clients after a mistake has been discovered.
You are a cancer survivor speaking at a high school student assembly.

How might you adapt your message and speaking style to successfully entertain these various audiences?

Be Adaptive to Your Audience

Be Mindful of the Time

Key Takeaways

Entertaining speeches are speeches designed to captivate an audience’s attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. Speakers engage in entertaining speeches generally at special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals) or are asked to deliver a keynote address.
Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations: preparation, adaptation to the occasion, adaptation to the audience, and mindfulness of the time. As with all speeches, speakers need to prepare the speech. Second, speakers need to think about the specific occasion. Third, speakers need to adapt their speeches to the specific audience. Lastly, speakers need to think about how long they should speak.
Type in the word “roast” into YouTube and watch a few minutes of a roast. Did the speaker clearly exhibit the four clear ingredients of an entertaining speech?
Watch several toasts and acceptance speeches on YouTube. Can you identify specific ways in which each speaker adapts the speech to the occasion and the audience?
Public Speaking: Practice and Ethics. Authored by : Anonymous. Provided by : Anonymous. Located at : http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/public-speaking-practice-and-ethics/ . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

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Jerry seinfeld says jason alexander memorized ‘seinfeld’ golf ball speech in half an hour.

Seinfeld said he and co-writer Larry David came up with the idea for the beloved monologue at 2:30 in the morning before filming.

By Zoe G Phillips

Zoe G Phillips

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The beloved golf ball reveal of Seinfeld ‘s “Marine Biologist” episode almost never happened. Jerry Seinfeld revealed this week he and Larry David wrote the scene just hours before filming it, and actor Jason Alexander only had minutes to memorize the script.

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IMAGES

What is an entertaining speech?
PPT
Henry F. Ashurst Quote: “A speech is entertaining only when serenely
How to Write an Entertaining Speech: Guide, Tips, and Example
How To Write and Deliver An English Speech?
100+ Entertaining Speech Topics

VIDEO

ESPN's Suzy Kolber Philly Fan Story from Maxwell Awards
Sample Entertaining Speech for Students
राजमाता जिजाऊ जयंतीनिमित्त उत्तम भाषण
Older Brother’s Funny Best Man Speech
चोरी पकड़ी गयी
Entertainment speech

COMMENTS

18.1 Understanding Entertaining Speeches
Entertaining speeches are speeches designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. Speakers engage in entertaining speeches generally at special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals) or are asked to deliver a keynote address. Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations ...
15.2: Understanding Entertaining Speeches
15.2: Understanding Entertaining Speeches. In broad terms, an entertaining speech is a speech designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a message. Like more traditional informative or persuasive speeches, entertaining speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner of speaking used in ...
13.1: Understanding Entertaining Speeches
In broad terms, an entertaining speech is a speech designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a message. Like more traditional informative or persuasive speeches, entertaining speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner of speaking used in an entertaining speech is typically different.
6.1 General Purposes of Speaking
An entertaining speech can be either informative or persuasive at its root, but the context or theme of the speech requires speakers to think about the speech primarily in terms of audience enjoyment. Why We Entertain. Entertaining speeches are very common in everyday life. The fundamental goal of an entertaining speech is audience enjoyment ...
Understanding Entertaining Speeches
Entertaining speeches are speeches designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. Speakers engage in entertaining speeches generally at special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals) or are asked to deliver a keynote address. Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations ...
Speaking to Entertain
In broad terms, an entertaining speech Speech designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. is a speech designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a message. Like more traditional informative or persuasive speeches, entertaining speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner ...
43 18.1 Understanding Entertaining Speeches
In broad terms, an entertaining speech is a speech designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a message. Like more traditional informative or persuasive speeches, entertaining speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner of speaking used in an entertaining speech is typically different.
PRDV008: Entertaining Speeches
An entertaining speech can be either informative or persuasive at its root, but the context or theme of the speech requires speakers to think about the speech primarily in terms of audience enjoyment. Why We Entertain. Entertaining speeches are very common in everyday life. The fundamental goal of an entertaining speech is audience enjoyment ...
8 Public Speaking Techniques to Wow Your Audience
Use these 8 tips to make sure your speech wows. Your main goals of public speaking are to entertain, inspire and get the audience to take action. Use these 8 tips to make sure your speech wows. ... The key to entertaining an audience is stories. Stories are the most important part of a good presentation.
Entertaining Speech: 6 Tips for Amusing your Audience
An entertaining speech is a speech that delivers its message in a fun and amusing way. Entertaining speeches are usually delivered on special occasions; weddings, award shows, etc. An entertaining speech connects with the audience on an emotional level and keeps them engaged all the way through.
Types of Public Speaking: Entertaining Speaking
Entertaining speaking is a type of public presentation that aims to captivate, engage, and delight an audience, often by evoking their emotions or appealing to their sense of humor. This form of oral communication focuses on delivering messages in an enjoyable and memorable manner while still maintaining the intended message's core essence.
Types of Speeches: The Entertaining Speech
Here are the previous posts in this "Type of Speeches" series: The Keynote Address. The Training Session. The Motivational Speech. The next post in this series is The Demonstration. Growing As a Person - Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid of Personal Growth. Public Speaking Tip #29: Respecting Time Limits.
Understanding Entertaining Speeches
In broad terms, an entertaining speech Speech designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. is a speech designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a message. Like more traditional informative or persuasive speeches, entertaining speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner ...
13 Main Types of Speeches (With Examples and Tips)
Entertaining speech Entertaining speeches aim to amuse a crowd of people. Often less formal and shorter than traditional speeches, entertaining speeches communicate emotions rather than giving the audience facts and figures. Rather, they often include humor or funny stories. You can often find entertaining speeches at a birthday party or a wedding.
Entertaining Speech Topics [195 Ideas To Keep Audience Engaged]
Rare pronounciations of ordinary words and phrases. The art of kissing. Bad hair day solutions. Shopping guide for a man. Problem solving in an entertaining way. Funny facts of life are popular topics for an entertainment speech. Golfing at night or in the snow. Lawyers and the truth. Creative marriage proposals.
How to Make an Entertaining Speech and Presentation
An entertaining speech can be about nearly any topic under the sun. While storytelling is an element of the speech, simply telling a story with no topical or thematic focus will be insufficient.
How to Write an Entertaining Speech: Guide, Tips, and Example
Write down all your ideas (even the weirdest) and then choose the best ones. 3. Make an outline. Your entertaining speech, like an essay, should be well structured. Compose an outline and think about smooth transitions between different parts of your entertaining speech. 4.
Entertainment Speech Maker + Topics, Examples, & Writing Tips
This entertainment speech generator ensures you don't worry about getting the correct vocabulary for your task. It chooses the most appropriate language based on the topic of your presentation. 🦄 Inspiring. This speech maker will help you effortlessly compose an entertaining speech, saving you from terrible writer's block. 🎯 Specialized.
100+ Funny and Most Entertaining Speech Topics (2024)
An entertaining speech is designed to amuse the audience while delivering the message. These speeches are written to entertain the audience and make them laugh. Like other types of speeches, entertainment speeches should communicate a clear message. However, the manner of speaking is not the formal way and is slightly different from traditional ...
Chapter 18: Speaking on Special Occasions Flashcards
Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Multiple Choice Question The primary goal of an entertaining speech is to: 1) educate the audience. 2) amuse the audience. 3) persuade the audience. 4) honor someone heroic., Multiple Choice Question Which of the following are you most likely to include when developing an entertaining speech? 1) facts and statistics 2) logical ...
18.2 Special-Occasion Speeches
Many entertaining speeches fall under the category of special-occasion speeches. All the speeches in this category are given to mark the significance of particular events. ... A speech of dedication is delivered when a new store opens, a building is named after someone, a plaque is placed on a wall, a new library is completed, and so on. These ...
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Understanding Entertaining Speeches
Entertaining speeches are speeches designed to captivate an audience's attention and regale or amuse them while delivering a clear message. Speakers engage in entertaining speeches generally at special occasions (e.g., weddings, funerals) or are asked to deliver a keynote address. Entertaining speeches should include four key considerations ...
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43 18.1 Understanding Entertaining Speeches

Be Prepared

Be Adaptive to the Occasion

Be Adaptive to Your Audience

Be Mindful of the Time

Key Takeaways

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PRDV008: Preparing and Delivering Presentations

Why We Entertain

Common Forms of Entertainment Topics

Sample: Adam Fink's Entertainment Speech

8 Public Speaking Techniques to Wow Your Audience

1) Say Something Right Off The Bat That Connects to The Audience

2) Connect with Emotion

3) Tell The Audience How Good They Are

4) Link Back to Your Opening During Your Speech

5) Relate To The Audience’s Self-Interests

6) Entertain Your Audience With Stories

Design Your Talk Around 3 Stories

7) Appeal To Patriotism, Loyalty or Personal Gain

8) Tell the Audience EXACTLY What They are Going to Gain

The Power of the Pause

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Entertaining Speech: 6 Tips for Amusing your Audience

HOW TO GIVE AN EFFECTIVE ENTERTAINING SPEECH? 6 Basic Tips

Here are some tips to consider in giving an entertaining speech

2. STRUCTURE IS STILL IMPORTANT

3. ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE

4. USE SIMPLE LANGUAGE

5. USE TIME AS AN ALLY

ENTERTAINING SPEECH TOPICS

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Here’s an Excellent Keynote Speech GUIDE: With 2 Great Examples

Types of Public Speaking: Entertaining Speaking

Key Takeaways

What Is Entertaining Speaking?

Characteristics Of A Successful Entertaining Speech

Different Types Of Entertaining Speaking

Humorous Speeches

Storytelling Speeches

Inspirational Speeches

Musical And Poetry Performances

Essential Techniques For Effective Entertaining Speaking

Knowing Your Audience

Practicing Your Delivery

Using Humor And Emotion Effectively

Engaging Your Audience Through Storytelling Techniques

Conclusion: The Importance Of Entertaining Speaking In Captivating Your Audience

Types of Speeches: The Entertaining Speech

How to write an entertaining speech

Resources for developing entertaining speeches:

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18.1 Understanding Entertaining Speeches

Be Prepared

Be Adaptive to the Occasion

Be Adaptive to Your Audience

Be Mindful of the Time

Key Takeaways

Entertaining Speech Topics [195 Ideas To Keep Audience Engaged]

How To Develop An Entertaining Speech Topic

5 thoughts on “Entertaining Speech Topics [195 Ideas To Keep Audience Engaged]”

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How to Write an Entertaining Speech for Any Occasion

How to Write an Entertaining Speech Step by Step

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How to Write an Entertaining Speech: Example With Comments

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