Landslide Lyrics Dixie Chicks

A great opening plays an important part in establishing you as an able orator, so it is imperative that you spend considerable time to write a witty, humorous opening. Most of the distinguished speakers always analyze their audience as it helps in knowing the level of sophistication that the speech should have. It also helps in deciding which elements would be a part of the speech. Before writing an entertainment speech, it can be beneficial if you gather some information on who is on the invitee list. You may not be able to precisely gauge their likes and dislikes but, it will certainly help you in deciding the undertone of your speech. Let us take a look at the famous speech of Mark Twain, titled “Our Fellow Savages of the Sandwich Islands”.

Ladies and Gentlemen: The next lecture in this course will be delivered this evening, by Samuel L Clemens, a gentleman whose high character and unimpeachable integrity are only equaled by his comeliness of person and grace of manner.
And I am the man!
I was obliged to excuse the chairman from introducing me, because he never compliments anybody and I knew I could do it just as well.

The next thing that you need to focus on is the body of the speech. It is necessary that your speech has a central theme around which the whole speech would revolve. The body of the speech is the central part of the speech and generally, it is observed that the attention of the audience starts drifting away at this stage. To ensure that you keep your audience interested, try keeping this part concise and make it lively by remembering some anecdotes. Look how beautifully Mark Twain has filled the speech with humorous epigrams to keep it lively and entertaining. This excerpt has been taken from Mark Twain’s address at gathering of Americans in London, July 4, 1872, titled “Americans and The English”.

This is an age of progress, and ours is a progressive land. A great and glorious land, too-a land which has developed a Washington, a Franklin, a Wm. M. Tweed, a Longfellow, a Motley, a Jay Gould, a Samuel C. Pomeroy, a recent Congress which has never had its equal (in some respects), and a United States Army which conquered sixty Indians in eight months by tiring them out-which is much better than uncivilized slaughter, God knows. We have a criminal jury system which is superior to any in the world and its efficiency is only marred by the difficulty of finding twelve men every day who don’t know anything and can’t read. And I may observe that we have an insanity plea that would have saved Cain. I think I can say, and say with pride, that we have some legislatures that bring higher prices than any in the world.

The conclusion of the speech should be written in such a way that it should drive the central idea of your speech and make it a memorable experience for the audience. You can use words such as, “Before I wrap up” or “Let me end this by saying” to signal to the audience that you have reached the closure of the speech. Audience will more likely remember the closing part of your speech so you might as well give something nice to remember. Something that will leave the audience in splits and allow a fitting end to your speech. You can take a look at the below example which highlights the use of humor while concluding a speech. This was an address by Woody Allen, titled “My Speech to the Graduates” and it first appeared in the New York Times in 1979. Read the rest of this entry »

You may remember that while in concert, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks told a London audience earlier this week, “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.”

That is ridiculous. Sure, free speech allows you to say whatever you please, but there’s no reason to tell a foreign audience in a foreign nation that you’re ashamed of where you’re from because that happens to be where the President of the United States resides. These girls are American entertainers making very un-American statements. I don’t care if you support the war or not, but there is no need to slap Mr. Bush in the face during the week of his war plan announcements.

Their remarks have angered many US fans, including many Texans who refuse to listen to the Dixie Chicks. Several radio stations have removed their songs from their play lists and have started petitions and online forums for people to leave comments on the issue. This isn’t being taken well by the anti-war protesters who cheered for the Dixie Chicks after they made those statements last week.

Writing under different screen-names in several forums, I have brought up the issue of boycotting the Dixie Chicks because of their statements. In almost every case, I was maliciously attacked by ‘Chicks’ supporters and anti-war demonstrators who just don’t see it my way.

One poster told me, “You can get the —- out of this country with every other conservative who criticized Clinton.” One writer said, “anyone who actually supports Bush is Nazi who sees no harm in bombing innocent children.”

These are just two of the negative comments I have received, and those don’t compare to what true stanch-supporters of Bush get when they engage in online chat and social debate. It’s amazing how quickly a person who justifies his/her anti-war protest using freedom of speech can forget that Dixie Chicks protestors have that same right.

When I call people out with the comment, “You are a hypocrite for scorning pro-war supporters when you yourself are just as passionate to be against it. You cheer for the Dixie Chicks when they defile Bush, and yet you jump all over anyone who was offended by the Chicks’ anti-Bush statements.”

This is not a two-way hypocrisy. Pro-war and pro-Bush supporters at least try to use logic when arguing a case, yet anti-war marchers only see the war as baby killing and innocent blood-shed. No, not every pro-Bush supporter is right. In fact, many are just as blind as anyone who actually believes this is a war for oil and total world domination. It is also true that many pro-war supporters don’t know their facts and many have no idea what they’re talking about, but you don’t see them attacking protesters the way protestors do in return. Read the rest of this entry »