The area contest was definitely a success. I was thrilled to see that my Table Topics work has paid off and resulted in a 2nd place finish. I was a little less than thrilled to discover that my humorous speech resulted in a plethora of… silence. It was the type of silence that would welcome the sound of crickets chirping – anything to break up the monotony. Dealing with an audience that doesn’t laugh when expected is a challenge and a lesson in perseverance. The TM “Humorously Speaking” manual provides a useful article on dealing with failed humour.
- Don’t panic
- Don’t repeat it
- Don’t explain it
- Don’t blame the audience
- Don’t apologize
Experience shows this to be spot-on. However, it seems advantageous to also stress what one should do. Do: have courage, momentum, a confident unwavering voice, hear laughter in your head. The speech will be over soon enough. Carry through to the conclusion with fierce dignity and confidence!
