It’s neither good form nor good business for the editor of Vital Speeches of the Day, who begs speakers and speechwriters to send him speeches for possible publication, to hold the bad ones up to public scorn.
But every once in awhile, a speech is bad enough that someone must give candid voice to the audience who was polite enough to sit through it and applaud at the end.
I came across one such collection of barren bromides during my flat-shovel sifting of speeches for our annual special issue on commencement addresses. (It’s the August issue, and if you don’t subscribe to Vital Speeches, now’s the perfect time to start, so you can get this great issue.)
Mercifully to the speaker, I identify him only as a Fortune 500 CEO and don’t identify the major university at which he spoke. Mercifully to the reader, I’ve abridged the speech considerably. Its essential excerpts are in Roman, my retorts are in italics.
I extend my congratulations to all the graduates; I’m very impressed with your achievements. You’ve worked very hard to earn a degree from our world-class university. Your degree will open many doors for you in the coming years.
For the graduates, today represents both an ending and a beginning. It’s a day to celebrate your accomplishments and, at the same time, look to the future. …
For the full post, visit Vital Speeches of the Day.
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