10. Speech Breakdown: Tina Fey's Acceptance Speech of the Mark Twain Prize
Jul 2, 2019
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Tina Fey, the award-winning comedian and beloved creator of classics like 30 Rock, takes center stage with her insightful breakdown of her acceptance speech for the Mark Twain Prize. The conversation dives into her masterful blend of humor and sincerity, illustrating how she gracefully addresses tension while honoring those who paved the way for her career. Hosts explore the art of relatable storytelling and audience engagement, making it clear that a great acceptance speech is as much about gratitude as it is about entertaining.
Tina Fey's acceptance speech effectively blends humor and feminist themes, showcasing her role as a trailblazer for women in comedy and representation.
She utilizes relatable personal anecdotes throughout her speech, creating connections with the audience while acknowledging the support from family and friends.
Deep dives
Understanding the Context of Tina Fey's Speech
The speech analyzed is Tina Fey's acceptance of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which recognizes individuals who have significantly influenced American society. Fey's prominence stems from her tenure as head writer for Saturday Night Live and her roles in iconic productions such as 30 Rock and Mean Girls. The audience consists of notable figures in the American television industry, creating a unique environment for Fey to blend humor with heartfelt gratitude. Her acknowledgment of the award's significance alongside Mark Twain's controversial legacy highlights the evolving standards of societal acceptability in humor and literature.
Humor and Feminism in Acceptance
Tina Fey cleverly intertwines humor with feminist undertones throughout her speech, recognizing her role as a pioneer for women in comedy. She refers to the few women who have received this award before her, expressing the hope that such counting will soon become obsolete due to equal representation. Fey's anecdotes about her experiences, such as being the first female head writer at Saturday Night Live, exemplify the challenges women face in the industry. By using humor to address these challenges, she opens up a dialogue about gender and representation in a way that entertains while also educating her audience.
Personal Touches and Relatable Storytelling
Fey’s acceptance speech features personal anecdotes that resonate with both the audience and viewers, connecting her experiences as a comedian to her role as a mother and partner. Her jokes regarding the pride of her parents and her humorous remarks about the sacrifices made for family life add a relatable layer to her speech. This storytelling allows her to acknowledge the support she received from her family and friends while also maintaining the comedic tone expected from her. By tapping into the shared experiences of parenthood and career pressures, she crafts a connection that underscores the importance of humor in navigating life's challenges.
Double digits! For episode ten of The Presentation Boss Podcast, it's another speech breakdown! Your hosts Kate and Thomas are experienced not only as speakers, but as presentation coaches. They love finding the strengths and weaknesses in a presentation and explaining why they work or need to be considered. Here's one of Kate's favourite speeches.
Kate has picked an industry award acceptance speech; Tina Fey and the Mark Twain Prize for American Comedy. Prepare for some laughs and to hear some great examples of audience focus, expression of personality and a few squeaks from Kate's baby in the background. He gets quite vocal toward the end!
What You'll Learn
• One of the greatest investments to become a great public speaker
• What an acceptance speech needs to achieve
• How humour can emphasise the importance of message
• How to acknowledge tension and controversy with grace and humour
• The various ways you can thank or recognise people that is enjoyable for the whole audience
• How to be relatable by including yourself in the audience
• The way to use a story to collapse time, condense details and inform of growth
• How to begin writing an award acceptance speech
Mentioned In The Show
• Tina Fey | 2010 Mark Twain Prize for American Comedy Acceptance Speech:
https://www.pbs.org/mark-twain-prize/shows/2010-show-tina-fey/
Resources and Links
• Presentation Boss on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/presentationboss/
• Presentation Boss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/presentation-boss
• Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-norris/
• Thomas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-krafft/
• The Presentation Boss Podcast: https://presentationboss.com.au/podcast/
• Email us! podcast@presentationboss.com.au
Quotes From This Episode
• "It's quite customary to thank the people who have helped get you there"
• "She's expected to do something a little more interesting"
• "And everyone in this room in particular would understand that"
• "It just shows how you can be sincere and gracious and thankful while being humorous and interesting"
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