25. Speech Breakdown: Ellen DeGeneres' Commencement Speech at Tulane University

Oct 15, 2019

Ellen DeGeneres, a beloved comedian and talk show host, brings her signature humor and relatability to her 2009 commencement speech at Tulane University. By masterfully engaging her audience, she transforms common themes into enjoyable stories. The hosts explore how her careful preparation fosters authenticity and connection. They highlight the balance of humor and serious themes, the importance of addressing the audience personally, and the lessons of resilience and hope that resonate with graduates embarking on new journeys.

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ADVICE

Learning from Others

Watch other speakers critically to improve your own skills.
Analyze their techniques and consider what works and what doesn't.

ANECDOTE

Humorous Acknowledgements

Ellen DeGeneres used humor to acknowledge guests in her Tulane University speech.
She made it engaging despite the formality.

INSIGHT

Engaging Opening

Ellen's opening sets an engaging tone, incorporating humor effectively.
This makes the audience anticipate even the serious parts.

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For episode twenty five of The Presentation Boss Podcast, it's time for another speech breakdown. 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 why they'd make a recommendation. Today we picked something off our list that neither of us had seen before, but looked promising. Listen along with us for the first time and hear our first impressions of this talk. There are many commencement speeches available online, but we chose this one both because it's a little shorter and also Kate likes Ellen DeGeneres. Thomas has just been ignorant to her career. There's a lot to love about this talk and plenty of jokes that catch them laughing out loud. Plus a moment of embarrassment for Thomas. Have a listen for beautiful expression of personality, brilliant preparation and rehearsal, and a nice audience focus. What You'll Learn • A way of working with protocol and acknowledging guests with personality • How careful rehearsal and preparation results in an authentic, conversational presentation • Using minimalist storytelling to be relatable to your audience • How telling your audience what their perspective is proves you understand them • The risk of having too much humour in the wrong place of a presentation • The importance of speaking to your audience as individuals. Mentioned In The Show • Ellen DeGeneres' Commencement Speech at Tulane University in 2009: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e8ToRVOtRo&feature=youtu.be&t=95 Resources and Links • Email us! podcast@presentationboss.com.au • The Presentation Boss Podcast: https://presentationboss.com.au/podcast/ • Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-norris/ • Thomas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-krafft/ • Presentation Boss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/presentation-boss • Presentation Boss on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/presentationboss/