Maxwell Wildcat Speech Tournament
2022 — Maxwell, NE/US
Entertainment
Event Description:
While it may implicitly inform or persuade, the primary purpose of a speech to entertain is to have the audience relax and enjoy the occasion. The speech should have a central theme or a focus, and speakers should avoid merely constructing a series of jokes. In other words, entertainment speeches have a real point to make and are not merely a comedy routine. Effective speeches to entertain typically mix humor with more serious morals, lessons learned, or experiences. They examine a familiar subject from a different and unexpected viewpoint or take a lighthearted look at a particular issue. The text of the speech should be well-developed, explain concepts and ideas clearly, and be well organized. A variety of humor styles (i.e. wordplay, jokes, visual and/or physical humor) is appropriate and encouraged, and the speaker should demonstrate effective audience analysis in their choice of humor strategies.
Although not required, the speaker may incorporate audio or visual materials to illustrate concepts or enhance the humor. Audio-visual material should not distract from the primary focus of evaluation, which is the speech and its effective delivery.