Speaking Channel Special Report: Golden Globes 2007

(NAMC) - The sun has set on the Golden Globes and besides who won and what they wore; the biggest topic of conversation is what the winners had to say. Predictably, every year there are those who manage to present a poised and fluent acceptance speech, while others fail miserably at this same task. Speaking expert TJ Walker has released his analysis on the best and worst speakers from the night.

As expected, the 2007 Golden Globes stayed true to form with some winners continuing their achievements on stage while others fell victim to a lackluster performance. However, there seemed to be a definitive role-reversal when it came to who really owned the stage. Celebrated actors who have been accepting accolades for years fell short of meeting the high expectations they are held to, while newcomers and less public actors managed to shine in the intense spotlight.

In general, a great awards acceptance speech includes strong, sincere emotion, humor and unpredictability. This leaves boring, predictable and long-winded as characteristics of a bad speech. Unfortunately, this was exemplified by some of the night’s biggest winners and biggest names.

The following are excerpts from The Speaking Channel’s Special Golden Globes Report hosted by TJ Walker and Erica Beth Keller.

“Forrest Whitaker might have won for best actor yet he gave the worst performance of the evening. If his speech were at all representative of his performance in the movie then Scotland should be embarrassed for appearing in the title. While it is nice to be shocked and overwhelmed with winning, Whitaker could not seem to find any coherent train of thought through his constant stumbling through words other than a few names to thank.”

“Alec Baldwin has hosted more episodes of Saturday Night Live and I beg to question, WHY?
He was about as exciting to watch as moss growing on a tree and did not exude even an ounce of humor—Mr. Rogers was funnier than Baldwin. Considering that his show was very close to being cancelled, one would think that he would use this opportunity to defend his program and connect with potential viewers yet he pretty much reinforced that the show is boring and so is he.”

“Martin Scorsese fell victim to one of the biggest mistakes in the presentation book. He sold himself down the river in the opening minute of his speech by bringing attention to his time constraints. Instead of hopping right in for the sake of time, Scorsese stupidly acknowledged his awareness of the clock by saying, ‘I want to talk faster than I normally do’. Taking this approach made absolutely no sense because he was wasting time talking about his lack of time. For a brilliant director, he didn’t seem very brilliant.”

This year’s best speeches kept with tradition and were either touching or funny.

“Jennifer Hudson was as fabulous at delivering her acceptance speech and she was portraying Effie in “Dreamgirls”. The budding Hollywood starlet acknowledged that she had always dreamed big but never ‘this big’. Hudson showed sincere emotion when she explained how the award will give her confidence to continue pursuing her dream. Hudson concluded her acceptance speech by thanking the acting community for the warm welcome that she has received.”

“America Ferrara looked far from ugly as she stole the hearts of the audience while accepting her award. Trying to hold back tears, Ferrara shared the honor she feels for playing such a pioneering character as “Ugly Betty”. In her endearing speech, Ferrara celebrated the innovative nature of her show without sounding like a pre-fabricated advertisement. Ferrara, armed with a smile despite crying, was able to graciously thank those that gave her the opportunity to achieve such stardom and success while thanking her family for keeping ‘her feet on the ground’.”

“Sacha Baron Cohen continued, as expected, to entertain fans when he took the stage. While he departed from his celebrated ‘Borat’ shtick, he still managed to be comical and invoke hilarious uproar among audience members. Most memorable, Cohen, who had a script prepared, recounted his experiences with the ‘dark side of America’—referring to when he was suffocated by the naked behind and ‘two wrinkly Golden Globes’ of his oversized co-star. Also a novice to the Hollywood circuit, Cohen proved that he was not intimidated by Hollywood’s heavy hitters with his fluent and funny acceptance speech.”

“Hugh Laurie was witty and cynical in his discourse just like his character on ‘House’. Laurie sweetly bit the hand that feeds him by mocking the lavish expenditures that are gifted on both nominees and presenters by saying the one thing that is not given, which should be considered, are the all-important acceptance speeches. Laurie also poked fun at how most award winners make reference to their amazing crew, citing, due to the law of averages, that someone must be working with a group of ‘lying thieves’. Laurie’s speech was refreshing and exemplary of memorable communication.”

Unlike years past, the speeches in general were pretty tame. There were no obscenities, no outbursts against the government, and, as if often expected with the Golden Globes, no drunken banter. While the best actors did not necessarily translate into the best speakers, it was nice to see the next generation of Hollywood superstars solidify their places on the Golden Globe stage. It takes a lot to be able to formulate a well-spoken speech on the cusp, which begs me to ask the question, what is the excuse of the presenters?

Contact:
The Speaking Channel
Erica Beth