ted talk analysis

        In Stacy Kramer’s “The Best Gift I Ever Survived” TED talk, she makes a connection with her audience from the start.  She tells her viewers to imagine a gift; she verbally paints a picture of this gift so her audience specifically knows the details of the gift about which she is talking. Stacy describes this gift by giving vivid details such as: it is the size of a golf ball, it is wrapped, and it will positively impact one’s life.   This description of the gift demonstrates an immediate connection with her audience. She then shows a picture of a gift box. Furthermore, she connects with her audience by literally telling it how she knows they are anxious to know what is in the box. As her speech progresses, she opens the wrapped box and describes how this object inside the gift box has not only triggered a new positive outlook on life and changed the person she is, but also a state of bliss in her life; this gift is a brain tumor she unexpectedly had and battled. One may find it bizarre how a brain tumor could be the gift of a lifetime, but it sure did have a life changing effect on Stacy. The viewer might also notice how she moves her eyes around the entire room rather than staring at one particular spot. Theses eye movements demonstrate how she connects with every member of the audience. She did not move around the stage a bunch, but I think that worked due to the serious content of her speech. Generally, speeches that cover serious content involve little movement about the stage whereas speeches of less serious material involve more movement. She ends her speech by saying whenever one is faced with something unexpected in life, he should stay strong and consider it may be a gift with profounding effects.

          In Terry Moore’s “How to Tie Shoes” TED talk, he brings a whole new perspective to the act of tying shoes. He shows a way in which the shoe laces will less frequently become untied. He describes how describes how there is a strong form of knot in which one ties the shoelace in the opposite direction than the typical, normal way; this orients the bow along the transverse side of the shoe, and this is what can prevent one from constantly having to tie his shoes. He has a very humorous presentational style, and this humor, apart from the audience’s state of awe and interest, is what forms the connections between him and his audience. In his speech, contrarily from Stacy, he uses more hand gestures/movement and moves more about the stage, and these presentational styles appropriately fit the content of his speech. He also brings props (the shoes) to his speeches which add to his it in a positive way.

          Personally, I enjoy all presentational styles as long as they are conducive to the subject matter of the speech.