Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Speech: Society's Addiction to Entertainment

(The first assignment in our Public Speaking class is to make a two-minute long speech that would entertain. I had procrastinated for one week, and just made this speech quickly an hour prior to class. But it all came out fair. Here goes...)

Good evening.

I am supposed to deliver a speech that would entertain. And entertainment has become an essential part of a good speech. Yes, a speech should appeal to the intellect. Yes, a speech should appeal to the emotion – which is more important. But an entertaining speech is more assured of being successful. Why? It is because our society loves it, and had already integrated it as an essential element in Bloom’s Taxonomy of Needs.

Entertainment had taken over the world. Ever wonder why movie stars are paid more than teachers? When society rewards people like Kris Aquino more than our Public Speaking teacher, Ma’am Barce, it means that society value entertainment more than education. I observe that many females of my generation, including our former classmate Miss Abadesa, are more updated in showbiz news than current events. Filipinos would rather watch crappy I.Q. depleting shows in Telebabad and Primetime Bida than informative documentaries on science and history. The likes of Katrina Halili get more sympathy than unknown and real rape victims that was not able to get justice. Celebrities, tainted with immorality, are more looked up to than charity workers and others that work with no rewards and are satisfied in being anonymous. The main and most successful medium in promoting products or messages is through entertainment. (Reminds me of the Mark of the Beast, where in the End of Days, no one can buy nor sell without it.)

I think entertainment had come to this because it has exploited Man’s nature of seeking pleasure and happiness. And since entertainment is readily available and easily gives pleasure, Man tend to turn to it more often. But the pleasure entertainment gives is temporary. And since it is temporary, Man craves for more and more, not being fully satisfied. And by the law of demand, entertainment became valuable. Now, it had already become a drug of society. Abused, taken into excess, and now society is addicted to it.

I am desperately trying to entertain you all here. But I hope you get the message – of this reality. I am not saying entertainment is evil. But it has the potential to become evil easily, if we allow it to take control of our lives. I am warning you of the seemingly harmless craving for entertainment.

As ending, I would like to say that nothing from this world could fully satisfy us, and only God can fill that void for complete happiness and pleasure in our lives.

Good night and thank you.

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