#5: John McWhorter - Txtng is killing language. JK!!!
Along the digital age came the internet, computers, and cellphones. And with texting came a 'lingo' or a language of its own but is it really defacing 'real language'? Or is it an evolution of language, a "miraculous" innovation? Mcwhorter poses a thought-provoking subject and skillfully defends his stance of texting as a positive thing to the younger generation (as opposed to the general stance that texting's butchering the language) and even dubs it as the "fingered speech".
#4: Apollo Robbins - The Art of Misdirection
A very funny and entertaining video that demonstrated the power of capturing and manipulating someone's attention, Apollo Robbins provides his audience a unique way of explanation -- through pickpocketing! With his endless stream of speaking, witty remarks, and an amazing show of sleight of hand, he will surely catch you 'unawares' and before you know it, his message's already driven onto your head.
Robbins is an excellent public speaker and entertainer because of his high level of interaction with his audience and his success in keeping his audience intrigued and keep them 'on their toes' till the end.
(Which by the way, was his point! How cool is that?)
#3: Pamela Meyer - How to Spot a Liar
Want to learn how to tell who's lying to us or not? Well, Pamela Meyer tells us how! Informative and interesting, Meyer shows us the tell-tale signs of lying and how do we identify it. She provides video clips and demonstrates the observed mannerisms and characteristics of people hiding in deception. You never know, by the end of this video, you may develop your initial instincts of being a liespotter!
(I realized I've just given Ms. Mae ammunition on how to spot a student lying about undone homework, so be careful guys! Hahaha! ;P)
#2: Steve Jobs - How To Live Before You Die
"Stay hungry. Stay foolish."
Apple creator Steve Jobs share stories from his life and encourages everyone to pursue their dreams and never give up. Relatable and admirable, he tells his audience 3 important events in his life that strengthened him and served as his road to success. With a casual and conversational tone, he also gives his audience bits of humor along with life advices to carry on despite the struggles of life. With his inspirational story of college drop-out turned billionaire and valuable aphorisms and life lessons, his talk is surely one speech worth listening to.
"Don't settle. Keep Looking."
#1: Cameron Russell - Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model
"Image is powerful. But image is also superficial."
Cameron Russell, an underwear model for ten years, 'comes out of the closet' to deliver an honest message and the truth behind the pretty makeups, glamorous dresses, and stunning photos of models just like her. Along with her personal anecdotes backed up by statistical studies, she exposes the reality of her industry and how 'the most beautiful people are the most insecure people'. She stresses the impact of image to individuals and fiercely states that "these pictures are just constructions ... and they [make-up artists, photographers, etc.] build me. But that's not me..."
I ranked this as the highest because it was the one video that really struck me. Although she may not be the best public speaker, her blunt honesty made up for her flaws. She may have had a lot of filler words like 'Ummms...' and awkward beginnings BUT as she talked more, it's almost as if it grew in intensity and the more I wanted to listen to her because she's not performing but simply talking with her audience. She was funny and witty and she also had an audience connection. She also supported her claims with statistical data and her visuals were accompanied by personal anecdotes. Finally, her message about our perception with image and how it affects us is important not only to teenagers like me, but to people of all ages.
