Special Occasion Speech Project 3 THE ROAST
Objectives:
1. Poke fun at a particular individual in a good-natured way
2. Adapt and personalize humorous material from other sources.
3. deliver jokes and humorous stories effectively.
Time: Three to five minutes.
Used in the speaking sense, the word “roast” implies that heat is being applied to someone- that someone is being “booked” or embarrassed in some way.
Actually, a roast can be considered a positive recognition, in which an individual and his or her achievements are honored by friends, co-workers and family.
However, unlike the speech of praise, a roast relies on wit, humor and stire to convey the message.
Retirement, farewell, promotion and anniversary parties can all be occasions for roasts. Most often the individual being honored is roasted by numerous others, each delivering several minutes of material. This roast material generally consists of jokes and anecodotes about the honored guest’s person, accomplishments, escapades and eccentricities. The jokes and anecdotes are good natured- not mean-spirited- and may not even be true! But they are funny. And, best of all, at the end of the roast the recipient is given and opportunity to respond.
Preparing the Material
A successful roast begins with a willing guest of honor. This individual must be agreeable and capable of handling the verbal abuse with grace and cheerfulness. Also, you- and everone attending or participating in the roast- must know and like the person well enough, or the roast simply won’t be funny.
Once it has been established that guest is willing and is known fairly well by all who will attend, you are ready to begin assembling your roast material.
Begin by making a list of everything you know about the guest of honor, such as:
‧ fmaily
‧ education
‧ employment
‧ personal characteristics (including appearance and mannerisms)
‧ hobbies
‧ travel experience
‧ outstanding achievement
‧ personal philosophies
If necessary, talk to the individual’s family and friends to fill in any missing information. It is important to find out as much as you can, since this information will serve as the basis for your material.
Next, select several of the above areas which have the most promising information and to which most of your audience can relate. Then begin collecting jokes and anecdotes that address these areas. You will find a great deal of material in joke books, newspapers and magazines. Then adapt the material to your guest of honor. Don’t neglect to include original jokes and stories and events that actually happened.
As an example, consider this scenario: The person you are roasting, Ed, is a co-worker, known for both his determination and for meeting deadlines against all odds, and the occasion is his promotion to vice president. Once of your joke could be, “We appreciate some delays in project X, and Ed was very upset. I said, “Ed, Rome wasn’t built in a day”. He replied, “ I wasn’t in charge of that job”. You could then talk about Ed’s contributions to the company, saying, “Ed takes credit for a lot of achievements… mine mostly. “
Remember, since this is a good humored roast rather than a sober testimonial, your jokes need not be reality-based. Instead, start with a kernel of truth, then exaggerate it or distort it to unbelievable levels. Or your story could be completely fantasy-based.
Whatever jokes or anecdotes your select. Be sure the suit you. You must be comfortable with them, and your audience must be comfortable hearing you tell them. For example, if you are normally a reserved person, no one is likely to accept a story from you about the time you and Ed performed in a rodeo together.
But they would accept your story about the marriage advice Ed once gave you.
Above all, be sure your material will not hurt the feelings of the guest of honor. Generally it is safe to poke fun at things that the guest of honor kids himself about. For example, if the guest of honor often jokes about her terrible tennis game, you can safely joke about her tennis abilities as well. Even so, ask someone close to the guest of honor to review your material beforehand to determine if anything might be offensive. If something is questionable, rewrite or eliminate it. In all cases, use good taste and avoid using profanity or “ blue” material; you risk offending or embarrassing not only the audience but the guest of honor as well.
Your Delivery
Are you uncomfortable telling a joke? Do you think that some people are just born to be funny- and you aren’t one of them? The truth is, people can tell a joke if it is right for them, if they are familiar with it, and if they have overcome their nervousness through rehearsal and coaching.
Some of the best jokes come from surprise and incongruity; when shy, quiet Nancy deliver a knockout joke, the audience will roar.
The key is rehearsal. Delivery can make or break the best material in the world. Practice your roast so thoroughly that all clumsiness, false starts and mumbled punch lines are eliminated. And remember to be yourself. Too often novice humorists try to imitate their favorite comedian, the usual result being and uncomfortable silence from the audience. Avoid such embarrassments by telling your stories and jokes in the same way you normally speak. Enunciate properly and speak slowly, remembering always to project your voice. Don’t rush through your material- especially your punch lines! Always maintain good eye contact with your audience, and use gesture naturally.
Once you feel your material is ready, rehearsal your delivery with family or friends. Ask for their advice. Should you pause in certain places for effect? Gesture a certain way? Change a joke or anecdote?
Your Project Speech
For this project, you will create and present a three-to five-minute “roast”.
The occasion- e.g., retirement banquet, anniversary ore farewell party- will be selected by you. The speech is to be humorous, including jokes and anecdotes about the honored guest that may be adapted from other sources. The presentation should be good-natured and not offend the individual or the audience.
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