In the mid 19th century, and before, American cities had landmarks which were not purely religious, or commemorative in nature even if that was there original intention. Here in Brooklyn, Henry Street has one of the most famous old churches of the Whitman era, which was not so much famous for the gospel being preached on Sundays, but for visiting superstar orators like Henry Ward Beecher, or even writers like Whitman himself, who while not usually going into the church proper, gave lectures just outside. Human history has been marked by people who can speak well, which can be powerful and inspiring, or treacherous and dangerous. The 20th century saw television speakers, who didn’t possess the same concise talent, but still were able to move people, and due to radio waves a Kennedy could do it en masse. Right now however a new phenomena is occurring, in which mass oratory seems to have become a requirement of almost any field from formerly reclusive artists, to architects, theoretical scientists, and even people who grow gardens on their rooftops. The clearest place where this is visible is in the enormous popularity of TED Talks, where the range of ability and expertise ranges greatly, but the ability to give a good talk is nearly universal as it has become the priority of the group. The Moth talks are rehearsed story time of the semi famous, who for 20 minutes are not practicing, or even talking about their expertise per say, but orating to a small room, and podcasting to audiences of millions. I must listen to 100 of these type of small talks per week. They are an addiction of the short attention span want-to-be intellectual like myself, who holds a false delusion of being able to take in enough information in 10 to 20 minutes on a topic to be conversant in the field being discussed. This mass oration with massive audiences has made micro-polymaths of a nation and a world. As I watch these, I feel slightly anxious. We have so quickly moved from an age of specialists, to an age where people are interdisciplinary. Just 5 years ago when I first got involved with the World Science Festival the idea of combining art and science on a grand scale was revolutionary, as those worlds were generally separate. Now I am a part of 10 or more online groups that do this, and they all have excellent spokespeople. So here is the question that I am left with. Have all of us who have wanted these worlds combined found it in the voices of our best orators? I think it is not enough. I am glad that they exist, and that I can spend that time listening, and learning little bits, but in doing so I also realize that the trend can be counterproductive to me, and I would guess to other people.
While online oration is more accessible than ever through Youtube on an I-PAD, laptop, Apple TV and dozens of other devices that are designed for viewing media, there is something else that needs to go along with it, which is to create, and not just consume. Luckily the tools to be creators are better now than ever. Arduino micro-controllers exist for creating electronics, 3D printers, and development kits for programming and visualization. What happens though is that we are stuck with little time , not just because we are watching others in short doses, but also because we are wanting to be them. We are not wanting to be them in terms of artists, architects and scientists, but to be orators of who we are.
To speak has sometimes been ethereal and at other times not. Lincoln’s Gettysburg address is still admired, but only as a written account of an oration. Presidents have been used to being recorded for posterity, but now we all are, and we happily embrace it, perhaps rightfully so. Isn’t this the key to democracy? Isn’t this the Agora of the 21rst Century? What we don’t do though is realize that not everyone can or should be the perfect orator. Some should create song, some videos, some computer programs, and some poems, without ever having to speak to audiences of millions about them. Some should be heard, and seen, and some not need to be. The freedom to adore oration has imprisoned the creative person in the confines of a world where communication is more important than content.
So as I finish this I go back to planning my University lectures which I give every Monday. Last semester they were recorded, and this semester they are not. I feel differently about these two things. Certainly the recorded lectures have the potential of being more important, but when I go back and watch them I realize that I was being cautious. I was trying to be a good speaker. I wanted to be a good lecturer, and sometimes not taking the risks that I should have taken. A professor should not be judged mainly by the quality of the speech, but rather by the quality of the words.
With all of this said I remain ambivalent about the overall effect on society. What enriches so many, can lead to stagnation by so many others. I guess the only thing I would say is that opportunity is sometimes at your fingertips, not always at your mouth.
While online oration is more accessible than ever through Youtube on an I-PAD, laptop, Apple TV and dozens of other devices that are designed for viewing media, there is something else that needs to go along with it, which is to create, and not just consume. Luckily the tools to be creators are better now than ever. Arduino micro-controllers exist for creating electronics, 3D printers, and development kits for programming and visualization. What happens though is that we are stuck with little time , not just because we are watching others in short doses, but also because we are wanting to be them. We are not wanting to be them in terms of artists, architects and scientists, but to be orators of who we are.
To speak has sometimes been ethereal and at other times not. Lincoln’s Gettysburg address is still admired, but only as a written account of an oration. Presidents have been used to being recorded for posterity, but now we all are, and we happily embrace it, perhaps rightfully so. Isn’t this the key to democracy? Isn’t this the Agora of the 21rst Century? What we don’t do though is realize that not everyone can or should be the perfect orator. Some should create song, some videos, some computer programs, and some poems, without ever having to speak to audiences of millions about them. Some should be heard, and seen, and some not need to be. The freedom to adore oration has imprisoned the creative person in the confines of a world where communication is more important than content.
So as I finish this I go back to planning my University lectures which I give every Monday. Last semester they were recorded, and this semester they are not. I feel differently about these two things. Certainly the recorded lectures have the potential of being more important, but when I go back and watch them I realize that I was being cautious. I was trying to be a good speaker. I wanted to be a good lecturer, and sometimes not taking the risks that I should have taken. A professor should not be judged mainly by the quality of the speech, but rather by the quality of the words.
With all of this said I remain ambivalent about the overall effect on society. What enriches so many, can lead to stagnation by so many others. I guess the only thing I would say is that opportunity is sometimes at your fingertips, not always at your mouth.
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