The speech by Stephen Colbert was recorded when he delivered it at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner on April 29, 2006. This dinner is held annually at the conference room of the Washington Hilton hotel and is aimed at gathering the media representatives, the President, and Vice President at this meeting. The white House Correspondents’ Association is the organization consisting of media representatives who cover the information about the President and the situation in the White House.
The meeting is held every year; different presidents have attended this annual dinner. The present meeting was held in presence of the President George W. Bush and the Vice President including also representatives of the media, celebrities, and politicians. Stephen Colbert started his speech after being invited by the president of the White House Press Corps Association, Mark Smith.
The speech of Stephen Colbert at the annual 2006 White House Correspondent’s Dinner was delivered in a very original manner. He was playing a role he usually plays at his TV show on Comedy Central while presenting his Colbert Report. So, all his remarks and jokes were aimed at addressing the audience and making fun of the media representatives as he claimed that they have been victimizing the President G. W. Bush and his actions instead of covering the events that took place.
As an example, Stephen Colbert told that they (media representatives) should take notes of whatever the President says and whatever the Press Secretary of the White House introduces to the press and should present that information as it goes in their publications instead of turning around all facts and claims by the President.
Another peculiar feature of this speech is that the author was instantly peeping in his notes as if he had a set of speaker’s notes that were numbered in the wrong order. So, it seemed that Colbert was jumping from one topic to another making jokes and commenting on the media representatives, politicians, and other guests that were present at the dinner.
Moreover, Colbert was addressing the President as if he was his friend and his equal and compared himself with the President in different concepts that were quite clear for the audience because they all were aware of the most prominent speeches and beliefs of the President.
The context of the Stephen Colbert’s speech includes the audience and the way he delivered his speech. As such, it is necessary to analyze the pace with which he presents his speech because it varies from the slow when he peeps into his notes and makes special emphasis to the fast when he introduced a well rehearsed text.
The gestures are rich and he uses a pointing finger to make emphasis and body movements to enhance understanding of his message. The eye contact is direct when Stephen Colbert tries to find a person he wants to talk about in the hall; the same direct eye contact is expected when he addresses the President and turns to him.
The posture and tone are friendly and free as if he was delivering a speech to the audience consisting of his friends only while he does not know every person in that hall by name even though he knows their names from the media. The main audience he addresses includes the President George W. Bush, the Press Secretary, and celebrities, politicians, and media representatives that sit in the hall.
Works Cited
Petec587. “Speech at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner (2006) p1.” YouTube. 2007. Web.