24 January 2009
Save our national pride: does New Zealand have no good orators?
It's not exactly related to literature, but in my day-job blog I've written a post, Not as good as Obama: New Zealand political speeches about political oratory in New Zealand - obviously in response to all the goings on in the US. I've been asking people to leave comments about good New Zealand speeches or speech makers, or really even just about the topic. There's been some interesting responses so far, and feel free to join the discussion.
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2 comments:
Yeah I had similar thoughts after watching a wee bit of Obama speaking at the Inauguration, then flashing on John Key's horrific election night bit where he was standing in front of a microphone.
Part of it is our lack of a mythic sense of self and nation - rhetoric is easier when you can talk big with a straight face - but really there is no reason we cannot be articulate and passionate.
If Obama had been a New Zealander:
"So, er, yeah .. well, me and the missus, we're like ... y'know? Well, yeah, no, jeez it's kinda hard to put into words.
So ... er, yeah."
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