"Know Your Audience!"

In my business there is a saying that goes, “Know your audience.” These are valuable words that are embedded in the brain of any seasoned, professional entertainer that has ever held an “open mic” in their hand. Their meaning is simple. The words chosen to say aloud for, let’s say, a Shriner’s convention with a primarily male audience are probably not the same words that would be best selected for a local PTA meeting.

I think it safe to say that we’ve all allowed words to come out of our mouths that, immediately after they moved beyond our lips, we wish we could suck right back in, hoping that that the intended target wouldn’t notice. Fat chance, right? Imagine that happening while it is being amplified through a 1500 watt sound system in front of 300 people.

Unfortunately, those that are less experienced at public speaking and have not heeded the words, “know you audience,” are more prone to saying something inappropriate, embarrassing or just plain stupid on a microphone. I’ve heard novice DJs joke over a microphone about, among other things, the weight of a guest and say extremely crude words during a garter removal, all for the sake of a laugh that will never come. I’ve experienced Best Man toasts that are so riddled with drunken, embarrassing comments that the Bride and Groom and their family and friends are all made to feel uncomfortable. It’s not easy to get up and walk out of your own party.

In my workshop for Grooms only, “The Best Groom…Ever!”, I remind Grooms of the importance of discussing the Best Man’s toast with him in advance of the wedding reception. In short, it is suggested that they lay the ground rules of what is and what is not appropriate. In most cases, the Best Man is enough of a friend to the Groom to understand the importance of “knowing the audience,” and would never place him or the Bride, or the parents and grandparents, or any of the guests in an awkward situation. But it never hurts to have that discussion in advance of the reception, just in case.

With that said, I stumbled across a video of a Best Man’s toast that either confirms that this guy knew his audience or that he did not. You decide. You’ll have to go to the web site http://www.freakybestmanspeech.com/ to view the video. It’s about 4 minutes long and I suggest that you do not jump to the end. Instead, watch the whole thing and leave a comment of your thoughts.

It should be noted that I have no idea as to when or where that wedding reception took place.