Headlame: [hed-leym] Specific to slide headers, a poor attempt at humor through the use of a pun, cliché, or both.
There are groups of individuals who believe that puns are the highest form of humor. They constitute .000154% of the world’s population, reside in marginal societies, and speak tribal languages. If you are speaking in Timbuktu or Borneo, then an apology is due: your headlames are just slide headers, and will probably go over really well. Just remember to bring a portable power supply for your computer and projector. Be sure your pun translates into regional dialects.
When presenting to the other 99.999846% of the human population on earth, your pun and cliché ridden slide headers have a nasty way of turning into headlames. Presentations to retirement homes and bingo clubs are the only scenarios exempted from an otherwise hard and fast rule against these oratorical devices. If you find you have mistakenly “punned” a slide header into a headlame, do not acknowledge the mistake. If a member of the audience snickers, act surprised, as though it was an accident of humanity (like sneezing).
In civilized society, puns are frequently used by modern fathers seeking to impress a daughter’s cool boyfriend with clever witticisms. Unless you seek to elicit a teenager’s disdain from your audience, it is strongly advised that headlames be eliminated from your presentations.
The Takeaway: Actually, even without puns and clichés, all slide headers are lame. Don’t bother revising them; just say no. Stick to visually striking images and minimal text, and let your natural voice guide the presentation.
