Over the weekend, journalists and politicians gathered for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The event is known for roasting the current President and the reporters who work in Washington D.C. But this year, there was a key figure missing at the presentation: President Donald Trump. President Trump had announced months ago that he would not be attending, and instead was at a rally in Pennsylvania. That did not stop first time host, comedian and current Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj from delivering a smart, provoking and hilarious round of disses.
Example of Durability: The White House Correspondents’ Dinner
A strong aspect of Minhaj’s speech was his point-of-view. Minhaj is a Muslim and an immigrant, so that gave him a unique outlook on the current state of the nation.
Minhaj then addressed the “elephant not in the room”, the fact that no one from the Trump Administration, including Trump himself, was at the event. This created tension over what will Minhaj get away with saying. And he did get away with a lot. His stings at the current administration received groans and grovels from the crowd.
The next point Minhaj delivers in on the state of truth-telling in America. His tone changes from feisty to encouraging. Minhaj makes note on the irony of the relationship between the White House and the free press, but pushes for journalists to keep fighting for the truth in a dysfunctional world. He even makes a valid point about the difference between truth and trust. Not matter how often the administration is called out for lying, Trump supporters still support him. He says this is because their trust in the president runs deeper than their trust for journalists. He puts fault on the media for their 2016 election coverage. A tough point to make in a room full of journalists.
This last part of this speech sets a strong example of Durability. Despite all the jokes Minhaj has made, he says that this is all possible because of our freedom of speech. He notes that even the president’s usage of Twitter is an acknowledgement of how much privilege citizens have under the First Amendment. His conclusion ends on such a high mark, the audience stands up to applaud him.
Overall, Hasan Minhaj took ownership of his cringe-worthy jabs and challenging hosting duties. He also kept the night timely and on topic with is many talking points. As a presenter, his face was lit up with expressions, and he made movements to address everyone in the room. His task, however, was not an easy one. Many of the jokes did not get any laughs or created awkward reactions. But Minhaj recovered because he was not there to appease the crowd, but to express his unique point of view.
More from the Ethos3 blog:
The Do’s and Don’ts for Political Speeches
Never Stop Telling Stories: Inspiration from LGBTQ Women in America
Public Speaking Lessons from a Trump/Clinton Role Reversal
