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85 Funny Persuasive Speech Topics For High School Students

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people”

These words by the renowned comedian Victor Borge clearly highlight the power of using humor to bring people together. When it comes to persuasive speeches, incorporating a touch of humor can make all the difference. Humor captures the attention of people and connects with them on a personal level which helps make a lasting impression, fulfilling the purpose of a persuasive speech.

In this blog post, you’ll find a list of funny persuasive speech topics for high school students to help them learn how to use the power of humor to engage the audience while giving a presentation or a speech. Get ready to unleash your inner comedian, challenge the status quo, and inspire laughter while making a compelling point. Remember, my fellow mischief-makers, humor is the secret weapon that can transform any persuasive speech into a rip-roaring adventure. So buckle up, hold onto your funny bones, and let’s embark on this laughter-filled journey of persuasive mischief!

Funny persuasive speech topics for high school students

Why cats make better pets than dogs
The benefits of procrastination
The art of being awkward
Why pizza should be considered a vegetable
The joys of being a couch potato
Why Mondays should be eliminated
The secret to being a professional video game player
The importance of napping in school
The perks of being short
The art of taking the perfect selfie
Why chocolate should be its own food group
The benefits of wearing mismatched socks
The science behind laughter
How to win an argument even when you’re wrong
The best excuses for not doing homework
The joys of eating dessert first
How to become an expert at taking naps
The magic of duct tape
The importance of wearing pajamas to school
The secret to being a professional procrastinator
The art of making funny faces in the mirror
Why school should start at noon
The benefits of laughing at your own jokes
The joys of eating breakfast for dinner
The science of funny pick-up lines
How to survive a boring class
The importance of having a good sense of humor
The perks of being a class clown
The secret to winning an argument with your parents
The art of making funny noises
Why wearing pajamas all day is fashionable
The benefits of watching cat videos on YouTube
The joys of talking to yourself
The science behind funny dance moves
How to become an expert at using emojis
The importance of having a funny ringtone
The perks of having a messy room
The secret to writing a funny persuasive speech
The art of telling cheesy jokes
Why sarcasm is the best form of communication
The benefits of having a funny nickname
The joys of eating dessert for breakfast
The science behind funny internet memes
How to survive a zombie apocalypse with humor
The importance of laughing at your own mistakes
The perks of having a funny voice
The secret to making your teacher laugh
The art of creating funny prank videos
Why bad puns are actually good
The benefits of using funny GIFs in conversations
The joys of making funny faces behind people’s backs
The science behind funny YouTube videos
How to become an expert at making funny animal sounds
The importance of having a funny alarm clock
The perks of having a funny email signature
The secret to making people laugh without saying a word
The art of writing funny captions for Instagram photos
Why awkward moments make the best memories
The benefits of using funny memes in school presentations
The perks of having a funny voicemail message
The secret to making funny faces in class without getting caught
Why laughing at yourself is a sign of confidence
The benefits of having a funny signature move
The joys of eating ice cream in the winter
The importance of having a funny desktop wallpaper
The perks of having a funny profile picture
The secret to making people laugh through written communication
The art of delivering a funny introduction
The benefits of starting a laughter club in school
The joys of creating funny doodles in class
How to become an expert at telling funny anecdotes
The secret to making funny faces in photos without looking awkward
Why telling jokes during presentations can improve your grades
The benefits of using humor to diffuse tense situations
The joys of making funny voices during storytelling
The science behind why puns are universally funny
How to become an expert at creating funny social media posts
The importance of using humor to cope with stress
The perks of having a funny ringtone for each of your friends
The art of creating funny skits for school events
Why laughing at your own mistakes is a sign of self-acceptance
The benefits of using humor in persuasive writing
The joys of organizing a school-wide prank day
The science behind why funny videos go viral
The importance of using humor to connect with others

How to choose the best topic?

Humor has a remarkable ability to engage an audience, break down barriers, and make your message memorable. Whether it is quotes for seniors , lunch box notes , or reunion quotes , infusing humor can effectively communicate your ideas while ensuring a delightful experience for your listeners.

Now, let’s explore the key pointers to help you choose the best persuasive funny topic:

Consider your audience: Take into account the preferences, interests, and sense of humor of your audience. Tailor your topic to their tastes to maximize engagement and enjoyment.
Find relevance: Look for topics that have a connection to your audience’s lives. Explore everyday situations, common experiences, or current events that can be presented in a humorous and relatable way.
Combine unexpected elements: Think outside the box and combine unrelated ideas or concepts to create a humorous twist. Unleash your creativity and embrace the unexpected to generate laughter and intrigue.
Balance humor and persuasion: While humor is essential, ensure that your topic still serves a persuasive purpose. Find a balance between entertaining your audience and effectively conveying your message or call to action.
Test your ideas: Share your potential topics with friends, family, or colleagues with a similar sense of humor. Gauge their reactions and seek feedback to determine which topics elicit the most laughter and enthusiasm.

Humor has the remarkable ability to captivate an audience, break down barriers, and make our messages unforgettable. By infusing our speeches with wit and comedic charm, we can effectively communicate our ideas while leaving a lasting impression.

Remember, the key to a successful funny persuasive speech lies in understanding our audience, finding relevance in our topics, and striking a balance between humor and persuasion. Now, go forth, and discover a myriad of funny and quirky topics discussed above, challenging the conventional and inviting laughter into your persuasive endeavors. Let your persuasive speeches resonate with humor and charm.

Sananda Bhattacharya, Chief Editor of TheHighSchooler, is dedicated to enhancing operations and growth. With degrees in Literature and Asian Studies from Presidency University, Kolkata, she leverages her educational and innovative background to shape TheHighSchooler into a pivotal resource hub. Providing valuable insights, practical activities, and guidance on school life, graduation, scholarships, and more, Sananda’s leadership enriches the journey of high school students.

Explore a plethora of invaluable resources and insights tailored for high schoolers at TheHighSchooler, under the guidance of Sananda Bhattacharya’s expertise. You can follow her on Linkedin

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The Rhetorical Appeal of Memes

Writing, as we have learned, is an ecology. Marilyn Cooper explains this in depth in her article, “The Ecology of Writing”. She states that writing is an activity through which a person is continually engaged in a varsity of socially constructed institutions. Other authors from this course have echoed this notion of a wider definition of writing and literacy, by wanting to include things like texting language and cool talk.

As we move to expand what it means to write, many believe that memes have it’s own sort of literacy. The ability to create a meme, understand it’s context, and apply it to other scenarios requires a sort of skill that is reflective of millennial and Gen Z culture.

There are a plethora of ways in which memes are used to communicate, and more and more emerge as the internet goes on. However, there are a few strong categories that have emerged.

1. Humor. Okay this one is obvious. While all memes are rooted in humor, some of them don’t have any other communicative purpose than to make the viewer laugh. There isn’t a message, it’s just for laughs. The Poot meme is a great example. Nothing to see here, just a very unflattering picture of Demi Lovato that the internet ran with.

2. Reactionary. Some memes are used to react to what someone said or posted. They are often send as a response to a text message or tweet. Usually, they are used to express shock, exhaustion, disapproval, or any emotion that would be better explained by an accompaniment of an image. I sent this picture to my roommate when she told me she slept through her exam.

3. Relatability. A huge purpose of memes is that it provides another way for people to relate to one another. A lot of memes are incredibly versatile, and it is considered skillful to be able to apply memes to otherwise niche situations and become more relatable. This type of meme format allows for the same image to be reused countless times in a wide variety of situations that fit the rhetorical situation of the image.

4. Oral Tradition. Often, memes that are in the form of video or audio transform into funny phrases that younger people say to one another in person. When someone finds themself in a situation that is like one they saw a meme used, they may repeat the phrase out loud to someone to make them laugh, or emphasize what they are experiencing. A very common one right now is to say ‘Is it bussin’ Janele?’ When you see your friend eating something that looks good. This is taken from a tik tok in which the audio uses that quote.

One thought on “ The Rhetorical Appeal of Memes ”

Hey there, OSU Writing team! I just finished reading your blog post on “The Rhetorical Appeal of Memes,” and I must say, it’s a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of a topic that’s often overlooked. Kudos to you for delving into the world of memes and shedding light on their rhetorical significance.

Your article brilliantly dissects the various rhetorical devices at play in memes, highlighting their ability to convey messages, evoke emotions, and engage audiences. The way you analyze the visual elements, text, and cultural references within memes demonstrates a keen understanding of their power as persuasive tools. I particularly enjoyed the examples you provided, as they effectively illustrate the different appeals, such as ethos, pathos, and logos, in action. https://www.topstik.com/buy-tiktok-video-views

Funny Speech Topics

Published by Boni on October 24, 2022 October 24, 2022

Gone are the days when public speaking was more rigid and focused on other aspects other than the message put across. Today’s audience wants to be entertained even as they listen to your speech. One of the brilliant ways to capture your audience’s attention is by making them laugh through your funny speech topics. Funny speech topics will have them burst out of their lungs as they listen to the message you are putting across. This article looks at some of the impressive funny speech topics you can decide to work on.

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Overview of Funny Speech

Creating a funny speech is among the brilliant ways to capture your audience’s attention. The audience love to feel like they are part of the story which is why speaking on a funny topic will easily connect you to them. Public speakers will employ various methods of speech delivery based on the topic and their audience but adding some bit of humor in the speech makes it interesting and entertaining.

Writing a funny speech topic is not as complicated. It only needs some bit of humor or interesting story on the topic. You can always seek a speech writing service online if you feel overwhelmed in writing the speech. These online services have experts in speech writing that will curate a masterpiece for you. Typically, there are various types of speeches you can create and so you need to understand how to infuse the funny aspect into it. Understand your audience and the surroundings to know when to throw in a joke in your speech.

Advantages of Funny Speech

Creating a funny speech with the help of a speech generator tool has many advantages to your audience and delivery method. Below are some of the advantages of funny speech topics:

The humorous discourse reduces the tension in the air, creating a calming ambiance.
Including comedy in the speech helps add interest to your speech.
Through your humorous speech, you can amuse and make your audience grin.
You can better connect with your audience by using humor in your speech.
You connect with and influence your audience more effectively with the aid of a humorous speech.
Funny speeches can also persuade the audience to take a given action if the funny aspect is thought-provoking

Selection of a Funny Speech Topic

When talking about a speech, the ultimate king is the ideal topic. A relevant, thought-provoking and relatable topic is what is needed most to impress your audience. Creating a funny persuasive speech is challenging. If you mess up the topic, the funny speech will ultimately become irrelevant and will not sound funny anymore. That is why you need to dedicate sufficient time to look for the ideal funny informative speech topic for your audience.

Keep in mind that whatever theme you want to address while delivering your speech, the topic is crucial. A topic that resonates with the audience will always carry the day whether you add humor to it or it. Making it funny, however, will bring all the difference and make your speech stand out.

How to Deliver a Funny Speech?

Delivering a speech should be communicating with your audience to make them relate to your opinions on a given topic. Some speakers become too nervous or serious when delivering their speech and this could potentially distract your audience. They would have a problem following what you say. While being rigid, you will have a problem persuading the audience.

That is why it is advisable to employ a soothing atmosphere where everyone is relaxed and feel free. Adding jokes and humor to your speech will relax the audience as they laugh at your jokes. To deliver a funny speech, here are some few hacks you could employ:

Get a funny topic

Whether you want to create an organ donation speech , informative speech, or any other kind of speech, it is advisable to create a funny topic around it.

Consider the audience

As you look for that funny topic, adjust it to fit the content, environment, circumstances, and the audience. Also, consider what speeches preceded yours, the date, the moderator and even the premises.

Get strategies that evoke laughter

You could ridicule your situation or identify paradoxes that show how unreasonable you used to be or dramatize minor issues. Inspire a funny speech using any of these antiques.

Read your speech to a friend

Tell your funny speech topic to a friend and see how they react to it before telling it to your audience. Avoid overthinking the jokes as this may make them more complex than they need to be.

Practice the speech several times

To gain good mastery of your speech topic and confidence, go through the speech several times in front of someone. Understand the intonation, tempo and pauses needed when delivering the speech.

List of Funny Speech Topics and Ideas

This part covers a remarkable list of the best funny speech topics you can create for your audience. The ideal topic ideas have some humor in them to engage the audience and make them laugh. Here are the topics you can draw inspiration from:

Persuasive Funny Speech Topics

Persuasive funny speech topics allow speakers to enlighten, engage and entertain their audience in a funny way while being persuasive . These topics persuade the audience to take a given side or buy a given idea or product from the speaker. Below is a collection of humor-infused and thought-provoking topics that you could try:

Why men should not be deprived of their leisure time watching sports
Doing your laundry is a waste of time
Is it worth attending a college
College students are the best liars
Memes are a tremendous stress reliever
Fast food is harmful to your mental health
The best procrastinators are found in college
Your parents should still control you in college
The level of hypocrisy in some professors is unbearable
Colleges should be mandatory
Your boyfriend or girlfriend should not be your reason to cry
A long-distance relationship is the worst type of a relationship
Online betting is getting out of hand
People under the age of 21 should not be allowed to own a gun
People are offended easily nowadays
Should we avoid Facebook
The only thing students think about in classes are song lyrics
Intelligent people appear crazy in the eyes of a dump
Can owls be domesticated?
Animals understand nature more than we do
We should eliminate Monday classes
Talk shows should be outlawed from television
Love portrayal in films is far from reality
Every culture has a different expression of love
Smoking is a large part of our culture
You can lie, but your facial expression can’t
The happiest moment of your life is the graduation
Marijuana should be legalized and sold in drink shops
University students should wear a uniform
Students should not pay taxes
Do we have female criminal gangs?
Biowaste is an effective alternative source of energy
A mosquito is the most dangerous creature in the universe
The sewage system is the most crucial creation of urban ecology
It is optional to grow up
Life should have a remote control
Life aims to look for temptations always
International law is not a law
Couple therapy is not effective
Honesty could ruin a good relationship
Google has replaced the need to attend schools
Junk food is not totally bad for you
Trust will piss you off first, but it will set you free
Money can buy happiness
All drivers were once pedestrians
Some people only smoke to piss off others
Growing up is a cheat- don’t fall for it
Why social media ruin your life
We should find all books online
Students deserve a stipend

Informative Funny Speech Topics

The informative speech topics handle informative types of speeches. These are the speech topics that inform your audience about something specific like how the world was formed or how cancer came to be. With such topics, adding some bit of humor can bring all the difference. Below are some brilliant examples:

The undervalued skill of chewing gum and remaining silent.
Evidence that our world is a simulation.
We are actors in a rebooting simulation.
Do not take life too seriously; it is too brief.
42 – the purpose of life, the cosmos, and everything
Do something you have never done if you want something you’ve never had.
The purpose of life is to always look out for temptations.
Love typically dies of indigestion rather than famine.
Perspectives diverge when the second mouse wins the cheese.
Why the other side of the fence is greener?
Why does everyone need their preferred kind of trouble?
5 instances in which you should not turn the other cheek.
Giving soft toys as gifts can help to relax superiors.
Stress reduction is aided by banging your head against a wall, but balance is essential.
Children’s rebellion is predicted by not washing their hands after using the restroom.
A humorous theme for an art gallery opening is “modern art is confusing.”
Why do adults use shampoo that causes eye irritation if baby shampoo does not?
Butter always descends with the bread.
How much insanity qualifies as originality?
People can no longer use the justification that reading causes deforestation due to e-books.
Autocorrect errors do not destroy genuine friendships.
Dunning-Kruger effect: a relationship between competence and knowledge assurance.
When you are dead, you have no feelings; other people are the ones who suffer, similar to being foolish.
Uncommon speed restrictions and the justifications.
How to ignore the truth.
My most successful error.
Differences between the male and female brains
The worst clothes in today’s fashion
What I would like to create for everyone.
How to conduct yourself to appear environmentally conscious.

Inspirational Funny Speech Topics

Are you short of ideas for your next inspirational speech topic? This section gives you remarkable inspirational speech topics with a touch of humor. Adding jokes and funny stuff to the speech will inspire your audience just how you want them to get inspired. Here are some great examples:

Human nature: when you are old enough to know better but still young enough to act on it.
Short beginner’s guide: get started!
the reason why we no longer snap green beans with our grandma.
God is fine and all, but He’s not Freddie Mercury, therefore people shouldn’t compare him to Freddie.
A person’s response to slow internet might be used to judge their moral character.
Customer is rarely in the right – another viewpoint on established principles.
Pot for writing creatively.
Be happy, it drives them crazy
You do not have to sugarcoat everything
You should spend time with a 3-year-old if you want to know what life is all about.
Why, when someone abuses you, should you wave and smile?
You can still justify yourself to get out of awkward situations.
High school events don’t actually mean all that much.
A flower that does not bloom in every yard is common sense.
Sometimes keeping quiet is the biggest accomplishment we can make.
The benefits of laughter as medicine.
Playing with children’s toys while acting as if you are assisting them is still fine.
You are never late, you will still make it if you put in the work
Was Steve Harvey ever homeless?
Talent or hard work?

Interesting Funny Speech Topics

These are speech topics that excite your audience. The topics are quite interesting like talking about space or talking about the latest iPhone to a Gen Z audience. Create such topics with some bit of fun in them to drive your message home. Always investigate and understand your audience to know what could be interesting and excite them to create the topic. Here are example topics:

Completely pointless occupations
People from all across the world are united by procrastination.
Being entirely truthful is a direct path to hell.
In the viewpoint of the uneducated, intelligent people are foolish.
Why do individuals continue to read horoscopes while not believing in them?
We need to outlaw “Harry Potter” because it encourages witchcraft.
The most effective strategy for getting buddies to cover your bar tab
How can the strangest words be used in casual conversation?
How can I get past my mental obstacles when carving pumpkins for Halloween?
How can you get a friend to help you with your assignments?
The craft of irksomeness
I was less egotistical since I had a sibling.
We will be lazier than ever as a result of robots.
It’s beneficial to brainstorm while intoxicated to generate new ideas.
You can get some relief by blaming other people for your difficulties.
Topics that should not be talked about in public
The feline perspective on why cats rule the internet:
The art of procrastination: How to master the skill you’re currently avoiding
A thorough investigation in defense of terrible dad jokes
Leftover socks in the laundry room: A covert plan
How to block unwanted advice: The science of selective hearing
The challenges of adulthood: Growing up without a manual
‘Hangry’: A survival guide for understanding its mysteries
The amazing world of inanimate objects: A toaster’s day in the life
The odd case of “The sock that disappears in the dryer”
Why men can’t find the Ketchup in the fridge: The myth of multitasking

Amazing Funny Speech Ideas

Amazing speech topics tell more about something or just anything exciting to the audience. They could range from how to lie, are reality TV shows real and how you can control laughter in a serious event topic. These are funny yet informative topics that your audience can relate with. Examples include:

Your manual for life.
How real are reality TV shows?
the reasons why I don’t want to be a millionaire.
When intoxicated, words are difficult to say.
How to succeed in a debate even though you are aware of your error
A contented childhood is one with no schoolwork.
How to manage your laughter in a critical situation
Why do we never keep the resolutions we make for the new year?
How can I conserve paper towels?
The most desirable things in life cost money.
Lynching done right
A practical joke gone wrong
Have you ever encountered ridiculous ads?
Do vegans truly care about animals?
Junk food is for everyone.
Every home has pointless items.
How to recognize drunkenness
Being unproductive increases productivity.
Do your pals still count as friends?
A true story that ultimately turns out not to be true.
We are capable of lying to others, but not to ourselves.
Why should you smile and wave when someone insults you?
Make at least one of your two faces attractive if you are going to be dishonest.

Convincing Funny Speech Ideas

Convincing speech topics should convince your audience on a given matter. They are used to make the audience side with the speaker or intended side for some given benefits. Below are some funny convincing speech ideas:

Life resembles a test I didn’t prepare for a lot.
A silent individual is the most perilous animal around.
You will hate yourself for not taking more naps when you were younger.
Being an adult is not simple.
You are always allowed to hold erroneous opinions of your own.
Money can speak, and it frequently prefers to say good-bye.
Even though everyone is doing it, it is still wrong.
Simply said, “too busy” is a fiction.
Why does math feel like psychological assault to people?
Why do many students prefer to text their friends rather than contact them?
I lived a life before Facebook.
Compared to renting, buying a home will be wiser.
You should cook together to see if the relationship would succeed.
The advantages of eating dessert first: A tempting defense
Embracing chaos: The key to a clutter-free and orderly home
Putting the ‘Pro’ in ‘Procrastinator’: The art of overcoming procrastination
Getting your dog to think you are a good boy or girl
How to handle awkward small talk in elevators: The unwritten rules of elevator etiquette
Why leftover pizza never makes it to the fridge: The leftover pizza conspiracy
Your toaster’s dreams are revealed in The Secret Life of Inanimate objects
The Science of selective hearing: Never listening to unwanted advice
“I will do it tomorrow” is the catchphrase of both procrastinators and winners Alike
The productive guide to daytime sleep: The art of napping
Why growing up is overrated: Embracing your inner child
Understanding your doctor’s writing: The lost art of penmanship

Outstanding Funny Speech Ideas

The outstanding speech topic ideas are excellent ideas that are quite unique. These could be topics that touch on surviving minimum wage, how one met a stranger and so on. Include some funny bits into the speech to capture the attention of your audience. Below are some remarkable example speech topics:

How to be an attractive host at any occasion.
Happy pups make happy people.
Ways to trick a telemarketer
Issues that shouldn’t be mentioned in public
How to conduct yourself in the ideal manner.
How to make it on a minimum wage job
Someone I have never met
Getting a job interview wrong
How can I use business lingo more frequently?
Beauty is overvalued.
Sometimes I have clever conversations with myself because I’m bored.
Reasons why I frequently get mistaken for a movie star.
People with average talents succeed, but those with exceptional talents do not.
We shouldn’t only be allowed to wear costumes on Halloween.
You are not strange; you are merely a rare specimen.
Why pizza makes for the ideal breakfast a slice of morning sunshine
Lessons from horror films: A Zombie apocalypse survival guide
A public humiliation masterclass entitled “The art of dancing like no one is watching”
Factors why your cat should become your life coach
Embracing awkward silences in favor of awkward situations
The mom-superables: Revealing the everyday moms’ superhero qualities
The alien invasion conspiracy: Are we the only weird people in the universe?
Sandals with socks: A fashion statement or a request for assistance?
The misplaced user guide to life a fun guide to growing up

Creating a funny speech topic should never be problematic anymore. With these example topics, you can pick any and modify it to your liking to produce a masterpiece. If you are still unable to do it, we have a team of experts that are quite knowledgeable in producing the best funny speech topics and essays too. Our writers will work on your topic of choice and create an engaging and thrilling speech. We also have a speech generator that can create impeccable funny speeches for you. Try our services today for exemplary results.

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Essay topics, 300+ best motivational speech topics and ideas.

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What is a Demonstration Speech? A demonstration speech is a presentation by a speaker whose main goal is to help the audience learn how to complete a specific task. Students in colleges and universities are Read more…

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What is an Informative Speech? An informative speech seeks to educate the audience on a specific subject. The speaker’s objective is to inform the audience of new information or to aid in their understanding of Read more…

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Chapter 6: 21st-century media and issues

6.4.4 Messages through memes (research essay)

Alexander Caldwell

English 102, April 2021

The simple fact is that humans are social animals. With that in mind, anything social should be studied and learned about to ensure that humanity has an understanding of itself. Memes, without question, play a role in modern society and will likely do so for some time to come. While it is difficult trying to turn a topic that is not serious at all into an academic study, I find it most rewarding to know more about those short and humorous texts or videos. Memes make many people, I included, share a laugh and can be enjoyed by almost everyone.

Understanding A Meme

To get a closer look at memes, I decided to conduct a survey. The survey asked three questions. The first question, “What is your favorite meme?” Each respondent had a different favorite meme. Some of the memes were more popular, like doge memes, others were lesser-known. In theory, this question was not needed. Memes are memes regardless of how one likes or dislikes them. The real purpose of this question was to give clarity to the respondent. This question allowed the respondent to think more specifically about one meme. This is important for the next question that was asked. The next question intended to find out why memes are funny but asking that question directly would be too vague. By adding the previous question about what meme they favored, the participants could go into detail and have context for what meme they favor and would like to describe. That brings the next question where the survey asked, “What do you think makes this meme funny to you?” This question was what I was truly trying to get at. This question helps the understanding of why people enjoy memes in the first place. Many results came for this question, all interesting none the least. One of the respondents replied, “It’s straight to the point and the text catches you off guard” in reference to the “Mom I threw up” meme. This shows that the respondent enjoys the element of surprise and the simplicity of the meme. This respondent was not the only one who likes memes due to surprise. Others also answered in a similar fashion stating, “The randomness of it.” Another respondent answered this question in a different manner. Their meme is related to a popular figure, like Burnie Sander memes or Kermit the Frog memes. These responses followed the lines of liking the meme because they like the image or the entity that was in the meme. The final noticeable response was related to dark humor. The respondent answered, “It makes fun of something damn near cringeworthy out of people who like being “Positive” … in a way which is dank… It hits a lot of the checkmarks all in one package.” This type of response shows that dark humor reaches the viewer by making fun of ordinary objects in life and turns them into something that contradicts the original object. This information says that while people enjoy memes for different reasons, memes are successful at humor because of their relatability and their unexpected nature. The last question I asked was how people share or find memes. These responses were to be expected, many find them online and through social media. Popular platforms include Discord, Instagram, Twitter, through text messaging. With that in mind, memes appear to have a part in modern-day social life as they are a part of humor, social media, and texting.

While a survey is an adequate way of getting close to the understanding of what a meme is, a rhetorical analysis of a meme might also help introduce some perspective on what a meme is. The meme I choose for the analysis is one selected from one of the respondents’ responses and can be seen as posted on Reddit . This meme appears to have first been posted on Reddit in 2019, under the community of “me_irl,” which means ‘me in real life.’ The meme is by no means formal writing and was posted on Reddit to share a piece of humor created by the author. Therefore, the audience of the meme is others online, in particular, people on Reddit. The author appears to relate to the audience by stating that they were up late and wanted something to eat. It uses a sort of shadow-demon to relate to what would normally just be a human eating a late-night snack. This invokes humor because it creates emotion for an unexpected connection between the shadow demons and the consumption of beans. What makes the image even funnier is the blur and the laser-red eyes. This adds humor because it makes the image look as if it is out of a horror film. Yet, the topic at hand is only about eating beans contradicting the horror-movie-like setup. This analysis lightly suggests there are more to memes than one might initially think. It is clear that the creators of memes can relate to their audience and can invoke emotions by using memes. This leads to the need to understand what memes can be used for outside the limits of just entertainment.

One final aspect that is important to observe memes is finding out where memes come from. As the survey suggests, memes appear to be shared throughout social networks quite a bit. This still leaves the answer of where they originate from unknown. Luckily, an organization by the name of Emerging Technology, from arXiv, is capable of answering this question in their article “This Is Where Internet Memes Come From.” The study found out that a large sum of memes is being actively created in 4chan communities. The study suggests that these communities are mass-producing memes, many of which are politically charged. This goal was accomplished by sifting through millions of memes and tracking their origins (Emerging Technology). Knowing where the majority of memes come from can be handy. To elaborate, in my survey, not a single person mentioned that they used 4chan as a meme source. While it is possible that people withheld information, I do not think it is likely. Rather, it could suggest that if 4chan is in fact a major meme producer, social media plays as a powerful tool for disseminating memes. Furthermore, it could be implying that the typical meme off of a social media other than 4chan has been copied over from one platform to another.

Memes Used in the Real World

In the world at large, memes are beginning to be realized as an affluent force in human society. With that said, it is not hard to realize that memes are being used for different purposes, one of the areas in specific is advertising and marketing. In the article “We “Meme” Business: Exploring Malaysian Youths’ Interpretation of Internet Memes In Social Media Marketing” authors Kee-Man Chuah et. al. surveyed with the intent to help the marketing world. The survey was composed of fifty Malaysian youths. The goal of the survey was to get an understanding of what the youths would understand and consider funny. The results showed that memes with shorter text and text more related to the image of the meme were more understood. Chuah describes this relationship between the meme and the individual’s understanding as “iconicity” (932-941). Iconicity plays an important role in marketing as the more iconicity a meme has, the better off the meme will be at achieving the business’s goal for product awareness. The next step then would be to find out if memes can actually be used for marketing. Fortunately, in Harshit Sharma’s “Memes in Digital Culture and Their Role in Marketing and Communication: A Study in India” the answer is found. Sharma looks at a few examples. One example is where a business generates a meme for their products, and another is where the public generates memes on their own which gives the product publicity. Sharma first alludes to an old spice commercial. The commercial involved a short, quick-pasted, humorous scene with football celebrity Isaiah Mustafa. This commercial acted as a meme and was even spread like a meme, going through a multitude of social media. In short, Old Spice’s commercial meme was a success, boosting sales to 207 percent (305). It goes without saying that the meme generated by Old Spice must have had a high iconicity, which explains its success. The other use of memes the article goes over is public-generated memes. This example examines the two Indian drink brands that are complements to each other, Thumbs Up, a cola, and Old Monk, a rum. The situation proceeded when the inventor of Old Monk died. An image of a glass half empty started to circulate on social media with the text “This glass is half empty” (Sharma 312). An example of this image can be seen here . This publicly generated meme offered both products free advertising and publicity that undoubtedly helped the companies in the long run. From here, I must allude to the fact that marketing is nothing but the effective and clever use of communication to convince a consumer to buy a product. This hints at a greater picture of what memes are.

Another, even more, noticeable than ever, use of memes is in politics. It is quite obvious that memes are a part of modern politics, but it still begs the question of how memes are used in politics and what memes mean to the realm of political engagement. As it turns out, Vera Zakem’s et. al. article “Exploring the utility of memes for US government influence campaigns” has a few comments to share on the matter. Zakem writes that politicians have three primary uses for memes, to inoculate, to infect, and to treat. Inoculate refers to the action of sharing memes that try to convince the audience to have a lighter judgment on an issue that negatively affects a politician. Infect is the spreading of memes that support a politician’s ideas. Treat is the category that describes memes that try to rebuttal any negative information that is against a politician (15-16). While appearing to relate to a disease, the actual relationship memes seem to have is a tie to communicating to the audience. Politicians can use memes to advance or defend what they stand for. Zakem then provides an example of infection and treatment via memes as seen in figure 3. The article goes over a situation where a United States ambassador in Russia was accused, falsely, of attending a political movement that would negatively impact the ambassador. This was the infection. The embassy responded with a meme that inoculated the situation, thereby treating it. The meme used the same image the accuser used, and re-photodoped the ambassador in different places, including the moon (4-5). The situation itself is humorous, but it only goes to show the power memes hold. For the ambassador’s case, memes proved to be a useful tool for publicly defending his reputation. See this website for examples of the memes.

Continuing with the relationship between memes and politics, it is quite obvious that younger generations are taking part in political memes. Emma Axelrod agrees with this statement in her article “The Role of Memes in Politics.” Axelrod then adds that people are starting to view politics more like sports teams. These teams are then influenced by memes. The example that she brings up, among others, is the meme about Ted Cruz being the zodiac killer (Axelrod). Despite the fact that Cruz was not actually a zodiac killer of any kind, a negative demagogue formed around him. During this time, circa the 2016 election, even I noticed the zodiac killer memes and could not help but connect Cruz to those memes. Denying the power memes have over politics is futile. However, this is all the more reason to study political memes and their effects on people. Fortunately, the insight needed for looking deeper into political memes is provided by Heidi E. Huntington’s “Affect and effect of Internet memes: assessing perceptions and influence of online user-generated political discourse as media.” The article by Huntington follows a study on how political and non-political memes influence an individual. The political memes were generally found to be easily identifiable by the subject. The subjects viewed these memes as a vehicle for political stances rather than simple jokes. In response to this, if the meme did not follow their political ideology, it was contested by the viewer. In other words, the memes that were identified as political fail to bring in understanding, rather they brought adversity from the viewers (Huntington 186-187). This statement implies heavily that political memes share a message, a message that will be rejected by viewers of a different opinion. The study also talks about what happens to non-political memes as well. As it turns out, memes that appear to be non-political have an easier time persuading the viewer. This is in spite of the fact that people only saw these memes as jokes and not actual arguments (Huntington iii). Huntington’s research hints that people are able to interpret and respond to a meme. The implications here are that while political memes do not always achieve their goal, they are still able to elicit a response. Interestingly enough, non-political memes seem to hold a coinciding power, only in the case of non-political memes, people do not reject the message being sent.

Memes’ Meaning to Human Communication

It is clear now that memes have many different purposes. Memes play a role in politics, business, and general entertainment. A linking trait between all three topics is that memes seem to serve as a sort of medium for communication. One might even be so bold as to conclude that memes and communication have direct relevance to one another. Think about it, memes are capable of sending a variety of messages for their viewers, whether it’s to advocate a politician, products, or simply to share a laugh. For these reasons, I believe it is safe to say that memes play a role in human communication.

To understand what memes have to do with communication, it is crucial to understand the original definition of a meme. As it turns out, the term “meme” did not start as a reference to internet jokes and humorous comments. In James Gleick’s “What Defines a Meme?” the term meme was crafted by a man named Richard Dawkins in the year 1986. Dawkin’s definition of a meme was an idea, behavior, or culture and its ability to spread through people. These memes are comparable to genetics and can even evolve. Dawkin’s memes also have the ability to latch on to physical items as well. An example that Gleick uses is the hula hoop. In the late fifties, the hula hoop became popular. While the hula hoop was not a meme itself, it was an object that was used by the meme. Therefore, a meme’s survival is dependent on the success of the object the meme is associated with (Gleick). With that in mind, Dawkin’s memes are not really all that different from the modern understanding of a meme. It is logical to conclude that modern memes fall under Dawkin’s definition of meme. This makes sense since internet memes are humorous ideas and messages that get spread throughout the wide web. Internet memes also evolve and change with current events. As funny as it sounds, memes can be considered to be one of Dawkin’s memes. A final note on Dawkin’s meme can be found in “Memes as Speech Acts,” by L. Grundlingh. The term for Dawkin’s meme comes from the Greek word “mīmēma” which translated to “something imitated” (Grundlingh 147). This can, again, be tied into memes as memes are shared, copied, and remade all the time. Grundlingh continues by then adding the idea of semiotics. Semiotics is defined in Grundlingh’s article by T. A. Sebeok “Signs: An Introduction to Semiotics” as being an apparent link between nonverbal and verbal communication (qtd. 148). Memes share verbal and nonverbal pieces of the semiotic definition. This is noteworthy because semiotics describes or categorizes how memes communicate. Grundlingh even presses so far as to say that memes are a speech act, the communication, and understanding between two people (148). This makes sense knowing full-well that memes can advocate politicians, advertise products, and share humor with other people. Another approach to tying memes in with communication is the notion that memes are basically a language of their own. Patrick Davison wrote about this idea in his article “The Language of Internet Memes.” Memes, like any language, follow a set of formulas and branch out similar to how a language has accents and slang. The overarching meme is what is called an image macro. Variants and remakes of this meme are then called submemes (Davison 127). Anyone that has indulged themself with memes before can understand the comparisons that are being made. Davison’s comparison was ideal for introducing the concept that memes supplement as a language of their own. In the article by Opspe titled “Memetic Communication” the author explains how memes can be used in place of verbal communication. The writer elaborates with the idea that people send each other gifs, images, or videos. The content is usually considered a meme by nature and can be understood by the recipient of the meme. The author refers to these texts as reaction images (Opspe). This makes sense, I personally, have also used memes to express my thoughts and feelings. An example of this is the “sector is clear” meme as shown in figure 4.

This meme came from a Star War video game and implied that everything is calm, for the moment. This meme also implies another message. It also implies that this calm might be very temporary as the next text plane usually continues with the clone trooper say “not clear, not clear” with sparks flying in the background. I have no doubt that others have also shared a meme in place of text or verbal words. Going back to the article, the author also makes reference to words, mainly slang, that have their origin thanks to memes. The author references 4chan and other meme-based social media as a source of many slang terms like “lol” “derp” and “yolo.” These slang terms were created due to their close relationship with memes (Opspe). It is quite clear that memes are a part of communication and in some cases even play as a medium of communication.

Personal Experience With Memes

Memes are an item produced by the public and for the public, mostly that is. I have seen many opinions shared through my experience through memes. I have even gone to lengths to make my own opinion through the use of memes once or twice. I, like many others my age, became something of a meme connoisseur. The effect I believe memes had on me was that I slowly became more apathetic to politics. The issue that I noticed with political memes was that they created something of a demagogue. They seem to create a mentality of “my political candidate is pure, and the other candidate is literally Hitler or a witch.” I came to this conclusion on my own years before reading about how Axelrod’s finding in “The Role of Memes in Politics” which basically described a similar scenario. For that reason, I nowadays only try to use memes for general entertainment. Another purpose that I personally use memes for is to keep up to date with current events. While trying to abstain from the political realm, I find that memes can be quite enlightening for current events in science, economics, and society as a whole. My favorite example of this is the black hole memes that were produced in light of the first live image of a black hole. Another, more recent, example is the Suez Canal memes. Regardless of where memes venture to talk about, I will continue to enjoy them.

Concluding Statements

It is a matter of fact that memes are a part of communication at large. With that said noting how humanity uses memes should be important. The power in memes can be seen in a multitude of areas including and not limited to politics, advertising, and general entertainment. Memes can be used against people and can harm just as easily as they can be used to share a laugh. For that reason, when one shares a meme, they should be conscious of what they are actually communicating by posting the meme. Some will be eager to judge other’s memes, and some turn a blind eye to ill-willed memes. I say, for the best or worse, let memes be memes. In the end, humans are social animals and memes are just another form of human communication.

Works Cited

Axelrod, Emma. “The Role of Memes in Politics.” Brown Political Review, 20 Mar. 2016, brownpoliticalreview.org/2016/03/role-memes-politics/.

Caldwell, Alexander W. “Meme Survey for College Writing.” Google Forms, Mar. 2021, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xU3q6dkuZWweZAr7LT-pUA-v8-lqpvQMJv7vzt-to8E/edit#question=2144072070&field=1932620711.

Chuah, Kee-Man, Yumni Musfirah Kahar, and Looi-Chin Ch’ng. “We “Meme” Business: Exploring Malaysian Youths’interpretation Of Internet Memes In Social Media Marketing.” International Journal of Business and Society , Vol. 21 No. 2, 2020. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kee-Man-Chuah/publication/343098924_We_meme_business_Exploring_Malaysian_Youths%27_Interpretation_of_Internet_Memes_in_Social_Media_Marketing/links/5f16abec92851cd5fa39b280/We-meme-business-Exploring-Malaysian-Youths-Interpretation-of-Internet-Memes-in-Social-Media-Marketing.pdf.

Davison, Patrick. “The Language of Internet Memes.” The Social Media Reader , edited by Michael Mandiberg, New York University Press, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central , https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.ulib.csuohio.edu/lib/clevelandstate-ebooks/detail.action?docID=865738.

EA Star Wars. “Star Wars Battlefront II: Official Gameplay Trailer” YouTube, 10 Jun. 2017. https://youtu.be/_q51LZ2HpbE

Emerging Technology from the arXiv. “This Is Where Internet Memes Come From.” MIT Technology Review, MIT Technology Review, 11 June 2018, www.technologyreview.com/2018/06/11/142394/this-is-where-internet-memes-come-from/.

Gleick, James. “What Defines a Meme?.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, May 2011, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/what-defines-a-meme-1904778/.

Grundlingh, L. “Memes as Speech Acts.” Social Semiotics , vol. 28, no. 2, Apr. 2018, pp. 147–168. EBSCOhost , doi:10.1080/10350330.2017.1303020.

Huntington, Heidi E. “Affect and effect of Internet memes: assessing perceptions and influence of online user-generated political discourse as media,” Colorado State University, 2017.https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/10217/183936/Huntington_colostate_0053A_14303.pdf.

Opspe. “Memetic Communication.” Know Your Meme, 5 March 2013, knowyourmeme.com/memes/memetic-communication.

Sharma, Harshit. “Memes in Digital Culture and Their Role in Marketing and Communication: A Study in India.” Interactions: Studies in Communication & Culture , vol. 9, no. 3, Nov. 2018, pp. 303–318. EBSCOhost , doi:10.1386/iscc.9.3.303_1.

Srivastawa, Vandana “Twitter User Pays Fitting Tribute Through Picture to Kapil Mohan, the Creator of Old Monk, Takes Jibe at Thums Up.” 10 Jan. 2018. https://www.india.com/viral/twitter-user-pays-fitting-tribute-through-picture-to-kapil-mohan-the-creator-of-old-monk-takes-jibe-at-thums-up-2837691/.

Zakem, Vera, Megan K. McBride, and Kate Hammerberg. “Exploring the utility of memes for US government influence campaigns.” Center for Naval Analyses Arlington United States, 2018. https://www.cna.org/cna_files/pdf/DRM-2018-U-017433-Final.pdf.

ZestfulHydra. “me irl.” Reddit, Apr. 2019. https://www.reddit.com/r/me_irl/comments/bgjrj8/me_irl/.

Understanding Literacy in Our Lives by Alexander Caldwell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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130 New Prompts for Argumentative Writing

Questions on everything from mental health and sports to video games and dating. Which ones inspire you to take a stand?

By The Learning Network

Note: We have an updated version of this list, with 300 new argumentative writing prompts .

What issues do you care most about? What topics do you find yourself discussing passionately, whether online, at the dinner table, in the classroom or with your friends?

In Unit 5 of our free yearlong writing curriculum and related Student Editorial Contest , we invite students to research and write about the issues that matter to them, whether that’s Shakespeare , health care , standardized testing or being messy .

But with so many possibilities, where does one even begin? Try our student writing prompts.

In 2017, we compiled a list of 401 argumentative writing prompts , all drawn from our daily Student Opinion column . Now, we’re rounding up 130 more we’ve published since then ( available here as a PDF ). Each prompt links to a free Times article as well as additional subquestions that can help you think more deeply about it.

You might use this list to inspire your own writing and to find links to reliable resources about the issues that intrigue you. But even if you’re not participating in our contest, you can use these prompts to practice the kind of low-stakes writing that can help you hone your argumentation skills.

So scroll through the list below with questions on everything from sports and mental health to dating and video games and see which ones inspire you to take a stand.

Please note: Many of these prompts are still open to comment by students 13 and up.

Technology & Social Media

1. Do Memes Make the Internet a Better Place? 2. Does Online Public Shaming Prevent Us From Being Able to Grow and Change? 3. How Young Is Too Young to Use Social Media? 4. Should the Adults in Your Life Be Worried by How Much You Use Your Phone? 5. Is Your Phone Love Hurting Your Relationships? 6. Should Kids Be Social Media Influencers? 7. Does Grammar Still Matter in the Age of Twitter? 8. Should Texting While Driving Be Treated Like Drunken Driving? 9. How Do You Think Technology Affects Dating?

10. Are Straight A’s Always a Good Thing? 11. Should Schools Teach You How to Be Happy? 12. How Do You Think American Education Could Be Improved? 13. Should Schools Test Their Students for Nicotine and Drug Use? 14. Can Social Media Be a Tool for Learning and Growth in Schools? 15. Should Facial Recognition Technology Be Used in Schools? 16. Should Your School Day Start Later? 17. How Should Senior Year in High School Be Spent? 18. Should Teachers Be Armed With Guns? 19. Is School a Place for Self-Expression? 20. Should Students Be Punished for Not Having Lunch Money? 21. Is Live-Streaming Classrooms a Good Idea? 22. Should Gifted and Talented Education Be Eliminated? 23. What Are the Most Important Things Students Should Learn in School? 24. Should Schools Be Allowed to Censor Student Newspapers? 25. Do You Feel Your School and Teachers Welcome Both Conservative and Liberal Points of View? 26. Should Teachers and Professors Ban Student Use of Laptops in Class? 27. Should Schools Teach About Climate Change? 28. Should All Schools Offer Music Programs? 29. Does Your School Need More Money? 30. Should All Schools Teach Cursive? 31. What Role Should Textbooks Play in Education? 32. Do Kids Need Recess?

College & Career

33. What Is Your Reaction to the College Admissions Cheating Scandal? 34. Is the College Admissions Process Fair? 35. Should Everyone Go to College? 36. Should College Be Free? 37. Are Lavish Amenities on College Campuses Useful or Frivolous? 38. Should ‘Despised Dissenters’ Be Allowed to Speak on College Campuses? 39. How Should the Problem of Sexual Assault on Campuses Be Addressed? 40. Should Fraternities Be Abolished? 41. Is Student Debt Worth It?

Mental & Physical Health

42. Should Students Get Mental Health Days Off From School? 43. Is Struggle Essential to Happiness? 44. Does Every Country Need a ‘Loneliness Minister’? 45. Should Schools Teach Mindfulness? 46. Should All Children Be Vaccinated? 47. What Do You Think About Vegetarianism? 48. Do We Worry Too Much About Germs? 49. What Advice Should Parents and Counselors Give Teenagers About Sexting? 50. Do You Think Porn Influences the Way Teenagers Think About Sex?

Race & Gender

51. How Should Parents Teach Their Children About Race and Racism? 52. Is America ‘Backsliding’ on Race? 53. Should All Americans Receive Anti-Bias Education? 54. Should All Companies Require Anti-Bias Training for Employees? 55. Should Columbus Day Be Replaced With Indigenous Peoples Day? 56. Is Fear of ‘The Other’ Poisoning Public Life? 57. Should the Boy Scouts Be Coed? 58. What Is Hard About Being a Boy?

59. Can You Separate Art From the Artist? 60. Are There Subjects That Should Be Off-Limits to Artists, or to Certain Artists in Particular? 61. Should Art Come With Trigger Warnings? 62. Should Graffiti Be Protected? 63. Is the Digital Era Improving or Ruining the Experience of Art? 64. Are Museums Still Important in the Digital Age? 65. In the Age of Digital Streaming, Are Movie Theaters Still Relevant? 66. Is Hollywood Becoming More Diverse? 67. What Stereotypical Characters Make You Cringe? 68. Do We Need More Female Superheroes? 69. Do Video Games Deserve the Bad Rap They Often Get? 70. Should Musicians Be Allowed to Copy or Borrow From Other Artists? 71. Is Listening to a Book Just as Good as Reading It? 72. Is There Any Benefit to Reading Books You Hate?

73. Should Girls and Boys Sports Teams Compete in the Same League? 74. Should College Athletes Be Paid? 75. Are Youth Sports Too Competitive? 76. Is It Selfish to Pursue Risky Sports Like Extreme Mountain Climbing? 77. How Should We Punish Sports Cheaters? 78. Should Technology in Sports Be Limited? 79. Should Blowouts Be Allowed in Youth Sports? 80. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams and Their Fans to Use Native American Names, Imagery and Gestures?

81. Is It Wrong to Focus on Animal Welfare When Humans Are Suffering? 82. Should Extinct Animals Be Resurrected? If So, Which Ones? 83. Are Emotional-Support Animals a Scam? 84. Is Animal Testing Ever Justified? 85. Should We Be Concerned With Where We Get Our Pets? 86. Is This Exhibit Animal Cruelty or Art?

Parenting & Childhood

87. Who Should Decide Whether a Teenager Can Get a Tattoo or Piercing? 88. Is It Harder to Grow Up in the 21st Century Than It Was in the Past? 89. Should Parents Track Their Teenager’s Location? 90. Is Childhood Today Over-Supervised? 91. How Should Parents Talk to Their Children About Drugs? 92. What Should We Call Your Generation? 93. Do Other People Care Too Much About Your Post-High School Plans? 94. Do Parents Ever Cross a Line by Helping Too Much With Schoolwork? 95. What’s the Best Way to Discipline Children? 96. What Are Your Thoughts on ‘Snowplow Parents’? 97. Should Stay-at-Home Parents Be Paid? 98. When Do You Become an Adult?

Ethics & Morality

99. Why Do Bystanders Sometimes Fail to Help When They See Someone in Danger? 100. Is It Ethical to Create Genetically Edited Humans? 101. Should Reporters Ever Help the People They Are Covering? 102. Is It O.K. to Use Family Connections to Get a Job? 103. Is $1 Billion Too Much Money for Any One Person to Have? 104. Are We Being Bad Citizens If We Don’t Keep Up With the News? 105. Should Prisons Offer Incarcerated People Education Opportunities? 106. Should Law Enforcement Be Able to Use DNA Data From Genealogy Websites for Criminal Investigations? 107. Should We Treat Robots Like People?

Government & Politics

108. Does the United States Owe Reparations to the Descendants of Enslaved People? 109. Do You Think It Is Important for Teenagers to Participate in Political Activism? 110. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? 111. What Should Lawmakers Do About Guns and Gun Violence? 112. Should Confederate Statues Be Removed or Remain in Place? 113. Does the U.S. Constitution Need an Equal Rights Amendment? 114. Should National Monuments Be Protected by the Government? 115. Should Free Speech Protections Include Self Expression That Discriminates? 116. How Important Is Freedom of the Press? 117. Should Ex-Felons Have the Right to Vote? 118. Should Marijuana Be Legal? 119. Should the United States Abolish Daylight Saving Time? 120. Should We Abolish the Death Penalty? 121. Should the U.S. Ban Military-Style Semiautomatic Weapons? 122. Should the U.S. Get Rid of the Electoral College? 123. What Do You Think of President Trump’s Use of Twitter? 124. Should Celebrities Weigh In on Politics? 125. Why Is It Important for People With Different Political Beliefs to Talk to Each Other?

414 Funny and Humorous Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative, Impromptu]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Funny and humorous speech topics – for anyone who wants to talk about silly foolish, casual odd, infrequent rare, bizarre weird, aberrant uncommon, strange or crazy fun subjects. Modify the onliners for the best tailormade results of course!

In this article:

Informative

List of funny and humorous speech topics.

Boys gossip more than girls do.
Should Trix stop its discrimination and make them for everyone?
Blame your horoscope for why things went wrong
Why you should never take on a food challenge
Breakup insurance policy should be invented
Which came first: the chicken or the egg?
Why men shouldn’t wear skinny jeans
Vegetables have feelings – stop carrot cruelty
Camping: the fun and the not so fun
Why kids should make jokes in class
Why lying well can be helpful
Why I should marry Cameron Diaz
When nothing goes left, go right
Grown-ups are weird species
Blame your dog for things
Why getting lost is the best advice someone could give you
The reason grass appears greener on the other side is because it is probably fake.
In order to become old and wise, you must first be young and stupid.
Yes, you should write that down, because you will forget.
We can lie but our facial expressions can’t.
Life should come with background music.
Chocolate never asks stupid questions.
Sometimes when you need expert advice you should just have a chat with yourself.
In order to understand what life is all about you should hang out with a three year old.
The most dangerous animal out there is a silent woman.
We don’t mean to interrupt people’s conversations, it’s just that we remember random things and get really excited.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a six-month vacation twice a year?
Nothing sucks more than when you are in the middle of an argument and realize that you are wrong.
When you get older you will regret not taking all those naps as a child.
I sometimes feel that the internet could do with a sarcasm font.
Some of the bad decisions are necessary so you can have great stories to tell.
Sometimes you will need to keep a contact number on your phone so that you can avoid their nuisance calls.
How many times is it appropriate to say “excuse me”, before you give up and nod instead?
A woman’s “I will be ready in 5 minutes” is the same as a man’s “I will be home in 5 minutes”.
“We will see” means it’s probably not going to happen.
Adults these days can barely do Math without using a calculator but are always claiming to have X amount of problems.
Being an adult is not an easy task.
Life feels very much like a test I didn’t study for.
You are not weird; you are just a limited edition.
There is no need to sugar coat everything, we can’t all be Willy Wonka.
Not everyone will like you and that is okay because not everyone has good taste.
Most people make mistakes five or six times, just to be sure.
Be happy, it drives people crazy!
Before you marry someone you should see how they react to slow internet.
Alcohol clearly increases the size of the send button.
We all need a day in which we can be just as useless as the ‘g’ in lasagne.
Those who say they slept like a baby have obviously never had a baby.
No, underarm farts are not an impressive party trick.
Why do we panic when our phones fall but laugh when our friends do?
Why do we remember all the things we forgot to do once we are in bed?
Stop telling people that your baby is 28 months old!
Cinderella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life.
Why people calculate how many hours of sleep they will get.
What is it with men and remote control buttons?
Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.
It is probably wise to keep your Mom off of Facebook.
Clowns are scary and this is why.
The true list of Christmas gifts I would like to give my family.
Why Mondays should be banned.
It is not okay to be 30 and still live with your parents.
Men gossip more than women.
Stop bragging about being at the gym – nobody cares!
We can lie to the world, but not to ourselves.
You should never start your diet on a Monday.
By plans I mean I want to stay home and watch Netflix.
Why you should smile and wave when someone insults you.
If you are going to be two-faced at least make one of them pretty.
Some people truly believe that they know everything, do they think their name is google?
I wish the world would shock me by saying something intelligent.
Women shouldn’t treat their faces like a colouring book.
Some people are so fake, that Barbie is starting to get jealous.
You are always entitled to your own incorrect opinion.
Do people expect us to take notes when they tell us what to do?
Just because it fits it doesn’t mean that it actually fits.
It’s okay, you can explain yourself out of compromising positions.
Auto correct could ruin your life.
Some people are all bark but no bite.
Why read the book when you can just watch the movie?
Growing old is mandatory but growing up is completely optional.
Money does talk and it usually likes to say ‘bye-bye’.
The good news is that if today is the worst day of your life, then you know that tomorrow will be better.
Some of the best people out there are crazy.
Common sense is a flower that does not grow in everyone’s garden.
Sometimes you just need to take a nap and get over it.
Daddy is the boss until Mommy gets home.
To avoid trouble, you must always cut a toddler’s sandwich in the correct shape.
People often lie on a first date so that they can secure the second one.
Why wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.
Yes, actually you can have your cake and eat it too!
You should never be the party pooper.
Disney movies are great until they all start singing.
“Too busy” is just a myth.
Teenagers need to remember that not that long ago they use to beg their mothers to watch them poop.
Wouldn’t it be great if when we took a long nap people would be proud of us like they are when kids do?
You know it is going to be a long day when your partner is upset about something you did in their dream.
Sometimes our greatest accomplishment is to just keep quiet.
Why Math feels like Mental Abuse To Humans.
You need to marry the person who gives you the same feeling you get when you see food coming at a restaurant.
Touch a pregnant belly at your own risk.
If you mess with the bull you will get the horns.
Why exactly did ‘that’s cool’ become ‘that’s hot’?
People must stop randomly using the word ‘random’ for everything.
How not wearing any makeup makes people think you are sick these days.
LOL is usually what people reply with when they have nothing else to say.
Why exactly is it called a crush?
If Cinderella’s shoe fit perfectly in the end, why did it fall off in the first place?
The only reason why we should want to go back in time is to repeat the fun parts.
When we start to question if a word even exists.
Before Facebook I had a life.
Smile while you still have teeth.
Why laughter is the best medicine.
Three reasons why … (fill in your favorite cheerleader team here) will win the Superbowl this year.
Fainting for high school is pretty common and often not a sign of something serious.
Why rose is the best flowers’ fragrance many women like.
Girls under 12 should not be allowed to wear makeup.
Wendy’s / Burger King / McDonald’s (choose your fast food restaurant) has the best service and consumer complaint codes of conduct.
My favorite Agent 007 James Bond is … (fill in the actor / actress of your choice here. Or do choose another movie hero for alternative humorous persuasive speech topics)
Design your own How Cool Are You test and persuade your audience to take it.
Seven signs that she is a real bitch type, and ways how to handle her.
Five requirements to be called a bestie by girlfriends.
Three symptoms that show you are definitely addicted to online quizzes.
Fingerprints are unique for every human.
Diet or regular drinks: it doesn’t matter at all what you drink.
We should adapt the Chinese Calender / National Calendar of India.
We should print small fun items on our coins that symbolizes our nation.
What you should wear / not wear when giving a prom speech.
Presidential running mates are politicians who were not able to reach the top themselves.
How to get – more – Valentine Day cards next year.
Nomen est omen (latin for name is omen) occurs more often than you think.
Kung fu training skills should be mandatory for college and high school sports girls and women teachers.
Vampires and ghosts are only historical legend figures, nevertheless they have much impact on our society when it comes to superstition.
Thirteen is a lucky number.
Why there are so many kangaroo, wombats, sheep and koalas in Australia.
Why Rumpulstilskin is my favorite fairy tale.
People prefer a clean shaven face instead of a beard or mustache.
Dating someone who is much older than you are is the only way to date.
Love at first sight really does exist.
Lady Gaga has beaten Britney Spears.
Men like action and women like romantic movies.
Boyfriends must act romantic.
(fill in the title of the song of your choice) is the funniest song ever.
The Human cannonball stunt should be an entertainment event at our next campus event.
Jay Leno is funny because he has good joke writers.
Having a third arm is better than a third leg.
Leather belts with a large buckle look good on guys.
Experiencing the thrill of a Space Shuttle trip is too expensive.
Why it’s a good idea to always google a person before you meet her or him for the first time.
Ten ways to use Twitter with fun public speaking purposes in a maximum of 140 characters.
Why many students rather text a friend than call her/him.
Bingo competitions keep grandmas off the streets.
Don’t take life too seriously – and yourself 🙂
How to get rid of boring blind dates.
Blaming your dog for everything that goes wrong is an old way-out.
99% percent of the blonds are not stupid at all.
How to annoy the passenger next to you on a flight.
The beneficial effects of smoking.
Some phrases you use to be funny but actually turn out to be boring.
Jerry Springer ruined America
Dessert should always be served before dinner
Golf and Poker: Two things that should never be televised
Personal things you should always keep to yourself
Department stores shouldn’t be allowed to sell ugly clothing
Why you should leave the marriage counseling tips to the marriage counselors
Facebook is ruining lives every day
Why the perfect husband just doesn’t exist
Pigs have better manners than most men
Rain: It really does have a smell
Women are much better at handling pain than men
Why famous people must have a crew of makeup artists and hair stylists following them around all day
Why Subway is a total rip off
Totally useless professions
If only men spent as much time working on their relationships as they do focusing on sports
Parent fails
Why everyone wants a pet monkey
What happens in high school doesn’t really matter all that much

Once you have chosen a topic, you will need to compose the speech structure. This sample of outline will help you getting started. The example topic is: “How to convince the teacher that a household pet ate your homework.”

Start the talk by introducing yourself. For example, “Good Morning, my name is ____.” Then, go for the “gold.” Hit the audience with a statement or question that will grab their attention immediately. Another example: “Who remembers using the excuse that my dog ate my term paper?”

The body of the speech: Three points Hopefully, with the audience waiting with baited breath, the time is ripe to hit them with three good reasons for them to listen to, and agree with, what is being said.

Can We Write Your Speech?

Get your audience blown away with help from a professional speechwriter. Free proofreading and copy-editing included.

Your sister’s pet hamster died, and she needed a small piece of paper to wrap the body in and used your homework paper.
Your brother was making bedding for his pet gerbil and ran out of newspaper to cut into strips and used your term paper instead.
Your new dog has been trained to pee on newspaper on the floor, and your homework papers had slipped off the kitchen counter, and, well….

Closing argument More than three points can be made, if indicated. But at least three points should always be used. To close your argument, summarize and end with a strong reason why the audience should agree with you. For example, “With the number and variety of pets available today, one does not have to use the family dog all the time as an excuse for not doing one’s homework.”

Reverse thinking and applying jokes are possible instruments for inventing lots of amusing and droll funny topic for persuasive speech tips and more expanded funny different from standard or daily norm hints and clues for rationalistic speeches.

How to make fun every day in life.
The unusual and abnormal working of Murphy’s Law – if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong.
Chasing idle dreams is a good habit.
Unexpected disasters that can happen.
Absurd and laughable job applicant stories.
How I choose friends far away and maintain those relationships.
People with mediocre talents have success and high talented people haven’t.
Why my – any funny speech topics – looks cooler than the… of my neighbour.
Rare speed limits and the reasons why.
When I resign, I will …
My fantasy jokes and humor multiplier x factor
My motto: I’m flexible by indecision.
Ways to remember birthdays on the presents you got.
For her / him who doesn’t have to do it, nothing is impossible.
How to give your dog or cat a pill.
Why men are proud of themselves.
How to cheat poker the nice way.
Why I don’t want to be a millionaire.
Eating flowers is possible.
How to determine you are addicted to the Internet.
Wine / beer / cocktail of the month.
How to be a charming host at any event.
Demonstrate tasting wine in a waggish way.
If I was my boss, then …
Happy puppies make humans happy.
How to deny reality.
Ten fun things to do during exams.
Urban running acrobatics.
10 ways to order pizzas and make the Italian food restaurant owner crazy.
Your guides to life are angels.
How to throw a paper airplane in class.
Ten things you’ve learned from your pet.
Personal bloopers are great funny topics for a speech.
My most profitable mistake.
Funny computer terms and phrases.
What women really say when they talk to men.
Answers on the meaning of life.
Funny holidays in other countries.
How foreigners must sound when speaking to natives in their language
Card games that hardly require any skill
What my dog would tell me if he could talk
What the popular kids are like 15 years after graduation
Words that are hard to say while drunk
The best cures for a hangover
The truth about bromance
Where did swear words come from?
If our children had to deal with the computers we had back in the day…
The worst nicknames you’ve been given
A time when you were glad you were you
The male brain vs. the female brain
What to do if you’re being hit on by a complete weirdo
The advantages of being a woman
The advantages of being a man
The things women go through just to look pretty
If men had a menstrual cycle
Does anyone ever clean public restrooms?
How one dog had 101 Dalmatian puppies
How to create a new word that other people will actually use
How to boil water
How to get fired in less than 24 hours
How to create monsters out of your children
How to train your cat to be like a dog
How to be remembered in high school
How to make lemonade out of lemons (figuratively)
The art of pretending to listen when your spouse is talking
If women had mute buttons
If men were more emotional than women
Why babies act very similar to drunk adults
What to do if you burn the turkey at Thanksgiving
The ugliest fashions of today
The newest slang terms and what they really mean
What men really think about women
What women really think about men
My worst road rage stories
PMS: Because men have it too
The dumbest thing I ever did while drunk
As a kid, I thought I knew it all. Boy, was I wrong
A day at Spencer’s
So, what do people really think when they see your 1,001 selfies?
Best pranks to use on your spouse
Why kids are lucky they are cute
The best and only way to make your kids leave you alone
Why I could never be a doctor
When baby is left with dad all day…
How incompetent people manage to make it through the day
Review the challenge to find mentally strange funny speech topics in 24 hours.
Women marry much younger men.
Bare funny facts about men.
Funny facts about women.
Rules men wish women knew.
How to become a rat and make a fortune.
Funny first date experiences.
A true story that ain’t be true in the end …
Unusual incidents.
Helpful pinball strategies.
Reveal the real names of celebrities.
Extreme golf courses around the world.
How to cope with a Feng Shui consultant.
Hidden subliminal messages in songs.
Funny names, name meaning or nomen est omen.
Top 5 most stupid questions and answers.
Clean jokes that are safe for the whole family.
Optical illusions in art, also called trompe-loeil.
Fun houseplants in your home.
How to decorate a really weird Thanksgiving table.
Time capsules you like to find.
How to discover who send you a Valentine card.
Moving Christmas lights that drive your neighbours crazy.
Criteria for a childproof X-mas tree.
How to attract hundreds of birds in record time.
Unique nativity scene figures.
Strange New Year resolutions.
Cliches, figures and any text to speech that should be banned.
What dreams mean.
What to do on a desert island.
Top 5 bad business slogans.
What I like to invent for mankind.
How to pretend to be a good international exchange student.
What to write in a message in a bottle if you’re trapped on an island.
Things to do in a traffic jam.
Kids should get more pocket money.
What do I have to do to receive free chicken?
Imagine your life as a grandpa / grandma
How to be lazy like a pro
What teachers do when they’re not teaching
Ten ways to annoy your parents
Being the oldest/youngest sibling
How to feed your dog your homework
If video game characters were real
Why did the duck cross the road?
How to looks smarter than you are
A narrow escape from trouble
It was an unusual friendship
Eating things you don’t like
Fear of 12th grade
Getting water from a rock
Zombie protection
20 weird-sounding words and what they mean
The worst holiday ever
If you ruled the world
Fun with super glue
How to catch a cold
Short girl problems.
I am not anti-social, I am just selectively social.
Things only people that wear glasses can relate to.
How not to get a date.
What not to say on a first date.
A snoring partner costs you a few years of sleep in a lifetime.
What we can learn from animals when they are looking for food.
Why people look like their dogs.
Three ways to write the best gift card for birthday parties.
Five ways to keep going a boring conversation at a cocktail party.
How to act like you are an earth-friendly person.
Tricks to remember names when you forget them all the time.
Ways to live on the cheap spending as little money as you can.
How to drive unwanted visitors crazy by painting a psychedelic wall mural.
Women want bright-colored, funny and worthless goodies as a gift.
Do’s and don’ts when visiting a new mother and her little newborn crying out loud baby.
Being rude is the only way to get off telemarketers.
Tips to take toll high ways or bridges without paying a penny.
Let others pay your holiday trips with the perfect collect call strategy.
Decorating your college apartment with a low budget according to the latest furniture fashion trends.
How to handle well-meaning people you do not like and try to avoid by all means.
Effective optical cleaning methods for your home shortly before your parents arrive.
The ten commandments in a restaurant boys and girls room.
How to drive the baby-sitter crazy in one hour.
Tips for choosing a practical lunch box, and above all a cool one.
Behaving requirements in a chique restaurant when having a dinner with your parents.
Ways to re-use stickers that are not sticky anymore.
Odd shaped ice cubes in a snap in the coller fridge at home.
Three fun games to play at beach without a ball.
Sleeping a night in the backyard with a friend.
The funniest amusement parks you have been in your life.
How to design your own personal placemat.
How to be the perfect gentleman or lady.
10 things you better not say in court.
Fun things to do on the first day of class or the last day of the high school season.
Words that are hard to say when you’re drunk.
The advantages women think of being a man.
Humorous names you can laugh about.
Why women say they hate sports.
The 3 biggest lies on the work floor.
New York City driving rules explained.
Inappropriate Christmas gifts.
10 ways to irritate a telemarketer.
What are the signs you have had enough to drink.
10 ways to freak out your roommate with special dorm room supplies.
How to train a cat, or dog or other pet to show fun tricks.
How to make pictures of a new puppy.
Why nerds rule our society and not creative artists.
Why you shouldn’t give marriage advice or marriage counseling tips.
How to reach your goals with humor.
The story of the perfect husband.
Gift wrapping tips for men.
How to prepare fancy meals using only frozen dinners
Why men are so terrible at wrapping gifts
If you want to know the truth about yourself, have a kid
Why Donald Trump doesn’t invest more money into his hair
Funny things kids say that adults couldn’t get away with saying
The dumbest things American criminals have done
Topics that aren’t meant to be discussed in public
My guiltiest pleasures revealed
Things you shouldn’t say while on a date
How to confuse a telemarketer
Things no one really knows how to do/say
If I ever met Will Ferrell
The dumb things my cat/dog/pet does almost daily
How to pull off taking a “sick day” after your sports team loses miserably
The meaning behind some nursery rhymes
The dumbest thing I’ve ever done
The cool way to clean up doggy doo-doo
My thoughts about Napoleon Dynamite
How to find the penny your baby just swallowed
The weirdest names celebrity parents have given their children
Why you should never call the number on the bathroom stall
The most embarrassing thing I ever wore
What to do if your blind date is a horrible failure
Surefire ways to get out of a speeding ticket
The difference between Taylor Swift and Kanye West

Many writers have joked about speaking without a script in front of groups or answering questions without any preparation. They are right.

Think about it: when your professor asks you to prepare an impromptu; well, it seems to be a contradictio in terminis, a funny contrast in terms.

More than you presume. Why don’t you study these task verbs and prepare yourself better than the rest in your class? In general, the more convincing and relaxed a motivational speaker performs without a text to speech, the more she or he has anticipated at home. And that’s often the case.

Analyse –> Examine closely pros and cons of dating by means of a sugar daddy website. Do write with humor, otherwise choose other good funny impromptu speech topics.
Argue –> Provide evidence that something is in and not out in fashion.
Assess –> Determine the value of a Moon property certificate. Yes, they really exist in the real and also virtual world. And people tend to pay for it too 🙂
Compare –> Discuss the quality of a being humble instead of yelling a way through life.
Contrast –> Differences between women and men in dating habits.
Criticize –> Judge the daily television weather forecast.
Define –> Make clear what The Meaning of Life is, according to Monty Python Brian in the movie The Holy Grail.
Describe –> List the do’s and don’ts for a man during a romantic dinner for two.
Discuss –> The against of a fantasy resume at LinkedIn.
Enumerate –> Present the steps to simple life.
Evaluate –> The usefulness of uselessness homework assignments. One of the favorite persuasive speech topics of my daughter 🙂
Explain –> Make clear why we do fart, and why it’s healthy.
Illustrate –> What does illustrate mean in the context of a funny impromptu speech topics assignment?
Interpret –> The value of horse racing stats for gamblers.
Justify –> The end justify the means no matter how unethical or immoral, ahum 🙂
Outline –> How to make a funny cartoon character of your professor or public speaking instructor step-by-step.
Prove –> Inventing a time machine is possible …
Review –> Describe critically a hangover the day after you had a party.
Summarize –> Principles of funny tv advertising commercials.
Trace –> The effective step-by-step method to make studying a bit more fun.

104 Environmental Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative]

10 Salutatorian Speech Ideas Multi-Functional

23 thoughts on “414 Funny and Humorous Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative, Impromptu]”

Just blame the youngest

Tall girl Problems

Why road trips are better with boy and not girls

troubles of being the youngest sibling/child!

Trouble being the oldest sibling/having a younger one

why you should do zumba with morgan from morgans zumba fittness ( MZF )

how covid-19 affected the world

Adults don’t understand kids

Why you should read those emails from your royal Nigerian Prince!

What if all the conspiracy theories that many people believed in were actually true

Why kids should go to boarding school

How can you hear yourself think?

Why 2020’s official flag should be a mask

The troubles of high school : should we care?

Thes are great topics who wrote them

The Friday the 13th theory.

i have a great speech thanks to you and i know heaps others that have them to so tthank you

things I don’t understand

OMG THANKS I NOW I HAVE SPEECH THATS DUE TOMMOROW AND I HAVE IDEAS THANKS TO YOU LIFE SAVERS!!!!! 🙂

What you would do if your best friend committed a crime.

Why we procrastinate and make things harder for ourselves.

why taylor swift is the music industry

nomen est omen is not-

nomen means name est means is omen means sign

((i’m a latin student))

I accept the Privacy Policy

Reach out to us for sponsorship opportunities

Vivamus integer non suscipit taciti mus etiam at primis tempor sagittis euismod libero facilisi.

Argumentative Speech Topics and ideas: A Complete Guide

An argumentative speech is a persuasive speech. Here, speakers try to encourage audiences to alter their views on a controversial issue.

Though they are alike in some manner, persuasive and argumentative speech contains different goals.

A persuasive speech focuses on sharing a perspective and asking the public to think it over. An argumentative speech aims to alter the viewpoint already detained by the audience.

This type of speech is challenging. So, the speaker should pick up the topic that he is confident at and come up with a strong argument.

When you are involved in debates with family or friends, you obviously tend to win or lose. The way you argue shows your capability to compel facts and concepts in support of a topic.

While losing an argument, chances are you only used the standpoint supporting your situation. In a perfect argumentative speech, there should be a strong claim and the points to support it.

For an argumentative speech, find a concrete and controversial argument to use as your foundation. These speeches generally focus on the topics discussed at the moment by society. Most of the topics of argumentative speech are derivative of political discussion.

This is most commonly noticed in the media. The selected topic might be social, religious, ethical, or political by nature. The public must be confident to revise their long-held values. They might ask to change detained convictions relevant to the recent evidence.

In fact, picking up a topic that is debatable is important to develop good speech. The topic should not include something which is already demonstrated or verified.

Instead, it should be logical enough to convince the audience. The speaker should come up with a strong opinion to make his speech realistic to the audience.

To be able to argue in a reasonable and logical way is a fine life skill. It helps to stand up for what you think is correct and let others give attention to your viewpoints.

For instance, if the topic includes “eating egg and milk affects your healthiness”. You evaluate the opponent and create your own topic like “Eating egg and milk does not affect your health”. Yet, you have to give strong points to support your answer.

Table of Contents

Terms to Present Argumentative Speech

Claims of fact, claims of value, claims of policy, 1. pick up debatable topic, 2. take a strong standpoint, 3. give some supportable arguments, 4. refute alternate positions, tips for delivering an argumentative speech:, 1. look for your topic, 2. recognize your standpoint, 3. carry out the research, 4. know who your opposition is, 5. know the facts, 6. choose the topic of your interest, list of argumentative speech topic, argumentative speech topics about economy, argumentative speech topics about science, argumentative speech topics about environment, argumentative speech topics about family, argumentative speech topics about technology, argumentative speech topics about health, argumentative speech topics about history, argumentative speech topics about politics, argumentative speech topics about religion, argumentative speech topics about sports, argumentative speech topics about relationships, argumentative speech topics about law, argumentative speech topics about life, argumentative speech topics about ethics, conclusion.

These are some terms that help you to present an ideal argumentative speech:

Claim – This is the main term that you should focus on. Try to give a strong standpoint. Support on the point, position, and the issue you are talking about. Do not forget the main purpose of the speech.
Grounds – Grounds are the key information or the facts that you use to make your point more powerful and reliable. Make sure that the details you give are an appropriate reason for your claims in the initial place.

Argumentative Speech is based on:

It starts with the reality relevant to the evidence. For an instance, you drink too much alcohol and do not exercise. Then, you will surely put up the weight. If you control your drinks, then you can maintain the weight.

Claims of value include the belief something is correct or incorrect, good or bad. For an instance, punishing children is wrong. It does not improve the habits of your children.

Here you can also state “Punishing children is right”. They will think properly before doing anything wrong

Claims of the policy are taken from the course of action. For an instance, you should be able to vote through a driving license. There is a precise rule for the policy. It is realistic and superior compared to the current system.

Every child should learn different languages in school. It is vital to introduce teachers to the value of beginning foreign language experience.

While initiating the argumentative speech, get ready with strong arguments. You desire to give an influential impact right in front. Also, you might wish to leave a good impression on the audience hearing your speech.

Stay away from personal attacks. If you make the argument too boring, there will be a higher chance of losing your audience.

Besides, argumentative speech needs a powerful viewpoint on the topic that you are delivering. Remember, the goal is not to win your audience but to win the argument. You have to stand on your own point with an appropriate reason.

Essential components of an Argumentative speech:

The main goal of an argumentative essay is to influence others in your opinions. Generally, an argumentative speech addresses an audience with opposite opinions on a specific subject.

Here are four essential elements to focus on when developing an argumentative essay:

While picking up a topic, you should select the topic with more than a single side. For an instance, there is no way to discuss the topic of human smell with the nose. It is familiar fact that has no other strong points to discuss against.

While preparing for an argumentative speech, take a strong standpoint. Try to stick with the stance. This makes your speech powerful. Make sure you do not confuse the audience with any irrelevant points.

A good argument needs to have reasonable and convincing evidence. Better support your statement with information, figures, examples, and some relevant opinions. Also, argumentative speech does not contain unproven opinions. Make sure you research and present the argument that is a relevant argument.

At the end of a strong argumentative speech, you have to refute alternate positions. By dealing with the opponent, make some powerful arguments. Try to work on some common and stronger viewpoints.

Look for a concrete and controversial argument to use as your base.
Arrange your points properly. Arranging the points can be helpful while planning your thoughts and presenting them
Give most of your time for research. Better research on your topics along with the topics which your opposition is likely to pick up.

How to develop an effective Argumentative Speech?

After picking up a fine controversial topic, you should work on some powerful points. Those points must make your speech influential. Start developing an outline that translates into better argumentative speech.

These are some points to consider while working on an argumentative speech:

From absorption to health, you can find many types of topics that you feel comfortable presenting.

At first, think about the topic that you are supporting. Are you supporting abortion or speaking against it? Most of the speaker loves to speak against abortion but should be confident to speak on the topic.

Better verify and try to prove the facts using some examples or supportive words. This makes your speech more powerful and interesting. Consider determining whether you are attempting to take the topic.

You can definitely find the people who have worked for or else against the topic that you picked up earlier.

For this, you have to carry out the research well. But, this does not mean you have to copy from them. Just take your idea and use them in a better way. This helps to know what step you should take to move forward to make a good flow of the argument.

Each argumentative speech contains both for and against the side. The best probable approach that you can use is to know your opponent. Knowing how your opponent thinks and the points they use makes you easy to perform.

An argumentative speech might be weak if you do not provide any facts. For a good outcome, you need facts supporting your argument on the controversial topic. If you ignore this you might be in a problem while presenting the speech.

Be sure, you know and give the facts, and make your points strong. These facts reduce your risk of looking unprepared and unprofessional.

You cannot give a better outcome without passion. To present superior argumentative speech, you should have an interest in the topic. Better select the topic of your interest. This helps you to work and perform better. If you do not trust yourself and your topic, no one will as well.

Deciding on an arguable topic is essential to developing an effective argumentative speech. Better do not pick up the topic which needs great logic for convincing the audience.

You should have an extreme desire in the topic with a deep opinion on the subject. If he cannot fulfill these criteria, he might not provide influencing arguments.

Find here the List of Argumentative Speech Topics. They are great for developing arguments for debates, persuasive speech, and argumentation.

Argumentative Speech Topics about Education

Mobile phones should be banned in schools for both students and teachers.
Exams should be abolished.
Exam scores do not reflect student performance.
Mandatory dress code.
Studying of foreign languages should begin from kindergarten age.
College students should have freedom to choose their own courses.
Sex education should be required in all schools.
Benefits of attending a single-sex school.
Essays do not demonstrate student’s knowledge on a topic.
Home education should only be allowed for medical reasons.
Education should be free to anyone.
Teachers should have mandatory re-training every 5 years.
Testing and choice are undermining education.
Grades are not important.
Bilingual education.
CPR and first aid techniques should be a mandatory course.
State colleges should be free to attend.
Teachers should wear uniforms or obey a dress code.
Why educational computer games should be used in school
Music education should be placed back into schools
Student Debts
Do colleges put too much stock in standardized test scores?
Price of Education and textbooks
Popular literature is not as valuable as classical literature.
Smoking and drinking on campus
Workers should get four weeks paid vacation each year.
The illegal immigrant workforce is good for the economy.
Christmas is just a way for businesses to increase sales.
Rich people should have tax breaks.
Decreasing wealth tax is good for the economy.
Salaries of actors, professional athletes and CEOs should be regulated and capped.
Government aid for students should be based purely on academic performance.
Taxes should be imposed on unhealthy foods to combat obesity.
Paying the waiter hourly rate below minimum wage is unfair.
Mortgage Crisis
Consumer Debt
Outsourcing jobs to foreign countries
Equal pay for equal work
Fuel Prices
How nuclear power shaped the 21st century in electrical generation.
Space exploration is a waste of money.
Genetic Research is destroying humanity.
NASA space landing on the moon was a hoax.
Media’s effect on teen suicide.
Stem cell research and the guidelines that control it.
Hunting is good for the environment.
Food shortage / world hunger.
Crimes against the environment should be tougher.
Vegetarianism is an ecologically thoughtful lifestyle.
Destruction of the world’s forest is justified by a human need for land and food.
Racing industry should be forced to use environmentally-friendly fuel.
Working from home is good for the environment.
Genetically modified food should be the answer to the world’s hunger problem.
The government should support and subsidize alternative energy sources.
Alternative Energy and Hybrid Vehicles can help save our planet.
Nuclear power is better than solar power.
Future of recycling.
Advantages of recycling water.
Alternative Fuels.
Every family with children filing for divorce must go through a mandatory ‘cooling off’ period.
Couples should be banned from adopting overseas.
Future parents should take parenting classes and pass tests before having a child.
Physical punishment is good practice for raising children.
Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?
Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy?
Violent video games and toys should not be allowed.
Technology is making people less creative.
Human beings are becoming slaves of modern technology.
Does technology limit creativity?
Technology makes us lose most of our traditions and culture.
New technologies create new problems.
Positive effects of technology on society.
Modern technology has increased material wealth but not happiness.
Social Networking Sites had an impact on changing us for the worse.
Internet censorship is unnecessary.
Whether the internet has made research easier and more convenient.
Life was better when technology was less and more simple.
Online friends are more effective than real friends.
Internet Privacy.
Torrents and internet pirating.
Social networks are killing sincere relationships.
Organ donation should be mandatory.
Health risks of smoking are exaggerated.
Vaccinations should be compulsory.
Veganism is an unhealthy way to raise kids.
Breast-feeding is one of the most important things a mother can give to a child.
Terminally ill patients should be allowed to use heroin.
Knowing your ancestry is important for health.
All farmers should go organic.
Lapses in food safety as a result of a complex interplay of factors.
Music Therapy.
The need of teen depression prevention.
Drug addiction is a sickness.
Running is unhealthy.
Fast food, soda, chips and other unhealthy food should be heavily taxed.
Bread is bad for your health.
Child obesity.
Any products that are believed to cause cancer should have a warning label.
The only difference between normal and organic food is the cost.
Dangers of herbal remedies.
Smoking a pipe is more harmful than smoking cigarettes.
Denying health insurance on a basis of a pre-existing condition is against human rights.
Athletes who are caught using steroids should be banned from the professional sport for life.
Stretching before and after exercise is overrated.
A vegetarian diet is as healthy as a diet containing meat.
Eating meat and dairy is bad for your body.
GMOs are bad for health and should be avoided at any cost.
Why slavery was good for society back in the 1800s.
Adolf Hitler was a great leader.
Slavery and its effects on global economic developments.
Why Reagan’s “War on Drugs” had negative effects.
Many Caribbean people do not understand their heritage and history.
Famous people (actors, athletes) should not be allowed to become politicians.
The War in Iraq was justified.
Invading other countries, as long as for good cause, is justified.
Illegal immigrants should get an asylum.
Democracy is the best form of government.
Why should we trust Official Statistics?
War as an instrument of foreign policy.
Voting should be compulsory for all citizens.
Compulsory military service is good for society and the country.
Voting age should be lowered.
Terrorism is a major issue in the world because innocent people are affected.
The assassination can never be justified.
Why electronic voting is not effective.
Downsides of multiculturalism
Can racial profiling be useful?
Churches should be required to pay taxes.
Racialist blames are often used as a great excuse to shut down dialogue.
The world would be a more peaceful place without religions.
Life after death.
Evolution vs. Creationism.
There should be no religion in schools.
Islamic Fundamentalism.
Religion is a force for evil.
Students should learn about world religions in public schools.
Jehovah witnesses.
Why hockey should allow fights.
Not all great sportsmen can be good coaches.
For athletes: Discipline is more important than talent.
Female athletes train better with female coaches.
Chess is not a sport.
Should players’ jerseys display ads?
Should there be a set age range for basketball players?
Can gambling be legalized as a professional sport?
Spousal Abuse.
Polygamy creates healthy relationships.
Gender equality is a myth.
Having sex with a prostitute is not cheating.
Does age matter in relationships? What age is appropriate for dating?
Men should be forced to take paternity leave from work.
Gender does not affect learning.
Guns should be made illegal.
Minors should be tried for murder at any age.
Social Security and Medical Reform are non-negotiable ways out of the debt crisis.
Gay couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples.
Plastic surgery should be illegal for anyone under 18.
Identity Theft.
Ban on smoking in public places is undemocratic.
Euthanasia should be legalized.
Prostitution should be legalized.
The taboo on recreational drugs is unjustified.
Driving speed limits should be lifted in areas with low accident risk.
DUI offenders should give up their driver license for a year.
Laws to protect the victims of domestic abuse should be enforced.
Making drugs illegal creates an environment for crime and violence.
Fast Food advertisements and promotions should be banned.
Retirement should be made compulsory at the age of 60.
Cell phones and driving.
Billboards should not be allowed on interstate highways.
Acceptance of all types of people.
Today’s world is a dangerous place to live in.
People don’t enjoy what they have. They constantly seek for more.
Benefits of having friends.
Modern offices should have facilities for an afternoon nap.
Would you rather be lucky, rich, or intelligent?
Reality television makes people stupid and should be regulated.
Has television become out-dated?
Watching television makes people smarter.
Banning some books and movies can help society.
Assisted Suicide.
Genetic Research.
Is human cloning ethical?
The Ethics of Capital Punishment.
Euthanasia is not morally acceptable.
Abortion is inhumane and murder.
Abortions should be legal in cases of rape and incest.
DNA experiments on human embryos are unethical and should not be allowed.
Torture is an acceptable measure to prevent terrorism.
Wearing fur is unethical.
Cultural treasures should be returned to their countries of origin.
Do animals have rights? Using animals for scientific research is inhumane.
Spaying and neutering pets should be mandatory.
Zoos, aquariums, and circus violate animal rights and should be shut down.
Should scientists bring back extinct species through cloning?
Hunting is unethical and should not be allowed.
Doctors are better than Lawyers Are beauty pageants exploitative?
Feminism is bad for society.
The Miss America pageant is sexist.

The above-mentioned topics and tips for argumentative speech should help you prepare and deliver an argumentative speech. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please let me know in the comment below.

Argumentative Speech on Social Issues

Ai generator, introduction.

Good morning everyone!

Today, I will argue that income inequality is one of the most pressing social issues of our time, and we must take significant steps to address it. Income inequality leads to social division, limits economic growth, and undermines democracy. Tackling this issue is essential for creating a fair and just society.

Point 1: Social Division Income inequality creates a significant divide between the rich and the poor, leading to social tension and conflict. When a small percentage of the population holds the majority of the wealth, it fosters resentment and a sense of injustice among those who struggle to make ends meet. This division can lead to increased crime rates, social unrest, and a breakdown in community cohesion.

Point 2: Limits Economic Growth Contrary to the belief that income inequality drives economic progress, it actually hinders overall economic growth. When wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, it limits the purchasing power of the majority, reducing demand for goods and services. A more equitable distribution of income would increase consumer spending, stimulate economic activity, and create a more robust and sustainable economy.

Point 3: Undermines Democracy Income inequality undermines the principles of democracy by giving disproportionate power to the wealthy. This power imbalance can influence political decisions and policies, often at the expense of the broader population. Ensuring a more equitable distribution of wealth is crucial for maintaining a healthy and functioning democracy where all voices are heard and valued.

Counterargument: Incentivizes Hard Work and Innovation Some argue that income inequality is necessary to incentivize hard work and innovation. While it is important to reward effort and ingenuity, the current levels of inequality are extreme and unjust. A balanced approach that rewards hard work while ensuring a fair distribution of wealth is both possible and necessary for a stable society.

In conclusion, income inequality is a critical social issue that leads to social division, limits economic growth, and undermines democracy. Addressing this issue requires comprehensive policies that promote fair wages, progressive taxation, and equal opportunities for all. Let’s work together to create a more equitable society where everyone has a fair chance to succeed.

Thank you for listening.

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The NFL responds after a player urges female college graduates to become homemakers

Rachel Treisman

Kansas City Chiefs player Harrison Butker, pictured at a press conference in February, is in hot water for his recent commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas. Chris Unger/Getty Images hide caption

Kansas City Chiefs player Harrison Butker, pictured at a press conference in February, is in hot water for his recent commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas.

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker stirred controversy off the field this weekend when he told a college graduating class that one of the "most important titles" a woman can hold is "homemaker."

Butker denounced abortion rights, Pride Month, COVID-19 lockdowns and "the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion" in his commencement address at Benedictine College, a Catholic liberal arts school in Atchison, Kan.

The 28-year-old, a devout Catholic and father of two, also railed against "dangerous gender ideologies" and urged men to "fight against the cultural emasculation of men." At one point, he addressed women specifically.

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"I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you, how many of you are sitting here now about to cross the stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you're going to get in your career," he said. "Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world. But I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world."

Harrison Butker chokes up while discussing his wife, encouraging Benedictine College female grads to embrace motherhood. pic.twitter.com/qm73MBl0Hl — The College Fix (@CollegeFix) May 13, 2024

"I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother," Butker said.

The 20-minute speech has been viewed more than 455,000 times on YouTube since Saturday and generated considerable backlash — and memes — on social media, especially from people critical of his views on women. Many pointed out that Butker's own mom is a clinical medical physicist.

Butker also drew ire from fans of Taylor Swift, who is dating fellow Chiefs player Travis Kelce, a relationship that has famously helped bring many new female fans to the NFL. Later in the speech, he quoted Swift — though not by name — while talking about what he sees as the problem of priests becoming "overly familiar" with their parishioners.

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"This undue familiarity will prove to be problematic every time, because as my teammate's girlfriend says, 'Familiarity breeds contempt,' " he said, quoting a lyric from her song Bejeweled.

One Swift fan account joked about petitioning for the pop star to replace Butker as the Chiefs' kicker. A real online petition , calling for the Chiefs to dismiss Butker for his "sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist remarks," has gained 95,000 signatures and counting since Monday.

Butker and the team have not commented publicly on his speech and the backlash to it, though late Wednesday the NFL issued a statement distancing itself from it.

"Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity," Jonathan Beane, the NFL's senior VP and chief diversity and inclusion officer told NPR on Thursday. "His views are not those of the NFL as an organization."

What else did Butker say?

Butker has been vocal about his faith, telling the Eternal Word Television Network in 2019 that he grew up Catholic but practiced less in high school and college before rediscovering his belief later in life.

Last year, Butker appeared in an ad for the nonprofit Catholic Vote urging Kansans to support a referendum that would limit abortion rights in the state (it was ultimately unsuccessful ). He's also one of several athletes who has partnered with a Catholic prayer app . And days after the Chiefs won this year's Super Bowl, Butker spent a week "in reflection" at a monastery in California.

He also gave the commencement address at his alma mater Georgia Tech last year, in which he urged students to "get married and start a family."

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This time around, Butker started his speech by suggesting he had been reluctant to give it: He said he originally turned down the president's invitation because he felt that one commencement speech was enough, "especially for someone who isn't a professional speaker."

He was persuaded, he said, in part by leadership's argument about how many milestones graduating seniors had missed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As a group, you witnessed firsthand how bad leaders who don't stay in their lane can have a negative impact on society," he said in his opening remarks. "It is through this lens that I want to take stock of how we got to where we are and where we want to go as citizens, and yes, as Catholics."

He criticized President Biden for his handling of the pandemic and his stance on abortion, which he said falsely suggests people can simultaneously be "both Catholic and pro-choice."

Butker blamed "the pervasiveness of disorder" for the availability of procedures like abortion, IVF, surrogacy and euthanasia, as well as "a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media."

6 in 10 U.S. Catholics are in favor of abortion rights, Pew Research report finds

At one point, he referenced an Associated Press article from earlier this month about the revival of conservative Catholicism that prominently featured Benedictine College as an example.

The school of roughly 2,000 gets top ratings from the Cardinal Newman Society , a nonprofit that promotes Catholic education in the U.S., for policies including offering daily mass and prohibiting campus speakers who "publicly oppose Catholic moral teaching."

"I am certain the reporters at the AP could not have imagined that their attempt to rebuke and embarrass places and people like those here at Benedictine wouldn't be met with anger, but instead with excitement and pride," Butker said, before making an apparent reference to LGBTQ Pride Month in June.

"Not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it," he said, as laughter could be heard from the crowd.

How are people responding?

The official YouTube video of Butker's speech shows the crowd standing and applauding at the end, though the AP reports that reactions among graduates were mixed. Several told the outlet they were surprised by his comments about women, priests and LGTBQ people.

Kassidy Neuner told the AP that the speech felt "degrading," suggesting that only women can be homemakers.

"To point this out specifically that that's what we're looking forward to in life seems like our four years of hard work wasn't really important," said Neuner, who is planning on attending law school.

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Butker's comments have gotten some support, including on social media from football fan accounts and Christian and conservative media personalities .

"Christian men should be preaching this regularly," tweeted former NFL player T.J. Moe. "Instead, it's so taboo that when someone tells the obvious truth that anyone who holds a biblical worldview believes, it's national news."

Still, other public figures — including musicians Maren Morris and Flava Flav — were quick to disagree.

Even the official Kansas City account weighed in, tweeting on Wednesday that Butker resides not there but in a neighboring suburb, Lee's Summit. The tweet has since been deleted and the account apologized for the tweet .

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas tweeted that he believed Butker holds a "minority viewpoint" in the state but defended his right to express it.

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"Grown folks have opinions, even if they play sports," he wrote . "I disagree with many, but I recognize our right to different views."

Justice Horn, the former chair of Kansas City's LGBTQ Commission, was more critical, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that "Harrison Butker doesn't represent Kansas City nor has he ever." He called the city one that "welcomes, affirms and embraces our LGBTQ+ community members."

The Los Angeles Chargers also trolled Butker in its Sims-style schedule release video on Wednesday, which ends with a shot of his animated, number 7 jersey-wearing character cooking and arranging flowers in a kitchen.

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Breaking Down Harrison Butker's Speech: Read the Chiefs Player's Most Controversial Comments

Fans are calling for Harrison Butker to be removed from the Chiefs' roster for the upcoming NFL season after his 20-minute commencement speech at Benedictine College

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker 's commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic school, continues to cause outrage.

The NFL player's 20-minute address included attacks on working women, the LBGTQ+ community and families who utilize surrogacy and in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Butker and the Chiefs did not immediately return PEOPLE's requests for comment. In a statement, the NFL’s Chief Diversity Officer Jonathan Beane says, "Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”

Former Kansas City commissioner Justice Horn went further, slamming Butker in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). "Harrison Butker doesn’t represent Kansas City nor has he ever," he wrote . "Kansas City has always been a place that welcomes, affirms, and embraces our LGBTQ+ community members."

Rapper Flavor Flav chimed in, "Sounds like some players 'need to stay in their lanes' and shouldn’t be giving commencement speeches."

Cooper Neill/Getty

Writer Cyd Zeigler wrote , "Pretty awful to hear an NFL player so proudly tell women to 'stay in their lane,' serve their man and make babies. Not to mention comparing Pride month to a 'deadly sin' and lobbing bombs at the trans community. Not a fan."

Amid the backlash, below is a breakdown of Butker's most controversial comments from the speech.

On Taylor Swift's Lyric

A portion of the outrage against Butker came from supporters of Taylor Swift after he shared one of her lyrics, which fans noticed he misinterpreted.

Butker quoted a lyric from Swift's 2022 song "Bejeweled," and referred to her as his teammate, Travis Kelce 's girlfriend.

"As my teammate's girlfriend would say, familiarity breeds contempt," Butker said when discussing the values of the Catholic Church.

What seemed to have been lost on Butker, however, is that the song's message is about Swift embracing her independence away from a former boyfriend.

On the Covid-19 Pandemic and President Joe Biden

At the start of his speech, Butker addressed how the class of 2024 was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of their college careers. The subject quickly transitioned into attacks on President Joe Biden and topics such as abortion, IVF, surrogacy and euthanasia.

"I'm sure your high school graduation was not what you had imagined and most likely neither was your first couple years of college. By making it to this moment through all the adversity thrown your way from COVID, I hope you learned the important lesson that suffering in this life is only temporary," he said. "As a group, you witnessed firsthand how bad leaders who don't stay in their lane can have a negative impact on society."

Butker went on: "Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder. Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross."

The Chiefs kicker continued his verbal attack on Biden, saying, "During a pro-abortion rally, he has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I'm sure to many people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice."

"This is an important reminder that being Catholic alone doesn't cut it. These are the sorts of things we're told in polite society to not bring up. The difficult and unpleasant things. But if we are going to be men and women for this time in history, we need to stop pretending that the 'Church of Nice' is a winning proposition. We must always speak and act in charity, but never mistake charity for cowardice."

He continued: "As members of the church founded by Jesus Christ, it is our duty and ultimately privilege to be authentically and unapologetically Catholic."

Carmen Mandato/Getty

On LGBTQ+ Pride

Butker then turned the focus of his speech to the Catholic values at Benedictine College. However, his sentiments attacked the LGBTQ+ and trans communities.

Butker said, "Benedictine has gone from just another liberal arts school with nothing to set it apart to a thriving beacon of light ... I'm certain the reporters at the AP could not have imagined that their attempt to rebuke and embarrass places and people like those here at Benedictine wouldn't be met with anger, but instead met with excitement and pride, not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the Holy Ghost to glorify him."

On IVF and Surrogacy

Butker later attacked families who utilize IVF and surrogacy to have children, saying, "It is imperative that this class, this generation, in this time in our society must stop pretending that the things we see around us are normal."

"Heterodox ideas abound, even within Catholic circles. Let's be honest, there is nothing good about playing God with having children, whether that be your ideal number or the perfect time to conceive. No matter how you spin it, there is nothing natural about Catholic birth control. It is only in the past few years that I have grown encouraged to speak more boldly and directly because as I mentioned earlier, I have leaned into my vocation as a husband and father and as a man."

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On Working Women

In a direct address to the female graduates at Benedictine, Butker said, "For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you."

"Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world."

Of his spouse, Butker said, "I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I'm on this stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I'm beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school, who would convert to the faith, become my wife and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker."

Jamie Squire/Getty

He continued, "I say all of this to you because I have seen firsthand how much happier someone can be when they disregard the outside noise and move closer and closer to God's will in their life. Isabelle's dream of having a career might not have come true, but if you asked her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud without hesitation and say, heck no."

Several users on social media have pointed out , however, that Butker's mother, Elizabeth Butker, is a successful physicist at Emory University's Department of Radiation Oncology.

On Masculinity

Moving his focus to the male graduates in the room, Butker said, "To the gentlemen here today, part of what plagues our society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities. As men, we set the tone of the culture. And when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction and chaos set in ..."

"Other countries do not have nearly the same absentee father rates as we find here in the U.S., and a correlation could be made in their drastically lower violence rates as well. Be unapologetic in your masculinity. Fight against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy. You might have a talent that you don't necessarily enjoy, but if it glorifies God, maybe you should lean into that over something that you might think suits you better."

Concluding his speech, Butker said, "I know that my message today had a little less fluff than is expected for these speeches, but I believe that this audience and this venue is the best place to speak openly and honestly about who we are and where we all want to go, which is heaven. I thank God for Benedictine College and for the example it provides to the world."

"Make no mistake, you are entering into mission territory in a post God world, but you are made for this and with God by your side and a constant striving for virtue within your vocation, you too can be a saint. Christ is king to the heights."

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, where can i find sample argumentative speeches.

Hello everyone! So, in my Speech and Debate class, we'll be giving argumentative presentations soon, and I wanted to watch some sample argumentative speeches to improve my presentation skills. Where can I find quality examples to learn from? Thanks in advance!

Hello! Watching sample speeches is a great way to improve your presentation skills for your Speech and Debate class. There are several resources you can use to find quality argumentative speeches.

1. YouTube: YouTube is a treasure trove of speeches. Search for "argumentative speeches," "debate competitions," and "TED Talks" to find compelling presentations on various topics. Keep an eye on the popular TEDx channel, which features engaging speakers who present persuasive arguments on diverse subjects.

2. National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Website: NSDA organizes speech and debate tournaments across the US and offers resources for participants. Browse their website for videos from past tournaments and other resources that showcase strong argumentative speeches.

3. Your School's Library or Online Databases: Access your school's library or online databases like JSTOR to find recorded speeches made by other students in Speech and Debate classes or competitions. You can study these recordings to identify effective argumentative techniques and styles.

4. Speech and Debate Forums: Online forums centered around speech and debate often hold a wealth of videos, articles, and discussion threads related to argumentative speeches. Join these forums and search for relevant threads where users share valuable resources and insights.

By analyzing a variety of argumentative speeches, you'll become more familiar with effective strategies and presentation techniques that will help you excel in your own Speech and Debate class. Good luck!

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Robert De Niro calls Donald Trump a 'clown' outside hush money trial courthouse

WASHINGTON — Actor Robert De Niro called Donald Trump a "clown" who is bent on destroying American democracy on Tuesday outside the New York City courtroom where the Republican presidential candidate's hush money trial is being held .

De Niro, a longtime Democrat who recently voiced an ad for Democratic President Joe Biden , attended a Biden campaign event outside the Manhattan courtroom with two former law enforcement officers, Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone, who were at the U.S. Capitol when it was attacked by Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021.

The remarks are part of the Biden campaign's attempt to use wall-to-wall media coverage of the Trump trial to push their own message: Trump is a danger to democracy.

Trump's campaign dismissed the event as a stunt.

What did Robert De Niro say?

Referring to Trump's successful 2016 run for president, Academy Award winner De Niro said Trump's candidacy was initially laughed off as a joke.

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"We've forgotten the lessons of history that showed us other clowns who weren't taken seriously until they became vicious dictators," he said. "With Trump we have a second chance and no one is laughing now. This is the time to stop him by voting him out once and for all."

If Trump returns to the White House, he said, Americans could see the civil liberties they take for granted evaporate as well as the end of elections.

"If he gets in, I can tell you right now, he will never leave," said De Niro.

In his most biting comments, De Niro spoke of Trump through the lens of the largely Democratic city whose voters know Trump well and roundly rejected him at the polls.

"We New Yorkers used to tolerate him when he was just another grubby real estate hustler masquerading as a big shot, a two-bit playboy lying his way into the tabloids," he said. "A clown … No one took him seriously. They take him seriously now."

Fanone and Dunn delivered emotional remarks, saying violence at the Capitol was fueled by Trump's lies that the 2020 election was stolen. The speakers were heckled by a Trump supporter as pro-Trump demonstrators chanted in the background.

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Radio personality Charlamagne tha God agrees with Robert De Niro's remarks

Charlamagne tha God, longtime co-host of "The Breakfast Club," made an appearance on Fox News' " Gutfeld! " Tuesday night to call Trump "a threat to democracy."

"Let the record show I totally agree with Robert De Niro," Charlamagne said. "I am one of those people that suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome."

He added: "I think that he led an attempted coup of his country."

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Trump campaign officials call De Niro a 'washed up actor'

Trump campaign officials said the De Niro event showed desperation in the Biden camp.

Spokesman Steven Cheung, taking the podium shortly afterwards, said the Biden camp was in "complete freakout mode" over Trump's resilience despite the multiple criminal cases against him.

"Joe Biden is losing nationally," said Jason Miller, another Trump spokesperson. "President Trump's numbers continue to rise. And the best that Biden can do is roll out a washed up actor."

A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week found the two men effectively tied among registered voters.

Contributing: Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY

Judge rejects request to restrict Trump’s speech on FBI, says motion was faulty

U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon on Tuesday denied a request from federal prosecutors that she order Donald Trump to stop making incendiary claims about law enforcement personnel, saying the government should have more thoroughly consulted with Trump’s attorneys before coming to her.

The judge, who is overseeing Trump’s classified documents criminal case in Florida, strongly rebuked special counsel Jack Smith, who submitted his motion after the former president and his political campaign issued statements that said, “Biden’s DOJ was authorized to shoot me!”

Those comments exposed FBI agents involved in the case “to the risk of threats, violence, and harassment,” Smith said in the filing.

Cannon said the emergency request lacked “professional courtesy” and crammed important facts about the request in an “editorialized footnote.” She denied the motion “without prejudice,” which means prosecutors could raise the issue again in the future, presumably in a manner that would address Cannon’s concerns.

Trump’s attorneys quickly pushed back against the request over the weekend and said that Smith and his prosecutors “willfully disregard required procedures.” They also asked Cannon to impose sanctions on the attorneys who participated in making the motion.

In Cannon’s brief ruling Tuesday, she said prosecutors wrongly sought relief from the court without first trying to resolve the dispute with Trump’s attorneys. Smith wrote in a footnote to the motion that prosecutors contacted Trump’s lawyers but his lawyers “do not believe that there is any imminent danger, and asked to meet and confer next Monday.”

Cannon did not comment on the merits of the prosecutors’ argument or whether she thought Trump should be allowed to make these types of comments about law enforcement. As the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Trump has pushed hard to be allowed to publicly criticize those involved in all four of his criminal trials — creating a challenge for judges as they try to balance Trump’s First Amendment rights with protecting the judicial process and the safety of those who are part of it.

Trump is charged in a federal indictment in Florida with improperly keeping classified documents after he left the White House and obstructing government efforts to retrieve the material. It is one of four criminal trials he faces as he seeks another term in the White House, but the Florida trial has been delayed indefinitely as Cannon slowly makes her way through a backlog of pretrial motions . On Tuesday, Trump was seated at the defense table in Manhattan criminal court, where jurors were hearing closing arguments in a state case in which he is accused of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment ahead of the 2016 election.

The claim last week by Trump and his supporters that FBI agents searched Trump’s home in 2022 with specific authorization to use deadly force is a mischaracterization of a standard FBI document that accompanied the court-approved operation.

The document — which was attached to a Trump motion to dismiss his Florida indictment that was unsealed by the court last week — explains long-standing FBI policies; much like police officers, FBI agents are essentially always authorized to use deadly force when it is necessary and legally justified, and when they are operating in the United States.

Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters last week that the policy is intended to limit the use of force and that agents used the same policy when conducting a voluntary search for government materials at President Biden’s personal property last year .

Trump nevertheless has tried to argue that government agents were secretly trying or hoping to use lethal force against him.

In fact, people familiar with the investigation have previously told The Washington Post that the FBI deliberately chose to search Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida home and private club, at a time when Trump was not there. Some of their planning took into account a desire to avoid any confrontation or confusion with the Secret Service agents who were assigned to secure his home, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations.

Trump’s “allegation is false, and it is extremely dangerous,” Garland said at a news conference on an unrelated matter on Thursday.

Smith’s motion did not explicitly seek a gag order against Trump, but the kind of warning he describes would serve much the same function. Trump’s lawyers called it an “unconstitutional gag order” in their motion asking Cannon to reject the request.

Judge rejects request to restrict Trump’s speech on FBI, says motion was faulty

Trump’s (misleading) closing argument to the court of public opinion

The former president relies on false and debunked claims in his media appearances.

As closing arguments began Tuesday in Donald Trump’s hush money trial in Manhattan, the former president stopped to decry the proceedings in remarks to reporters. Trump, who did not testify in his own defense, often speaks in shorthand, so here’s a guide to his statements — and what is false or misleading.

Trump hush money trial

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, related to a $130,000 payment that then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election. Daniels has claimed she had a sexual encounter with Trump — which he denies — and she and Cohen testified that the money was intended to keep her silent. Cohen also arranged for a $150,000 payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal to keep her from revealing a year-long affair with Trump — also denied by Trump. During the trial, prosecutors played an audio recording in which Cohen and Trump can be heard discussing paying McDougal.

“I’m here because of crooked Joe Biden. … This is purely his weaponization.” — Trump, May 28, outside the courtroom where he is on trial

There is no evidence that President Biden has anything to do with this case, which was brought by Alvin Bragg , a local Democratic prosecutor. Bragg inherited the file from a previous prosecutor, Cyrus Vance Jr. The tenuous connection cited by Trump supporters is that Matthew Colangelo, one of the prosecutors working for Bragg, served as acting associate attorney general, the third-ranking position at the Justice Department, before joining Bragg’s office in late 2022. But prosecutors change jobs all the time.

“We have a judge who’s highly conflicted. He happens to be corrupt. It’s the worst confliction that anybody’s seen. Nobody has ever seen anything like it.”

Trump and his supporters have repeatedly attacked New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan , who was randomly assigned the case, as “highly partisan” and “corrupt.” As usual, Trump amps the critique to says it’s the “worst” conflict ever.

Merchan oversaw a trial that found two Trump companies guilty of 17 felonies, including conspiracy, tax fraud and falsifying records. He fined the companies $1.6 million — the maximum allowed by law. Trump was not charged in the case, and Merchan instructed the jury to remember that they had promised to set aside any personal feelings about the former president. “Donald Trump and his family are not on trial here,” he told the jurors.

Merchan’s first ruling in the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Bragg, on April 3, sided with Trump’s legal team. Media organizations had sought to broadcast Trump’s arraignment, but Merchan agreed with the legal team’s argument that it would have created a “circuslike atmosphere” and be “inconsistent with President Trump’s presumption of innocence.”

Merchan’s adult daughter has been active in left-leaning campaigns, including doing some work for Vice President Harris’s nascent presidential campaign, according to her LinkedIn profile, which was deleted after right-leaning websites drew attention to her work. In 2020, the judge made $35 in political contributions to Democrats, including $15 to Biden’s campaign.

In 2023, Merchan requested that the New York Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics decide whether these facts constituted a conflict. “A judge’s impartiality cannot reasonably be questioned based on (a) de minimis political contributions made more than two years ago or (b) the business and/or political activities of the judge’s first-degree relative, where the relative has no direct or indirect involvement in the proceeding and no interests that could be substantially affected by the proceeding,” the committee said . Accordingly, Merchan denied Trump’s request that he recuse himself.

New York’s Appellate Division last week upheld Merchan’s decision not to recuse himself, saying Trump failed to prove he overstepped his authority. “Petitioner has failed to establish that the court acted in excess of its jurisdiction by denying his motion,” the order said. “Petitioner also has not established that he has a clear right to recusal.”

“They should have brought this case seven years ago, not in the middle of my presidential election where I’m leading by a lot.”

Trump and Biden are neck and neck in most polls, though Trump currently seems to have an edge in battleground states that will determine the winner of the electoral college vote. That’s not the same as leading “by a lot.”

As for why a case was not brought earlier, there’s a simple reason: Trump was president when Cohen pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges, including two — “causing an unlawful corporate contribution” and “making an excessive campaign contribution” — that directly relate to the hush money case being litigated in Manhattan criminal court.

The charges laid out how “Individual-1” (Trump) began a presidential campaign in 2016 and how Cohen worked with the National Enquirer to squelch potentially damaging stories about alleged affairs with Daniels and McDougal. His payoffs were reimbursed by the Trump Organization.

Geoffrey Berman, at the time the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, revealed in 2022 that senior Justice Department officials tried to remove all references to Trump. In a compromise, the language was watered down, specifically to remove references to the idea that Trump acted “in concert with” and “coordinated with” Cohen to make illegal campaign contributions.

In his memoir, “ Holding the Line ,” Berman says a case against Trump ended under pressure from Attorney General William P. Barr. The office, with Cohen’s cooperation in hand, began to investigate whether others should be charged in the hush money case. After Barr became attorney general in 2019, he ordered a review of the Cohen case, suggesting that the campaign finance charges be reversed — even though Cohen had pleaded guilty six months before.

Specifically, Barr asked the Office of Legal Counsel to review whether there was a legal basis for the campaign finance charges. That froze any further investigation: “Not a single investigative step could be taken, not a single document in our possession could be reviewed until the issue was resolved,” Berman wrote, saying Barr’s intervention so long after a guilty plea was “highly unusual, if not unprecedented.” Barr eventually was convinced not to seek dismissal of the Cohen charges. But no additional charges were brought.

“Donald Trump did nothing wrong — there’s nothing wrong. This is everybody saying it, except we have a judge who’s corrupt.”

Trump read out quotes from right-leaning figures who have denounced the trial. It will be up to a jury to decide whether Trump did nothing wrong.

“I have a gag order. I’m not allowed to speak — it’s a first. … It’s a very sad day. This is a dark day in America.”

Trump, like anyone in the United States, has strong constitutional free speech rights. But unlike many defendants, he has repeatedly tested the limits with broad attacks on the judge, the judicial system and witnesses in the cases against him. Merchan initially imposed a narrowly tailored gag order — aimed at protecting witnesses in the case, court personnel and jurors — but then expanded it April 1 after Trump appeared to cross a line again.

Trump’s comments “were threatening, inflammatory, denigrating, and the targets of his statements ranged from local and federal officials, court and court staff, prosecutors and staff assigned to the cases, and private individuals including grand jurors performing their civic duty,” Merchan wrote in his initial order.

Merchan has held Trump in contempt 10 times for violating the orders and has fined him the maximum of $10,000. Trump’s effort to appeal the order was denied by New York’s Appellate Division on May 14. The ruling said Merchan “properly determined that petitioner’s public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses in this case as well.”

A gag order has also been imposed in the federal criminal case alleging that Trump sought to overturn the 2020 election. That order, which applied to all trial participants, was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals .

“We had an election expert who was going to say everything was perfect, where the FEC [Federal Election Commission] did nothing, it was fine.”

Merchan did not bar the expert, former FEC chair Bradley A. Smith, from testifying, but he limited what Smith could say about federal campaign finance laws. He said that if he allowed Smith to speak expansively in the realm of legal opinion, then the prosecutor would be permitted to bring in its own expert. “There is no question this would result in a battle of the experts, which will only serve to confuse, and not assist, the jury,” Merchan said.

After the ruling, Trump’s defense team chose not to call Smith.

Meanwhile, the FEC staff, in a December 2020 report by the general counsel, said it had found “reason to believe” violations of campaign finance law were made “knowingly and willfully” by the Trump campaign. The report said that Cohen’s $130,000 payment to Daniels was far in excess of the legal limit for individual contributions of $2,700. “The available information indicates that Michael Cohen paid Stephanie Clifford [Daniels’s real name] $130,000 at the direction of 2016 presidential candidate Donald J. Trump, with Trump’s express promise of repayment, for the purpose of influencing the 2016 election,” the report said.

The FEC by law is made up of six commissioners split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. In 2021, the FEC on a party-line vote of 2-2 dropped the case; there was one vacancy and one Republican recusal. Democrats wanted to pursue the case, but Republicans said the public record was complete, given Cohen’s punishment.

Separately, the FEC fined the National Enquirer’s parent company $187,500 for “knowingly and willfully” violating election law by making a payment in 2016 to McDougal.

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