Speech of the Month, November 2022 - Joe Lycett

I’m one of those people who’ve not felt entirely comfortable at the level of Western media condemnation regarding Qatar’s treatment of gay people in the run up to the World Cup. For representatives of the UK - a country that was still locking up gay people in the 1960s, whose laws prompted war hero, Alan Turing, to top himself and (if we look at the stats / ratios) can’t possibly be making it easy for professional footballers to come out in 2022 - to feel it’s earnt the right to judge other nations on the issue feels a bit rich. A bit like the ex-smoker who wafts the air frantically if someone lights up within a 50-meter radius of him. 

Yet I’ve every respect for Joe Lycett and the ‘Step down from being a Qatar ambassador or I’ll shred £10K’ ultimatum he gave to David Beckham. For one, as a gay man, he has skin in the game. For two, he didn’t jump on the band wagon and attack a foreign nation that’s not ready to listen, instead he picked a fight with a fellow Westerner. 

If you didn’t see his ultimatum message, where have you been living? But even if you did, take a look again. 

‘Speech of the Month’ is all about what we can learn from a speaker, and here are the lessons we can learn from Lycett…

What are you wearing?

If Lycett had made his ultimatum wearing a plain white T-shirt, it wouldn’t have had the same impact. But by wearing a super-camp sequinned number that he might have borrowed from Julian Clary who’d nicked it from Danny La Rue, he’s making his message all the more striking. The pink backdrop is no accident either. 

Where does costume stop and an outfit start? I’m not entirely sure, but I think it’s something a public speaker needs to consider. Wardrobe exists in drama because it’s important that a character’s clothes convey their personality. Think Del Boy, Columbo, Bianca from Eastenders. So consider which aspects of your personality you’re best to project as you address an audience and if there are some clothes choices that could help with that projection. 

Move Them

‘Make ‘em laugh, Make ‘em cry, Make ‘em agree.’ If you want to bring an audience round, then you’ve more chance of doing it (according to Aristotle) if you move your listeners. If you can clearly present an argument while simultaneously making your audience feel fear, mirth, shame, optimism, anger etc then you’re more likely to get them to agree. 

Lycett uses humour beautifully as he presents his argument. From stating that marrying a Spice Girl is the campest thing that anyone could to to accepting that West Brom are woeful, his ability to make you laugh as he makes his ultimatum strengthens his position. And because he uses humour, we’re more inclined to like him, and when we like someone, we’re more likely to agree with them. 

Always consider how you can move an audience while presenting a logical case. And if you can inject humour, then do. For British audiences, I think, culturally, we always respond positively to light relief. 

Don’t Demonise the opposition

In a persuasive work presentation, there will always be an opposition, but rarely a human one. Think about it, the opposition might be the length of waiting lists, poor housing, plunging profits, inefficiency, a general feeling of jadedness etc. But from time to time, another human might be the opposition. When this is the case, and especially if you’re hopping mad with this person, resist the temptation to demonise them. If, within your speech, you imply that they’re a terrible person and make it clear that you think they’re callous, pig-headed, self-interested…, then you’re pushing them further away and no doubt offending them. And if they feel offended, can you hope to win them over? 

Lycett does this very well in his video. He makes it clear that he’s always admired Beckham and likes him. And although his disappointment in Beckham is also crystal, he doesn’t call him a greedy, gay-betraying hypocrite. He’s polite and inoffensive, thereby leaving the space for discussion and manoeuvre.