RhetoricLee Speaking

In the last blog post, I critiqued the cliched use of “challenging people” in motivational culture; I challenge you to bullet journal; I challenge you to get a coffee enema; I challenge you to just, like, be better. We are continuing in that vein, investigating another of these motivational cliches:…

I am not a “challenge” person. I don’t sign up to do races. I don’t put my name in those “win a blah blah” business card buckets at lunch counters. When my brother and I were kids, you could bet him about anything and he’d do it. “Bet you can’t…

If Ben Stein and the Kardashians had a baby that were raised by Janeane Garofalo in a recording studio, you’d have RhetoricLee Speaking. Listen every Tuesday for a whirlwind tour of banality across pop culture, political controversy, and whatever was on Netflix at 3 am. Watch the video trailer!

I love a good script. And I mean the word script two senses. First, I love when someone else takes the time to write a good script–the students in my public speaking classes, the creators of movies, podcast hosts–because I can tell on the backend how much more I appreciate…

Let us begin with a quote from William Shakespeare: Love me or hate me, both are in my favor…If you love me, I’ll always be in your heart…If you hate me, I’ll always be in your mind. Ugh…Love that, right? It’s so edgy. You do something shitty or just plain…

In the notorious opening monologue from the 80s classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Bueller charms the pants of his audience with a well-packaged cliche: “believe in yourself.” I’m not saying don’t believe in yourself; I’m not saying that you shouldn’t encourage a friend to believe in themselves. What I am…