Bilawal's speech: Less impromptu, more prompted
Only time will tell whether Bilawal will be able to fully emulate his mother’s and grandfather’s oratory magic
KARACHI:
The gift of the gab. It’s one thing Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is not exactly known for, and often given immense slack for, whether it is his heavy accent when he speaks in Urdu or his apparent uneasiness.
But the scion of the Bhutto dynasty has certainly improved when it comes to delivery and imitating the oratorical magic of his grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and mother, Benazir Bhutto.
Unlike some other politicians in the country who anxiously flip through papers and search for their lines on cue cards, Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari seemed rather confident and well-prepared for his recent speech in Karachi on October 18.
The speech made many wonder how Bilawal, known for his shortcomings when it comes to Urdu, had memorised the nearly two-hour-long speech with relative ease. Well, it seems, the son of the "daughter of the East" brought a few tricks with him from the West.
Presidents in the West have used teleprompters for more than half a century. In recent times, US president Barack Obama has also been criticised for his heavy reliance on them. While presidents in the past typically used them for the ‘most important’ speeches — an inauguration, a State of the Union or an Oval Office address — Obama uses them for everyday routine announcements and even for the opening statement at his news conference. It seems, Bilawal has picked up on the trend and decided to become the first Pakistani politician to make use of the nifty device.
A teleprompter is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech placed on their right and left side. It is the device Bilawal looked at as he delivered his speech in Karachi on October 18. A teleprompter was also seen placed in front of him during his speech on December 27, 2013.
Using a teleprompter is similar to using cue cards. The screen is in front of, and usually below, the lens of a professional video camera, and the words on the screen are reflected to the eyes of the presenter using a sheet of clear glass. Because the speaker does not need to look down to consult written notes, he appears to have memorised the speech or to be speaking spontaneously, looking directly into the camera lens.
One could assume that part of the reason why Bilawal gets so much flak for his accented Urdu, and now for being dependent on a teleprompter is probably due to the lofty standards he has to live up to. Bilawal’s grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, is one of the most influential Pakistani politicians to have ever lived. His mesmerising speeches and strong socialist message once hypnotised an entire nation.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto at the UN Security Council on December 15, 1971.
Zulfikar’s legacy continued with Benazir, who became a personality in her own right, despite being measured against her father – similar to how Bilawal is today measured against his mother and grandfather. However, Benazir was certainly ahead of the curve when it came to matching her dad’s skill as an orator. Her arms moved as theatrically and chants were as loud and energising as her father’s. Only time will tell whether Bilawal will be able to fully emulate his mother’s and grandfather’s oratory magic but for now we can safely assume that there is still some time before he delivers an unaided speech.
Benazir Bhutto's last addresses to the nation at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Eid address at Bilawal House, Karachi on October 6, 2014.
Poll
[poll id="1366"]
This story was edited by Hassaan Khan.
Additional input: Sundar Waqar and Ibriz Sheikh.
The gift of the gab. It’s one thing Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is not exactly known for, and often given immense slack for, whether it is his heavy accent when he speaks in Urdu or his apparent uneasiness.
But the scion of the Bhutto dynasty has certainly improved when it comes to delivery and imitating the oratorical magic of his grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and mother, Benazir Bhutto.
Unlike some other politicians in the country who anxiously flip through papers and search for their lines on cue cards, Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari seemed rather confident and well-prepared for his recent speech in Karachi on October 18.
The speech made many wonder how Bilawal, known for his shortcomings when it comes to Urdu, had memorised the nearly two-hour-long speech with relative ease. Well, it seems, the son of the "daughter of the East" brought a few tricks with him from the West.
Presidents in the West have used teleprompters for more than half a century. In recent times, US president Barack Obama has also been criticised for his heavy reliance on them. While presidents in the past typically used them for the ‘most important’ speeches — an inauguration, a State of the Union or an Oval Office address — Obama uses them for everyday routine announcements and even for the opening statement at his news conference. It seems, Bilawal has picked up on the trend and decided to become the first Pakistani politician to make use of the nifty device.
A teleprompter is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech placed on their right and left side. It is the device Bilawal looked at as he delivered his speech in Karachi on October 18. A teleprompter was also seen placed in front of him during his speech on December 27, 2013.
Using a teleprompter is similar to using cue cards. The screen is in front of, and usually below, the lens of a professional video camera, and the words on the screen are reflected to the eyes of the presenter using a sheet of clear glass. Because the speaker does not need to look down to consult written notes, he appears to have memorised the speech or to be speaking spontaneously, looking directly into the camera lens.
One could assume that part of the reason why Bilawal gets so much flak for his accented Urdu, and now for being dependent on a teleprompter is probably due to the lofty standards he has to live up to. Bilawal’s grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, is one of the most influential Pakistani politicians to have ever lived. His mesmerising speeches and strong socialist message once hypnotised an entire nation.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto at the UN Security Council on December 15, 1971.
Zulfikar’s legacy continued with Benazir, who became a personality in her own right, despite being measured against her father – similar to how Bilawal is today measured against his mother and grandfather. However, Benazir was certainly ahead of the curve when it came to matching her dad’s skill as an orator. Her arms moved as theatrically and chants were as loud and energising as her father’s. Only time will tell whether Bilawal will be able to fully emulate his mother’s and grandfather’s oratory magic but for now we can safely assume that there is still some time before he delivers an unaided speech.
Benazir Bhutto's last addresses to the nation at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Eid address at Bilawal House, Karachi on October 6, 2014.
Poll
[poll id="1366"]
This story was edited by Hassaan Khan.
Additional input: Sundar Waqar and Ibriz Sheikh.