english practice from an acceptance speech

the latest addition to the is a general acceptance speech inspired by the ever-growing (it’s always getting bigger) awards season for mostly american movies, tv & music.

kanye interrupting an acceptance speech
kanye west has interrupted a couple of acceptance speeches

acceptance speeches are the usually boring, repetitive speeches award winners give.

click CC for captions in english in order to get the highest level of english practice and enjoyment 🙂

here is some elaboration on the vocabulary used in the vid….

**the speech opens with an admission of frustration

i seriously felt for so long, like u fuckers just weren’t getting me; were never gonna get me. but now the evidence is irrefutable that my god is in charge, and i am blessed.

get applied in this way means understand. irrefutable means there is no doubt.

blessed status on facebook
facebook users feel blessed every day.

celebrities at awards shows are not the only people who refer to themselves as blessed (in god’s favor).  it has become a fashionable phrase, and can be included as a feeling on facebook posts, as pictured above.

 

steve young after super bowl xxix
despite what he said after super bowl xxix, mvp steve young looked like he thought somebody was gonna try to take the lombardi trophy away from him. (eric risberg/ap)

**no one can ever take this away from me is a standard phrase to hear in moments of victory. perhaps the most enthusiastic example was san francisco 49ers quarterback steve young after super bowl xxix.

the richyrocks acceptance speech refutes this idea using the 2nd conditional (if+past tense+would) to illustrate an absurd hypothetical situation

if a really fit type of queer man [were to approach me] and threatened to have sex with me, i would have to give this to him.

fit means in good shape, strong. threaten is stating an intetntion to take action, terrorize.

 

surreal elephant with butterfly ears
an elephant with monarch wings for ears is so fucking surreal! (robert jahns)

**surreal is commonly used during an acceptance speech to indicate that the moment feels like a dream, is unbelievable.

 

**who am i forgetting? or some variation is another line that is overused by award recipients who usually have a long list of people to thank.

 

no i i

**the declaration of i am the team in this acceptance speech brings to mind an opposing sentiment that is used to promote teamwork and check arrogant attitudes, there is no “i” in team .

 

**feel me? is a reduction of do u feel me? which is a popular way to say do u understand/get it?

 

kevin durant acceptance speech
nearly everybody was impressed with the humility of kevin durant‘s acceptance speech when he was named nba mvp in 2014. (sue ogrocki/ap)

**humbled is a final acceptance speech cliché (overused phrase). it’s used to show respect and modesty.  in this case, it is overshadowed (made smaller, less visible) by the hubris (arrogance) in the phrases u have elevated me above u, your praise is deserved and i am clearly superior.

 

fun english practice :) richyrocks english on youtube

 

do u watch awards shows?  are there any other phrases that are always used by award winners in acceptance speeches? share your observations under leave a reply


 

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