Oops! Holding the mic
Holding the mic
What you need to know:
- The first group of people are those who hold such reverence for the microphone that they find it impossible to hold it too close to their mouths.
- The third group of people are the microphone-devourers. These are the people who bring the microphones so close to their mouths that the audience cannot hear anything except a muffled boom.
If you have ever been to a public meeting or forum where a public address system is used, then I’m sure you have noticed how different people hold microphones.
The first group of people are those who hold such reverence for the microphone that they find it impossible to hold it too close to their mouths. For some reason, this group includes former teachers. (Please do not stone me, I am only reporting my observations, like a good student would). This kind of person, when handed the microphone to speak into, will receive it reverently and then hold it flat against his/her chest, proceeding to speak in a faint voice that only the people closest to him/her will be able to hear. The MC will keep trying to get the speaker to hold the microphone in front of his mouth but it will remain firmly on his chest or by his side.
The second group of people are the gesticulators. These people will receive the microphone with great joy. It will then be used to point at various members of the audience, will be waved about as the speaker gathers ‘fire’, and finally, may even be thrown away in a fit of passion as the speaker gets to the climax of the speech. Not to worry though, gesticulators usually have booming voices and do not really need the microphone.
The third group of people are the microphone-devourers. These are the people who bring the microphones so close to their mouths that the audience cannot hear anything except a muffled boom. In vain will the MC try to discreetly signal to the speaker to ease the microphone away from their mouths. The whole speech will be lost in the mysterious depths of the microphone.
The fourth-and last- group of people are the sonic boomers. I have named them so because they think that having a microphone in their hands gives them permission to break the sound barrier. The sonic boomer is usually the owner of a powerful set of lungs, something akin to the bellows used by glass-makers to keep their fires burning.
Armed with a microphone, every ear will tremble and every window will shake as they put their points across. Many preachers, by the way, fall in this category.
It is my suspicion that sonic boomers have a lot of untapped anger that they can only release in this way.
Which one are you?
