Real Communication An Introduction

Chapter 16  Persuasive Speaking 495

Jamie Oliver’s TED

Prize-Winning Wish

At the beginning of this chapter, we discussed celebrity chef

Jamie Oliver’s TED speech, in which he presented his wish to

educate children about food (Oliver, 2010). Let’s consider his

speech in light of what we’ve learned in this chapter.

c Oliver has done his share of informative speaking: as a celebrity chef and
former star of Food Revolution, he gives regular cooking demonstrations that
are designed to teach techniques and provide information about food. But
this speech, and much of the speaking he does as an activist, is persuasive
in nature—he wants to teach people to use the information he provides to
change their lives and improve their health, as well as the health of the pub-
lic at large.

c Oliver organizes his TED speech with a problem–cause–solution pattern.
First, he identifies the problem, offering startling statistics and compelling per-
sonal stories. He then details the causes behind the problem before moving on
to solutions, such as giving people the proper information and tools to change
their eating behavior and take charge of their lives. He ends with his “wish,”
his purpose for speaking, hoping to motivate his audience to make it a reality.

c Oliver successfully uses presentation aids during his speech: photos of peo-
ple who are dying from obesity-related diseases, a graphic detailing deaths
from diet-related illnesses like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and, for
maximum impact, a wheelbarrow filled with sugar cubes to demonstrate the
amount of sugar an average child consumes in five years by drinking just
two containers of chocolate milk per day.

c Oliver considers his audience when he speaks. He knows that the crowd at

his TED speech is receptive to his message; they gave him the award, after

all. His message is therefore directed at broad solutions at the institutional

level—changes he knows the TED audience can help enact. When speaking

to individuals who are less educated about or interested in food and nutri-

tion, he would likely focus on change at the personal level.

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