I’ve attended a number of meetings, where a youngish but not youngster guy has served as a Master of Ceremonies and proceeded to introduce each and every person on the program by saying – “Let’s give it up for…” No variation. Every single person he introduced on the program, at least ten people the last time I heard him, he introduced in the exact same way.
My head felt like it was going to explode. (I am not a person who likes repetition.) Plus he talks loudly (too loudly for my sensitive ears) and enthusiastically (coming across often as fake but that be a tad judgmental on my part).
Please, guy/Mister/brother-man, I implore you. Please stop saying: Let’s give it up. Surely your vocabulary is broader than this. Surely you’re not frozen in your teen and college years where every MC would say, repeatedly, “Let’s give it up for…” And, by the way, you’re not a rapper or hip-hop artist or musician or spoken word artist. You’re not a youngster or inexperienced.
You are a representative of the people. You were elected. You went to college and I expect a little more knowledge…a bit bigger vocabulary or introduction repertoire from you.
Here are some alternatives intros for your consideration:
- Join me in welcoming…
- Congratulations to…for their advocacy, strength, blah-blah-blah.
- Let’s give a round of applause to so-and-so for such-and-such
- The next person/being awarded is…
- I am pleased to recognize…
- Come on up to the podium…
- Put your hands together for (okay, this one sounds a little rapperish)
- How about a warm Black community welcome for…
No more “let’s give it up”…okay? I recognize that cultural catch-phrases must be given proper homage. I suggest you use this over-used/abused phrase one time during an evening, two tops,
Okay?
Thank you, kindly.
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(So much going on in the US of A and the world and there have been too many deaths of people in my friend circle in the last three weeks. I have just not had the energy to post even though I have several posts drafted. Yanking myself forward with this simple and perhaps simplistic post. Thanks for indulging me.)
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