It's one of the oldest forms of communication in the book, but a powerful speech can seriously light a fire under the internet.
Some speeches may be interrupted, like that of Prince Harry who had a stand-off with a bumblebee during a speech about his dad. But most made their mark. They moved, infuriated, devastated, shocked, and inspired folks on social media, making us cry or air-punch right at our desks.
Here's some of the unforgettable speeches that got the internet fired up this year. If you missed one, now's the time to catch up.
Emma Gonzalez's March For Our Lives speech
Parkland activist Emma Gonzalez delivered an unforgettable and devastating address during the March For Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C. in March. Most memorably, she stood in silent remembrance for six minutes and 20 seconds — the time it took a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to claim the lives of 17 of her fellow students.
Memorable quote: "In a little over six minutes, 17 of our friends were taken from us, 15 were injured, and everyone, absolutely everyone, was forever altered. Everyone who was there understands. Everyone who has been touched by the cold grip of gun violence understands."
Natalie Portman's stirring 'Power of Women' speech
There have been many empowering, applause-worthy speeches since the inception of Time's Up, but Natalie Portman's is worth noting. The Oscar-winning actress delivered one heck of a speech at Variety's "Power of Women" event in October, pulverising Harvey Weinstein before unpacking gender parity and diversity in the entertainment industry and other workforces.
Memorable quote: "Be embarrassed if everyone in your workplace looks like you."
Donald Trump's UN speech, which the world literally laughed at
There was a day in September, when the world literally laughed out loud at Donald Trump. During the president's address to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump boasted that "my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country." Crowd guffawing ensued. But guys, Trump claimed he wanted everyone to laugh. Nice try.
Memorable quote: I didn't expect that reaction but it's okay."
Oprah's powerful speech at the Golden Globes
An early speech for 2018, but one that would prove hard to beat. Oprah's acceptance speech for the esteemed Cecil B. DeMille award at the Golden Globes in January made us cry — and inspired us to take action. Her powerful speech is a moving moment for Oprah herself, who changed the Hollywood landscape for women and people of color, but it became a larger rallying cry for the #MeToo and Time's Up movements. Plus, it made folks champion a 2020 presidential run like crazy.
Memorable quote: "For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up."
Mindy Kaling's burn-after-burn commencement speech
Mindy Kaling delivered multiple burns to Donald Trump during her Dartmouth commencement speech in June, along with some sage advice to deal with "graduating into a world where it seems like everything is falling apart." Ending on a far more positive note, the actress, comedian, and writer reiterated the sentiments of her memoir title, urging students to ask the same question she did: "Why not me?"
Kaling wasn't the only memorable commencement speech this year either, with hits from Chance the Rapper, Jimmy Fallon, and Chadwick Boseman.
Memorable quote: "I'll tell you my secret, the one thing that has kept me going through the years, my superpower: delusion. This is something I may share with our president, a fact that is both horrifying, and interesting."
Frances McDormand's "inclusion rider" speech
What's an 'inclusion rider'? Most of us didn't know before Frances McDormand's powerful speech at the 2018 Academy Awards. Taking out Best Actress for her performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, McDormand reflected on gender equality in Hollywood representation and the film industry, calling for two words: "inclusion rider." It's a contractual detail lead actors could demand, to ensure the production they're about to sign onto adequately achieves diversity.
Memorable quote: "Look around you, because we all have stories to tell, and projects that need financing."
Andrew Garfield, who shared his Tony with the LGBTQ community
Ball of love and star of Angels in America revival Andrew Garfield landed the Tony Award for best actor in a play in June, and dedicated his win to the LGBTQ community. It was a particularly poignant moment to do so, with The White House choosing not to recognise LGBTQ pride for the second year running, and the Supreme Court deciding that a baker could legally refuse to sell a cake to two gay customers — something Garfield directly addressed in his speech.
Memorable quote: "I dedicate this award to the countless LGBTQ people who have fought and died to protect that spirit, to protect that message. For the right to live and love as we are created to."
Millie Bobby Brown's no-nonsense shutdown of bullies
Just a few days after leaving Twitter after she became the target of a homophobic meme, Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown slammed bullies in a commendable, swift MTV Awards speech. Take that.
Memorable quote: "If you don't have anything nice to say, just don't say it. There should be no space in this world for bullying, and I'm not going to tolerate it. And neither should any of you."
Bill Gates, who brought a jar of poop on stage
Tweet may have been deleted
Bill Gates truly brought a jar of human poop on stage during a speech in November, appearing at the Reinvented Toilet Expo in Beijing, China. The Microsoft founder had a good reason to bring that piece of crap out, using it as a prop to bring attention to a global lack of toilets, diseases which can spring from poor waste management, and the need for better sanitation options, which the Gates Foundation funds.
Memorable quote: "This small amount of feces could contain as many as 200 trillion rotavirus cells, 20 billion shigella bacteria and 100,000 parasitic worm eggs."
Gal Gadot's inspiring Wonder Woman speech
Genuine wonder woman Gal Gadot delivered one heck of an inspiring speech at the 23rd Critics’ Choice Awards in January. Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins presented the Marvel star with the #SeeHer Award, which recognises actors who present female characters with accuracy and integrity, challenging female stereotypes both on screen and within the entertainment industry. Gadot's description of the realness of her character is worth watching.
Memorable quote: "[Wonder Woman]'s full of heart, strength, compassion, and forgiveness. She sees wrong that must be made right. She takes action when everyone around her is idle. She commands the attention of the world, and in doing so, she sets a positive example for humanity ... She gets confused, insecure, and she's not perfect — and that's what makes her real."
Tim Cook's heartfelt commencement speech remembering Steve Jobs
In May, Apple CEO Tim Cook took a moment during his commencement speech for the graduating students at Duke University to give a nod to Apple founder Steve Jobs. Apple's top executive also used the opportunity to throw shade at climate change deniers and tech companies like Facebook who need to do much, much better to protect user privacy, and urged students to be empowered to "find your fearlessness."
Memorable quote: "No big challenge has ever been solved, and no lasting improvement has ever been achieved unless people dare to try something different, dare to think different."
Honorable mention: Michelle Wolf's brutal White House Correspondents' Dinner roast
How do you royally piss off the president? One hell of a roasting by comedian Michelle Wolf, who hosted the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner in April. A large chunk of the speech was directed at the media, Donald Trump (who Wolf later torched for not attending) and his administration, but particularly White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Although celebrated by many on the internet, the roast didn't sit well with others, or with the people who had booked her to do it (The White House Correspondents Dinner won't have a comedian in 2019, breaking with tradition). Months later, the speech reportedly had an even bigger impact on the president's view of Sanders than it had originally appeared. We couldn't leave this one out.
Memorable quote: "I would drag him here myself, but it turns out the president of the United States is the one pussy you're not allowed to grab."
Topics Activism Social Good
