Robby Novak's I Think We All Need A Pep Talk

Nine-year-old Robby Novak, more frequently known as Kid President, gave a well-written, uplifting speech, or “Pep Talk”, that motivates viewers significantly through childlike humor and metaphors. According to Ted Talk, an online source, “Kid President commands you to wake up, listen to the beating of your heart and create something that will make the world awesome.” Kid President’s speech is a great motivation to viewers for reasons including it’s easy to understand, humorous, and truly inspiring. A notable feature of the speech “I Think We All Need a Pep Talk” is how well written it is. Robby Novak uses one large metaphor throughout his three minute and twenty-seven second pep talk. The metaphor explains how everyone should be on the same team. He says, “if life is a game, are we on the same team...I’m on your team, be on my team...Play ball.” Robby means we are all human, we should all stick together, “keep going, keep going, and keep going”, and make the world a happier place. He also uses allusion. The speech references Robert Frost’s poem “A Road Not Taken” and applies it to his and the viewers’ lives. Robby says, “Two roads diverged in the woods and I took the road less traveled and it hurt man! Really bad! Rocks,

For example, in the beginning of his speech, Kid President says, “Life is not a game, people. Life isn’t a cereal either. Well, it is a cereal.” One more example of Robby’s humor is, “What if Michael Jordan had quit? Well, he did quit. No he retired. Yeah, that’s right, he retired. But before that, in high school, what if he quit when he didn’t make the team? He would’ve never made Space Jam and I love Space Jam.” Robby’s humor causes the speech to be “light” unlike other so-called “motivational” speeches that grill listeners for doing or not doing something. Humor causes viewers to listen carefully so they can apply what they hear to their own