Yellow Lego Men Trump Golden Idols

By Colleen Walsh Fong

Did you watch the Oscars last night? I’m not a big fan of awards shows, but when my 20-somethings are home on Oscar night I resign myself to watching what are, to me, tediously long events.

Even “The Oscars” can be instructive, though, and teach us a lesson or two in between laughs and winces. Were you just watching the show? Not me. Here’s what I saw in the Oscar show last night.

Seven Professional Writing Lessons From the Oscars

Engage Your Audience

Neil Patrick Harris used all of his assets last night, his own and those available to him in the audience. Octavia Spencer owns the most expressive eyes in Hollywood. All she has to do is raise those eyebrows to bring a smile to my face. Steve Carell is one of the film industry’s most talented improvisers. Harris showed off more than his song, dance, and stand up abilities last night. He showed his brain power, too by tapping into the talent in his audience by calling them out and asking for their help.

Likewise, Tegan and Sara sent cowboys down into the audience during their performance of “Everything is Awesome” to hand out Oscar statues made of Legos. The look of gratitude on Oprah’s face said it all. Emma Stone still clutched her Lego Oscar to her chest when the camera panned over her near the end of the show.

Most of us won’t have Octavia Spencer, Oprah, and Steve Carell, or Lego awards to count on for help. But when we engage the people in our audiences we make them buy in to our message. How do you do it in written communications? Lots of ways. Try asking questions, giving brief assignments, and offering short quizzes to show readers what kind of something or other they are.

Act Like a Winning Attorney

Winning attorneys know not to ask questions in court that they don’t already know the answer to. Last night Dakota Johnson got a dose of Mom Mortification when her mother, actress Melanie Griffith, was asked if she’d seen Johnson’s performance in “Fifty Shades of Grey.” She had not. This was a winning answer for red carpet interviewer, Lara Spencer, but it probably caused Johnson’s press agent a little discomfort.

Keep It Short

The Polish producer who refused to be played off of the stage by the cuing music won applause from the Hollywood audience. They’ve probably resented the music for years. But here’s a question for you: Did you want to keep listening to him? I didn’t. In fact I’d have been happier to see a show one-fourth the length of last night’s and I read my iPad through much of it. If you want to keep your audience, keep your message as short as you can.

Use Good Grammar But Have Fun, Too

Neil Patrick Harris is articulate and well spoken. After all, he played a pre-pubescent doctor on TV. Still he had fun with his audience by mixing in some pop culture when he said, “The original title for ‘Gone Girl’ was ‘Bitches Be Trippin’, Yo!’” Stay true to your comfort zone, but don’t be afraid to embrace current lingo.

Know Your Audience

Know your audience so you know how far you can go with them. Harris opened the show with the line, “Tonight we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest -- sorry brightest.” That could have sealed his fate with the wrong group. He knew to whom he played, so he won their applause.

Likewise Patricia Arquette’s advocacy for gender equality could have gotten her booed off of other stages. Instead Meryl Streep and Jaylo led the crowd in cheers.

Commit

Yes, it was a contrived nod to Michael Keaton’s “Birdman” performance, but it’s also everyone’s worst nightmare. Well, maybe not if you’ve got a body like Harris, but for the average person with a little bit of flub here and some cellulite there, standing out in front of the world in nothing but your white-tighties can be an intimidating experience. When you find yourself in the weeds, so to speak, commit to your message and power through.

Spin Wheel Spin

Get the most out of your communications by spinning them off into relatives. Last night’s Oscars were preceded by two and a half hours of red-carpet interviews and sartorial critique. Then the late night shows got their turn with Jimmy Kimmel’s School of Acting. Take your topic on the ride of its life and make your communications work hard for you.

Colleen produces custom copywriting and content for branding businesses of all sizes.