Speak Up with Confidence by Jack Valenti

Author:Jack Valenti
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hachette Books
Published: 2002-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

I am not sure I can follow the humorous sallies constructed by the chairman, a graduate of the Yale Law School. Anticipating such a prelude, I consulted with a number of my friends more expert than I in examining the entrails of Yale graduates. The summary of what they told me is, “Just remember one thing: There is no such thing as a Yale lawyer with humor. Odd, maybe; strange, usually; rich, always; but humorous—[pause]—never.”

The audience seemed to love it, including the Yale Law School alumni. Some of them even managed a tight, thin slice of a smile.

Some years back, I was one of several on a rostrum before a large assembly of Washingtonians gathered to “roast” Art Buchwald. Also scheduled to speak were George Stevens, Jr., cochairman of the American Film Institute and son of the distinguished movie director; and Joseph Califano, the former secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, who had been unceremoniously sacked from that post by President Carter.

Mr. Califano made a delightful talk toasting and roasting Art, except that he inadvertently used a line I was myself poised to deliver.

When I was introduced, before I launched into my own diatribe I greeted the audience and then turned to Califano: “I am a bit vexed because Joe Califano just stole one of my best lines. Now I know why President Carter fired the ‘sumbitch.’” The crowd roared in appreciative laughter. Because I had listened to Califano, I had been able to forge a fairly good riposte—which the audience knew had not been in my mind when the program began.

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