In 1992 Mary Fisher gave a speech titled A Whisper of AIDS, at a time when the topic of HIV/AIDS was considered a taboo. Many people especially Americans saw HIV/AIDS as only something that gay men, drug users or blacks could contract (Duffy, 2017). During that there existed concerning how HIV/AIDS could be contracted. However. There was a general notion that one could contract the disease through blood contact, kissing or even just touching. People who had the disease were treated as outsiders or even disowned as if they had leprosy.
Mary Fisher's opening statement in her speech was quite moving. She displayed pictures and slide show that were well done, and very touching. She proceeded to show pictures of President Gerald Ford, herself and her children, which was wonderful impactful opening, as it exhibited a softer side of HIV/AIDS (EIU Public Speaking, 2015). Therefore, capturing the attention of the audience because they were drawn to the pictures and music that opened up there listening.
Mary Fisher only wants to call attention to AIDS, to bring it to the forefront, as it kills, especially if you believe that you are SAFE. This statement brings out that no one is out of the realm of contracting AIDS, stigmas are only that, anyone can contract AIDS. Fisher brings up diverse aspects concerning HIV/AIDS with the aim of opening people’s eyes in regards to their perceptions about the AIDS. Her goal was to break the barrier and the misconceptions that people had long built around those living with the disease (EIU Public Speaking, 2015). She explained white women too could contract the diseases just like her when got it from her marriage. Regardless, she passed it through to her children and they are all still happy.
I personally did not find her conclusion left me with a lasting impression. The words she used, did not match up to her body language, it seemed like she was weak and wanted the speech to be over before it was. Mary Fisher was asking that anyone that could hear her voice, learn, overcome your fear, so that her children/ our children do not have to be afraid of AIDS. Fisher is asking that we make AIDS something that is known about, not a secret. I thought that Mary Fisher was indeed creditable. Showing that former President Gerald Ford was present and many other popular Republicans gave great creditability, as they supported her and what she had to say (Duffy, 2017). On more than a few occasions the camera kept shooting back to Ford. Knowledgeable, I am not sure that I would state this, as she only talked about herself, not HIV, there was no education so to speak, only that she wanted people to not be afraid to say HIV/AIDS. She commented on a few statistics. Now convincing, yet I believe that she was convincing, firstly, she had herself convinced.
This is a topic that she was very passionate about, with she herself having AIDS, knowing the stigma surrounding the whole topic, it was not an easy thing for her to reveal to the whole world. She did so with conviction, that she did not want her children growing up with having to keep a secret that AIDS is a 'dirty' word. Mary Fisher's dress was very conservative (Kim, 2016). With a navy blue dress with white accessories. She did not appear relaxed as she gave her speech. She was looking at the audience, although she did not appear to keep eye contact with any one specific person. There does not appear to much gestures or hand movements. She moved her head a lot and you could tell that she had body movement, just her hands were not seen.
I was let down that that the speech appeared memorized, word-for-word. The emotion I do not feel truly came through. With this lack of emotion, I feel that she was distant to her topic of AIDS. I do not believe that she had a teleprompter as her eyes were not fixed in any general location, she was continually looking around (Kim, 2016). Her voice sounded flat, and that the speech was too well rehearsed.
My final thoughts on Mary Fisher's speech is that she was heard, on a topic that was dear to her and close to her heart. She had initial credibility and terminal credibility on the personal topic of AIDS, yet not on the whole topic of AIDS. Her specific purpose was that AIDS was not seen as a dirty word, and one that had to be whispered anymore. I believe that she could have shown some true emotion (like was seen in the audience), with this lacking, it was harder to listen to the speech. The aspect of the audience and that there was many that were just not paying attention to her, I do not believe that this was because who she was and she lacked credibility, it was more so that the topic was a difficult one that people in 1992 were not open to truly listen to. Overall it was a hard speech for Mary Fisher to give as well as a hard one for the audience to listen to.
References
Kim, H. T. (2016). Analysis of Speeches from Mary Fisher, Steve Jobs, and Barak Obama.
Duffy, J. (2017). The good writer: Virtue ethics and the teaching of writing. College English, 79(3), 229.
EIU Public Speaking. (2015, January 10). Mary Fisher A Whisper of AIDS 1992 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB5K9k__SOo
