Featuring/hosting at the 2010 Collegiate National Poetry Slam Finals Cutler Majestic Theater, Boston There's no high quality video of this poem floating around, so thought I should post it. Enjoy!
SehunIsAGoldenFrenchFry He’s saying everyone speaks differently, and to point out that one person speaks differently is a dick move because the person pointing it out speaks differently than everyone else too.
Just Another Nobody But the norm is by definition not having a lisp, so saying someone who doesn't have one doesn't listen is contradictory to the meaning, which suggests you shouldn't judge people, which is exactly what he just did.
"the norm by definition is not having a lisp" Pretty sure "norm/normal" has it's own definition. He isn't saying that someone who doesn't have one doesn't listen. He's saying that everyone speaks in different ways, lisp is just the prime example because it relates to him. His primary point is that we don't judge the way we speak, only impose that judgement on others. He says in the beginning that he didn't know he had a lisp until someone brought it up to him. He thought he spoke "normal". "If you suppose your speech is normal, it's cause your impediment is listening" - IE. You probably don't sound how you think you do. You don't hear the subtleties in you you're own because you've grown accustomed to hearing yourself. Don't judge people by the way they speak, instead judge them by what they are saying.
I thought he was saying that in general most people don't have speech impairments so if you only listen blindly when someone tells you what they think is right and you don't question it, than you don't end up with anything original to say and you won't have an original way to say it.
he was actually at warped tour one year? the name sounds familiar, I was at warped tour and a few friends left the packed to see someone named Watsky so I wonder if its the same
@@bassmek21 Look up "I am sofa king" - it was more or less that. It was very popular in middle/high schools in the 2000s. It was later revisited by a lot of different artists like Watsky and MF Doom (DangerDoom), comedians, etc.
I've always known that he had a lisp because I also have a subtle lisp, so when I found this poem of him confronting comments about it, he made me feel really empowered. I usually felt the need to hide my lisp, and I thought that I couldn't do spoken word because it was extremely hard to pronounce 's', but he made me think otherwise, and now I do spoken word to hopefully empower others that feel like I felt about my lisp.
I've had a lisp my whole life, and I was seriously considering speech therapy. I listened to this poem and immediately cancelled my first appointment. Thank you, Watsky.
I still get chills every time I watch this. Especially when he says "And if you suppose your speech is normal it's 'cause your impediment is listening." Damn.
Had a lisp my whole life...been made fun of over half of it. and I don't give a crap what people think about my speech impediment! This rocked! Thank you!
oh no... you had a lisp and your name is Melissa Smith?! I'm sorry, that sounds even more difficult, and my heart goes out. I have a stammering problem
So someone said to me the other day I've got a lisp A stranger, you know, they said I've got a subtle lisp And I should know I sound a little stupid doing spoken word When all my words with "S" in them are spoken so absurd And I'm not upset, okay it just sucks To think you're speaking normally for two decades And then shucks- Find out your stuff sounds like a stanza of Severus Snape's toughest parseltongue is pronounced by Daffy Duck So I will say this: My subtle lisp is not sinful I'm not sorry Saturday, I'm not sorry Sunday; I'm spiritual and when I speak I celebrate the Sabbath seven days a week I've got special S sauce smothered on my skull walls like a tossed salad so silkscreen the Sistine ceiling on my soft pallet I sing along with super scenesters Reciting Sufjan Stevens songs in skinny jeans Dance salsa with soccer moms Sneaking out in skimpy see-through sarongs I will answer your questions in stout With my sexy subtly lisping sparkling incisor small What's my surname? Watsky What's my size? Stocky My city? San Francisco It's so sweet, now slow See, I've heard some steamy stories of oral sex But I'm not stretching to say one time I made a lady climax by speaking an essay section Of a Shakespeare sonnet in her split legs' general direction I scribble all S-Essays I shred them and sprinkle the whole S-ashes My speech doesn't give a spotted sea snail if it passes I slipped past straight Fs to straight Ss in my classes Because my speech stay second-semester senior status Seriously so so so so soon So sick sixth grade school kids call me sofa king I'm on tongue steroids Slammin' with the Sammie Sosa swing So tight I sleep upright in a small cell in Sing Sing And sail the seven seas on Steve Irwin's stingray While your speedboat's sinking It's still too soon Anyway, screw an S.S.O.S I'm straight S.S.S for Save Someone's Standards Studied at Emerson; the school of savage speech Sup, Stanford? I spit sexier than Summer Sanders, Sarah Silverman Susan Sarandon, Sissy Spacek, Sally Struthers, and Selena Spooning in a 6-way same-sex all S celebrity civil union So, you can slander the gay lisp And I will slip you a solid list of friends Or 60% of Emerson; who Lisp or no lisp, will stomp, spit, stay pissed And start all over on the racists You can save the South Korean stereotypes The Sambo shtick The sexist shit is sickening And if you suppose your speech is normal Its 'cause your impediment is listening Speak for those of us with something special Something that sets us aside from my- Accent havers, my... stammerers My southerners, my st-st-stutterers Yes, I will spit it sick and stick to never skipping "S" 'Cause I was- Suckin' on a soup spoon and I suckled it to sterling silver Simple, supple, super soaker Staying watching Sister Sister Scenage syllables coming esophagus Move up there this place is Sufferin' succotash Second place isolate oxygen There's no stopping this I start this step of speaking You should see that I will not desist I'm sorry! 'Cause see, if you don't like a subtle lisp Then you can simply suck on thissssssss
I think I just fell in love. hahahahaha. Watsky, you're amazing. Do not *ever* listen to the haters. You've made some of the best videos and songs that has been created in a while.
You have to listen to haters because what if you are actually doing something wrong or it could be better and they are saying that you should. But if its just someone saying "ur a fagot" then its like ok whatever.
aw yea If there's someone that is trying to direct you and help you to become better, then that's not a hater. Haters are people you are hateful and ridiculously critical for no reason. Yes, everyone has an opinion and I respect that, but there's no reason to be a prick about it.
This is the first video I ever seen, years ago. I didn't actually hear your music until recently this year. It than took me about a month to figure out they were both you! Love the come up man! Don't let that shit die!!
There are no words to express the profound impact you create by saying what needs to be said even though you get slapped right side up the head for it. You're such an inspiration keep going!
I've had a lisp my whole life and gone thru speech therapy before but it hasn't gone away I've never heard my lisp except when it's recorded and played back mine is a bit more than subtle. Thank you so much for this and also who put the letter s in the word lisp? Like the fuck dude.
Rabi Sulaiman Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words...it's 3 letters longer than Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and even the "shortened" version of the word is long (sesquipedaliophobia). I'm glad to see someone else who knows of this oxymoronic word xD it's been my favorite phobia since 7th grade. I also have to agree with sex daily....I have it myself, makes reading difficult....(sex daily is an anagram for dyslexia).
This poem is very inspiring 'cause I've got a lisp too. It improved through the years but I still have it and this poem makes me feel like I can actually be proud of it 'cause it's a part of me so why should I be ashamed about it? I think it's wonderful how he performs in front of such a huge audience even though he has a lisp, respect George! That just shows how unimportant it is to have a well...let's call it a 'speaking problem' because the only thing that really matters is what you've got to say!
I am never going to be done finding the diamonds like this on the internet is what ive realized. I search your name and still i find the best content by just rolling through your videos i watch the most and seeing the suggestions. Good gracious i love you George Watsky :)
I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. OH MY GOD. I've had a lisp my whole life and aways was bullied for it. My lisp is subtle like his but oh lord do people make fun of it and point it out. This is so inspiring
i watch this vid like 10 times every month for the past 5 or so years and every single time I realize how underrated the line "And if you suppose your speech is normal, it's because your impediment is listening."
TheDustingGamer no you dont, its really annoying and is slowly driving me to depression, its embarrasing for me to speak, trust me you dont want one.. however im trying my best, and even trying to rap :P.
I've been a huge fan for about 10 years. I still remember the first time a friend of mine showed me one of your earlier videos. Your poetry and music was always very inspiring to me. Lately my life has hit a pretty major rough patch, long story short after a car accident I found myself disabled and now have to walk with the assistance of a cane. But I always remembered your words and your message and you have truly inspired me to keep going. Starting over, relearning, adapting, and adjusting doesn't have to be the end of the world. I see it as an opportunity in fact, and your art is something that helped me get to that good place. Hope you're still out there making the world a better place watsky!
I knew it!!! Fastest rapper in the west...able to leap tall ERB in a single bound... it's a bird - it's a plane - it's super WATSKY!!!! Huge fan This was an immense surprise. Best surprise ever. Thank you for sharing your gifts with all of us
I found this vid searching for instructions on correcting the way I talk ... this was the first result for "lisp". It's the only video I needed to watch, thank you for making me feel better about myself.
I have a weird love for this in that, I don't have a lisp when I speak comfortably with friends, but my problem is that I have social anxiety. When I speak comfortably with friends no one ever thinks I have any "sexy subtly lisp," but the moment I speak aloud in front of people I don't know I try so hard to make sure every vowel is clear, and perfect that the moment I get to an 's' something translates wrong and suddenly I'm lisping; and then I'm freaking out inside and leaving rooms because I practice so hard to say every word just right and I blew it with an s. This makes me feel better, late sure, but it comes and I don't feel like such a twat for blowing my one moment to look like a regular human with confidence.
I wish I had heard of you like 10 years ago, but I’m glad it’s better let than never. You’ve helped me so much George, hope to attend your concerts and meet you one day.
Oh man. Watsky. Thank you for this!! I’ve been doing audio at work for the courses I build. I’ve always handed that to a professional in past jobs, and although praise for being really articulate and good at speaking/reading aloud....the lisp. I’m now in a place that doesn’t mind it and when audio needs recorded for a course we’re publishing and the SME doesn’t want to speak, they have me do it! But listening to myself on full stereo repeat, editing every detail, and seeing clearly in the spectral display where my tongue sneaks out between my teeth to try and make yet another word thpotlight that thexthy lithp. Le sigh. I had intense speech therapy as a kid and, while you all can now tell if I am talking about my next door neighbor Juan or my brother Ron (a running family point of humor for many years), my S never really got to that winners circle. I finally sat down this morning and started researching tips and exercises to work on this myself so that my future recordings don’t require so much damn effort and editing finesse. Then I came across this. While I’m still going to work on it, when I get frustrated in the audio editing process, I’m 100% going to pause and give myself a moment of owning it solidarity. Thank you! This is fantastic. 🤜🤛
I think he was hosting and thats why he had the earpiece mic. and they had the regular mic for the performers and it just made more sense for him to stand at the regular mic to perform this.
One of my all time favorite poems, honestly I listen to your work because memorizing and repeating it helps me work on my own small stammer. So excited for the new album xx
I have just finally been introduced to Watsky because of SourceFed and I have to say.... He's extremely talented and he's now become one of my favorite people to watch or listen to. Shoutout to Watsky for being such a G.
As a twenty year old female who stutters, this video is incredible to me. I'm just now starting to become one with myself, and accept the fact that I am different, and this man just validated everything i'm working so hard towards. As people with speech impediments, we must all go through life confident, and never doubt our potential for all that life has to offer. Thank you, George.
sixstringedwithabowl Hey buddy, I know it's been a year since you made this comment but I just wanted to say: This outdoes even Alphabet Insanity, I mean, not to hate on Mac Lethal, but he's got nothing on the pure skill and talent possessed by George V. Watsky
"Where are you from?" "Here." "Yeah, but where were born?" "Here." "Huh. You've got an accent." "No, my good person, I have a speech impediment." Every day. I don't mind the questions and I don't blame anyone for asking. But this video speaks to my heart.
![George Watsky- S for Lisp [Poetry]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
