Dangers of Being Overly Enthusiastic

A great speech coach once gave me the advice to "punch the operative words." If you want to emphasize something, punch it with your voice.

Kara Dioguardi, this year's new judge on American Idol takes this advice to the extreme. She punches everything! Each statement she makes is one big sock in the gut.

Kara speaks in a monotone of "incredibly enthusiastic:"

"You were amazing!"

"You are a musical GODDESS!"

"You were terrible!"

"You were pretty average!"

"You were unmemorable!"

"I didn't listen to you sing because I was in the ladies room!"

You get the point.

Kara often has very intelligent and insightful critiques of the performers, but her enthusiastic monotone makes all her comments blend together into one big PUNCH.

The listener is left feeling exhausted.

From the Green Room: Speak with passion. But vary your emotional intensity.