Fascinating Secret Lives Of Giant Clams Analysis

For my TED Talk critique, I watched Mei Lin Neo’s, “The Fascinating Secret Lives of Giant Clams.” In order to hook the audience, Mei Lin Neo starts by sharing some of the many nicknames she is called due to her constant discussion of giant clams. Beginning the talk this way is intriguing because even just speaking of her nicknames you can tell she is truly passionate about her work. Also, that she understands that her passion can lead to her talking non-stop about a topic that others may not find quite as intriguing. Continuing her introduction of the giant clam, Mei Lin Neo unveils a giant clam shell. The additional of a tangible visual aid, rather than just a picture, is particularly helpful here. Not only can the audience tell the size of the shell in comparison to a person, but it also compliments the story Mei Lin Neo tells of unsuspecting divers getting their legs eaten. However, Mei Lin Neo is unconvinced of the story and decides to use her own hand as bait to see if the stories of divers losing their legs was true. Here, Mei Lin Neo incorporates a simple joke by exclaiming, “I still have my hand.” The humor is well placed and keeps the audience engaged. …show more content…
While it’s a funny story and complimented with enjoyable jokes, it leaves her only four minutes to begin and finish a discussion over giant clams. Also, her introduction never includes why she is a trustworthy source on this topic. While I can assume she is an expert in her field, TED Talks are not given by just anyone, never does she mention where she conducts research or even who she is. Mei Lin Neo’s only introduction about herself was the nicknames her friends gave her; I only learned her name from the description of the