At the beginning of Joe Biden’s speech, we see the tension of the moment
when he does what’s called a “hard swallow.” Even for a gifted speaker
who is used to public speaking, this is still a tense moment, as he
accepts the nomination. And, for a split second, in spite of his broad,
friendly smile, it shows in that one small facial distortion. He
compresses his lips after saying, “I’ll be proud to carry the banner of
our party into the general election.” With the audio on, you can hear
his voice crack slightly, again a result of the natural tension one
would expect from such an event. It’s obvious that he takes seriously
the gravity of what’s happening. He’s been preparing all his life for
this moment. It’s not a stutter or age-related thing, just a
subconscious behavior that speakers use to deal with a little bit of
stress when we say something of emotional magnitude.
Notice how Senator Kamala Harris is compressing the lips at each corner of her mouth. This is indicative of disdain and, in this case, as I listened then to the video, for those who would harbor racists views. This is the moment where she says, “there is no vaccine for racism.” We pinch the corner of the mouth to say nonverbally, “I’m not satisfied.” The moment I saw it, I knew she was saying she was not happy with something. And it turned out I was right. When she talks about racism, she’s saying that it’s just not OK the same way a parent might convey a similar message to a misbehaving child.
You can also see the contempt conveyed during President Donald Trump’s speech with the pinching of his lips. When you turn the sound on, you hear that he’s talking about mayhem in Democratic cities. But what stands out the most from his performance is the way he leans against the podium. It conveys that this is a very comfortable kind of space for Trump, and you don’t really see it in this kind of public speaking. Normally, a president isn’t this relaxed. It’s more common with smaller groups—for example, a professor speaking to a class might take on this position. He’s not just holding the podium but putting his weight on it, which you can see by the angle of his shoulders. For viewers, the White House is something almost reverent, and we are primed to want to see nonverbal communication consistent with the highest office. When we see behavior like this, it feels discordant and not very presidential.
Read more at:
I’m a Body Language Expert. Here’s What I Saw During the Conventions. - POLITICO
Notice how Senator Kamala Harris is compressing the lips at each corner of her mouth. This is indicative of disdain and, in this case, as I listened then to the video, for those who would harbor racists views. This is the moment where she says, “there is no vaccine for racism.” We pinch the corner of the mouth to say nonverbally, “I’m not satisfied.” The moment I saw it, I knew she was saying she was not happy with something. And it turned out I was right. When she talks about racism, she’s saying that it’s just not OK the same way a parent might convey a similar message to a misbehaving child.
You can also see the contempt conveyed during President Donald Trump’s speech with the pinching of his lips. When you turn the sound on, you hear that he’s talking about mayhem in Democratic cities. But what stands out the most from his performance is the way he leans against the podium. It conveys that this is a very comfortable kind of space for Trump, and you don’t really see it in this kind of public speaking. Normally, a president isn’t this relaxed. It’s more common with smaller groups—for example, a professor speaking to a class might take on this position. He’s not just holding the podium but putting his weight on it, which you can see by the angle of his shoulders. For viewers, the White House is something almost reverent, and we are primed to want to see nonverbal communication consistent with the highest office. When we see behavior like this, it feels discordant and not very presidential.
Read more at:
I’m a Body Language Expert. Here’s What I Saw During the Conventions. - POLITICO
