This (nearly) two minute TED Talk focuses on humor, casual gestures, and a simple call to action to get the point across.

Matt Cutts keeps a consistent level of lighthearted humor throughout his Talk that connects him to the audience. By calling the director of non-prestigious documentaries a “great American philosopher”, Cutts immediately demonstrates to the audience that his subject is not incredibly serious. Self-deprecation of both himself and the very topic he is advocating for only further proves that making a change, no matter how small, for 30 days does not have to be a big ordeal. This is actually helpful to Cutts, as it allows his message to stick in small ways. The audience connects with his humorous remarks and their enjoyment of his laid-back tone causes them to view his 30 day challenge as less laborious.

Additionally, Cutts reaches out personally to the audience through personal anecdotes punctuated by a conversational style of gesturing. Key points, such as how 30 days of trying something new becomes memorable, is highlighted by a casual reaching gesture that physically shows the metaphorical weight of each word. When people talk in a one-on-one conversation, incorporating hand motions and inflections, this reaching flows naturally along with the most important parts of the discussion. Cutts uses natural body language and emotions such as shrugging, sweeping hand gestures that imply inclusion, and and punctuating phrases by grabbing or pointing. This spontaneous feeling Cutts creates makes his message seem much more genuine and personalized, increasing the effectiveness of his concluding call to action.

The speaker does not need to do anything at the end of this Talk. He is not obligated to make any life changes, or even force the audience to make changes in their lives for 30 days. Ending his Talk with a call to action, Cutts relieves himself of the responsibility of making his message impactful. The nature of his Talk is personal: if you want to make a change all you have to do is try for 30 days. Calls to action are lazy in this way. No new information is garnered from Cutts’ 2 minute talk about picking up new hobbies. Although he could have explained the physiological, muscle memory, scientific aspects of doing a new activity for a month, he instead spends his Talk as a cheerleader and providing motivation that may or may not last longer than a few seconds after his conclusion. In this way, Cutts message fails to create a real impact and each audience member is responsible for what they do with their next 30 days.