# Mountain Dew Speech: Yay or Nay **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326 "2015-09-15T04:20:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/1 "2015-09-15T04:20:36Z")
This is my first post. Excuse me if I am off-base and in the wrong thread— or even the wrong forum. My public speaking professor stated that we must present an introductory speech (2.5-3 mins in duration) on either a person or a thing-- no concepts/ideas. The person/thing has to be someone you know or something in your possession. I wrote a speech introducing Mountain Dew. My visual aid is random empty Mtn Dew bottles I’ve super glued to a huge picture frame. The outline to my speech is quoted below. > [@](#): > > Speech 1 Outline > > I’ve enjoyed Mountain Dew since I was a kid. The purpose of this speech is to offer you an introduction and miniature biography to the life of Mountain Dew. > Mountain Dew was invented in 1940 by two brothers named Barney and Ally Hartman from Tennessee. About twenty years later, it was purchased by Pepsi Co. > Mountain Dew was originally made to be mixed with hard liquor. Back in those days, the term “mountain dew” was actually slang for moonshine made in the Tennessee mountains. To elaborate-- moonshine is a type of homemade whisky and I’m not certain whether or not it’s legal here in Florida. > Throughout the years, there have been many flavors of Mountain Dew introduced-- most of which have been discontinued or only appear seasonally. From my experience, roughly 6 flavors appear to be available at major stores in this region year-round. White Out and Code Red are two of my personal favorites. There are also energy drink variations available named “Kickstart.” > Mountain Dew is highly popular in the media. A few years ago, Mountain Dew paired up with the company COMPLEX and launched an online magazine called Green Label. The magazine covers topics such as art, gaming, sports, and sound. Additionally, Mountain Dew hosts what is called The Dew Tour in several different cities where extreme sports athletes (skateboarders, BMX bikers, etc.) compete for prizes. > In summary, seventy-five years ago Mountain Dew was invented to be a mixer for liquor. Today you can find the soda or it’s logo in a variety of places. Is the speech a trainwreck? Also any feedback is greatly appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/2 "2015-09-15T04:26:53Z")
Have you tried reading your speech aloud with a stopwatch running? Also, I get that you love Mountain Dew, but your audience might not share your passion, and, while you may complete the assignment, you may be better off if you could speak on a subject that would capture peoples’ attention. Something relevant and interesting would be a lot more beneficial at engaging the audience. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/3 "2015-09-15T04:28:58Z")
Doesn’t seem like a trainwreck to me. Not exactly compelling but given the parameters of the assignment I would say it works. I would guess it to be a solid B. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/4 "2015-09-15T04:34:10Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Doesn’t seem like a trainwreck to me. Not exactly compelling but given the parameters of the assignment I would say it works. I would guess it to be a solid B. Thank you. Solid B? _gleams_ I am aiming for a C. My main goal is to not throw up and pass out in front of the class. > [@feppytweed](#): > > Have you tried reading your speech aloud with a stopwatch running? > > Also, I get that you love Mountain Dew, but your audience might not share your passion, and, while you may complete the assignment, you may be better off if you could speak on a subject that would capture peoples’ attention. Something relevant and interesting would be a lot more beneficial at engaging the audience. Yes, I have read it many times aloud. My stop watch clocks it between 2.5 and 3 minutes after I introduce myself to the class. Weird thing is, I don’t even love Mountain Dew… The class is mostly 18-20 year old students, so I figured the most we could possibly have in common is probably this beverage. Thank you for your feedback. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/5 "2015-09-15T04:38:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Back in those days, the term “mountain dew” was actually slang for moonshine made in the Tennessee mountains. The term isn’t archaic, and I don’t think it was peculiar to Tennessee. I’ve always known why the drink has that name, and I live in Canada. It’s in my Mac’s dictionary: > [@](#): > > mountain dew > noun informal > illicitly distilled liquor, especially whiskey or rum; moonshine. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/6 "2015-09-15T04:44:41Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > The term isn’t archaic, and I don’t think it was peculiar to Tennessee. How can I rephrase what you’ve quoted? Do you think “Mountain Dew is synonymous to moonshine” would suffice? It really is a point that I’d like to address. I never knew that’s what it meant. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/7 "2015-09-15T05:47:21Z")
There’s also a phenomenon known in the dentistry community called “Mountain Dew Mouth.” It refers to the problem primarily documented in Appalachia, where poor dental hygiene paired with excessive consumption of the very acidic beverage in question has led to erosion of tooth enamel so bad that kids need extensive dental work to fix it. If they’re ever able to. Cite from NPR: ['Mountain Dew Mouth' Is Destroying Appalachia's Teeth, Critics Say : The Salt : NPR](http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/09/12/221845853/mountain-dew-mouth-is-destroying-appalachias-teeth) And cite from ABC News with video: [http://abcnews.go.com/US/mississippi-delta-state-university-lockdown-dead/story?id=33748843](http://abcnews.go.com/US/mississippi-delta-state-university-lockdown-dead/story?id=33748843) ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/8 "2015-09-15T08:22:03Z")
> [@brovolone](#): > > How can I rephrase what you’ve quoted? > Do you think “Mountain Dew is synonymous to moonshine” would suffice? It really is a point that I’d like to address. I never knew that’s what it meant. That would work and you’re right; it should be included. I’m sure many don’t know the origin of the name. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/9 "2015-09-15T08:36:29Z")
> [@](#): > > My visual aid is random empty Mtn Dew bottles I’ve super glued to a huge picture frame. I think you are doing great so far. We need pictures of your “visual aid”. It made me chuckle. 🙂 Also, thanks for the history lesson. Ignorance fought. BTW, welcome to the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/10 "2015-09-15T08:40:42Z")
By the way, honest-to-god mountain dew probably is illegal in Florida, as much as moonshine/hooch is, because of the possibility it could be wood alcohol or “doctored wood.” Otherwise it wouldn’t have the name. A phone call to the revenuers likely would reveal all and your speech wouldn’t contain that ambiguity. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/11 "2015-09-15T10:27:06Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#): > > I think you are doing great so far. > We need pictures of your “visual aid”. It made me chuckle. 🙂 > Also, thanks for the history lesson. Ignorance fought. > BTW, welcome to the SDMB. Thanks for the warm welcome! Also, a picture of my visual aid is below. [http://imgur.com/VKEpFmt.jpeg](http://imgur.com/VKEpFmt.jpeg) I think that it is a little drab. What can I do to spice it up? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/12 "2015-09-15T11:14:22Z")
Please find out if moonshine is or is not legal in Florida and update your speech accordingly. Research, is important. Especially in a world that includes Google! Also, if you’re going to mention 6 flavours please do the research and name them. Other than that seems okay. Pretty short, not exactly riveting or fact filled, I’m guessing a C. Good Luck! And let us know how it works out. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/13 "2015-09-15T11:22:00Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Please find out if moonshine is or is not legal in Florida and update your speech accordingly. Research, is important. Especially in a world that includes Google! > > Also, if you’re going to mention 6 flavours please do the research and name them. > > Other than that seems okay. Pretty short, not exactly riveting or fact filled, I’m guessing a C. > Good Luck! And let us know how it works out. Thank you for your feedback! I will certainly find out if moonshine is legal here or not. As far as naming the flavors, I can just point to my visual aid and name them off. Great idea. C sounds good to me. Thanks again for your honesty. I have a 3.85 GPA as we speak, and this is the only class I have left for my AA degree. I am just trying my best to not be soaked in sweat or pass out up there. Man I hope I don’t throw up. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/14 "2015-09-15T11:43:40Z")
What’s an AA degree? Is this community college? A university? A prep school? (Just curious, I’m not an American!) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/15 "2015-09-15T11:57:53Z")
Given the age level (18-20), I think you may have a “B” project there. I concur with the others who say do the research on if ‘moonshine’ is legal in Florida (probably isn’t), leaving a point like that hanging would take points off your score if I was grading it. Try to find a way to refer to your visual aid, perhaps mentioning some of the various flavors (you don’t have to recite them all) while indicating them on the aid. Tighten up the Mountain Dew-Moonshine talk a little bit; it is a good talking point and something that can grab the interest of your classmates (some may not know where the term came from, it certainly isn’t advertised that way today), but don’t get rambling. Don’t worry about nerves; every speaker has it. I’ve made presentations all my working life (I’m 62 now) to Military types up to General rank and I was always nervous right up until I was spearking on a topic i _Knew._ Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/16 "2015-09-15T12:45:36Z")
> [@brovolone](#): > > Thanks for the warm welcome! > Also, a picture of my visual aid is below. > > [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](http://imgur.com/VKEpFmt.jpeg) > > I think that it is a little drab. What can I do to spice it up? It looks like you didn’t even rinse out the bottles! 😃 I’d leave it as is. And welcome. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/17 "2015-09-15T12:55:54Z")
Looks like good, solid “B” to me although I would drop the “In summary” and find another way to wrap up the talk. For what it’s worth, they sell it over here. Perhaps you can toss in a few words about it’s global reach. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/18 "2015-09-15T13:33:23Z")
Pedantically: **Yea** or Nay. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/19 "2015-09-15T14:03:10Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Don’t worry about nerves; every speaker has it. I’ve made presentations all my working life (I’m 62 now) to Military types up to General rank and I was always nervous right up until I was \*\*spearking \*\*on a topic i _Knew._ > > Good luck. Is that like twerking while speaking? Thats bound to be worth a few points with the crowd right there. ---
**Author:** ![Nefario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@Nefario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefario)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326/20 "2015-09-15T14:30:26Z")
Do you get to use visual aids? I didn’t know it was invented in the 40’s but the first GLASS bottles I remember in the 60’s (do your listeners know about “coke” bottles?) were VERY hillbilly and the ads were funny. Then it was rebranded similar to todays Red Bull or sports drinks. Pictures could help hold listeners attention. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-dew-speech-yay-or-nay/731326.md?page=2)