History Main / WhoopiEpiphanySpeech

* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', "Heat": During a heat wave, Arnold points out to a bunch of kids trying to flip over an ice-cream truck is that they're getting cranky because of the heat. And then... they just keep trying to flip it over. Mother Nature has its own, more successful, way of intervention however - rain.

Subversions are frequent too. Usually takes the form of some person interrupting a fight with a comment on why they shouldn't be fighting. Instead of stopping as expected, the rioters just continue fighting.

** Whoopi Goldberg's ''Film/SisterAct'' films consist almost wholly of such speeches.

* In the end of the recent remake of ''Film/{{Bedazzled 2000}},'' in which the hapless hero is stuck in jail with the prospect of having sold his soul to the Devil and only one wish left to make it worthwhile. His cellmate, a [[MagicalNegro gentle young black man]] reminds him with a smile that he can't sell something that doesn't belong to him - in this case, [[OurSoulsAreDifferent his soul.]] This man and the Devil (Hurley) are later seen playing chess.
* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' (see below). But special marks for the following end-of-film summation speech:

* Actually, Whoopi herself does this in real life anyway...

!!Subversions

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* In the winter of 1995, Creator/BongoComics (the company responsible for comic-book adventures involving characters from ''ComicBook/TheSimpsons'') presented a three-part story entitled "The Rise and Fall of Krustyland." It recounts how Krusty the Clown let everyone - and that means ''everyone'', from ordinary citizens to the Mob - for miles around get into his amusement park free on the day that it opened. Two of the groups that attended were a troupe of Boy Scout-like youths called the Junior Campers (with [[{{Flanderization}} Ned Flanders]] as their leader) and a contingent of [[InsaneEqualsViolent violent inmates from the local insane asylum]]. Both groups somehow get trapped inside the watery funhouse ride "It's a Tiny Yet Annoying World" (obviously a NoCelebritiesWereHarmed send-up of Disneyland's "It's a Small World") when divine windstorms and wildfires (Krustyland had been built on a [[MagicalNativeAmerican cursed Native American burial ground]]) break out in the park. The TastesLikeDiabetes song performed by the animatronic dolls nearly drives everyone berserk....until one of the asylum inmates attempts to mediate, urging everyone to listen to the lyrics and "join together and sing!" Both the campers and the inmates look at this guy in disgust for a beat before erupting in anger and screaming for his blood. Fortunately, the boats on the ride bust their way out of the tunnels before anything really bad can happen.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'' - Brian's girlfriend tries to convince Brian's mom that he is special (while naked, as she had barged in on the two of them). [[BirthdaySuitSurpriseParty It doesn't work]].
-->'''Brian's mom:''' He's not The Messiah! He's a very naughty boy!
** Brian tries it too: two factions of Jewish anti-Roman agitators have met up underneath Pilate's palace - two ''different'' factions planning the same thing (to kidnap his wife), [[WeAreStrugglingTogether so they end up fighting each other]]. Brian pipes up with an inspiring speech about how they should be focusing on their common enemy (not the [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg Judean People's Front]], the Romans)... and after politely hearing him out, everyone starts right where they left off, until everyone's dead except Brian. To top it off, the whole thing is silently observed by two very amused Roman guards.
** There's also Brian's desperate attempt to convince his unwanted multitude that they don't need to blindly follow him or anyone else... only for them to end up doing nothing more than parrot his statements about how they're all individuals and need to think for themselves.
*** ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny I'm]]'' ''[[HypocriticalHumor not!]]''
* In ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice'', a homeless and possibly drunk man gives the hero some sage advice about assholes, pussies and dicks. This seemingly mindless [[InfallibleBabble rant]] becomes important later.
* Subverted beautifully in the movie ''Film/DeepBlueSea'' when Samuel L. Jackson, whose character is the DecoyProtagonist and SacrificialLion of the film, gives a powerful "we've got to all pull together people if we're going to survive" speech, right before he gets chomped; nay verily, he's [[KilledMidSentence right in the middle]] of that speech.
* ''MeanGirls'': "I just wish we could all get along like we used to in middle school. I wish that I could bake a cake made out of rainbows and smiles, and we'd all eat it and be happy."
** [[MemeticMutation "She doesn't even go here!"]]
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle'', when Harold is wrongfully arrested and meets a black inmate who was also wrongfully arrested.
-->'''Tarik:''' Look at me. I'm fat, black, can't dance, and [[HasTwoMommies I have two gay fathers.]] People have been messing with me my whole life. I learned a long time ago there's no sense getting all riled up every time a bunch of idiots give you a hard time. In the end, the universe tends to unfold as it should. [[BlackIsBiggerInBed Plus I have a really large penis. That keeps me happy.]]
** DoubleSubverted later as the speech inspires Harold [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome to hijack the extreme sports punks' car]].

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* In the pilot episode of ''Series/{{Community}}'' Jeff Winger sarcastically informs a cafeteria worker that TV has conditioned him to see "all middle-aged black women as cosmic mentors." She just wants him to pay for his damn tacos.
* Subverted in ''Series/DoctorWho'' when Rose Tyler tries it on her mother's analogue in an AlternateUniverse while posing as a waitress at her birthday party, but Jackie just turns around and asks her who the hell she thinks she is.
* Subverted in the first episode of ''TheSarahSilvermanProgram'', where an old black lady gives sagely advice to Sarah.
** "I've learned something today... Elderly black women are wise beyond their years, but younger black women are prostitutes. Good night?"
** And let's not forget that said advice was delivered while Sarah was high on cough syrup. Or that the elderly black woman's head was attached to the body of her dog (Sarah dubs it "Elderly Black Woman Puppy").
* In ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' when Alex gives a heartfelt speech about how you should be okay with yourself and not give in to the school AlphaBitch, said Alpha Bitch promptly tells her that she still rules the school and orders everyone to leave, which they do.
* The TropeNamer herself performs a subversion in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E23IBorg I, Borg]]". Instead of the typically enlightened speech, Guinan tries to convince Picard (via fencing) that the nature of the Borg can never be altered and trying to show compassion to the one they've found is futile. Guinan [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E16QWho has pretty good reasons to feel this way]], but she eventually faces the Borg individual and confronts this. It falls to ''Geordi'' of all people to deliver an Ephiphany Speech ''to'' Guinan, and it works. [[DoubleSubversion This leads Guinan to give another speech]] to Picard.
-->'''Guinan:''' If you are going to use this person...
-->'''Picard:''' [[SuddenlyShouting It's not a person, dammit, it's a]] ''[[SuddenlyShouting Borg]]''!
-->'''Guinan:''' If you're going to use this '''[[InsistentTerminology person]]''' to destroy his entire species, you should at least look him in the eye. Otherwise, you might find that decision much harder to live with than you realize.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'', "The Great Can Drive": a bunch of kids are fighting over some geezer's can of food, as part of a contest to see who can get the most cans. TJ's class has just accumulated the exact same number of cans as the Ashleys' class (the scores were in the thousands), and TJ is teed off even more than if they had lost and contributed to the Ashleys' [[BrokenStreak winning streak]]. As they fight, Mikey tells them that the true point of this whole contest is to get lots of food for the needy. After hearing this, they continue fighting over the can anyway, and the can somehow ends up knocking over the pyramid of cans they had collected, making Mikey both sad and mad.
* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', "Heat": During a heat wave, Arnold points out to a bunch of kids trying to flip over an ice-cream truck is that they're getting cranky because of the heat. And then... they just keep trying to flip it over. Mother Nature has its own, more successful, way of intervention however - rain.
** Actually...snow. Somehow. Amusingly, the next cartoon is a snow episode.
* Subverted by ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'', with Toots, the blind Jazz player. He'll start a speech that sounds like it'll be the voice of reason in troubled times, but instead decides to let everyone get on with their angry mob.
-->''"Now, I may be blind, but I can see certain things loud and clear. This is a room full of scared people making decisions based on fear and ignorance. Now, when I left the house this evening, I intended to go to Giovanni's Italian Restaurant. I can tell I'm in the wrong place. So, if you'll excuse me, I'll leave and let you get on with your meeting."''
* Played with in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' in which the handicapped Jimmy [[MakesSenseInContext accidentally joins the Crips]] and, upon discovering their ongoing turf war with the Bloods, decides to fix the matter by locking them in a gym together overnight. To get them to stop fighting each other, he delivers a speech where the only words that actually matter are "I mean, ''come ON''." [[RefugeInAudacity It works]].

[[AC: RealLife]]
* ''"People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along? Can we get along?"'' -- Rodney King
** ''"No, not really."'' -- L.A.
*** For context: King said his famous piece three days into the LA riots. They went on for three more afterward.

----

* In ''Film/TheAvengers'', [[spoiler: the old German game who stands up to Loki]].
-->[[spoiler: '''German Man:''' There are always men like you.]]

* Guinevere (black and a servant) from ''Series/{{Merlin}}'' gives one of these to Merlin after King Uther has had her father executed, during a stage when Merlin is considering letting Morgana go ahead with her assassination attempt on Uther's life. On asking Gwen what she would do if she hypothetically had control over Uther's life, she says that she wouldn't kill him as that would make her no better than he is, spurring Merlin into trying to stop the hit from going ahead.

* Donna in "The Runaway Bride" episode of {{Doctor Who}}

Profoundly wise, life affirming short speech given by the [[WisdomFromTheGutter poor, oppressed]] [[TokenMinority minority]], [[BookDumb uneducated]], or [[DisabilitySuperpower mentally challenged]] character to the more-educated protagonist. Thus, perhaps, clearly distinguishing between the "Intelligence" and "Wisdom" attributes in ''DungeonsAndDragons''.

* The "It's a very good day to me," speech by the Ethiopian taxi driver in an old strip of ''ForBetterOrForWorse''.

* In ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' pretty much Bob's whole shtick is that (in ''DungeonsAndDragons'' terms) he has a low Intelligence score but a high Wisdom score. He's particularly good at TalkingTheMonsterToDeath, mostly using words of one syllable. Probably the best example is when he [[PowerOfLove calms down]] an angry hyper-intelligent {{Ubermensch}}, [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20080722.html here.]]

** Whoopi Goldberg's ''SisterAct'' films consist almost wholly of such speeches.

* In ''ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', [[spoiler: Wallace (Scott's gay roommate) delivers a dramatic speech about chasing true love... only to reveal that it's just to get him to move out of the apartment]].

* ''{{Nell}}'' Kellty does a very quiet one of these in the courtroom scene.

* Um... WhoopiGoldberg [[CaptainObvious tends to]] [[TropeNamer do this]]. Celie aside, Whoopi Goldberg's ''SisterAct'' films consist almost wholly of such speeches.

-->'''Picard:''' [[SuddenlyShouting It's not a person, dammit, it's a]] ''[[SuddenlyShouting Borg]]!

* The TropeNamer herself performs a subversion in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E23IBorg I, Borg]]". Instead of the typically enlightened speech, Guinan tries to convince Picard (via fencing) that the nature of the Borg can never be altered and trying to show compassion to the one they've found is futile. Guinan [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E16QWho has pretty good reasons to feel this way]], but she eventually faces the Borg individual and confronts this. It falls to ''Geordi'' of all people to deliver an Ephiphany Speech ''to'' Guinan, and it works.

** Brian tries it too: two factions of Jewish anti-Roman agitators have met up underneath Pilate's palace - two ''different'' factions planning the same thing (to kidnap his wife), [[WeAreStrugglingTogether so they end up fighting each other]]. Brian pipes up with an inspiring speech about how they should be focusing on [[FightingForSurvival their common enemy]] (not the [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg Judean People's Front]], the Romans)... and after politely hearing him out, everyone starts right where they left off, until everyone's dead except Brian. To top it off, the whole thing is silently observed by two very amused Roman guards.

* In'ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', [[spoiler: Wallace (Scott's gay roommate) delivers a dramatic speech about chasing true love... only to reveal that it's just to get him to move out of the apartment]].

* Spoofed in ''ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', where Wallace (Scott's gay roommate) delivers a dramatic speech about chasing true love... only to reveal that it's just to get him to move out of the apartment.
-->'''Wallace:''' Yeah, I'm kinda banking on you moving in with Ramona so I don't have to feel guilty for kicking you out.
* {{Nell}} Kellty does a very quiet one of these in the courtroom scene.

* The old German man who stands up to Loki in ''Film/TheAvengers''.
-->'''German Man:''' There are always men like you.
* '''Freejack''': After Furlong barely survives jumping off a bridge to escape capture, he encounters a random homeless dude.

* Um... WhoopiGoldberg [[CaptainObvious tends to]] [[TropeNamer do this]].

* Confused by yet another plan after having joined the good guys, DumbIsGood/ DumbMuscle Mongo in ''{{Blazing Saddles}}'' states: "I don't know...Mongo only pawn in game of life."
* Celie aside, Whoopi Goldberg's ''SisterAct'' films consist almost wholly of such speeches.
* In the end of the recent remake of ''Film/{{Bedazzled 2000}},'' when the hapless hero is stuck in jail with the prospect of having sold his soul to the Devil and only one wish left to make it worthwhile. His cellmate, a young, gentle black man (the polar opposite of Elizabeth Hurley) reminds him with a smile that he can't sell something that doesn't belong to him - in this case, [[OurSoulsAreDifferent his soul.]] This man and the Devil (Hurley) are later seen playing chess.

* In the RobertAltman film ''GosfordPark'', the maid Dorothy delivers a speech about what's really important to a discontent aristocrat.

* Parodied in ''WebVideo/ATrailerForEveryAcademyAwardWinningMovieEver'', where a disadvantaged guy delivers a naive yet inspiring statement from his hospital bed. ([[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeIRQol52HU link]])

* A fellow mother in the prison waiting room delivers just such a speech to Eva In Lionel Shriver's ''WeNeedToTalkAboutKevin''.

* The TropeNamer herself performs a subversion in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E23IBorg I, Borg]]". Instead of the typically enlightened speech, Guinan tries to convince Picard (via fencing) that the nature of the Borg can never be altered and trying to show compassion to the one they've found is futile. Guinan [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E16QWho has pretty good reasons to feel this way]], but she eventually faces the Borg individual and confronts this.

Named after actress WhoopiGoldberg, whose character Celie in ''Literature/TheColorPurple'' is an uneducated, viciously oppressed farmgirl who famously stands up for herself with such a speech. Her later character Guinan from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', a wise, mysterious and ReallySevenHundredYearsOld [[HumanAliens alien]] [[TheBartender bartender]], may have helped cement the trope name, though Guinan's life affirming speeches tend to be more erudite.

* The famous "You've done a lot for the purple skins, but what have you done for the black skins?", speech delivered to GreenLantern in the '70s.

--->'''German Man:''' There are always men like you.

* The old German man who stands up to Loki in {{The Avengers}}

-->'''Brian's mom:''' He's not TheMessiah! He's a very naughty boy!

* ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'' - Brian's girlfriend, an {{Expy}} of Mary Magdalene, tries to convince Brian's mom that he is special (while naked, as she had barged in on the two of them). [[BirthdaySuitSurpriseParty It doesn't work]].

* Confused by a yet another plan after having joined the good guys, DumbIsGood/ DumbMuscle Mongo in ''{{Blazing Saddles}}'' states: "I don't know...Mongo only pawn in game of life."

* Gosh, whenever [[ToKillAMockingBird Scout or Jem say]] anything at or near the end of a chapter, it's one of these. Often, it's really [[ArmorPiercingQuestion hard-hitting]] too.