The same oratory succeeds only when delivered to an animated crowd

Evidence

So persuasive was Bryan’s performance that the crowd carried him aloft on their shoulders before nominating him. And yet it seems obvious that if the same speech were delivered tonight in your living room you might not even remain awake through the end. In fact, Bryan himself had delivered much the same speech in Nebraska the week before, drawing little attention, never mind acclaim. — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 403

Categorization

• XREF: Directly supports the reader’s attention-industry thesis: medium/context, not content, determines attention capture — the crowd is a delivery system. — connects to: Renunciation only appeals when performed by someone with plenty to renounce; Musical illusions only work when the listener’s expectations have been pre-established
• SEED: Angle: the ‘Cross of Gold’ speech as proof that attention value inheres in the delivery environment, not the message itself — usable in an essay about platform-mediated attention.

Broader Connections

• Renunciation only appeals when performed by someone with plenty to renounce #exemplifies (0.92)
• Musical illusions only work when the listener’s expectations have been pre-established #qualifies (0.85)