Fake Expert Rules...
Management Reports, Inc.
Orlando, Florida
They are known as "fake experts" or "corporate impostors". Perhaps you have attended an association meeting where a speaker is introduced and welcomed to the podium only to deliver a very odd message about some arcane subject that relates to the audience in only a very left-field way. As the speech goes on, it becomes clear the prestigious speaker is actually anything but. Fake experts are a sort of practical joke conference sponsors play on attendees.
LaughingStock Comedy Company's performing partner, Dean Steeves, was recently given the nod to present his own version of a fake expert, "Dr. Littleton Ayre".
"Dr. Ayre" was chosen by Management Reports, Inc., property management software developers of Cleveland, Ohio, to address their users conference in Orlando, Florida.
Management Reports (MRI) kicked off their multi-day conference with a short general session. The conference coordinator welcomed the attendees and introduced the company president. The President made a few remarks and, in turn, introduced the Vice President of Marketing. Following his quick overview of upcoming product enhancements, the VP proudly launched into an introduction of Dr. Littleton Ayre.
The Vice President told the audience of 400 that MRI was very excited to be able to present this keynote speaker. He further ad-libbed - this seems to crop up wherever LaughingStock appears - the speaker had actually been hired by Hewlett Packard who was having a conference at the same hotel. Therefore, he was happy to add, MRI was able to engage Dr. Ayre for a "nominal fee".
The VP went through a LONG list of Dr. Ayre's accomplishments (including a stint with NATO in Belgium, membership in the renowned Fordham 50, dozens of patents, several university degrees and a position with the Oldfield Institution of New Technologies and Governmental Processes - all invented by LaughingStock). Because the VP played the introduction completely straight, the audience believed they would be listening to the driest, dullest speaker since their 7th grade history teacher.
When Dean, as Dr. Ayre, took the stage and put a HUGE pile of 3x5 cards on top of the podium, you could see the audience shifting uncomfortably and rolling their eyes in anticipation of this staid and somber speaker.
Everything was normal for a while. Dr. Ayre spoke on the theme of "The Promise of the Computer." He quoted extensively from several renowned sources; he used computer buzzwords; he delivered staggering statistics - all totally fabricated, of course. As far as the audience was concerned, he was the real enchilada.
He pulled out a pair of glasses to better read his notes. A few minutes later, he pulled out another pair of glasses. Some in the audience chuckled. Meanwhile he did a supposedly informal survey of the group: How many use UNIX systems? How many use DOS? How many use Kenmore? More of the audience laughed. Then he pulled out yet another pair of glasses. And when he dramatically gestured and sent his note cards flying, the whole audience roared - except for the woman standing next to LaughingStock performer Lesley Abrams. She turned and asked, "Who did they say this guy was?"
Once the audience was in on the joke, Dr. Ayre became funnier and funnier. Dean's clowning skills - he attended a two week workshop this past summer entitled: "Clown: The art of dysfunctional living", conducted by world renowned clown Avner Eisenberg (Avner the Eccentric) - held him in good stead as he pulled a clothes-hanger out of his suit, dealt with the cascade of note cards and put on yet another pair of glasses. The audience was charmed.
A few hours later at lunch, LaughingStock performed a mini-concert. The attendees were ready to laugh and have a good time because Dr. Ayre set the stage for an atmosphere of fun and informality. It was just the icebreaker MRI hoped it would be."...The fake expert did indeed delight the audience. It was especially fulfilling to those of us 'who knew' to see their amusement as they began to realize this stuffy sounding speaker was really a trick well done." Robert P. Lasser Management Reports, Inc.
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