Controversial Speech Topics

 

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Tired of playing it safe?  Perhaps you feel like getting the punches rolling.  Or perhaps you feel like taking a strong stand on a serious issue?  Whatever the case, this list of controversial speech topics is bound to give you more than enough ideas and material to deliver a talk that'll get your audience thinking, and perhaps loving or hating you!

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A "controversy" is any idea or topic that gives rise to public disagreement.  If I love yellow toilet paper and you hate it - then you're likely to contradict me when I state my claim from the stage, in which case you and I will be involved in our own little toilet-paper controversy...

But controversial speech topics usually deal with issues far more serious than the color of toilet paper, which is usually why everyone from speech coaches, to concerned mothers, advise people to be careful in selecting controversial speech topics. 

Unless you're a seasoned speaker who knows how to handle a potentially tought crowd, or unless you feel strongly about issues you feel needs some public discussing, then you'll be safer with more general speech topics - like the ones listed in the List of Speech Topics Page.

Writing on Controversial Speech Topics

If you end up choosing a speech topic with controversy, you have two options:  You can either (1) defend or attack an issue, or (2) state the facts without taking sides (the neutral option).

If you choose to attack an issue, you'll be writing a 'polemical' speech, while defending it makes you an 'apologetic' for the issue.

Simply stating the facts about the issue and explaining what opposing factions believe (but without personally taking a stance) will make your speech less controversial, and give it a more informative nature.

Whatever you end up choosing to do with one of these topics, be sure to have a look at the How To Write A Speech section, for creating great content.

List of Controversial Speech Topics

Below you'll find a list of 70 speech topics that's bound to get your audience interested, if only because they've got an opinion on what you're saying.