# Commencement Speeches > Commencement Speeches are graduation addresses that became viral YouTube content since Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford talk, spawning an annual tradition of celebrities delivering quotable, shareable life advice to cap-and-gown audiences. Commencement speeches are graduation addresses delivered at high school and college ceremonies that, since the mid-2000s rise of YouTube, have become a recurring source of viral content online[1]. From Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford address to Kermit the Frog speaking at the University of Maryland in 2025, these speeches go viral for their mix of humor, inspiration, and occasionally brutal honesty[3]. The format peaked as an annual internet tradition where celebrities, politicians, and public figures compete to deliver the most quotable, shareable life advice to a captive audience of cap-and-gown-wearing graduates. ## Origin The commencement speech tradition dates back to Harvard's first commencement in 1642, when Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop attended a ceremony for just nine graduates[1]. Early commencements weren't about guest speakers at all. Students themselves gave orations in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, plus formal academic debates called "disputations"[1]. Anthony Grafton, a professor of intellectual history at Princeton, noted that "oratory was one of the central things that students were learning, and one of the central skills of the university"[1]. As oratory lost its place as a core academic skill over the centuries, student performances shrank and guest speakers filled the gap[1]. At first, these were mostly academics and statesmen. By the 2000s, schools like Harvard featured speakers with celebrity backgrounds (J.K. Rowling, Bill Gates) about as often as world leaders and professors[1]. The first commencement speech to break through as viral online content was Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' address to Stanford University's graduating class on June 12, 2005[5]. The video was first uploaded to YouTube via Apple History's channel on March 6, 2006, with Stanford University's own channel posting another version on March 7, 2008[5]. Jobs' speech received the bulk of its online attention after his death in October 2011, with both versions racking up more than 27 million combined views by May 2014[5]. - **Platform:** YouTube (viral distribution), universities (original venue) - **Creator:** Various speakers (cultural tradition); Steve Jobs (first major viral speech, Stanford 2005) - **Date:** 2005 (first major viral instance) ## Overview Commencement speeches are formal addresses given as parting words of wisdom to graduating classes at schools and universities[5]. While the tradition stretches back centuries, the internet age turned these speeches into a seasonal content genre. Every May and June, a fresh crop of speeches by actors, politicians, comedians, tech moguls, and the occasional Muppet floods YouTube and social media feeds[3]. The appeal is straightforward: famous people dispensing life advice in a high-stakes emotional setting, often with humor, sometimes with tears, and occasionally with takes so bizarre they become memes in their own right[4]. The best ones get clipped, quoted, turned into motivational graphics, and shared millions of times. The worst ones get roasted. ## How It Spread On January 8, 2006, YouTuber Braddma uploaded Will Ferrell's 2003 Harvard commencement speech in five parts[5]. The speech landed on multiple "best commencement speeches" lists, including ones published by Rolling Stone and AOL Jobs, and the first clip surpassed 1.4 million views by 2014[4]. That same year, YouTuber Espank9 posted Seth MacFarlane's 2006 Harvard address, which made news because MacFarlane delivered portions in the voices of Family Guy characters Stewie, Peter, and Quagmire[5]. The Stewie clip alone hit 2.9 million views[5]. Oprah Winfrey's 2008 Stanford commencement address went up on YouTube via the university's channel and pulled over 1.2 million views[5]. But the format really exploded into broader internet culture in June 2012, when Wellesley High School English teacher David McCullough delivered his now-famous "You're Not Special" speech[6]. McCullough told graduates: "Contrary to what your u9 soccer trophy suggests, your glowing seventh grade report card, despite every assurance of a certain corpulent purple dinosaur, that nice Mister Rogers and your batty Aunt Sylvia... you're nothing special"[7]. The speech was covered by The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, and dozens of other outlets, collecting over 2.2 million YouTube views[6]. Also in 2012, the vlogger duo Rhett & Link uploaded a commencement speech to their alma mater, Harnett Central High School, where they performed part of the address as a musical number, earning over 860,000 views[5]. ## How to Use Commencement speeches aren't a traditional meme template with a fixed format. Instead, they function as a recurring viral genre with a few common patterns: People typically share clips or quotes from commencement speeches in a few ways: 1. **The motivational screenshot** — A still frame of the speaker at the podium with an overlaid quote, shared on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter as inspirational content. 2. **The "best commencement speeches" listicle** — Roundup articles and YouTube compilations that rank speeches, often resurfacing annually during graduation season[8]. 3. **The reaction clip** — Short video excerpts of the funniest or most shocking moments (Will Ferrell's jokes, McCullough's "you're not special" line) shared as standalone reaction content. 4. **The counter-narrative** — Speeches like McCullough's get shared specifically because they subvert the expected platitudes, used as a commentary on participation trophies and entitlement culture[6]. ## Cultural Impact NPR built an entire archive of 354 of the best commencement speeches, with almost half delivered after 2010[1]. The imbalance reflects not just better recording technology but "changes in which jobs are considered important, whose advice is considered valuable, where we find counsel and who we most admire"[1]. A satirical guide published in the New York Times as early as 1970 outlined the formula (opening joke, thank the parents, reference Socrates, mention crossroads and life's disappointments), showing that even half a century ago the genre was recognizable enough to parody[2]. The commencement speech format has spawned hit books and viral videos as its own advice-filled genre[1]. Scott Jaschik, editor of Inside Higher Ed, noted that "students expect somebody who is reasonably famous and who will inspire them in some way" and that "some people really make an industry out of it and give five or six speeches a year"[2]. Google Trends data shows search queries for "commencement speech" spiked notably in October 2011 after Steve Jobs' death, well outside the typical May-June graduation season[5]. This confirmed that viral commencement speeches have a shelf life far beyond their original delivery date. The tradition also became a reflection of institutional prestige. The caliber of the speaker is "often viewed as a reflection on the universities themselves," with schools competing for the most high-profile bookings[2]. ## Fun Facts - Harvard's first commencement in 1642 was such a hit that historian Samuel Eliot Morison described the audience as "suitably impressed and exceedingly fatigued" after students proved their skills in "three learned tongues," with dinner following at eleven o'clock[1]. - Early Harvard commencements were open to the public and served as "the great gala day of the colony" for nearly two centuries, drawing not just alumni but the general populace[1]. - Some universities still maintain the tradition of having a speech delivered in Latin, though these days a translation is usually provided, along with instructions about when to laugh[1]. - McCullough's "you're not special" speech wasn't his first viral commencement moment. In 2006, he told Wellesley graduates to "carpe the heck out of every diem," a line he referenced again in his 2012 address[6]. - Charlie Day described his own speaking voice as sounding like "a ten-year-old with a smoking problem" during his Merrimack College address[11]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What are commencement speeches? Commencement speeches are formal addresses delivered at high school and college graduation ceremonies, typically by invited guests offering life advice and wisdom to the graduating class[5]. ### Where did viral commencement speeches come from? The tradition of commencement addresses dates back to Harvard's first ceremony in 1642[1]. They became viral online content after YouTube launched in the mid-2000s, with Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford address widely cited as the first major viral commencement speech video[5]. ### What does a commencement speech mean? Commencement speeches are meant to mark the transition from academic life to the broader world, offering graduates parting words of inspiration, humor, or practical advice[1]. ### How do you use commencement speech memes? Clips and quotes from commencement speeches are typically shared as motivational content, reaction clips for humor or surprise value, or counter-narrative commentary when a speaker subverts the expected platitudes[8]. ### Are commencement speeches still popular? Yes. The 2025 graduation season featured speakers including Kermit the Frog at the University of Maryland, Jennifer Coolidge at Emerson College, Jane Fonda at USC, and LeVar Burton at Howard University[3]. ### What was the "You're Not Special" commencement speech? In June 2012, Wellesley High School English teacher David McCullough told graduates "you are not special" and "you are not exceptional," a speech that went viral and was covered by The Huffington Post and The Daily Beast, earning over 2.2 million YouTube views[6]. ### What was Steve Jobs' commencement speech about? Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford address told graduates, "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life" and urged them to "have the courage to follow your heart and intuition"[2]. The speech gained most of its online views after his death in October 2011[5]. ### Which commencement speech had the biggest financial impact? In 2019, billionaire Robert Smith pledged to pay off the student loan debt of the entire Morehouse College graduating class, donating $34 million[2]. ### Why do universities invite celebrities to give commencement speeches? Scott Jaschik of Inside Higher Ed explained that "students expect somebody who is reasonably famous and who will inspire them" and that the speaker's caliber is often seen as a reflection of the university itself[2]. ### What are the most viewed commencement speeches? Steve Jobs' Stanford address had over 27 million combined views by 2014[5]. Other highly viewed speeches include Will Ferrell at Harvard (1.4 million), Seth MacFarlane at Harvard (2.9 million for the Stewie clip), and David McCullough at Wellesley (2.2 million)[5]. ### When do commencement speeches typically go viral? Most go viral during May and June graduation season, though Steve Jobs' speech saw its biggest spike in October 2011 after his death, according to Google Trends data[5]. ## References 1. [David McCullough, Wellesley High School English Teacher, Tells Graduates: 'You're Not Special' | HuffPost Latest News]() 2. [David McCullough at Wellesley Commencement: ‘You Are Not Special’ (Video)]() 3. [Commencement Speeches: History of the Graduation Tradition | TIME]() 4. [Commencement Speeches - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Speeches of Barack Obama]() 6. [The Best Commencement Speeches, Ever : NPR]() 7. [Motivational Commencement Speeches to Inspire You | SUCCESS]() 8. [3 Life Lessons from the Most Viewed Commencement Speeches | Sloww]() 9. [From Obama to Steve Jobs: The greatest commencement speeches of all time | CNN]() 10. [Celebrity commencement speakers mix humor and hard truths : NPR]() 11. [David McCullough, Wellesley High School English Teacher, Tells Graduates: 'You're Not Special' | HuffPost Latest News]() 12. [Seth MacFarlane Harvard Graduation Speech]() 13. [TV – UPROXX]() 14. [Graduation Speeches: Notable Commencement Speeches That Inspire]() 15. [The 5 Most Confusing Advice From Kanye West's Graduation Speech - Business Insider]() 16. [Sandra Bullock Gives Commencement Speech at Warren Easton High School | TIME]() 17. [Actor Charlie Day Delivers Merrimack College Commencement Address | TIME]() 18. [AOL - Finance News & Latest Business Headlines - AOL.com]() 19. [David McCullough at Wellesley Commencement: ‘You Are Not Special’ (Video)]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/commencement-speeches Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library