David Coleman: The Inspiration for Hitch

Students packed Burrus Auditorium on November 7, 2006 to view a presentation given by the famed "Date Doctor," David Coleman. Coleman, who inspired the Will Smith movie "Hitch," received a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology and a Masters of Arts degree in College Student Personnel Administration. In addition, he has been named the National Speaker of the Year on ten separate occasions and has appeared in many publications, such as Cosmopolitan, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. He has made 2,500 campus appearances informing college students about any aspects of romance, dating, love, and sex with hopes that they reach their romantic potential. His humorous, informative content and interactive delivery was well developed for the college community.

Rather than simply presenting data and facts on dating and romance, David Coleman presented unique content to the audience in an exciting, but logically organized, manner. Coleman opened with a disclaimer that everyone in the room would be insulted throughout the night, which prepared the audience for what to expect. His straightforwardness throughout the speech allowed the audience to put trust into him. After the warning, he proceeded to logically flow between the topics of attraction, dating, romance, relationships, and sex with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation. Additionally, he humorously transitioned between each topic with various pick-up lines to break up any monotony. Each topic was specifically developed for a college audience with offensive humor, audience interaction, and many references to pop culture. For example, he had the audience take part in his version of the "Johari Window" in which they recorded answers to their favorite animals, colors, and bodies of water. The answer to the last question reflects how a person sees himself or herself in the bedroom, which generated laughter but also prompted self-discovery and discussion. Each topic Coleman spoke about included many details with various tips and live demonstrations from audience members. For example, he asked the females in the audience to clap for how much pleasure they felt corresponding to a list of body parts he read to them. His presentation's main fault was consistency. He spent a lot of time on the first few topics, but then rushed through the final ones. This, however, was mostly due to his interactive delivery style and willingness to answer audience questions.

The delivery tactics of David Coleman's speech revolved around his audience-involved presentation. While he used PowerPoint, Coleman did not read from a script illustrating his professional nature. He constantly made hand and upper body gestures reflecting a welcoming disposition. Coleman projected his voice throughout the entire speech, which allowed him to answer questions from those all the way in the back of the auditorium. His animated delivery was appropriate for the college student setting as it captured everyone's attention. In addition, he interacted with the audience constantly. For example, he held pick-up line challenges where students would challenge him to finish a pick-up line; if he did not know the answer, they would receive candy. As people challenged him throughout the presentation, it kept the crowd entertained and laughing. These challenges, however, took away time from some of his main topics.

David Coleman effectively presented dating, relationship, romance, and sex advice in a professional, but not condescending, manner that left students with knowledge that could be applied the second they left the auditorium. Whether a person is in a relationship or has been single for years, one should make an appointment with the "Date Doctor," because his knowledgeable advice, made interesting with his energetic delivery, should not be missed.