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Comment by turndown | Hacker News Reader

I realize this is totally off-topic, but has anyone else noticed how wide-stanced all of the presenters have been? Like your legs don’t stand that far apart normally; the announcer right now seems to literally need to constantly shift her legs to keep her standing stance so wide. I’ve noticed this a couple of other places too; is some body coach teaching the weirdest crap out in California right now?

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It’s a precaution due to the earth-shattering announcements. ;)

A wide stance implies surefootedness and confidence. They are absolutely coached to appear the most certain they can when marketing/communicating statistics.

It just strikes me as weird. Nobody is going to be impressed by your power stance in some off-brand vans and jeans.

Apple presenters look like typical old-money-rich people to me

Clearly someone thinks so. They convinced the UK Conservative party to do it a few years back.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=conservative+power+pose&t=ffab&iax...

I don't think I've seen a single person who doesn't think it looks ridiculous.

Thank you. Now my coffee is on am display. LOL.

I would wager there is a coach (or several) communicating with each live presenter via an earpiece.

Certainly a lot of full rehearsals.

Christ they’re obviously coached on more than just their stance. Watch the hand and arm motions. The manner in which those motions are coordinated with the dialog. It’s all one choreographed dance. Those paying close attention will even notice the similarities between speakers. I recall Craig F. doing the same fingers-meet-fingers posture as the MBP lady from todays presentation.

The camera being at waist-height of the presenters who are constantly looking down at it also contributes to the power relations effect the producers are trying to achieve.

Every jourinalist know this trick. It makes you stand still and don’t wiggle left and right, which just look bad.

Get a lectern.

The Holy Church of Apple, presenting Supreme Pontiff Tim Apple =)

Yup, that and all the hand movements (along with the usual grandiose words used) were so distracting that I just stopped watching it.

When I see a presentation so well trained and rehearsed, I am also put off. It's such overt manipulation of my monkey brain.

This is... such a weird take to me.

Imagine you are a developer who are going to talk about a product you worked on, and you are aware that millions of people[1] are going to watch you present. You're telling me you wouldn't want to do everything in your power to be well-rehearsed? You wouldn't try to do things like learn how to stand still or not stutter?

Like, that is just... I absolutely cannot comprehend that you would prefer to appear unrehearsed to people. Rehearsing is not weird, it is not unusual, and it is not unreasonable. There are soooo many valid complaints to make about Apple and Apple culture, and I just don't think "they over-rehearse their presentations!!1!" even remotely makes the list.

[1] This website claims some 2.7 million people watched the September 2021 event live: https://streamscharts.com/news/apple-event-sep-14-viewership

I imagine the post you're replying to means that they don't want a presentation to look too planned and staged (which feels insincere). Of course you want to practice, but you want to make it look natural and effortless at the same time.

Like a stand-up comedian who makes it sound like he's telling an anecdote (that just happened to come to mind) for the first time, even though he's told it a million times on stage before.

("Acting is acting like you're not acting.")

So act. But don't act like you're acting.

There's a whole lot of distance between "stuttering" and "coming across like a slick politician or car salesman".

At the other end of the spectrum lies George Hotz:

[Comma 3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbLiehrC2DQ

In the middle, perhaps lies Steve Jobs:

[Handling Criticism] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeqPrUmVz-o

[iMac announcement] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiWd8ujtK5k

You should know your material well so you can speak to it easily. You should practice slowing down and speaking up if you are fast-talking mumbler.

You should not be memorizing your exact lines and intonation, unless you are an excellent actor (Which you aren't, because you are a developer). It's creepy and robotic, and people know you are lying when you are barking words someone else wrote for you, that you don't understand or believe yourself.

And that fake "lab" environment (100% rendered, I guess?) with computers and monitors having no cables, random single tools that make no sense lying alone on a "clean" table, etc.

The hand gestures were over the top.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed. They look stupid and it's a distraction - I don't care what anyone says.

This is the same in Microsoft, Google and Samsung. Those stands and hand gesture, somebody or group must be selling these in Silicon Valley to all big tech.

There are lot of people selling Snakes Oil, especially targeting those that are rich and powerful. The biggest problem is who the heck green lighted this at Apple. As if without Steve, they have no idea what to do or what not to do, but let's try every idea and see what sticks. If this sounds vaguely familiar that is because Google does exactly this.

I imagine Steve would be very pissed off seeing it.

Yes, I can't stop looking at it. They keep shifting their back foot to the camera as well to keep the power stance alive.

I've noticed it too. It seems like they've been all coached to have a "power stance" as they present.

Might be a result of that "power stance" TED talk that was making the rounds years ago.

Classic Tory power-pose. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43960452

Noticed this as well - was very bizarre and unnatural looking.

Yes I noticed this, it seemed utterly bizarre.

I really struggle to watch Apple’s events these days. As slick as the production is, they’re almost becoming parodies of themselves.

The Power Stance - lots of UK politicians using it too.

I noticed this too with a couple of the presenters. I wonder if it's some advice from their presentation consultants.

It's a power stance, they are asserting dominance over the feeble audience to whom they are selling $5000 computers

I submit

Always Sunny explains everything https://youtu.be/7gIfZ2QMVT4

I stand like this when I need a poo.

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