To think talking when someone is making a speech is really rude

[user1485342611]

I was at my aunt's 80th birthday party recently. Her daughter stood up after the meal to make a speech but we could hardly hear it because a group of my aunt's grandchildren (all in their twenties) continued to chat amongst themselves.

The same thing happened last weekend at my God Daughter's 21st. Her father was giving a lovely speech but most of the crowd just continued to chat away.

When I was telling a friend about it, she said you rarely get everyone in a room to stop talking nowadays when someone at a party is saying a few words.

Is this considered acceptable nowadays and AIBU to think it's bloody rude and disrespectful?

I haven't seen it at any of the weddings or christenings I've been to this year except the one I went to in France, where the French youngsters chattered EXTREMELY loudly through the father of the bride's very emotional speech about lost loved ones.

Mind you, they were also pissing on the lawn inbetween slagging off the English guests, who they presumed couldn't understand them. It was almost WW3 by the end of the weekend.

YANBU to expect people to show basic respect and common courtesy to someone giving a speech but why did nobody tell them to be quiet?

In the situations you described - family parties where the guests are all known to each other - if it happened with my family, either the speech maker or the nearest family member to the rude parties would tell them to STFU obviously in nicer terms if grandma was around even if that meant a momentary interruption to somebody else's speech in order to allow everyone to hear the rest.

YANBU. We were at a christening a few weeks back and people around the church chatted like they were at a youth club throughout all the important bits.

I'm a bit stuffy and like the DCs to be quiet when folk are talking; it's basic manners and I hope if they learn them now they won't be rude when they're grown.

This doesn't happen when the person making the speech is a teacher. We don't put up with talking when we're talking....

Yes it's very rude - in any context. I find it very annoying at my local parkrun when people chat amongst themselves rather than listening to the run briefing. When I give the briefing I say "I know you've heard it thousands of times, it's like the pre-flight safety briefing, but it is important and other people want to listen". And when a group started to walk off to the start 3/4 of the way though I pointedly said I hadn't finished and they laughed and stopped.

Getting a bit bolshy in my old age.

I agree teachers don't have this problem, they have natural authority. I remember ds having a joint party with a friend whose mum was a teacher when they were about 8 and I asked everyone to sit down and they ignored me. SHE said it and they all jumped to attention. Is that born or learnt as a teacher? Very impressive either way!

I have never experienced this outside of the classroom. Every single wedding/formal gathering that I have attended speeches have always been made in silence. Although it is worth noting that a hallmark of good public speaking is not beginning your speech until the room is silent. On the odd occasion where talking has been an issue (the only intances that I can think of have been at school) silence with every else staring at those who are still talking had an almost immediate effect.

I’m noticing this behaviour more and more at work related events. Or maybe I’m just getting old. It is so rude and off putting for the speaker.

That's extremely disrespectful. YANBU.

Thirty odd years ago I attended a presentation at an enthusiasts' meeting at the local club. Whilst our guest speaker was addressing the throng two people sitting directly ahead of him in the front row were chattering incessantly at some volume. I heard every word several rows back. Eventually our guest's patience ran out and he said to the pair of ill-mannered prats, "Now look, I'm sorry to have to tell you to shut up but you're throwing my concentration. Do you mind ?!!" Excellent. We didn't hear another word from them until we took a break, whereupon they tried to sneak out unseen.

Oh god flashbacks to dh best mans speech. It was a MASSIVE wedding frankly about 100 guests were bride and grooms real friends and close family who cared about them the other 250 odd were from their community. Maybe a cultural thing but the 100 proper guests all listened and laughed throughout his speech but the rest just continued talking and eating as if nothing was happening!

Not just speeches- I've been to gigs where people think the solos are a chance to have a good old chat! Just because the person on stage has stopped singing, doesn't mean we want to hear about your day, idiot in front of me!

Harvest festival today. The toddler a few knees down had impeccable manners. The grandparents who didn't have anyone in the infants but had arrived early for the Juniors, were chatting through 6 year olds proudly saying their lines :(

Very rude. I speak professionally, and would have asked them something like - 'would they like to share what was so much more interesting that what I was saying? or ask them to leave so others could enjoy what was being said''. Few people continue if you draw attention to them like this.

I was at a chamber of commerce dinner a few years ago where the table next to us loudly talked through all the speakers. I was not impressed and I know everyone has a lot of wine at these do's but basic manners still apply!