Emergency Presidential Address: Difference between revisions
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So [[It Got Worse|it just got worse]]. Scientists have revealed that an [[Apocalypse How|asteroid is hurtling towards the Earth]], the economy is on the verge of collapse, a fast-spreading virus has started a [[Zombie Apocalypse]], or perhaps a mad dictator has initiated his [[Evil Plan]] for World Domination. In times like these, the frightened populace turn to their leaders for guidance.
This is where the '''Emergency Presidential Address''' comes in. In the midst of all the chaos, terror, and in-fighting, the clamor dies down as various news media announce that the leader of the country is about to make an announcement, and the people wait with bated breath to hear what he or she has to say. This is a standard staple of disaster movies, and can serve to show that the problem experienced by the program has grown bad enough to reach a national or global scale.
Depending on the severity of the situation and the optimism of the leader in question, the Emergency Presidential Address can be a [[Hope Spot]] declaration that [[Rousing Speech|good will triumph]], evil will be vanquished, and that all will be well if everyone works together. Alternatively, it could be a depressing admission that the situation is far more dire than anyone realized, martial law is about to be declared, and a [[Go, Ye Heroes, Go and Die|bunch of people are about to die]]. If the Emergency Presidential Address is instead delivered by the Press Secretary who wants to assure everyone that the President has been moved to a secure facility, the audience can safely assume that [[Darkest Hour|they're royally screwed]].
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[[The Eternal Churchill]] is a subtrope, with heavy elements of [[Rousing Speech]].
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* In ''[[ROM Spaceknight]]'', the "Prime Director" of the [[Human Aliens|Galadorians]] made a public speech announcing the coming invasion by the [[Voluntary Shapeshifting|DireWraiths]] and asking for volunteers to be transformed into [[Cyborg|Spaceknights]] to counter it. Rom is the first to volunteer, inspiring a total of 2000 people to do so.
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== Film ==
* In the news report-style [[DVD Bonus Content]] included in the 2004 remake of ''[[Dawn of the Dead (2004 film)|Dawn of the Dead]]'', the ongoing media coverage temporarily switches to an announcement from the White House press office, wherein the press secretary confirms that an unknown virus is causing people to rise from the dead, the President has been moved to a secure facility, and then turns the podium over to a general who declares that martial law is in effect for the United States.
* ''[[Independence Day]]'': The President delivers an address to urge caution to the public as the alien ships enter the Earth's atmosphere and approach major cities.
** This is later followed by his "We will not go quietly into the night" speech once the aliens plans are revealed.
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* ''[[Armageddon]]'': The President delivers an address before the team is launched, wishing them luck in their mission to destroy the asteroid.
* In the ''[[Babylon 5]]'' film ''In The Beginning'', the president of Earth gives a sobering [[Do Not Go Gentle]] speech in which she pleads for combat-worthy ships to sacrifice themselves by holding the line in face of an imminent Minbari invasion, while the evacuation of civilians is underway.
* ''[[Deep Impact]]'': The President makes the announcement about Wolf-Biederman, and then makes another announcement that the Messiah has failed, and that disaster is
* A presidential address is predicted by Dr. Kurtzweil in ''[[The X-Files]]'' movie as part of him [[Story-Boarding the Apocalypse]].
* ''[[Harry Potter
* ''[[First Family]]'', with Bob Newhart as the President, had a scene where some of his
* The movie ''[[Blindness]]'' features a scene where, after a highly contagious outbreak of sudden blindness seems to reach apocalyptic levels, there is a public address from the governor of the movie's location confessing that she too has become blind.
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== Literature ==
* Played with in ''[[Ciaphas Cain|Duty Calls]]'', in which the governor's speech [[Epic Fail|is a complete failure]] ([[Is This Thing On?|and not even rehearsed]]), demonstrating just how out-of-it the governor is (and with a name like Merkin [[George W. Bush|W. Pismire the Younger]], take a wild guess [[Take That|who he's supposed to be...]]).
* Done in Stephen King's ''[[The Stand]]'', where the president can't even get through his speech without starting to cough like crazy, even as he's telling everyone there's nothing to fear and a vaccine is coming.
* The ''[[Animorphs]]'' book "The Absolute" has the governor giving a speech at the end, telling the country about the Yeerks. (Few believe it, though, because she's soon taken away and said to be insane.)
* In [[Robert Reed]]'s short story,
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* In ''[[Doctor Who]]'', there's one of these in "The Christmas Invasion". The Prime Minister has to take over the time slot allocated to The Queen's Speech because {{spoiler|the Royals are apparently among the people under alien control}}.
* [[Dave Chappelle]] on ''[[Chappelle's Show]]'' mocked ''[[Deep Impact]]'' by having his black president give a "So Long Suckers" speech to the nation (''after'' and in response to the press running a headline of "World-killing Asteroid is Black President's Fault") as he beamed off the doomed Earth.
== Radio ==
* In an episode of the ''[[Firesign Theatre]]'' radio show "Nick Danger" (a parody of old private dick radio shows), the moment of climax is cut off by a special announcement from the president.
* [[The War of the Worlds (radio)|The Mercury Theater On The Air's
== Western Animation ==
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[[Category:Dialogue]]
[[Category:Speeches and Monologues]]
[[Category:No Real Life Examples, Please]]
[[Category:Apocalyptic Index]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
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