TOW #20 Kid President

Originally created as a part of a marketing stunt by Freed-Hardeman University, Kid President, as portrayed by nine-year-old Robbie Novak, has now become a global sensation.  Novak’s videos have been viewed millions of times on sites like YouTube and TED in which he encourages viewers to “make the world awesome.”  In his most recent video, titled “I Think We All Need A Pep Talk,” Novak asks viewers to “treat everyone like it’s their birthday.”

Despite the fact that the tone of the video is obviously light-hearted, Kid President still manages to make a rather compelling argument for the kinder treatment of others.  For example, he claims that we “are all on the same team” and the video features Novak on a football field to reinforce this message.  Furthermore, Novak instantly plays on the emotions of the audience as a speaker simply because as a small nine-year-old boy, people generally regard him as cute and are encouraged by the fact that someone so young is able to communicate such a powerful message.  In fact, Novak may have a slight advantage over older inspirational speakers because the audience is instantly attracted to him as a child.

Kid President also utilizes humor in an effort to inspire viewers.  For example he quotes Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and after describing how the road less travelled might be painful he shouts, “Come on Robert Frost!”  This phrase, along with “What is your Space Jam?” are featured throughout almost all of Kid President’s videos.  Finally, the bright lighting and uplifting music of the video also help to inspire viewers. Kid President has worked to spread his message of hope through not only these videos, but also through appearances on major networks like CNN.  Ultimately, his goal is to encourage viewers to live their lives as fully as possible and to help those in need, such as the young cancer patient Caddie to whom the video was dedicated.  Although he is only nine years old, Novak displays a surprising ability to communicate with his audience and his message of kindness and hope has been well-received.