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Motivational speakers who wish to avoid cheesy and cliched speeches must, in the first place, have some idea of what 'cheesy' means. The Internet is full of self appointed experts. Some claim this expression as 'American' and others think that it is an Internet expression. A British dictionary published in 1982, before geek speak was common, suggests that in means something that is artificially sincere, and therefore somewhat paradoxical, like the artificial grins produced by gloomy subjects for camera lenses.

Paradox can be considered an element of both cheese and motivational speeches. Cheese is tasty and nutritious but made of fermented milk. Its bad smell can disgust some human beings who will cheerfully eat mice or rats. A motivational speech may have high sounding sentiments that inspire listeners but be delivered by a low money grubbing cleric or tin pot dictator who manipulates his audience for selfish and insincere reasons.

The ongoing currency of an expression like cheesy might be an indication to speakers that audiences are more alert to pretentiousness and insincerity than they were before the days of TV and mass communication. If a term like cheesy has entered public consciousness, orators should heed the warning.

The word cheesy may itself have become something of a cliche. It has been heard often before and sounds rather clever. It fits easily into the speech patterns of people who do not have to think too closely about what they mean when they use it. The fact that it is derogatory in some general sense is sufficient for many.

The problem with cliches is that they are often used unconsciously. Like music, speech is very much a matter of rhythm and some words satisfy simply because they have been heard often before. Most people use language without thinking too much about the actual words that come out as a sentence is composed in the mind. The habit of using cliches is widespread and can be heard on radio and TV broadcasts any day of the week.

Although cliches do slip unobtrusively into the speech of most people it is possible for a speaker to guard against too many of them by careful preparation. This does not imply learning a speech by rote. Instead a speaker can think in terms of metaphor, of analogies and symbols. These are the fundamentals of original thought. Even ordinary thoughts can seem exciting and fresh when dressed in the fine clothes of metaphor and symbolism.

If cheesy implies insincerity or banality, this may be countered by planning a speech around the genuine needs of the audience. If they are threatened by unemployment and probably insecure a speaker may inspire hope and motivate certain courses of action by using words that inspire security. This might touch on the real needs experienced by members of the audience.

Public speaking is actually a high risk activity. Motivational speakers like Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill and other politicians are listened to avidly sometimes with disastrous consequences. In many cases audiences might be better advised to listen patiently and tolerantly to the words of teachers, parents and clergymen who must speak persuasively on a daily basis. When it comes to public rhetoric contemporary audiences may be more alert and critical than they were in the past.