History Main / WhoopiEpiphanySpeech

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[[quoteright:349:[[ComicBook/GreenLantern https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1574cdd3e_ca26_4da1_b15d_772acf85a0263_1.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:349:"In my defense, I stopped Sinestro from conquering you all." "But did you stop Jim Crow from segregating us?"]]

Named after actress Creator/WhoopiGoldberg, whose character Celie in ''Literature/TheColorPurple'' is an uneducated, viciously oppressed farmgirl who famously stands up for herself with such a speech. Her later character Guinan from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', a wise ReallySevenHundredYearsOld [[TheBartender bartender]], may have helped cement the trope name, although Guinan's life-affirming speeches tended to be more erudite.

** Celie in ''Film/TheColorPurple''.

* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheTwoTowers'': special marks for the following end-of-film summation speech:
-->'''Samwise:''' Because there's something ''good'' in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for!\\
'''Faramir:''' It seems at last we understand one another... Release them!

* ''Film/ForrestGump'' spoke almost exclusively in these.
* In ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', the old German man who stands up to [[spoiler: Loki]]'s attempt at intimidating a crowd.

* In ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', [[spoiler: Wallace (Scott's gay roommate) delivers a dramatic speech about chasing true love... only to reveal that it's just to get him to move out of the apartment]].

* In Tolkien's ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings,'' it sometimes seems like this is Sam's main purpose.
* Jim from ''Literature/HuckleberryFinn'' has many of these, although they are rarely understood by anyone other than the reader. Even ''he'' doesn't realize he says them.

* ''Literature/ToKillAMockingBird'': Gosh, whenever Scout or Jem say anything at or near the end of a chapter, it's one of these. Often, it's really [[ArmorPiercingQuestion hard-hitting]] too.

A profoundly wise, life-affirming monologue given by a [[WisdomFromTheGutter poor]]/oppressed [[TokenMinority minority]]/[[BookDumb uneducated]]/[[InspirationallyDisadvantaged mentally challenged]] character to a more-privileged one, who is deeply moved by it and changes their outlook/actions accordingly. The speech may use [[UnaccustomedAsIAmToPublicSpeaking simplistic language]] but will, at its core, be extremely well-structured and insightful.

'''Picard:''' [[SuddenlyShouting It's not a person, dammit, it's a]] ''[[SuddenlyShouting Borg]]''!\\

-->'''Tarik:''' Look at me. I'm fat, black, can't dance, and [[HasTwoMommies I have two gay fathers.]] People have been messing with me my whole life. I learned a long time ago there's no sense getting all riled up every time a bunch of idiots give you a hard time. In the end, the universe tends to unfold as it should. [[BlackIsBiggerInBed Plus I have a really large penis. That keeps me happy.]]

[[caption-width-right:349:"In my defense, I've saved the entire Earth from destruction multiple times." "But you didn't stop Jim Crow!"]]

A profoundly wise, insightful, life-affirming monologue given by the [[WisdomFromTheGutter poor]]/oppressed [[TokenMinority minority]]/[[BookDumb uneducated]]/[[InspirationallyDisadvantaged mentally challenged]] character to a more-privileged one, who is deeply moved by it and changes their life accordingly.

Named after actress Creator/WhoopiGoldberg, whose character Celie in ''Literature/TheColorPurple'' is an uneducated, viciously oppressed farmgirl who famously stands up for herself with such a speech. Her later character Guinan from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', a wise ReallySevenHundredYearsOld alien [[TheBartender bartender]], may have helped cement the trope name, although Guinan's life-affirming speeches tend to be more erudite.

Subversions usually take the form of some person [[ShamingTheMob interrupting a fight]] with a comment on why they shouldn't be fighting. Instead of stopping as expected, the rioters just continue fighting.

The MagicalNegro frequently dispenses Whoopi Epiphany Speech. See also WaifProphet, BookDumb, SimplemindedWisdom, WisdomFromTheGutter. Note that just because the character is black, and is giving a speech, doesn't make it a Whoopi epiphany speech -- if the character is powerful, intelligent, and respected, they don't fit this trope.

* In ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', the old German man who stands up to [[spoiler: Loki]].
-->'''German Man:''' There are always men like you.

Profoundly wise, life-affirming short speech given by the [[WisdomFromTheGutter poor]], oppressed [[TokenMinority minority]], [[BookDumb uneducated]], or [[InspirationallyDisadvantaged mentally challenged]] character to the more-educated protagonist. Thus, perhaps, clearly distinguishing between the "Intelligence" and "Wisdom" attributes in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''.

Named after actress Creator/WhoopiGoldberg, whose character Celie in ''Literature/TheColorPurple'' is an uneducated, viciously oppressed farmgirl who famously stands up for herself with such a speech. Her later character Guinan from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', a wise, mysterious and ReallySevenHundredYearsOld alien [[TheBartender bartender]], may have helped cement the trope name, although Guinan's life-affirming speeches tend to be more erudite.

Subversions usually take the form of some person interrupting a fight with a comment on why they shouldn't be fighting. Instead of stopping as expected, the rioters just continue fighting.

Frequently utilized by the MagicalNegro. See also WaifProphet, BookDumb, SimplemindedWisdom, WisdomFromTheGutter. Note that just because the character is black, and is giving a speech, doesn't make it a Whoopi epiphany speech -- if the character is powerful, intelligent, and respected, they don't fit this trope.

** Also done more recently, with [[AmbiguousDisorder vaguely mentally disabled]] character Shannon delivering a rousing speech about tolerance to an entire high school from atop a cafeteria table.

* Whoopi tries to deliver one about how overworked and pressured people in her line of work are while on the stand as a social worker in ''Series/LawAndOrderSVU''. Subverted by the fact that she has knowingly neglected actually caring for children in favor of paperwork and self advancement, and the ultimate objective of her speech is to evade responsibility (legally and morally) for a child's death. Despite the message being an important one, the speech rings hollow with both the characters and the audience as a result.

-->'''Furlong:'''I'm beat.

-->'''Furlong:'''"I'm beat.

->'''Tracy Gill''': Creator/AishaTyler walked away with the award for "Extraordinarily Intuitive Black Female".\\

->''"Now ''that'' black girl knows something you don't!"''

-->-- Website/TheOnion News Network [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXbcaVY8FQ0 video,]] ''The Strong Women in Film Award for Most Extraordinarily Intuitive Black Woman in a Motion Picture''

** Also done more recently, with vaguely mentally disabled character Shannon delivering a rousing speech about tolerance to an entire high school from atop a cafeteria table.

* In the winter of 1995, Creator/BongoComics (the company responsible for comic-book adventures involving characters from ''ComicBook/TheSimpsons'') presented a three-part story entitled "The Rise and Fall of Krustyland." It recounts how Krusty the Clown let everyone - and that means ''everyone'', from ordinary citizens to the Mob - for miles around get into his amusement park free on the day that it opened. Two of the groups that attended were a troupe of Boy Scout-like youths called the Junior Campers (with [[{{Flanderization}} Ned Flanders]] as their leader) and a contingent of [[InsaneEqualsViolent violent inmates from the local insane asylum]]. Both groups somehow get trapped inside the watery funhouse ride "It's a Tiny Yet Annoying World" (obviously a NoCelebritiesWereHarmed send-up of Disneyland's "It's a Small World") when divine windstorms and wildfires (Krustyland had been built on a [[MagicalNativeAmerican cursed Native American burial ground]]) break out in the park. The TastesLikeDiabetes song performed by the animatronic dolls nearly drives everyone berserk....until one of the asylum inmates attempts to mediate, urging everyone to listen to the lyrics and "join together and sing!" Both the campers and the inmates look at this guy in disgust for a beat before erupting in anger and screaming for his blood. Fortunately, the boats on the ride bust their way out of the tunnels before anything really bad can happen.