Found: Video of Conan O’Brien’s Harvard Class of 2000 Commencement Speech

By Alex in Everything Else on Jul 6, 2008 at 1:47 am

We’ve posted about Harry Potter’s author J.K. Rowling’s commencement speech to Harvard grads before on Neatorama – this time it’s Conan O’Brien’s turn.

Here’s a clip and transcript to Conan’s commencement address for Harvard’s Class of 2000:

I’ve dwelled on my failures today because, as graduates of Harvard, your biggest liability is your need to succeed. Your need to always find yourself on the sweet side of the bell curve.

Because success is a lot like a bright, white tuxedo. You feel terrific when you get it, but then you’re desperately afraid of getting it dirty, of spoiling it in any way.

I left the cocoon of Harvard, I left the cocoon of Saturday Night Live, I left the cocoon of The Simpsons. And each time it was bruising and tumultuous. And yet, every failure was freeing, and today I’m as nostalgic for the bad as I am for the good.

So, that’s what I wish for all of you: the bad as well as the good. Fall down, make a mess, break something occasionally. And remember that the story is never over.

LinkThanks Will!


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  1. AM
    Jul 6th, 2008 at 6:31 pm

    What do I suposedly have to feel?

  2. Peeves
    Jul 7th, 2008 at 6:34 pm

    Conan went there so that makes sense but one day I hope some huge celebrity will commence at a junior college or public college or someplace that doesn’t automatically churn out the people who need the least amount of help in this country.


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