About the Author: I’m Rik Mets, 28 years old, married and live in Bunschoten-Spakenburg, the Netherlands. For the past six years I have worked as a history teacher at various schools, now starting my fourth year at the Montessori Lyceum Flevoland. Besides teaching, I am a Mentor, Dean for the upper-level classes and Department Chair, Social Studies.

Being seen and heard on TV
Or
How I got into an argument on how you can deal with your stammer on national television

Last January I was having a work-at-home day, preparing classes and tests, when suddenly my phone rang. The person calling was a producer on the late-night talk show Beau, telling me that they were having a segment that evening on stuttering. Each week they invite a different scientist explaining about their research. This evening someone from the Max Planck Institute would be joining them to talk about the latest research that is being done on the genetic origins of stuttering. Years ago I participated in the studies and they still had my number lying around somewhere. They asked if I wanted to join that evening and talk about what stuttering means to me, in my professional and daily life. 

Joining a late-night talk show? On live television? With over a million people watching? Having to speak about stuttering? While stuttering? Sure, why not? The anxiety started as soon as the call ended. 

So that evening I got in my car, drove through the deserted streets of Amsterdam (we were in the final stages of our last lockdown) and arrived at the studios. Nervous as hell. The make-up artist tried to put me at ease, saying it was just like having a conversation with a few people sitting at a table. Never mind the camera’s, I wouldn’t even notice them, she told me. Bullshit. As soon as I set foot in the studio, I saw nothing but camera’s and the people manning them. Beau van Erven Dorens, the talk show host, introduced himself to me by giving me a fist bump. He was happy that I could join them, he said. They had the researcher who was to talk about the scientific aspect of stuttering, me and a third person, who would, just like me, talk about the effects stuttering can have on your life. 

This third person turned out to be Femke Merel van Kooten, a Dutch politician and former member of parliament. Although I am interested in politics and follow the news, I had never heard of her and had no idea she stuttered. So all in all, it seemed like it was going to be an interesting conversation. Still nervous though. 

Lights, camera’s. Three, two, one, action. Before I knew it the broadcast had started. Beau was talking about the latest Covid related restrictions and when the lockdown would end. Guests gave their opinions and prognosis. The next segment was on education and the disturbing lack of teachers in primary schools. I was on the edge of my seat. As a high school educator they just might ask me a question, so I had to be prepared. Nothing yet. The commercial break started and I was led to my seat at the table. Showtime. 

Sure, it was just a conversation. I tried not to mind the cameras, but I could not shake the feeling that over a million people were watching. Family and friends, colleagues and students, countless strangers. Of course the anxiety would make my stutter worse than it normally is, but I didn’t care about that. When the question came what stuttering means to me and the effect that it has had on my life, I was quite open about it. Sure, it wasn’t always easy when I was younger, but the last couple of years I had come to terms with it and accepted it was part of who I am. For those who have read my earlier contributions to ISAD, you know my position on stuttering.

Then Beau turned to the politician, asking her the same question. No, she did not feel the same way. She had had a severe stutter when she was younger, but after intensive therapy she finally got rid of it and she was still extremely happy about it. If she had stuttered, Femke said, she would never have become a politician. Doing therapy means hard work, but it is essential in order to get rid of your stutter. That was the message she was sending to everyone at home. I felt the need to respond, but the producers suddenly turned on a video clip. 

The clip was the famous final scene from The King’s Speech. I assume the plot of this Oscar-winning movie is well known. The stuttering prince Albert of York suddenly becomes King George VI and is thrust into the centre of Britain’s attention when World War II starts. As the leader of the nation he has to give a radio speech, which he gets through rather well with the help of his speech therapist, Lionel Logue. That was the scene they showed and I was asked to comment on it. 

For some reason, my nerves subsided. Maybe because the producers had asked me about this movie before, maybe because it is just one of those topics that always comes up whenever I talk with people about stuttering. I slipped into my teacher-role and started to orate. Of course, I think it is a great movie, well written, well-acted and quite true to history. However, I have one reservation. ‘Which is?’ Beau asked. 

How great would it have been if George VI had not overcome his stutter and did have blocks and repetitions during his speech. But he still gave it and he still inspired the nation, showing that you can execute your role perfectly well, even with a stammer. I reminded Beau of something I read about Joe Biden. He has found a way to deal with his stutter so people do not notice it. How great would it be for all the people in the world who stutter if the president of the United States of America just spoke with a stammer? 

Femke, rather abruptly, interrupted me. Oh no, she did not feel the same way! It was very important that everyone who stutters goes through speech therapy, especially the one she had done. You cannot expect people to just live with their stutter, they have to get rid of it. It is a handicap if you do not deal with it. ‘But…’ I tried to intervene. She would not let me, but instead made her point again and she would have gone on if Beau had not cut her off. There was only time for one final remark, something we really wanted to tell the people watching, so I turned to the camera and said that of course, speech therapy is fine if you want it, but it is okay to just stutter. And people listening to you should give you time to speak. 

Femke’s final remark was once again…you guessed it: get speech therapy! 

When I left the studio I had a feeling of disappointment. Had I done enough to persuade people not to listen to the, in my opinion, extreme views of Femke? Had I given people who stutter enough to take with them? I was doubtful, until I checked my phone. It was blowing up. There were so many messages coming through. Texts saying how well I had done, Facebook messages from people I hadn’t seen in a long time, and screenshots with what people were saying about me on Twitter. All very positive. My message had gotten through.

As I got in my car, that disappointed feeling made way for pride. People had seen me and they had heard me.