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This article is about a platform. For other uses, see Soapbox (disambiguation)
Soapbox (disambiguation)

Soapbox may refer to:*Soapbox, a raised, improvised platform on which one stands to make an impromptu speech*Soapbox , a motorless vehicle capable of holding a driver built for the purpose of racing or recreation...
. For the Wikipedia policy, see Wikipedia:NOTSOAPBOX. A soapbox is a raised platform
Platform

The word platform is used in several different contexts, usually referring to some kind of standing surface used to support things, give them stability, or visibility:...
 on which one stands to make an impromptu speech
Impromptu speaking

Impromptu speaking is a public speaking and debate consolation event that involves an eight minute speech, with up to three of these eight minutes available for use as preparation time ....
, often about a political
Politics

Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. The term is generally applied to behaviour within civil governments, but politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporation, academia, and religion institutions....
 subject.

The term originates from when speakers would stand on a wooden box
Box

Box describes a variety of containers and receptacles. When no specific shape is described, a typical Rectangle box may be expected. Nevertheless, a box may have a horizontal cross section that is square , elongated, circle or oval; sloped or domed top surfaces, or non-vertical sides....
 meant for holding soap
SOAP

SOAP, originally defined as Simple Object Access Protocol, is a protocol specification for exchanging structured information in the implementation of Web Services in computer networks....
. The term is also used metaphor
Metaphor

Metaphor is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects. It is a figure of speech that compares two or more things without using the words "like" or "as." More generally, a metaphor describes a first subject as being or equal to a second object in some way....
ically to describe a person engaging in often flamboyant impromptu or unofficial public speaking
Public speaking

Public speaking is the process of Speech communication to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners....
, as in the phrases "He's on his soapbox", or "Get off your soapbox." Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine ....
 is known for its Sunday soapbox orators, who have assembled at Speakers' Corner
Speakers' Corner

A Speakers' Corner is an area where public speaking is allowed. The original and most noted is in the north-east corner of Hyde Park, London in London, England....
 since 1872 to discuss religion
Religion

A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of myth, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendence quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth....
, politics
Politics

Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. The term is generally applied to behaviour within civil governments, but politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporation, academia, and religion institutions....
, and other topics
Controversy

A controversy is a dispute, argument, discussion or debate featuring strong disagreements and opposing, contrary, or sharply contrasting opinions about an idea, subject, group or person....
.






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Encyclopedia


This article is about a platform. For other uses, see Soapbox (disambiguation)
Soapbox (disambiguation)

Soapbox may refer to:*Soapbox, a raised, improvised platform on which one stands to make an impromptu speech*Soapbox , a motorless vehicle capable of holding a driver built for the purpose of racing or recreation...
. For the Wikipedia policy, see Wikipedia:NOTSOAPBOX. A soapbox is a raised platform
Platform

The word platform is used in several different contexts, usually referring to some kind of standing surface used to support things, give them stability, or visibility:...
 on which one stands to make an impromptu speech
Impromptu speaking

Impromptu speaking is a public speaking and debate consolation event that involves an eight minute speech, with up to three of these eight minutes available for use as preparation time ....
, often about a political
Politics

Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. The term is generally applied to behaviour within civil governments, but politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporation, academia, and religion institutions....
 subject.

The term originates from when speakers would stand on a wooden box
Box

Box describes a variety of containers and receptacles. When no specific shape is described, a typical Rectangle box may be expected. Nevertheless, a box may have a horizontal cross section that is square , elongated, circle or oval; sloped or domed top surfaces, or non-vertical sides....
 meant for holding soap
SOAP

SOAP, originally defined as Simple Object Access Protocol, is a protocol specification for exchanging structured information in the implementation of Web Services in computer networks....
. The term is also used metaphor
Metaphor

Metaphor is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects. It is a figure of speech that compares two or more things without using the words "like" or "as." More generally, a metaphor describes a first subject as being or equal to a second object in some way....
ically to describe a person engaging in often flamboyant impromptu or unofficial public speaking
Public speaking

Public speaking is the process of Speech communication to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners....
, as in the phrases "He's on his soapbox", or "Get off your soapbox." Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine ....
 is known for its Sunday soapbox orators, who have assembled at Speakers' Corner
Speakers' Corner

A Speakers' Corner is an area where public speaking is allowed. The original and most noted is in the north-east corner of Hyde Park, London in London, England....
 since 1872 to discuss religion
Religion

A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of myth, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendence quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth....
, politics
Politics

Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. The term is generally applied to behaviour within civil governments, but politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporation, academia, and religion institutions....
, and other topics
Controversy

A controversy is a dispute, argument, discussion or debate featuring strong disagreements and opposing, contrary, or sharply contrasting opinions about an idea, subject, group or person....
. A modern form of the soapbox is a blog
Blog

A blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video....
: a website
Website

A Web site is a collection of related Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are hosted on one Web server, usually accessible via the Internet....
 on which a user publishes one's thoughts to whoever reads the page.

History


Throughout history, soapboxing has been tied to the right to speak
Freedom of speech

Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship or limitation. The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes used to denote not only freedom of verbal speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used....
. From the period 1907 to approximately 1916, the Industrial Workers of the World
Industrial Workers of the World

The Industrial Workers of the World is an international trade union currently headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. At its peak in 1923 the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers....
 conducted dozens of free speech fights
Free speech fights

Free speech fights is the term used to describe a number of conflicts in the early twentieth century, particularly those relating to the efforts of the Industrial Workers of the World to organize workers and publicly speak about labor issues....
 in the United States, particularly in the West and the Northwest, in order to protect or reclaim their right to soapbox. During the 1960s, a Free Speech Movement
Free Speech Movement

The Free Speech Movement was a student protest which took place during the 1964?1965 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio, Brian Turner, Bettina Apthecker, Steve Weissman, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and others....
 was initiated on the Berkeley, California Campus
University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley is a public university research university located in Berkeley, California, California, United States. The oldest of the ten major campuses affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley offers some 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines....
 over fund-raising at an intersection and other political freedoms, and the fight eventually spread to other college campuses across the United States.

See also

  • Blog
    Blog

    A blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video....
  • Debate
    Debate

    Debate or debating is a formal method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examine the consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examine what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is technique of persuasion....
  • Forum
    Forum (legal)

    A public forum is a United States constitutional law term that describes a Federal government of the United States-owned property that is open to freedom of speech and assembly....


External links