Sunday, August 18, 2013

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2493:
Jewel in Disguise at Karaoke Bar,
Body Language Cues to Lack of Nervousness
(VIDEO, PHOTOS)





The funny video is excerpted from "Funny or Die". In it, Jewel is disguised and sings some of her own hit songs,"Who Will Save Your Soul?" and "You were Meant for Me" in a Karaoke bar. It's hilarious and contains many nonverbal tells. One particularly important hand gesture body language is significant for the lack of anxiety in a supposed amateur singer (her alias as "Karen" the frozen food worker).



Jewel has a disguise which even includes a false nose. In addition the face of an amateur or professional signer is quite contorted when singing. In such a scenario how can we detect stress?

Anxiety is very often displayed in the hands. Jewel (Karen") shows very little hand tension even four or five words into the first verse of the first song.






Even at this point in "Who Will Save Your Soul?" (at 2:21) when Jewel/Karen is singing particularly loud and passionately, her thumb and forefinger (index finger) are significantly relaxed. These are the two digits which, in the context of anxiety (or anger), preferentially manifest tension.








In daily life it is of course not important to discern if a karaoke singer is truly a music star in disguise, however this video serves a great illustrator of one place often overlooked to see tension/anxiety (or anger) - the hands. When tension is displayed in the face, there are nearly always body language signals manifested in the hands.

There are many other nonverbal examples in this video. What are some particularly good examples?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1732:  Rationalization, Rapport, Empathy Expression  How Jewel got her name

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1918:  Vladimir Putin - Pointing with Pen Surrogates  Sharp vs. Blunt

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2161:  Body Language of the Third Presidential Debate - Barack Obama and Mitt Romney - What Did They Do With Their Hands  When They Weren't Talking?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2409:  David Cameron & François Hollande - Variations on the Hand Chop & Palm Orientation

Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1446:  Rick Santorum, Tension in the Mouth - Tension in the Hands

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1888:  Rod Stewart & Ron Wood -  How the Hand and Face Collaborate

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1812:  Jamie Dimon on JPMorgan Chase's $2 Billion Loss - The Day After

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