Amy Poehler cracks jokes, offers life lessons in Harvard speech
(CBS) Amy Poehler addressed Harvard University's graduating class on Wednesday, during the school's Class Day ceremonies, and offered the class of 2011 some life lessons - scattered amongst jokes and Boston accents, of course.
The "Saturday Night Live" alumna and "Parks and Recreation" star told graduates, "Take your risks now. As you grow older, you become more fearful and less flexible. And I mean that literally. I hurt my knee on the treadmill this week and it wasn't even on."
Here are some other highlights from her speech:
-"Let me be clear. I believe everything I see in movies. And if you remember anything I say today, remember this. Every single thing you see in movies is real."
-"I cannot stress enough that the answer to life's questions is often in people's faces. Try putting your iPhones down once in a while, and look in people's faces. People's faces will tell you amazing things. Like if they are angry, or nauseous, or asleep."
-"Even though, as a class, you are smart, you are still allowed to say, 'I don't know.' Just because you are in high demand, you are still allowed to say, "Let me get back to you." This will come in handy when your parents ask when you plan to move out of their basement and you answer, 'I don't know. Let me get back to you.'"
-"When you feel scared, hold someone's hand and look into their eyes. And when you feel brave, do the same thing. You are all here because you are smart. And you are brave. And if you add kindness and the ability to change a tire, you almost make up the perfect person."
-"As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life."
-"Try to keep your mind open to possibilities and your mouth closed on matters that you don't know about. Limit your 'always' and your 'nevers.' Continue to share your heart with people even if it has been broken. Don't treat your heart like an action figure wrapped in plastic and never used. And don't try to give me that nerd argument that your heart is a Batman with a limited-edition silver bat-erang, and therefore if it stays in its original package it increases in value."
-"And so, class of 2011, it is time to leave. Oprah has spoken."
Tell us: What did you think of Poehler's speech?