The legendary Tim Conway experienced hilarious microphone difficulties in an iconic Carol Burnett Show sketch. For someone giving a public, televised address, having their microphone cut in and out has to be the worst possible scenario. Public addresses become worthless and pointless if no one can hear the speaker.

Public addresses are typically serious business. They are used to impart and dispense much-needed and potentially life-or-death knowledge and information. Whether it be a politician, a doctor or a public safety official during an emergency, citizens need to know what to do and where to go. Of course, the best way to get that information out to people is by posting on social media or through the power of television by a public address.

So, understanding how necessary and vital public addresses are, all precautions should be taken to ensure everything goes according to plan. The speaker should be familiar with what he’s going to say, and the equipment to make the address possible should be tested and ready to go.

Sometimes, it’s not possible to plan for every imaginable outcome. Mishaps, mistakes and blunders do happen. We’re all human, and we’ve been known to make an error or two.

The worst possible situation is precisely what happens when Tim Conway tries to give a public address. His microphone cuts in and out relatively early in his speech, so listeners can only hear every second or third word. Then, someone tries to fix his microphone on the fly, making things much worse.

The sketch is laugh-out-loud hilarious. Seconds into the clip, the audience is rolling with laughter. It’s likely one of the funnier things you’ll likely ever see. But what is likely the most fantastic part of the entire clip is that Tim never breaks character. He never even smirks slightly. Most people would have burst into laughter almost immediately.

Proverbs 17:22 “A glad heart makes a healthy body, but a crushed spirit makes the bones dry.”