A relatively newer type of debate that gets dissed on by policy and LDer kids primarily because in Public Forum, you debate about current events, don't wear sweater vests, and actually have to use logic, sources, and speaking SKILLs to PERSUADE your judge.

Public Forum is meant to be a spectator event, meaning, unlike LD or Policy, you can't spam your judge and talk at 6 words a second. Policy, LD, and Congress kids usually diss PF, but end up getting raped when they try it because a normal person (i.e. your potential PF judge) doesnt want to see a short sweaty kid in a sweater vest talk about nuclear war caused by helping penguins and all other sorts of batshit not relevant to reality at a speed unfathonable to the human ear.

Side Note: PF kids might also be able to do sports and other athletic things because we dont research for 5 hours a day on the growing patterns of corn for the production of corn ethanol or some other policy shit. MEANING...we can probably kick your ass physically outside a round.

Public Forum is a type of high school debate usually reserved for those who aren't necesarily the brightest kids. Set up by Ted Turner, Public Forum was used as a means to have high school debate become a 'spectator event', which was nearly impossible under the other forms. Because of this, PF is extremely simple and is about a topic, or "resolution", that changes every month. Arguements are very back-and-forth, however they may have no substance to them at all.

An event not taken seriously by policy debaters and LDers. Also referred to as PuF.

debate for kids who either:
1. are too unintelligent to do a real event,
2. can't do their normal event at a tournament and want to be in an event that's easy to win,
3. don't really like debate but want it on their transcripts,
4. don't have time for real debate, or
5. want to practice empty rhetoric.

Ted Turner invented the event so that he could use the "Crossfire" from CNN in a high school activity, but after its first year in existence he disowned it because the debaters were too rude and whiny. Hence the current name, public forum.

This event almost always has lay-judges, or mommy judges, as real debaters call them. The team with the best voice wins. The topic is always simplistic and changes every month. The emphasis is on dumbing down the world so you can explain it to an idiot.

Often referred to as PF by real debaters, this joke of a debate is for those who lack the intellect and intelligence to do Lincoln-Douglas (LD) or policy debate (CX). Public Forum is centered on current events, and is not focused on debate, rather speaking casually without actually learning anything. The team who wins is the team who can sound more like an idiot for the judge. Public Forum has no complex arguments like Topicality, Theory, Disads, K's, or CP's. The only three worse things are Congress, Parliament, and... Novice Public Forum.

To better understand Public Forum, look at definitions:

Joke: something said or done to provoke laughter.

Retarded: slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress.

Shit: an act of defecation

Synonym for Public Forum -

A-type-of-debate-that-holds-no-real-arguments-that-require-any-critical-thinking-and-or-intellectual-capability-itis. (A disease)

I saw some other definitions about LD and policy, and they were old, so I made this so a newer debater can understand. I will assume you understand the rules and various jargon used obsessively throughout most of the debate community. Public forum, compared to other debate events, while not necessarily the best, should still be highly considered. Looking at other debate forms such at LD, policy, and congress, PF is the most fun. PF is like the "Goldilocks" event. LD is too boring (who would want to judge two roman-nosed high schoolers in suits talking about the values in life for and hour), policy requires too much time researching random and stupid arguments (penguins lead to nuclear war) or perfecting speaking speed, and congress is vague, lazy, difficult to become good at, and rounds are loud and you barely get to speak. Public forum also looks good on applications, teaches you to debate lay a lot better (which definitely helps you a lot more in later parts of your life), and is probably the most "easiest to learn, hardest to master" type of debate. Give it a try.

Public forum debate consists of two teams of two debaters each. It is a fight to the death in which debaters are readied with their sharp tongues and quick wits, ready to engage in a verbal gladiator match. While Policy debaters laugh at Public Forum, a truly godly Public Forum debater can still anal anyone. Most PF debaters are douchebags, and the top debaters who recieve TOC bids on a daily basis are cocky, self-righteous dicks.

While all this is happening, there is a judge presiding over the match and deciding who the winner is. Once the judge sees the who should win the debate, their nefarious minds twist evilly and they then turn the verdict around and screw over the team that should win. Their bias shines proudly as they watch the team that should have won walk away with glum faces and sore asses.

(1) n. To throw out something on a regular basis at the end of every month, typically associated with the tossing out of evidence for Public Forum Debate

(2) n. The dance move of stepping to the side and throwing one arm (typically the right) up in the air as if throwing out evidence for Public Forum Debate at the end of every month

(3) v.To preform the public forum shuffle