ADVICE TO COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS: It’s not about you. It’s about the graduates. Keep it short, and don’t abuse the captive audience.

Of course, some people don’t do this:

Best-selling author Erica Jong was booed and told to “Shut up!” and “Go Home!” during her 40-minute speech yesterday at the College of Staten Island’s commencement exercises. . . .

Ms. Jong’s remarks were met with some vehement disapproval.

“She gave a political speech when she was supposed to be doing a pep talk,” said the father of a CSI graduate who declined to give his name. “Some graduates wanted to throw stuff at her. Whoever heard of a commencement speaker talking about body bags?”

Dorothy, a 48-year-old mother of a CSI graduate, categorized Ms. Jong’s speech as “all-around bashing.

“It was disgusting, despicable,” said the Fort Wadsworth woman, who would not give her surname. “She called politicians liars, called us all liars. She trashed America. Mostly, she just wanted to talk. It was personal spewing. There was nothing about graduation.”

Really, it’s not about you. Except when they boo. Then, well, it is.