Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Oh, Hollywood, the home of the movie industry. The movie industry has been an important part of the United States economy for a long time. Since the US pretty much stopped making things in factories, and we do little in agriculture, our economy is limited. But one of our largest products? Movies. Lots and lots of movies.
The movie industry has been very successful. People all over the world watch movies made in the United States. But it still has its flaws. People can be sexist, racist, and discriminate against people because of how they look. Recently, many people have been talking about their shocking experiences with harassment from actors, producers, and directors.
Dominique is talking about the rumors with Marni. Listen as they discuss this important topic in today’s English lesson.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Dominique: Marni, have you heard about the rumors?
Marni: Uh, what rumors?
Dominique: The rumors in Hollywood with all the harassment?
Marni: Yes, I have. Yes, it’s pretty… well, I want to say it’s shocking, but at the same time, it’s not really shocking. So, I’m just wondering what all this means. Right? You know, if it’s people in a position of power that are taking advantage of people that, you know, are willing to do whatever to become successful in this industry.
Dominique: I mean, should we separate a person from their art? I mean, where is the line of harassment.
Marni: You know, I think that’s a really good question because I… some of my favorite artists... you know, that I’ve always loved their work… then, I come to find out they’re actually a really terrible person. And I have a really hard time with that because I like their work, but the person who created it, they’re not a good person.
Dominique: Well, isn’t it going to be weird watching them knowing that they harassed somebody?
Grammar Point
Go Super to learn "Simple Past Tense" from this lesson
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Discussion
Dominique asks if Marni has heard about the harassment rumors in Hollywood. Marni says she has. She feels like it’s shocking but not that shocking. She’s wondering about what they mean, if they’re true, and how serious they are. Maybe, people in a position of power will always take advantage of other people.
Dominique asks if it’s important to separate a person from their art. Should we still be watching these awesome movies even if they’re made by terrible people? Marni says it’s difficult to say. Dominique thinks it would be weird to watch their movies, knowing they harassed someone.
What do you think of the harassment rumors in Hollywood? Would you watch someone’s movie even if they’re a terrible person?