Unit 26: Social Media and Cancel Culture
Warm-up and Vocabulary
What’s up, guys? Welcome to Unit 26! Have you ever seen a famous movie or a celebrity get ‘cancelled’ on Twitter? Maybe fans were angry because a new movie changed the story, or an actor said something wrong. Today, we are looking at Cancel Culture in the world of entertainment. We will listen to ‘YouTuber-style’ commentaries—people expressing strong opinions online. Your goal is to be a reporter: listen to their rant, ignore the anger, and Write a Summary of their main point. Let’s find out why everyone is so mad!
Vocabulary List
Read the list below carefully. You will need these words to summarize the commentaries.
- Cancel Culture: Stopping support for a person or product because they did something offensive or disappointing.
- Backlash: A strong negative reaction from a large group of people.
- Franchise: A series of movies or games (e.g., Harry Potter, Marvel, Star Wars).
- Source Material: The original book or comic that a movie is based on.
- Respect: Treating something with care and honor.
- Flop: A movie or product that fails completely (loses money).
- Criticize: To point out the faults or problems.
- Audience: The people who watch the movie.
- Ignore: To pay no attention to something.
- Summary: A short version of the main points, written in your own words.
Activity 1: Let’s Discuss
Look at the questions below. Think about your answers or discuss them with a partner.
- Have you ever decided not to watch a movie because people on TikTok or Twitter said it was bad?
- What does it mean to “Cancel” someone? Is it good (punishment) or bad (bullying)?
- Do you think movie studios (like Disney or Marvel) listen to fans on the internet?
Turning “Rants” into “Reports”
YouTubers often speak with high emotion (“rants”). They use slang and repeat themselves. To write a good summary for the TOEFL or school, you must turn their “Noise” into a clear “Report.”
1. The Strategy: The T.O.R. Method
To find the main point, listen for three things:
- T = Topic: What are they talking about? (e.g., The new Star Wars movie).
- O = Opinion: Do they like it or hate it? (e.g., They hate it).
- R = Reason: Why? This is the most important part. (e.g., Because it ignores the original story).
2. Vocabulary Upgrade (Reporting Verbs)
Do not write: “The speaker says the movie is trash.” (Too informal).
Use Reporting Verbs to sound academic:
- Instead of “says,” use: States, Mentions.
- Instead of “hates/complains,” use: Criticizes, Argues, Claims.
- Instead of “thinks,” use: Believes, Suggests.
3. Model Analysis (Bad vs. Good)
- Original Audio (The Rant):
“Oh my god, this video game is absolute garbage! It’s unplayable! The developers are so lazy, they released it with a million bugs. I feel cheated!” - ❌ Bad Summary (Too emotional/informal):
“The speaker says the game is garbage and the developers are lazy. He feels cheated because it is unplayable.”
(Why it’s bad: It copies the angry words). - ✅ Good Summary (Academic/Objective):
“The speaker criticizes the new video game. He argues that the developers released the product too early because it has many technical errors (bugs).”
(Why it’s good: It uses “criticizes” and “argues,” and changes “garbage” to “technical errors”).
Skill Practice
Complete the following 4 exercises.
Exercise 1: Word Search
Exercise 2: Matching Vocabulary
Exercise 3: Identify the Main Point
Read the “YouTuber’s Rant” (short script). Choose the sentence that best summarizes the main point without the anger.
Exercise 4: Fill in the Summary