Listening

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Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a controversy
    • ex. Did you hear about the politician’s recent controversy?
  2. rinse
    • ex. You need to rinse the dishes better. They still have soap on them.
  3. exclaim
    • ex. Kenzie opened the present and exclaimed, “Oh, wow!”
  4. grease
    • ex. I don’t eat a lot of fried foods because the grease hurts my stomach.
  5. a response
    • ex. Kyle hasn’t sent a response to our question yet.

Article

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A five-minute video about fried chicken was the center of a recent internet controversy. When actress Paula Patton uploaded a video on how to make “Mom’s favorite fried chicken” to Instagram, many people felt that she broke basic rules of cooking and wrote negative comments. Olympic athlete Ashley Spencer even uploaded a video of her reaction to Patton’s cooking on TikTok.

In Patton’s video, she quickly rinses the raw chicken in the sink. Spencer and many others said that she didn’t clean the chicken properly. Later, Patton dips the chicken in plain flour before adding the seasoning directly to the oil. In her reaction, a shocked Spencer exclaims, “In the grease, Paula?! Your mama did this? You’re seasoning grease!” However, some people felt that Patton’s cooking was fine. One chef defended her techniques, explaining that everyone cooks differently.

After turning off the comments on her original video, Patton posted a response to the controversy. The actress said that she doesn’t mind getting feedback on her cooking skills, but she loves her mom’s recipe. “It’s just the way we do it,” she explained.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Patton’s Fried Chicken Controversy

  • In your opinion, was it okay for Spencer to upload her reaction video? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, was it a good idea for Patton to turn off the comments on her original video? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What do you think about Patton's response to the controversy (ex. it was very professional, she was too nice)? Why? Discuss.

Cooking

  • Do you agree that Patton broke basic rules of cooking in her video? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, should every adult know how to cook? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Patton said that she loves her mom’s recipe. In your opinion, why do most people love their mom's cooking? Discuss.