📙 Part 2: Describe a famous person you'd like to meet

This episode's vocabulary

Up close and personal (idiom) – physically close to someone or something, allowing for a direct and detailed experience. → The documentary gave viewers an up close and personal look at the life of a lion.

Meet your idols (phrase) – to meet people you greatly admire; often used in the expression "never meet your idols," which suggests it can be a disappointing experience. → He was nervous to meet the author, hoping the reality wouldn't ruin his perception of his idol.

Notorious (adj) – famous for something bad. → The city is notorious for its terrible traffic.

Infamous (adj) – well-known for some bad quality or deed. → He is infamous for his outrageous behavior at parties.

Cultivate an image (phrase) – to try to develop a particular image or reputation for yourself. → The politician carefully cultivated an image as a man of the people.

Bimbo (noun, slang) – an attractive but unintelligent or frivolous young woman. → She was tired of being typecast as the stereotypical dumb blonde bimbo in movies.

Superficial (adj) – not thinking or showing any understanding of serious or important matters. → He's fun to be with, but he's very superficial and only cares about appearances.

Generate controversy (phrase) – to cause a lot of public disagreement or argument about something. → The film's ending was designed to generate controversy and discussion.

Painted in a different light (idiom) – described or shown in a new or different way. → After her charity work was revealed, the actress was painted in a completely different light.

Authentic (adj) – real, true, or genuine. → I would love to have an authentic conversation with her, not just a rehearsed interview.

Generational wealth (noun) – assets passed down from one generation of a family to the next. → The company's success was built on generational wealth from the shipping industry.

Demure (adj) – reserved, modest, and shy. → She has transformed from a party girl into a more demure and serious public figure.

To be cut up about something (phrasal verb) – to be very upset or distressed about something. → He was really cut up about not getting the promotion.

Questions and Answers

Maria: Describe a famous person you'd like to meet. You should say who he or she is, how you know them, where you would like to meet him or her, and explain why you would like to meet this person.

Rory: To be honest, I'm struggling to think of anyone famous I'd like to meet up close and personal, just because I can't. And also, people always say you should never meet your idols. But if I have to choose someone, then it would actually be Paris Hilton. When it comes to who she is, she's a rather notorious heiress of the Hilton family. They're a family that's built wealth off of hotels. However, she, herself, is pretty infamous for this persona and image that she's cultivated over the years of being a bit of a bimbo who doesn't care much about anything but fashion or other superficial things.

In terms of how I know her, well, she was in the media a lot when I was growing up and when I was entering university. It always seemed to be making a scene or generating some kind of controversy. Nowadays, however, she's often on social media but is painted in a rather different light because the context is more serious as is the content of what is being said. For example, a recent video showed her talking in the United States Congress about various media issues which was extremely interesting to see.

With regard to how and where I'd like to meet her, I haven't really thought about it much, and I don't suppose it matters either. It would just be interesting to see how she interacts with people on a more personal and authentic level, and find out how she's achieved various things in her life. It would be easy to say it's because she has access to all of this generational wealth and while that might be partially true, I think there might be more to it than that.

As for why I would like to meet her, honestly, I had to pick someone, so this was just a random choice. But the more I think about it, the more interested I would actually be to find out how she has gone from being a sort of typical overprivileged nepo baby to something a bit more demure and mindful. Not only that, it would also be interesting to find out how she has managed to manipulate the media in such a way as to reinforce this new brand of hers.

However, if it never happens, I doubt I'll be too cut up about it. Like I said, sometimes it's best not to meet famous people.

Discussion

Maria: Right, dear listener. You should pick a famous person you'd like to meet. A person like a celebrity could be an actor, a sportsman, a writer. And then you can talk about this person in other tasks as well. For example, describe a writer you'd like to meet or a famous athlete, like a sportsman. Rory told us about Paris Hilton. If you have no idea who she is, please Google her. Paris Hilton, she's actually 45 years old. She's 45?

Rory: Looking good for 45.

Maria: Oh, I know. Paris Whitney Hilton. Hilton like a hotel Hilton, that's right. And American media personality, socialite, and a businesswoman. Socialite like a celebrity, yeah?

Rory: Well, yeah, and someone who socializes.

Maria: And you can start off with, to be honest, to tell you the truth, the examiner, to be honest with you, I struggle to think of anyone famous I'd like to meet. Or I'd like to meet up Paul McCartney.

Rory: Well, no, I'd like to meet up close and personal. So here...

Maria: It's not I'd like to meet up with, it's I'd like to meet up close and personal.

Rory: Ooh, yeah.

Maria: Those are different things. Why did you add close and personal?

Rory: Well, here, up close and personal is close to someone physically, and meet up with is just to meet somebody. You've organized a meeting.

Maria: So the phrase is up close and personal. So close to something or someone, experiencing them directly, right? For example, about wild animals, we can see tigers up close and personal.

Rory: No, not a good idea perhaps.

Maria: Tigers. Okay, different animals. Up close and personal. And some people say that you should never meet your idols. Idol, like a pop idol. For example, Madonna is an idol. Idol, C1, someone who is admired and respected very much. Okay? So a pop idol, a musical idol, a sporting idol. And if you talk about someone famous, perhaps you talk about some idol, like icon. Then the second conditional, if I had to choose, it would be Paris Hilton. If I had to choose a celebrity, it would be Paul McCartney or it would be Messi. We change the topic and we choose the phrase, when it comes to who she is, she's a notorious socialite. She's a media personality.

Rory: Notorious, or infamous.

Maria: Infamous like she's known for bad things. For wild parties. She's pretty infamous for something. Or she's famous for something. She or he is an idol, icon, famous for something.

Rory: Maria, for example. An icon of charisma and joy.

Maria: Then Rory uses a very interesting word, bimbo. It's slang, dear listener. Slang and disapproving, so it's negative. Bimbo, a young woman considered to be attractive but not intelligent. So she's blonde and stupid.

Rory: Well, that's the image she cultivated initially, but obviously nowadays it's very different and in general, that's usually not the case for a lot of people.

Maria: Blond bimbo. And you can say, oh many people think that she's a bimbo who is into fashion and superficial things. Like superficial like material things.

Rory: Superficial must be C2.

Maria: Superficial, C2, yes, superficial, it is. Not serious. So C2 Band 9 word. He is very superficial. He never thinks about things which are serious or important. He's an empty person. Then we change the topic again. In terms of how I know of her, when it comes to who she is, she's ta ta ta. In terms of how I know of her, of her, she was in the newspaper, or I saw him on TV, or...

Rory: She's in the papers.

Maria: She's in the papers, she's everywhere on TV, right? Or my friends told me about her, or everyone knows her or him like Messi. Okay, how did you find out about him? I don't even remember.

Rory: Turn on the television.

Maria: Right. And I grew up reading about him. Okay? As a child, I read about him. He's often on social media. On social media, yeah. He's all over the internet. He's all over YouTube. Then we change the topic again. With regard to how and where I'd like to meet him or her, because you need a place and time, right? I haven't thought much about it. I haven't thought about it. I don't know really. But I suppose that I'd like to meet him in a restaurant, in a cafe, I don't know. In my flat. Okay. Maybe. Or in a park, okay? Or I don't know, maybe play football with Messi, I don't know, sing a song at karaoke with Paul McCartney. Oh, that would be great. He actually released his album.

Rory: Really?

Maria: Oh yeah, he's like 80 something.

Rory: And how much is he paying you to advertise for him, Maria?

Maria: Paul McCartney, hello. If you're listening, just get in touch, Paul, I love you, Paul. Just get in touch. Oh, 83 years old. Paul McCartney.

Rory: What do you need with all that money at 83, Paul McCartney?

Maria: Yeah, Paris Hilton, also, if you're listening, just drop us a line.

Rory: Please don't sue us. Actually, she can't sue us. I said nice things.

Maria: Yeah, yeah, we were saying nice things and Hilton, you know, hotel, if you're listening to this podcast, just...

Rory: We'll be very happy to advertise for you.

Maria: Yeah, yeah, we'd be happy to travel and stay in any of your hotels. Right, dear listener, hello. So it would be interesting to interact with this person, to make it personal and authentic, like authentic, like real interaction. So Rory, I still don't understand where would you like to meet Paris?

Rory: I didn't really have time to think about that. That's why I said I haven't really thought much about it and I don't suppose it matters.

Maria: Uh huh, okay, so anywhere. It doesn't matter.

Rory: So, that's a good thing if you're struggling to think of something, you could just say I haven't thought about it and it probably doesn't matter because someone that famous, just meeting them anywhere would be interesting.

Maria: Yeah, like in a toilet, at McDonald's.

Rory: Why must it always become about the toilet with you?

Maria: No. Not always.

Rory: A lot of that, not always, just most of the time.

Maria: Oh, come on, you are exaggerating, drama queen.

Rory: The amount of toilet references we have to cut from this show because of Maria.

Maria: No, you should just say any place. Okay, toilet. Oh, hi Paris. You're you're You're also here? Oh, okay. Dear listener, hopefully you're laughing. Then we change the topic again. As for why I'd like to meet her, honestly, I had to pick someone, so it's just a random choice. I'm more interested in their career, for example. I'm interested in their, I don't know, personality, in their philosophy. Okay? For example, I'd like to meet Keanu Reeves and I would ask him about Buddhism.

Rory: Oh, yeah, that's quite cool.

Maria: He started in the film Buddha and he played Buddha, Buddhism, Buddha. So young Buddha, a very nice film with Keanu Reeves and Keanu Reeves is just amazing there. Young, gold, his body is all as if he was made of gold. So yeah, I would ask him about that experience. So yeah, I'm interested in what? In their career, in their personality.

Rory: In their work, in their millions of dollars, perhaps.

Maria: It would be interesting for me to find out how they have become successful if this person is alive. Yeah, present perfect. So to find out, to learn more about how they have become successful, how they have managed to do this or that. And then we finish off with a conditional, the first conditional, the real conditional, if it never happens, I'll be fine. If I don't meet Paris, I'll be fine. If I don't meet Paul McCartney, I'll be fine. I'll live. I'll survive.

Rory: I won't be too cut up about it. It will not do me any damage.

Maria: Yeah. So to be cut up about it, is it the same as put out?

Rory: Well, it's very similar, yes, annoyed.

Maria: Yeah, I won't be annoyed. Cut up. To be cut up. Right, dear listener, thank you very much for listening. And we'll get back to you in our next episode about celebrities. Bye.

Rory: Bye.