Shadowing Practice: I Actually Bought 100 Scam Ads - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Ryan: I have curated a list of the top 100 scammiest ads I have been served over the past 6 months, and I bought them all.
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But I did it to answer the age old question: What if it's not a scam, and it changes my life forever? This is what everyone says right before they get scammed.
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We've got a watch. You guys are about to see the most epic ad you've ever seen.
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Man in sunglasses: My favorite Carbinox watch is the new X Ranger.
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Let's take a look and see how tough it is!
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It is able to withstand up to 10,000 lbs of weight.
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Ryan: He's making his words longer on purpose to sound cooler.
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It's working. I kind of love this guy.
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I kind of...I kind of really like that ad.
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Let's test it! If I can break this thing, I'm not sure I can look that guy in the eyes anymore. Or the oakleys.
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Goodness! It didn't look like this in the ad.
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This was $80.
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Form factor: fire.
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Never felt this masculine before.
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Honestly. Um...
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Alright, let's try to break it!
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0 stars, bro.
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Come on! Next up: we've got a soda humidifier.
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Guy 1: TikTok made me buy it.
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Make your whole room smell like Fanta!
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Guy 1: Yummy! Ryan: So I'm gonna spend $15 to make my room smell like Mountain Dew Code Red.
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I...and I don't even get to drink it.
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Wait, this comment has a point. Wouldn't it make your room sticky?
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Every surface in your room covered in Fanta?
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I don't know about that. Let's test it out!
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Bright your life like a diamond, baby!
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That'll wake you up in the morning.
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Pretty straightforward design, it seems like. It smells good.
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Okay, here goes nothing.
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I'm so nervous.
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I don't like that.
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Come on! Come on!
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You see anything? 2 stars.
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It didn't work. Next up: we got flexiwebs, webbed fingers. So I can barely swim.
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I don't know what it is. I never really learned.
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Like, I literally almost died a couple years ago.
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Oh, God! I'm not gonna talk about it, but it happened.
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Girl 1: Here's why flexiwebs are better.
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Webs-on. Ryan: Webs-on? Okay.
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Girl 1: Webs-off. Ryan: I love the cursing emoji.
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Ugh! Me when I don't have on my flexiwebs.
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Luffytaro put it perfectly.
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"Fishman". That's who you are with these on.
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Okay, let's try these out! Let's see if these extend my life expectancy!
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I'm gonna swim across this pool and back.
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We're gonna time it, and then I'm gonna use the webs, the web slingers or whatever.
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I can barely swim, as is.
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I'm the best case study for this product.
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Start the clock! Attempt 1.
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No webfingers. 2:46.
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Dude, it takes so long to put on.
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I feel so lame. I hopped in the pool, feeling really confident, actually. Kind of embarrassing.
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I'm still not good at swimming, but my final time: 2:17. 29 seconds faster with flexiwebs.
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4 stars. Next up: we've got this lunchbox that heats up food by itself.
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Woman 1: My wife's boyfriend bought me this.
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Ryan: Wait, my wife's boyfriend?
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This feels like the type of purchase you make when your marriage is not going well.
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Woman 1: So cool. It's a lunchbox that microwaves your food.
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It also comes with a car plug, so I can hide on my lunch break.
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Ryan: I love how you just have to put the food straight up into this thing.
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Those mashed potatoes are chemically fused at this point.
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This is the last place I ever expected to cook a hash brown.
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But here we are. We are living in the future.
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Car charger...ah! Going in.
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Timelapse. Let's see if there's a hot hashbrown in here!
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Still looks...uh...
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I don't think it worked.
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2 stars. I had fun.
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Next up: we have an auto door closer.
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Dude, this has 7 likes.
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How did I get served this ad?
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This again feels targeted.
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I don't know why. My door is open.
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Look at that! I need it.
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Girl 2: My mom... Ryan: His socks...his socks are just... Girl 2: Is always leaving my door open.
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It's so annoying.
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So I bought this automatic door closer.
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Ryan: Is that scotch tape?
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Girl 2: It works great.
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Ryan: Let's see if I can even figure this out!
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Alright. Let's see if this works!
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Yo, dude! I'm sick and tired of you leaving this door open.
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You need to figure that out of your...
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5 stars. My mind is blown.
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Next up: we've got a loop machine.
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Not exactly sure what that means.
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Ryan: $16.99. Girl 3: Turning it up to max speed.
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I'm actually really scared.
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Wait! It actually feels amazing.
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Ryan: I'm with Tony. What is this...what is this for?
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Yeah, I have no clue.
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Mhm...4 stars.
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Next up: we've got a pot that cooks with no stovetop.
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Girl 4: Burgers and fries in my dorm.
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You don't even have to leave your bed.
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Ryan: I mean, do I even want this in my life?
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Do I want 450 degrees of canola oil, deep frying frozen potatoes on my comforter at 3 a.m.? That's what I'm asking myself.
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There's literally just liquid beef on...on their bed now. This comment. I feel like there have to be more pressing questions.
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"What seasonings do you use for your fries?" Let's test this at 3 a.m.!
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Okay, guys. It does smell like something is burning.
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I'm gonna throw some fries in here.
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Haley: What are you doing? Ryan: Oh, sorry!
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Smells good.
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Y'all. I'ma eat this whole pot, while I watch a MrBeast video.
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5 stars. This just saved my marriage.
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Next up: we've got a peeler for $15.99.
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Let's check it out! This feels like one of those items you buy from a garage sale that stops working after 5 minutes. If that.
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I mean, it looks awesome, if it works. Look how overwhelmingly positive the comment section is! "So useful." "Oh, man, this is awesome." "Nice. I want this. Watermelon fail. I want one. Don't cut skin off Apple!" "Very convenient." I feel like these can't be real comments. Like why is...
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Why is everyone using the same emoji?
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Let's test it out! Peeler, I mean, it's super cute.
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Oh, my gosh! Yeah!
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Oh, my gosh!
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I hate the skin.
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3 stars. Next up: phonebrella.
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Woman 2: The best phone accessory that just slaps. Beyond useful.
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I can't wait to get this bad boy to the beach.
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Ryan: This one's actually super cute.
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I mean, it looks like a massive waste of money, but super cute.
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I guess this would help you if it's raining, and you need to look up a place on your phone to buy a bigger umbrella.
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This one definitely takes the cake for the cutest scam.
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It's a little weird. You got to put it between the pig's butt cheeks, but...that's normal. Yeah. What's up? How's it going?
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No. Yeah. My phone been dry lately.
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Finally an explanation.
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Hey, what are you up to?
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Ryan's dad: Oh, not much. Waiting for some guys to drop some plywood off.
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Ryan: Nice.
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Ryan's dad: That's...all I see is, like, some...like, pattern print.
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Ryan: Oh, that's my phonebrella.
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Are you proud of me?
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3 stars. Halftime break.
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I am gonna shake things up real quick.
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So our next product is from an actual goods store.
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The Shop app, our sponsor.
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And I'm gonna have Spock test it out, while I tell you more.
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Spock, you want a present?
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Is that from the Shop app?
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Oh! Go get him!
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Alright. The Shop app is my favorite way to shop on my phone.
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It's a shopping and package tracking app that has all of your favorite brands, like Feastables and Howdy. I just winked, but you didn't see it.
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They just launched a new in-app currency, called Shop Cash.
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You get 1% back everytime you use Shop Pay.
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Not just that, but you can boost your Shop Cash on all kinds of special offers in the app. Maybe some businesses trying to get discovered, and they say: "Hey! You got $5 Shop Cash? How about 30?
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That's a good incentive. But this might be the craziest thing I've ever said.
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I have partnered with Shop to give away $100,000 in Shop Cash to get you started.
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"No way, Ryan! That's insane.
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Ryan, how did you get permission to give away that much money?" Go to shop.cash/ryan! Link in description.
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Get the app! There has never been a better sponsorship on my channel to take advantage of. This is crazy. 5 stars. Spock approved.
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We're back to the scam ads.
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This one is not looking promising.
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In fact, it's looking like a threat.
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Woman 3: TikTok made me buy it.
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Ryan: Putting "TikTok made me buy it" as the only additional information on this product is crazy. Is there not a safety warning?
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This object looks like its primary purpose is to inflict damage.
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With that being said, let's try it out!
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If I don't make it, just give my channel to Mr.
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Beast! 3, 2, 1. Ah! 1 star. SMH.
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Next up: steal soap.
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I mean: Is it even soap?
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Man: Your soap versus our soap.
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Ryan: When I was little, I used to try to eat bars of soap.
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I thought they had a chance of tasting like bubblegum.
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This product looks like Geodude just took a...shoe seal.
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Next product.
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Girl 5: My mom told me that my product was a waste of time.
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She was right.
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Ryan: Wait! This is kind of sick.
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That looked like stop motion.
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I mean, I'm known for tracking in some nasty stuff into the house, so...I could be down for this. I could...I could possibly actually use this.
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Dude, I...Ugh, I wanna come inside, but my shoes are all muddy.
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I feel like I'm about to get sucked into a portal.
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These are definitely not an excuse to dance.
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However, that...whatever that was.
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I like them. They're kind of like a really big...socket fan for $79.99.
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Okay, now I'm intrigued.
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Woman in glasses: This is the socket fan.
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It screws into any normal socket.
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Ryan: My initial thought is: Where do I have a spare light bulb socket, that makes sense for this? Woman in glasses: I was blown away by the quality of this socket fan. Ryan: Wait! Could you put 3 of these in a fan?
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Like, just a normal fan with 3 light bulb sockets?
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That's a hazard at best.
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"In most cases, it will destroy the socket you put it in." Tell them how it is, Crossed-Eagle-Feathers!
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That's...I don't know why that is true, but I believe him.
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Spock, you might wanna leave the room.
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I'm serious. Alright.
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Here goes nothing.
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How do you turn the fan on? I can't figure out how to make it actually turn.
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Pretty sick. I keep getting ripped off.
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1 star. The gripper.
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Man 3: I always wanted my arms to look like this.
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Ryan: I don't actually think I've ever wanted my arm to look like that. Man 3: So I bought a gripper. Results, Day 1. Results, Day 5. Making some progress. Ryan: There's gotta be a more functional way to do this.
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Me looking at my arms right now. I'm like: "Wait!". Let's see if this works!
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The gripper comes in the exact packaging you would expect it to.
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I don't know how there's possibly different weights on there.
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I'm never gonna hear the end of this from Haley. The gripper...
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Yeah, this one's pretty dumb.
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Call this one an L! 2 stars.
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Next up: we got therafreezy, dude. Craziest name for a product I've ever seen.
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Woman 4: What is it?
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Ryan: I thought these were really small shorts at first.
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Guy 2: It's a migraine relief cap that melts away your headaches within minutes.
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Ryan: Migraine gone in minutes?
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If this works, I'm on board.
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I've looked stupider than this on my own, so...
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Okay, guys. I have a really bad migraine.
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Probably from the bat cracker.
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Let's see if this works!
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Ah! I feel worse.
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1 star. Well, guys, there you have it.
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I just spent $800 in my weekend to look like a freak.
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Did I get ripped off?
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Or did my life just change forever?
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No, I definitely got ripped off.
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Thanks for watching!
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Hope you guys are having a great summer.
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I'll see you on July 1st, with nothing but a penny...
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and a dream.
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking and listening skills through an engaging and humorous YouTube video where the host, Ryan, explores various questionable products purchased from scam ads. By shadowing Ryan’s commentary, you will enhance your vocabulary, improve your pronunciation, and gain confidence in casual conversation. This lesson is particularly useful for IELTS speaking practice, as it offers real-life scenarios and expressions commonly used in everyday English.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Slammed: To strongly criticize or defeat; for example, "0 stars, bro." indicates a harsh review.
- Epic: An adjective used to describe something grand or impressive, often in a humorous context.
- Flexiwebs: A product mentioned that enhances swimming abilities; this playful term showcases the creativity of marketing language.
- Essential: Absolutely necessary; useful to describe important aspects of products or life.
- Shadow the speaker: To imitate the speaker's tone and pace as a method to improve fluency.
- Commentary: The explanation or comments made by the host about the products, valuable for understanding context and intention.
- Surface: The outer layer of something, often used in reference to how products interact with the environment.
- Life expectancy: A phrase referring to how long something is expected to last or function effectively.
Practice Tips
To maximize your learning experience while watching this video, consider the following shadowing tips:
- Go Slow: Even though Ryan speaks at a lively pace, don’t be afraid to play the video at a slower speed. This will help you catch every word and nuance, allowing you to mimic his pronunciation more effectively.
- Repeat Out Loud: As you watch, pause and repeat sentences after the speaker. This technique, called shadow speech, is an effective way to improve your English pronunciation and intonation.
- Focus on Emotion: Pay attention to how Ryan conveys humor and excitement in his tone. Emulating these emotions in your own speech can be beneficial for IELTS speaking practice as it shows fluency and expressiveness.
- Take Notes: Jot down key phrases and vocabulary that stand out to you, especially those that might be useful in casual conversation.
- Recap: After watching, summarize the main points of the video in your own words. This will reinforce your listening comprehension and help you build more natural English conversational skills.
By incorporating these practice strategies into your learning regime, you will not only enhance your English speaking ability but also gain a fun and entertaining way to learn English with YouTube.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.