Shadowing Practice: MTV's Downtown, Episode 05: The Con - Learn English Speaking with Video

The End The End The End The End The End The

End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End And it is lightly missed.

Okay, mess up.

Who did it?

Ah!

Damn!

That's what you get for screwing us, Alex.

You let us right into the Dragon's Lair.

Oh, okay, you don't like it?

Go back to your mom's basement then.

Whoa!

Hey, Alex, when did you get the white trash figures?

Looks like you got the whole set.

Nah, he's still missing the Beast of Akron figure.

I've never even seen one in real life.

Only on the back of the box.

Yeah, that's as rare as the mangled Steve figure in the zombie collection.

They only made a few of those because kids were choking on his breakaway guts.

Hello, guys, the dragon.

It's gaining.

Ye see a tunnel.

It's dripping with glowing fungus.

Alex, it's your turn.

Okay, so I'll use my hands of effluvium spell on that mother.

Hey, kids.

Hi.

What's going on?

It's Rudy.

Oh, Chaka, I thought I warned you about Thursday nights.

Oh!

It's dork night.

I totally forgot.

Cool dragons.

Did you draw these?

No, get your...

You've exposed a secret map.

Damn, man.

There's no way out of this tunnel.

It's a dead end.

You set us up, bastard.

Forget it.

Forget it, everyone.

I can't play anymore.

The campaign is ruined two months down the toilet.

What?

Why can't you just make another secret map and play the same pointless game tomorrow night?

Such losers.

Listen, if you're trying to say that I can't map out another entire adventure that fast, you're wrong.

Because I could create one by tomorrow, no problem.

Oh, wait, except tomorrow we shall be girding our loins for the Black Mesh Horror Con.

Wall -to -wall video games, comics and toys.

Oh, yeah.

Alex, don't tell me you're gonna spend your whole weekend at that geek fest again.

It's not a geek fest, okay?

It's about kinship, valor, and the appreciation of the horror sci -fi fantasy culture.

Plus there's a whole wing on the seventh floor where all the hot gas chicks get all sexed up

and have drug -induced orgies! And you've seen this?

No. They don't let us up there.

Um, actually guys, I've been meaning to tell you, I don't think I'm going to the con.

What?

What's wrong with you?

Don't tell me you have a date.

What, did you finally ask Serena out?

No. Oh, so you're just gonna watch her from a safe distance like usual.

Wait, I think I know what's going on here.

Is this the weekend of the Battlestar Galactica Marathon?

No, that's next week.

It's not about Serena, okay?

Something happened to me the other day.

I was out looking for the Beast, right?

And there in the action figure aisle was this 40 -year -old freak guy.

You got no guys?

You got all of the ships?

But you ain't got none of the guys that drive them!

Who's gonna drive the ships?!

Man, that's awful.

If you're gonna stock the ships, you should have to have the guys.

No, don't you understand?

It was a warning.

If I don't stop living the life of toy buying, comic book reading, video game playing freak, that'll be me someday.

Fat, bald, smelly, and out of my mind screaming at some teenage stock boy, you got none of the guys!

Don't worry, Alex.

There'll be plenty of guys left at the con.

You could even get the beast there, probably.

Look, I've got to give up this whole hoarding thing.

I want a normal life in the real world with, you know, relationships and girls and stuff.

Alex, as your dungeon master, there's something I should tell you.

There are two kinds of people in this world.

Those who think the real world is nice, like a postcard from Arizona, and those who know it's a deep, dark, sucking void that no one should ever make a postcard out of.

I thought the two kinds of people were the guys who take their figures out of the box

and the guys who don't.

No, no, no. It's the ones who have careers, and the ones like us who have day jobs.

Sorry, you're all wrong.

It's those that have had sex, and those that never will.

Mmm.

Oh.

I swear to God, Serena.

Next time I get Auntie Christ in the wrestling pit, I will have my revenge.

Oh.

100

Francis, go home.

101

We'll find someone to cover for you at the convention.

102

No, I refuse to let my wrestling career get in the way of my job.

103

Besides, I might be able to complete my Micronauts collection.

104

I can't believe you want to work at this thing.

105

I'm dreading the whole event.

106

Nothing but a bunch of 30 -year -old virgins that only use their opposable thumbs for video games and pulling it.

107

Trust me, I'm not looking forward to it either.

108

But I figure, I've already had the worst job in the world.

109

So what could be so bad?

110

Yeah?

111

What were you, a dominatrix or something?

112

No!

113

Not!

114

No, one summer I was the dunk tank girl at Pippi's.

115

This kiddie amusement park.

116

I think the reason I attracted so much business is because I grew up in the neighborhood.

117

Everyone hated me.

118

Really?

119

Yeah.

120

I was so different from them.

121

I'd yell like, Hey Vinnie in the pink shirt, you sound like a freaking girl.

122

I had water up my nose constantly.

123

Howdy doody everyone.

124

Hey B, we suddenly have an opening for another fella to work the con.

125

How about it?

126

No, I can do it.

127

Okay, okay.

128

So you're right.

129

So what'd he say?

130

Uh -uh.

131

No way.

132

Those things scare me, man.

133

All kinds of freaks running around thinking they're Spider -Man and crap.

134

No thanks.

135

Come on, man.

136

He's a Benjamin.

137

I'm in.

138

You must get the beast.

139

We must be made complete.

140

No, no more.

141

It's time for me to move on.

142

You can't stop with an unfinished collection.

143

You will have regrets.

144

I already have regrets.

145

Yeah, but you'll have regrets and more action figures.

146

But it doesn't matter.

147

I said I wasn't going, and I can't go crawling back now.

148

Crawl, Alex, crawl.

149

Come on.

150

You know you want it.

151

Just give in, it's easy.

152

No!

153

I'm not listening to you anymore, and I'm not going!

154

Hey, do you have a Beast of Akron?

155

Uh, don't have one, but I saw one being moved in this morning over by aisle five.

156

Aw, look, you're right on time, man.

157

Hour late.

158

Fruity time, right?

159

I'm sorry, B, but I ran into some females, and you know.

160

Fruity!

161

Finally, I get to take my break.

162

Hey, I thought that your boyfriend Zeke was supposed to stop by and hang out with you today.

163

Yeah, as usual, he's dropping the ball.

164

I'm not waiting. Have fun!

165

Alright man, check this.

166

This is the deal, alright?

167

The prices are on the back.

168

And whatever you do, do not go letting a guy take a comic out of the Mylock.

169

Alright?

170

Hey, Fruity, come on man, where's your head at?

171

I thought we'd be next to, you know, some of them vampire girls in lace and all.

172

But look at this, we're next to some Rob Zombie wannabe.

173

Then look in the other direction instead.

174

The Beast.

175

Come to me, my child.

176

Hey, Alex.

177

Serena?

178

I was wondering...

179

Will you be my boyfriend?

180

Yes.

181

I mean, not boyfriend for real.

182

Oh.

183

Just like walk around with me.

184

Because this clan of dorks, while they're following me around and leering, not talking to me or anything.

185

But leering is worse than talking anyway.

186

Hm.

187

I always thought talking was much worse.

188

I mean, more damage.

189

You know, limitless possibilities for burning out something idiotic.

190

Mm -hm.

191

Okay then.

192

I'll shut up now.

193

So is it okay?

194

Yeah.

195

Yeah, of course.

196

I mean, um...

197

Yeah, but will you make one quick stop with me?

198

Absolutely.

199

Thank God I ran into a friend to keep me away from those sorts of guys.

200

They spend all their time with dolls.

201

Too afraid of actual people.

202

Don't you think that's pathetic?

203

Yeah.

204

Pathetic.

205

What about that errand?

206

Oh, oh, never, neverminds.

207

Issue 22?

208

Is this the one where the woman I love, Lana Wagner, first finds out about her symbiote?

209

Yeah, yeah, it's all about that crap.

210

And there's some other stuff like that in there.

211

Hey, girls, come over here.

212

Help me sell some comics, huh? Is it really mint?

213

Or is it just excellent stretching for mint?

214

Hey, girls, don't you know he's not a real athlete?

215

He's just a wrestler.

216

Easy, little man.

217

Look, just tell me how much this thing is, okay?

218

A buck ninety -five, man.

219

Geez, don't get all agitated.

220

Hey, understudy, did you have to go to, like, embalming school and crap?

221

Ooh, ooh.

222

Ooh, he got you good, bro.

223

Come on, come on, we got customers, man.

224

Let's just get back to it, all right?

225

Yeah, look, look what I did.

226

I made you a sale from that Androsex book.

227

It was a buck 95, but look, he left the hole too.

228

What?

229

That comic was worth 195 dollars.

230

Not a dollar 95.

231

Damn, man.

232

So you're saying I messed up?

233

Yeah, and I could get fired for something like this?

234

I don't worry about it.

235

Hey, it's all good.

236

I'll just go fix it like I always do.

237

The second I make manager, I'm quitting.

238

No way.

239

That's exactly what I promised myself, too.

240

I think this aisle only sells things made by underpaid children in China.

241

So we should really get off it.

242

That wasn't Alex right there, was it?

243

Nah, that guy was with a girl.

244

Oh, I'm sorry.

245

I didn't realize what this was.

246

I'm sorry.

247

I really need to...

248

I swear to you.

249

Alex, look!

250

Sexy robot books.

251

Cool.

252

Um...

253

It's nice.

254

Nice?

255

It's completely hot.

256

I love these books.

257

They're all these great half -naked female robot figures.

258

And you know, even though I'm a girl, I still think breasts are totally erotic.

259

It's, uh...

260

Oh, wow.

261

Wow.

262

Oh wow.

263

I like the way all the features are so well rendered.

264

God, you know those guys that were luring at me probably couldn't even handle this much intimacy with a girl.

265

We have to find out if that was Alex.

266

We have to um.. oh, oh damn.

267

She got...

268

I feel weird.

269

Here, stop by and check out the ASSI table.

270

I'm in the new issue.

271

I totally remember the first time I discovered porn, don't you?

272

Uh, yeah.

273

It was a little, well, unsettling.

274

Really?

275

I was going through my dad's closet in hopes of finding some foreign coins I could take to the bank in exchange.

276

And these tapes are sticking out from under swimming trunks.

277

I mean, I don't want to look, but I do.

278

I can't help myself.

279

So I pull it out, and it's porn.

280

Whoa.

281

My normal clean cut dad had Debbie Does Dallas and Star Horse.

282

Oh my God.

283

Those are total classics. So what?

284

What did you do?

285

Did you watch them?

286

Uh, no. No, I did not.

287

Yeah, right.

288

After the first porno I saw, I snuck into my mother's bathroom, tried on her G -string underwear

289

and pranced around in front of the mirror trying to see if I could turn myself on.

290

It was so silly. Would you excuse me?

291

I have to go to the bathroom.

292

Okay, I don't have to go, but I'll walk there with you.

293

Hey buddy, fifty bucks for the book.

294

Hey man.

295

Oh, sorry.

296

Damn, it's like a uniform.

297

Oh God.

298

Look, it's exactly the opposite every place else in the world.

299

You sure you don't have to go?

300

No, I'm good.

301

Looks like it's your turn, though.

302

I'll wait here.

303

Damn that rum to an ale.

304

Alex, are you?

305

Goat!

306

Look, don't tell anyone I was here, okay?

307

Whatever you say, boss.

308

You alright then?

309

No. Go, will you do me a favor and buy something for me?

310

I can't do it because I'm with this girl and I don't want her to think I'm a toy hoarding loser.

311

It's the Beast of Akron.

312

I know where you're coming from, baby.

313

Because a woman wants to help me back from my dream of life.

314

The Justin Wilm Championships.

315

But she wouldn't lend me the money for a plane ticket.

316

My mom's cheap.

317

So the Beast of Akron, huh?

318

Yeah.

319

I don't know how much it's going to be.

320

So, here's my credit card.

321

But be careful with it.

322

The interest rate is a mother.

323

Rock on!

324

Hey.

325

Hey.

326

So, what do you want to do now?

327

Hmm, I don't know.

328

I have to make an appearance upstairs.

329

Want to go up to the seventh floor?

330

Really?

331

The seventh floor?

332

Okay, then.

333

Well, I don't know.

334

Since you're in your dorky work clothes still, you probably need this.

335

Hmm, try this.

336

No, that's not right yet.

337

Ah, forget it.

338

Let's just go.

339

Hello.

340

Thank you.

341

Hi.

342

Hey, Serena.

343

Hey, Serena.

344

How's it going?

345

Hello, Serena.

346

Hi.

347

Well, it seems like you know everyone.

348

Yeah, but I really don't dig a lot of the stuff they're about.

349

I mean, there are some people up here who actually believe they're vampires.

350

Ah, Serena.

351

Hey Serena, I left you a message a while back.

352

Well, you never called.

353

Yeah, my voicemail's been screwy.

354

See ya!

355

I used to go out with that ass.

356

He kept trying to get me in a three -way with his ex.

357

God, I really don't want to run into any more surprises.

358

Can we go hang out somewhere quiet until my break's over?

359

Yeah?

360

Sure.

361

Excuse me, guy.

362

Sorry about that.

363

Pardon me.

364

Hey, you!

365

Wait up, man!

366

Hey, there's been a mistake.

367

You know, with that Android comic, it's 195.

368

But the upside is there's no sense.

369

Sucks for you.

370

Okay, if you're gonna be that way, just give me the comic back.

371

I'm sorry that never cannot be completed as dialed.

372

I said give me the comic Do you have a problem with our friend?

373

Yo man or whatever did you know that somebody put makeup and girls clothes all over you?

374

weirdo oh Hey, there's no need to be doing nothing rash Let go you're gonna rip it Aha,

375

I got it Careful, please Come any closer and this becomes a double issue.

376

I dare you cupcake He's serious!

377

That's an Andro Synth 22!

378

And it's mint!

379

No!

380

Ashy.

381

Hey, Trap, you seen Serena?

382

A while ago.

383

She was walking around with some guy.

384

She was with a guy?

385

Pretty sure it was a guy, yeah.

386

Someone is gonna get hurt.

387

Ashy?

388

You can sit down.

389

You know, I'm glad Zeke's not here yet.

390

I get to hang out with you and just talk.

391

Do you ever notice how easy it is to talk to someone that you're not sleeping with?

392

Yeah, I know what you mean.

393

I mean, I'm so sick of being with these screwed up guys all the time.

394

Really?

395

I have such crummy luck. Or taste.

396

What is it with girls like me?

397

All a guy has to say is that he's been in prison

398

or rehab and it's like my head tips right over and my brain starts to slip out of my ear.

399

So which choice is Zeke?

400

Both.

401

You know, if you wanted to, I'm sure you could have a different great guy to go out with every night.

402

And twice some nights.

403

No way.

404

I've always been a mess.

405

In high school, I had to ask a boy to kiss me, and he said no. Well,

406

needless to say, I didn't kiss him.

407

In fact, I scraped the bottom of the barrel that night.

408

So why didn't you kiss the guy you wanted?

409

He acted all weird, like he wasn't interested.

410

But later I found out he liked me, but the way I dressed put him off.

411

What about you?

412

What was your first kiss like?

413

Well, this girl that liked me just grabbed me and kissed me.

414

I dare you to kiss Alex.

415

No way, he's a freak!

416

Whim!

417

Okay, fine, but I'm not using tongue.

418

Wow, you're so lucky.

419

Yeah, lucky.

420

Maybe I'd be luckier if I tried dating someone nice for a change.

421

Nice guys.

422

We're all the reliability and consideration.

423

F the prison record.

424

Yeah?

425

Sure.

426

Zermita!

427

I know you're in there!

428

It's Zeke!

429

Open up!

430

Ah, I'd better let him in.

431

What's this about you being with some other guy?

432

Hey, man, I don't think that Serena wants to go...

433

Tent to think.

434

Trap at me all worked up over nothing.

435

Come on, let's go.

436

Go!

437

Go, wait!

438

Hey, man, did you get the Beast of Akron?

439

Uh, yes, somewhere in here.

440

Uh, by the way, I got a few other things with your card.

441

I'll pay you back.

442

Check this out, man.

443

Underage midget porn.

444

They're small and misproportioned, yet sexy.

445

Goat, what about the beasts?

446

Oh, uh, yeah, I got it.

447

Wait, here it is.

448

The Beats of Akron.

449

What the hell, man?

450

You don't throw these things.

451

Hey, don't ruin my glory moment, B.

452

That's fair job.

453

Robot Boy!

454

Oh, I love making freaks rest in peace.

455

I know we had our words, but man, I hate those guys.

456

Adults dressing up in weirdo costumes.

457

Hey man, thanks.

458

That was unbelievable.

459

I am truly afraid of you now.

460

I guess I was wrong.

461

And don't you forget it.

462

Hey, can I get a picture?

463

You want a picture?

464

You got it.

465

Come on guys, time to crawl back through whatever bridge or tunnel you came from.

466

Eeeh, see?

467

Go on guys, come on now.

468

Shoo, shoo.

469

Go home to your mothers.

470

Let's go.

471

Hey, I saw it first!

472

Arrgh, piss off!

473

Hey, it is Alex!

474

Go back, go!

475

Stay on target!

476

I really need this!

477

What do you know about need?

478

You're just a little kid.

479

Need is when you're old and have high cholesterol

480

and you're afraid of public transportation and you never need in the hotel room with the double bed.

481

Ever! and you go to a store and they got none of the guys!

482

Take it, man.

483

Oh no. You needed a lot more than I do.

484

Oh no. Ha ha!

485

God.

486

Hey Serena, come back here!

487

So, what's wrong with you?

488

I dumped Zeke.

489

He was a loser.

490

And you're sad?

491

Uh huh.

492

But you dumped him.

493

Yeah? So?

494

At least you didn't miss meeting the Undertaker this weekend.

495

Matt, he was sitting the next table over.

496

Yep, I told you how he saved Fruity's ass by pulverizing ten guys at once, right?

497

These aren't gonna make us feel any better.

498

Yeah.

499

Here, give me the mystery flavor.

500

Hmm.

501

Hmm.

502

Hmm.

503

Hmm.

504

Hmm.

505

Hmm.

506

Hmm.

507

Hmm.

508

Hmm.

509

Hmm.

510

Hmm.

511

Hmm.

512

Hmm.

📺 Same Channel

MTV's Downtown, Episode 01: Sin Bin

TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students

✨ Recommend Video

328 sentences

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Practicing with the dialogue from "MTV's Downtown: The Con" offers a dynamic way to boost your english speaking practice. The casual, fast-paced conversation between friends mimics real-life interactions, exposing you to natural slang, interruptions, and emotional tone—key elements of fluent communication. Whether you’re using a shadowing site or practicing the shadowing technique on your own, this video’s lively exchanges help you master conversational flow, making it easier to keep up in everyday chats.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The video is packed with practical phrases and structures to add to your toolkit:

"That's what you get for screwing us": This common idiom uses "for" + gerund to link a consequence to an action, perfect for expressing cause and effect in informal settings.
"I could create one by tomorrow, no problem": The modal verb "could" here softens a confident statement, a natural way to avoid sounding arrogant in casual speech.
"We shall be girding our loins for": A humorous, exaggerated phrase meaning "preparing for," showing how idioms can add personality to your language—even if you’d rarely use this exact line, understanding such expressions improves comprehension.

Common Pronunciation Traps

To improve english pronunciation, watch out for these tricky moments in the dialogue:

"Effluvium": The stress falls on the second syllable ("ef-FLOO-vee-um")—misplacing it can make the word unrecognizable. Use the shadowspeak method to repeat it slowly, focusing on each syllable.
"Mangled": The "ng" sound in the middle is often rushed; practice nasalizing it to avoid saying "mang-led" (with a hard "g").
"Girding our loins": The "ir" in "girding" is a short, sharp sound ("gur-ding"), not a long "ee"—listen closely to the speaker’s quick delivery to mimic it correctly.

By tackling these challenges, you’ll sound more natural and confident in your speaking practice.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've never even seen · You've exposed · you've seen
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is ruined · must be made · being moved
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	Those who think · guys who take · guys who don

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: MTV's Downtown, Episode 05: The Con - Learn English Speaking with Video

MTV's Downtown, Episode 01: Sin Bin

WE FINALLY ESCAPED THE BACKROOMS...

School Bops In 2026

KPop Demon Hunters Part 2

THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS: Doppelgänger Theory (Alex Bale)

DAN DA DAN - Episode 05 [English Dub]

VERITY MONSTERS vs Most Secure Minecraft House!

Wednesday interacts with her Fangirl Agnes in Season 2

Got Stuck with My Crush & His Crazy GF

The Legend of Prince Valiant - Episode # 1 (The Dream) | Comics Kingdom

'Off Campus' Cast Plays Truth or Dare | Teen Vogue

THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS - Ep 6: They All Get Guns

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Common Pronunciation Traps

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?