Shadowing Practice: S1E01 Clip | Power-hungry New York Women - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B2
It's like the riddle of the Sphinx.
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It's like the riddle of the Sphinx.
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Why are there so many great unmarried women and no great unmarried men?
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I explore these sorts of issues in my column, and I have terrific sources of my friends.
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When you're a young guy in your 20s, women are controlling the relationships.
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By the time you're an eligible man in your 30s, you feel like you're being devoured by women.
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Suddenly, the guys are holding all the chips.
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I call it the mid-30s power flame.
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It's all about age and biology.
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I mean, if you want to get married, it's to have kids, right?
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And you don't want to do it with someone older than 35, because then you have to have kids right away, and that's about it.
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I think these women should just forget about marriage and have a good time.
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I have a friend who'd always gone out with extremely sexy guys and just had a good time.
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One day, she woke up and she was 41.
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She couldn't get any more dates.
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She had a complete physical breakdown, couldn't hold on to her job, and had to move back to Wisconsin to live with her mother.
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Trust me, this is not a story that makes men feel bad.
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Most men are threatened by successful women.
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If you want to get these guys, you have to keep your mouth shut and play by the rules.
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I totally believe that love conquers all.
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Sometimes you just have to give it a little space.
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And that's exactly what's missing in Manhattan.
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The space for romance.
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The problem is expectations.
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Older women don't want to settle for what's available.
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By the time you reach your mid-thirties, you think, why should I settle?
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You know?
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It's like the older we get, the more we keep self-selecting down to a smaller and smaller group.
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What women really want is Alec Baldwin.
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There's not one woman in New York who hasn't turned down ten wonderful guys
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because they were too short or too fat or too poor.
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I have been out with some of those guys, the short, fat, poor ones.
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It makes absolutely no difference.
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They are just as self-centered and unappreciative as the good-looking ones.
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Why don't these women just marry a fat guy?
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Why don't they just marry a big fat tub of lard?
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Happy birthday, dear Miranda.
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Happy birthday to you.
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Another 30-something birthday with a group of unmarried female friends.
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We would all have preferred a nice celebratory conference call.
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Thank you for saying.
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Look, if you're a successful saleswoman in this city, you have two choices.
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You can bang your head against the wall and try to find a relationship, or you can say, screw it, and just go out and have sex, like a man.
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You mean with dildos?
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No. I mean without feeling.
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Samantha Jones was a New York inspiration, a public relations executive.
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She routinely slept with good-looking guys in their 20s.
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Remember that guy that I was going out with?
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Oh, God, what was his name?
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Drew.
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I didn't feel a thing.
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It was like, hey, babe, gotta go.
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Catch you later.
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And I completely forgot about him after that.
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But are you sure that that isn't just because he didn't call you?
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Sweetheart, this is the first time in the history of Manhattan...
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...that women have had as much money and power as men.
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Plus, the equal luxury of treating men like sex objects.
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Yeah, except men in this city fail on both counts.
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I mean, they don't want to be in a relationship with you, but as soon as you only want them for sex, they don't like it.
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All of a sudden, they can't perform the way they're supposed to.
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That's when you dump them.
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Oh, come on, ladies, are we really that cynical?
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What about romance?
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It's like that guy Jeremiah, the poet.
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I mean, the sex was incredible.
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But then he wanted to read me his poetry and go out to dinner and the whole chat bit.
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And I'm like, let's not even go there.
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What are you saying?
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Are you saying you're just gonna give up on love?
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Oh, no, no, no, no, no, believe me.
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The right guy comes along and you two right here, this whole thing, right out the window.
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No, no, no, no. The right guy is an illusion, you understand that?
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You can start living your life.
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So you think it's really possible to pull off this whole, um, women having sex like men thing?
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You're forgetting the last session.
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You're obsessed with that movie.
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Okay.
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Linda Fiorentino.
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Fuck me, that guy.
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I'm never having one of those, oh my god, what have I done, epiphonies.
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I hated that movie. Was it true?
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Were women in New York really giving up on love and throttling up on power?
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What a tempting thought.

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Context & Background

The dialogue in the video titled "Power-hungry New York Women" explores the dynamics of relationships among young, successful women in New York. The speaker delves into societal expectations on marriage and the pressures that accompany physical appearance, age, and career success. With a comedic lens, it discusses the challenges women face as they navigate dating in a city known for its competitive social scene. Throughout the conversation, themes of power dynamics, self-perception, and societal norms emerge, creating a backdrop for enlightening discussions about modern relationships.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “Why are there so many great unmarried women and no great unmarried men?” – A thought-provoking question that can be part of discussions about relationships.
  • “The guys are holding all the chips.” – A metaphor indicating who has the power or control in a situation.
  • “Women really want is Alec Baldwin.” – This illustrates the tendency to idealize certain traits in partners.
  • “You can just go out and have sex, like a man.” – A phrase highlighting societal double standards in dating behaviors.
  • “It makes absolutely no difference.” – A statement encouraging learners to consider broader perspectives in judgments about appearance and personality.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

If you're looking to learn English with YouTube and improve your speaking skills, especially in the context of casual, conversational English, the following steps can help you effectively utilize the shadowing technique with this video:

  1. Watch the Video: Start by watching the entire video without any interruptions. Focus on the overall context, tone, and emotions conveyed by the speaker.
  2. Listen Closely: Rewatch the video and listen specifically for pronunciation, intonation, and expressions. Take note of phrases that stand out to you.
  3. Pause and Repeat: Use the shadow speech method. Pause the video after a sentence and try to repeat exactly what the speaker said, mimicking their pronunciation and rhythm.
  4. Practice Regularly: Dedicate time each week to practice shadowing segments of the video multiple times. Consistency will help you improve English pronunciation and fluency.
  5. Record Yourself: To understand your progress, record yourself speaking the phrases. Compare your pronunciation with that of the speaker, adjusting as necessary.

By engaging in this practice, you'll be able to enhance your conversational skills and gain insights into the nuances of modern dialogues, all while enjoying relatable contexts like those seen in the video.

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.

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