English Lessons Learn English with films — watch, read, review

Fluffy — The Death Hoax and Frankie

Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry · S00E00 · clip 7:30 · 12 words · 7 idioms

Download PDF (print version)
Subtitles ON
1

Before You Watch

Quick review — from your last lessons

  • smash — to break something violently into pieces
  • mess — a person or situation that is in a very bad, confused state
  • whipped cream — cream that is beaten until it is soft and thick
  • flavour — the particular taste of a food or drink
  • revelation — a surprising fact that someone tells you for the first time
  • valuable — worth a lot of money or very important to someone

The story

Gabriel Iglesias is a Mexican-American comic. People call him Fluffy. This clip is from his 2016 Chicago show. He thanks the hotel, then tells two true-sounding stories: someone faked his death on the internet, and his son Frankie is 18 and will not leave home.

How to watch

Stand-up comedy here is STORY + VOICES + EXAGGERATION. Fluffy does not only tell jokes. He acts other people: the hotel elevator, Martin, Frankie, and a made-up boy called Tombutu. If you only read the words, you miss half the joke — listen to HOW each voice sounds.

After you watch, we will explain the jokes — no spoilers here.

Words to notice — know these before you watch:

publicist college

Expressions you will hear:

death hoax went viral exchange program take for granted

Predict: Look at the keywords. What two stories do you expect?

Background reading (1 minute)

This is a stand-up special, not a TV sitcom. One man talks to a live crowd in Chicago (2016). Martin is Fluffy's old friend and also works for him. Frankie is Fluffy's son, then 18 and about to finish high school. A 'celebrity death hoax' is fake internet news that says a famous person has died. TMZ is a US gossip website. IHOP and Denny's are cheap American restaurants that serve huge breakfasts.

2

Watch 1 — with subtitles

— catch the main idea
Watched 0% of the clip — aim for 70% before Watch 2 unlocks.

Subtitles ON. Watch the whole clip once, then answer:

Watch once with subtitles ON. What is the main story of this clip?

Why was it funny?

  1. 1) The talking elevator. A fancy hotel elevator says the floor in a sexy voice. Fluffy pretends to flirt with a machine. Martin asks, 'How far you going up?' Fluffy says, 'All the way.' The joke is: he is talking to a robot like it is a date.
  2. 2) The death hoax. A hoax is a cruel fake story. Someone wrote that Fluffy died on 31 October (Halloween) from diabetes. He says that is 'a hell of a day to kill a diabetic' — like killing Santa on Christmas Eve. The day and the illness do not match, so the fake news looks stupid and mean.
  3. 3) Martin only called to check his job. Thirty million people read the article. Almost nobody called. Martin calls and asks, 'You dead?' Then he hangs up. The joke: Martin is a friend AND an employee. He just wants to know he still has work.
  4. 4) Frankie's deadpan. Deadpan = a serious face, no emotion. Dad: 'Did you hear I died?' Frankie: 'That's what they meant.' Friends asked if Dad was OK. Frankie said he had not seen him — so maybe Dad was dead. Then: 'Welcome back.' A teenager treats Dad dying like a small mix-up.
  5. 5) College and 'kid-swap'. Fluffy pretends he forgot the word exchange program. The crowd shouts 'Exchange.' Someone says 'human trafficking.' That is a dark, over-the-top joke. He is NOT teaching that word as normal English. He is showing how his description ('give them one of your children') sounds illegal if you say it badly.
  6. 6) Tombutu is NOT a real name. It sounds like Timbuktu, an old city in Mali, used here as a cartoon 'poor village kid.' Do not learn Tombutu as vocabulary. The joke is contrast: a grateful kid versus a spoiled American teen. Tombutu would eat the trash to help. Frankie sits on an elephant and looks for Wi-Fi. That picture is the punchline.
  7. 7) Friends see Fluffy. Son sees Dad. Friends geek out (act like crazy fans) and even imagine doves, like a movie star. Frankie only says, 'Hey, Dad.' To him Fluffy is the man who says: clean your room, take a shower, put on deodorant.
3

Transcript

— tap a line to replay that sentence

yellow = vocabulary to learn · blue = idioms / phrasal verbs · purple = grammar

8:39 I would like to personally thank the promoters for not only making this special happen, but for taking really good care of us.
8:44 They put us at a hotel right across the street.
8:47 And you know, you know when you’re in a good hotel when you get inside of the elevator, and it talks.
8:55 It’s one of those.
8:59 “Second floor.” “Third floor.” I’m like, “Man, she sounds hot.” “Fifth floor. Oh, yeah.” Martin asked me, “How far you going up?” I said, “All the way.” I gotta see how this ends. You know what I’m saying?
9:30 And by the way, since the last time we were here, I’ve had a few things change in my life.
9:34 Some things happened that were so crazy that I couldn’t even believe it was a possibility.
9:39 First thing that happened was, I had my first ever celebrity death hoax.
9:46 Meaning that someone faked my death on the Internet, and it went viral.
9:52 Someone wrote an amazing article that was read by over 30 million people that was so good, even I was like, “Oh, my God. I was so nice.”
10:06 TMZ reported it for 30 minutes, until they called my publicist and confirmed that I was still alive.
10:11 The article said that I had died October 31 from complications of Type II diabetes.
10:19 And I’m thinking to myself, “That’s a hell of a day to kill a diabetic.” You know what I mean? That’s like killing Santa on Christmas Eve.
10:30 Thirty million people read this article.
10:33 No one thought to call me.
10:36 Except Martin.
10:43 Martin was the only one that called me.
10:46 And I think that was just to verify that he still had employment.
10:52 I got that phone call. [imitates phone ringing, line connecting] “Hello?” Martin was like, “Hey.
10:59 You dead?” “No, man. I’m good.” “I figured. You would’ve texted me.” [imitates line disconnecting] And I would have, ’cause that’s the kind of friend I am.
11:12 I even asked my son, Frankie. I said, “Frankie, did you hear I died?” “That’s what they meant.” “What do you mean, ‘That’s what they meant’?” “My friends were asking if you were okay.” “What’d you tell them?” “I hadn’t seen you.” “So apparently I died.” “Welcome back.”
11:35 And that’s another thing that’s changed.
11:37 My son, Frankie, is now 18 years old.
11:42 And one week away from graduation.
11:51 You guys are clapping, but he’s not leaving.
11:55 I asked him. “Frankie, what do you want to do with your life?” “Mm-mmm.” “Have you thought about college?” “Just now.” I’m like, “Frankie, you do realize that all you need to do is get accepted.
12:07 I tell a lot of jokes. I will pay for your entire college education, no matter where you want to go.” “As long as you get accepted. What do you think about that?” “Mm-mmm.” I say, “You want to go to school in California, we’ll make it happen.
12:26 You want to go out of state, we’ll make it happen.
12:28 Hell, I’ll even do one of those international programs.” The ones where you give them one of your children and they give you one of their children.
12:37 -What is it called when you kid-swap? -[audience] Exchange.
12:40 Thank you. Sorry. That’s right. “Exchange.” Some of you were like, “That’s called human trafficking.”
12:49 Different program.
12:52 I would love to do an exchange program with my son.
12:55 But don’t give me a regular kid.
12:57 If I’m gonna do an exchange program, give me a kid from a hard-core third world country, so he appreciates all the basic things most American children take for granted.
13:16 That’s why I say give me little Tombutu.
13:20 Give me Tombutu. I would love Tombutu, and Tombutu would love me.
13:24 “Mister Fluffy?” “Yes, Tombutu?” “I was wondering, what time do we go to sleep?” “You go to sleep whenever you like. This is your room.
13:34 We sleep next door.”
13:39 “All of this is for Tombutu?” “Yes, all of this is for Tombutu.” “In my village, two families sleep in an area this big.” “Well, here in America, one big-ass Mexican kid sleeps right here.
13:54 Enjoy.” Then I would take him to IHOP or Denny’s and let him order whatever he wants and just watch him lose it.
14:02 “This is the Thanksgiving I heard of! Thank you, Mr. Fluffy! Thank you!
14:06 If there is anything Tombutu can do for you, please tell me. Anything.” “Can you help me take out the trash?” “For you, I will eat the trash.”
14:19 Meanwhile, my son’s on the other side of the world, on top of an elephant, trying to get Wi-Fi.
14:29 I love my son very much, you guys.
14:31 It’s just that sometimes he doesn’t get the position he’s in.
14:34 He doesn’t realize it.
14:36 Which is why I love it whenever he brings his friends over.
14:39 He brings his friends over the house, and they’re constantly saying what I’m saying.
14:43 And as a parent, anytime you tell your kids something, that’s one thing.
14:47 When you can get their friends to say what you say, you can’t pay for that.
14:51 And they’re always doing it. “Frankie, you’re lucky, man.
14:54 Your dad’s trying to help you go to college.
14:56 My dad wants me to get a job.
14:57 Frankie, you’re lucky, man. Your dad’s trying to give you a car.
15:00 My dad doesn’t even trust me to walk.
15:02 You’re lucky, man.” And I hear this, and I’m like, “I love these kids.” Because my son is very numb to this situation.
15:14 He’s very numb to all of you, and he’s very numb to “Fluffy.” Okay, he doesn’t see Fluffy. He sees “Dad! Dad!” I’m Dad. I’m the guy that tells him clean your room, take a shower and put on deodorant, which he does very well now!
15:36 But you guys saw what I had to do to make that happen.
15:39 His friends, on the other hand, they still get excited when they see me.
15:43 They still geek out.
15:44 I walk into the living room. They’re all sitting there.
15:47 Frankie sees me. “Hey, Dad.” His friends see me, they see this.
16:01 With, like, doves. [imitates wings flapping] Can you imagine if every time you walked into a room, that happened?
4

Vocabulary

— tap a card to see the meaning, then check yourself

Warm checks: 0/12

promoter/prəˈməʊtə/
Tap to see the meaning
a person who organises and advertises a show
“I would like to personally thank the promoters for not only making this special happen...”
elevator/ˈelɪveɪtə/
Tap to see the meaning
a machine that takes people up and down in a building (US). UK: lift
“...when you get inside of the elevator, and it talks.”
celebrity/səˈlebrəti/
Tap to see the meaning
a famous person, especially in entertainment
“I had my first ever celebrity death hoax.”
hoax/həʊks/
Tap to see the meaning
a planned lie that tricks many people
“I had my first ever celebrity death hoax.”
viral/ˈvaɪrəl/
Tap to see the meaning
spreading very fast on the internet
“...someone faked my death on the Internet, and it went viral.”
publicist/ˈpʌblɪsɪst/
Tap to see the meaning
a person whose job is to manage the news about a famous person
“...until they called my publicist and confirmed that I was still alive.”
complications/ˌkɒmplɪˈkeɪʃnz/
Tap to see the meaning
extra medical problems that come from a disease
“The article said that I had died October 31 from complications of Type II diabetes.”
diabetic/ˌdaɪəˈbetɪk/
Tap to see the meaning
a person who has diabetes
“That's a hell of a day to kill a diabetic.”
verify/ˈverɪfaɪ/
Tap to see the meaning
to check that something is true
“And I think that was just to verify that he still had employment.”
graduation/ˌɡrædʒuˈeɪʃn/
Tap to see the meaning
the time when you finish school or university
“And one week away from graduation.”
numb/nʌm/
Tap to see the meaning
unable to feel something any more, because it happens too often
“Because my son is very numb to this situation.”
deodorant/diˈəʊdərənt/
Tap to see the meaning
a product you put on your body to stop bad smell
“...clean your room, take a shower and put on deodorant...”
5

Idioms & Phrasal Verbs

went viral idiom spread very fast on the internet “...someone faked my death on the Internet, and it went viral.”
a hell of a idiom very big, extreme or surprising (informal — friends only) “That's a hell of a day to kill a diabetic.”
I figured phrase I already thought that; I guessed that (informal) “I figured. You would've texted me.”
make it happen phrase to do what is needed so a plan becomes real “You want to go out of state, we'll make it happen.”
take for granted idiom to not notice how lucky you are, because you always have it “...so he appreciates all the basic things most American children take for granted.”
geek out phrasal verb to get very excited like a super-fan (informal) “They still geek out.”
on the other hand phrase used to show the opposite side of a situation “His friends, on the other hand, they still get excited when they see me.”
6

Grammar Spotlight

Find the pattern: Look at these lines: “I'm like, ‘Man, she sounds hot.’” — “Martin was like, ‘Hey.’” — “Some of you were like, ‘That's called human trafficking.’” What is like doing here?

Informal reported speech: I was like / he was like / I'm like

In careful English we say: He said (that)... In spoken American English, especially stand-up, people report talk with like: I'm like / he was like / she was like + the exact words. It means 'I said' or 'he said', but it also shows the voice and the feeling. Do not write this in a formal email. Do use it when you tell a story to friends.

• I'm like, "Man, she sounds hot." (I said / I thought, with feeling.)

• Martin was like, "Hey." (Martin said, in his voice.)

• Some of you were like, "That's called human trafficking." (The crowd said.)

Learn more: English Grammar in Use — Reported speech (then notice the informal spoken form like)

7

Watch 2 — with subtitles

— hear the details

Subtitles ON again. Answer the detail questions. Use “Replay this bit” if you need it:

1. How does Fluffy know the hotel is fancy?

2. What did the fake article say?

3. Why does Fluffy think Martin called?

4. What is the last funny picture of Frankie?

8

Practice

— tap an answer, get instant feedback
Exercises: 0/0 answered · 0 correct

Understand the story

1. What is a celebrity death hoax in this clip?

2. Why is 31 October a 'hell of a day' to fake a diabetic's death?

3. What does Frankie want to do after graduation?

9. Play this bit. What does Martin say on the phone?

11. Put these lines in the order you hear them

True or False

4. Thirty million people called Fluffy after the article.

5. Tombutu is the real name of Frankie's exchange student.

Fill the gap

6. Someone faked my death on the Internet, and it ______.

7. Give me a kid who appreciates the basic things most American children ______.

Word meanings

8. Which word means: “a planned lie that tricks many people”?

Grammar in use

10. Which line uses spoken 'like' to report what someone said?

Match the phrases

12. Match each phrase with its meaning — tap a phrase on the left, then tap its meaning on the right:

9

Final listen — no subtitles

— prove what you remember

Subtitles locked OFF

Subtitles are OFF. Prove what you remember from Fluffy's story.

1. Catch the line

Tap ▶ to hear each line. The box ticks only after it finishes playing.

  • They put us at a hotel right across the street.▶
  • I had my first ever celebrity death hoax.▶
  • it went viral▶
  • That's a hell of a day to kill a diabetic.▶
  • You dead?▶
  • I figured. You would've texted me.▶
  • we'll make it happen▶
  • trying to get Wi-Fi▶

2. What did they say?

1. Why does Fluffy think Martin called?

2. Where is Frankie in the last joke picture?

3. Put the lines in order

Listen once, then tap the lines in the order you hear them.

Final listen score will appear here when you finish.

Was today's lesson FUN?

How DIFFICULT was it?