BNE: Researchers* have blamed Hollywood movies for an increase in unsafe sex and drug use. A team from two Australian universities analyzed sex and drug scenes in the most popular movies of the last 20 years. The team found almost no scenes in which actors talked about sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS or birth control. The report said many movies showed drugs as a normal way to relax. Lead researcher Dr. Hasantha Gunasekera warned: “The social norm being presented is concerning [because of] the HIV and illicit drug pandemics in developing and industrialized countries.”

The researchers reported the James Bond movie Die Another Day and the thriller Basic Instinct, in particular, gave people the wrong message about unsafe sex. Both movies contained many scenes of unprotected sex with new partners, without condoms or talk about AIDS or unwanted pregnancies. The study also found there were few movie scenes showing the dangers of drugs. Dr. Gunasekera suggested Hollywood should be more responsible when it shows behavior that is seen and copied by billions of people around the world.

* http://www.jrsm.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/10/464

WARM-UPS

1. MOVIE DIRECTORS: You are now a Hollywood movie director. Walk around the classroom and talk with other “directors” about the movies you have made and want to make; the stars you have worked with and want to work with; and your attitude towards scenes that show sex and drugs.

2. MOVIES: Should Hollywood movies educate or entertain? In pairs / groups, discuss what you think movies should show or not show regarding the following:

Sex Sexually Transmitted Diseases AIDS Birth control / condoms

Unwanted pregnancies Marijuana use Sex before marriage Guns

3. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.

Hollywood / movies / sexually transmitted diseases / unwanted pregnancies / drugs / sexual activity / birth control / HIV / James Bond / Julia Roberts / cannabis

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

4. CONDOMS: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with condoms. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

5. MOVIE OPINIONS: Do you agree with these opinions on movies and Hollywood’s responsibility towards sex and drugs? Talk about them with your partner(s).

1. Hollywood is all about entertainment, not education.
2. Governments should control any industry that causes a rise in sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
3. Hollywood glamorizes drug use and cigarettes. People have the right to sue the Hollywood movie industry.
4. Movies without sex scenes would be boring.
5. Hollywood movies do not tell people to have unprotected sex. Movie-goers should know the risks themselves.
6. Hollywood movies simply show what happens in real life.
7. If actors make little speeches about safe sex and the dangers of drugs, the movie would become unnatural.
8. All movies should show only scenes involving healthy relationships.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	Researchers said Hollywood movies have caused a rise in unsafe sex.	T / F
b.	Researchers found that Hollywood movies discouraged drug use.	T / F
c.	A study analyzed the content of pornographic movies.	T / F
d.	Researchers were concerned about the social norm movies presented.	T / F
e.	James Bond movies all give the message of safe sex.	T / F
f.	Many movies from the study showed the importance of condoms.	T / F
g.	The lead researcher said Hollywood should be more responsible	T / F
h.	The lead researcher said people do not copy what they see in movies.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.	blamed	research
b.	last	model
c.	norm	especially
d.	concerning	criminal
e.	illicit	highlighting
f.	in particular	idea
g.	message	accused
h.	study	actions
i.	showing	worrying
j.	behavior	past

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.	an increase in unsafe sex	more responsible
b.	in the most popular movies	is concerning
c.	sexually transmitted	sex
d.	The social norm being presented	of the last 20 years
e.	developing and	pregnancies
f.	gave people the wrong message	industrialized countries
g.	unprotected	and drug use
h.	unwanted	showing the dangers of drugs
i.	scenes	diseases
j.	Hollywood should be	about unsafe sex

AFTER READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words in the column on the right into the gaps in the text.

Movies condone drugs and unsafe sex

BNE: Researchers have ________ Hollywood movies for an increase in unsafe sex and drug ________. A team from two Australian universities analyzed sex and drug ________ in the most popular movies of the last 20 years. The team found almost no scenes in which actors talked about ________ transmitted diseases, AIDS or birth control. The report said many movies showed drugs as a ________ way to relax. Lead researcher Dr. Hasantha Gunasekera warned: “The ________ norm being presented is concerning [because of] the HIV and ________ drug pandemics in ________ and industrialized countries.”		normal developing use sexually blamed illicit social scenes
The researchers ________ the James Bond movie Die Another Day and the ________ Basic Instinct, in ________, gave people the wrong ________ about unsafe sex. Both movies contained many scenes of unprotected sex with new partners, without condoms or talk about AIDS or ________ pregnancies. The study also found there were few movie scenes showing the ________ of drugs. Dr. Gunasekera ________ Hollywood should be more responsible when it shows behavior that is seen and ________ by billions of people around the world.		suggested message dangers thriller copied particular reported unwanted

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘birth’ and ‘control’.

• Share your findings with your partners.
• Make questions using the words you found.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

• Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the gap fill. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. STUDENT “SEX AND DRUGS IN MOVIES” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about Hollywood’s responsibility in producing movies with positive messages about sex and drugs.

• Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
• Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:

blamed team no scenes relax social norm pandemics

James Bond message partners unwanted dangers responsible

DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1. What did you think when you first read this headline?
2. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
3. Do you agree with the issues in the article?
4. Do you like movies that contain sex scenes?
5. Do you think there should be no movies with sex scenes?
6. Do you think Hollywood’s producers and directors should be more careful when showing the use of drugs?
7. Do you think you have ever copied any actions you saw in a movie?
8. Do you think Hollywood movies should educate people about the dangers of unsafe sex and drugs?
9. Why are drug using, smoking, womanizing men shown as “heroes” in movies?
10. Do you think the US Government should regulate the content in Hollywood movies to ensure a healthier society and world?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1. Did you like reading this article?
2. What do you think about what you read?
3. Are you surprised at anything you read in the article?
4. Do you think movies would become boring if sex scenes were banned?
5. Why do you think the researchers found few movies that showed the dangers of drugs?
6. Do you think movies could be used to fight HIV/AIDS?
7. Does Hollywood have a special social duty?
8. Do Hollywood movies show westerners as sex-mad drug addicts?
9. Do the movies from your country show unsafe sex and drug use?
10. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What question would you like to ask about this topic?
2. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
3. Was there a question you didn’t like?
4. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
5. What did you like talking about?
6. Do you want to know how anyone else answered the questions?
7. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

MOVIE CONTENT: In pairs / groups, decide on a policy about what should and should not be allowed in movies. The items you must agree on are listed in the left hand column. Decide whether your policy is for educational or entertainment purposes.

ITEMS	POLICY	EDUCATION / ENTERTAINMENT
Scenes of people having sex
Full frontal nudity
Topless women
Condoms
Cannabis
Syringes and drugs
“One-night stands”
STDs
AIDS

Change partners and tell each other about your policies.

Discuss which three policy ideas should be introduced and how they might be made more acceptable to movie-goers.

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Movies condone drugs and unsafe sex

Researchers have _______ Hollywood movies for an increase in unsafe sex and drug ____. A team from two Australian universities analyzed sex and drug ________ in the most popular movies of the last 20 years. The team found almost no scenes in which actors talked about sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS or ________ control. The report said many movies showed drugs as a normal way to ________. Lead researcher Dr. Hasantha Gunasekera warned: “The social norm being presented is concerning [because of] the HIV and ________ drug pandemics in developing and industrialized countries.”

The researchers reported the James Bond movie Die Another Day and the ________ Basic Instinct, in particular, gave people the wrong ________ about ________ sex. Both movies contained many scenes of unprotected sex with new partners, without ________ or talk about AIDS or unwanted pregnancies. The study also found there were few movie scenes showing the ________ of drugs. Dr. Gunasekera suggested Hollywood should be more responsible when it shows ________ that is seen and copied by ________ of people around the world.

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information on Hollywood movies. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson.

3. MOVIE REVIEW: Write a report on a movie you have seen recently. Report on things that might give people the wrong message. Write also about things that give people the right message. Show your reports to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all write about similar things?

4. LETTER: Write a letter to the head of the Hollywood Movie Association. Make suggestions for how movies might be used to both educate and entertain. Read your letter to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all write about similar things?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. T

b. F

c. F

d. T

e. F

f. F

g. T

h. F

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	blamed	accused
b.	last	past
c.	norm	model
d.	concerning	worrying
e.	illicit	criminal
f.	in particular	especially
g.	message	idea
h.	study	research
i.	showing	highlighting
j.	behavior	actions

PHRASE MATCH:
 

a.	an increase in unsafe sex	and drug use
b.	in the most popular movies	of the last 20 years
c.	sexually transmitted	diseases
d.	The social norm being presented	is concerning
e.	developing and	industrialized countries
f.	gave people the wrong message	about unsafe sex
g.	unprotected	sex
h.	unwanted	pregnancies
i.	scenes	showing the dangers of drugs
j.	Hollywood should be	more responsible

GAP FILL:

Movies condone drugs and unsafe sex

BNE: Researchers have blamed Hollywood movies for an increase in unsafe sex and drug use. A team from two Australian universities analyzed sex and drug scenes in the most popular movies of the last 20 years. The team found almost no scenes in which actors talked about sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS or birth control. The report said many movies showed drugs as a normal way to relax. Lead researcher Dr. Hasantha Gunasekera warned: “The social norm being presented is concerning [because of] the HIV and illicit drug pandemics in developing and industrialized countries.”

The researchers reported the James Bond movie Die Another Day and the thriller Basic Instinct, in particular, gave people the wrong message about unsafe sex. Both movies contained many scenes of unprotected sex with new partners, without condoms or talk about AIDS or unwanted pregnancies. The study also found there were few movie scenes showing the dangers of drugs. Dr. Gunasekera suggested Hollywood should be more responsible when it shows behavior that is seen and copied by billions of people around the world.

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