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Kylie Minogue

Date: Jan 19 2009

Themes: Fashion

Grammar: Contractions and Abbreviations

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Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

If you get to be 40 years old and people are still willing to watch you dance around in nothing but a leotard and a bunch of feathers, you must be doing something right. And if they’ll actually pay you for it? That’s pretty special. For the singer Kylie Minogue, though, it’s just life.

Kylie has been recording fun, catchy dance music since the 1980s, and she’s still producing hit singles and putting on flamboyant stage shows today. Like Madonna and other singers who have had long careers, her on-stage persona has changed several times over the years. Listen to Marni and Amanda discuss Kylie’s multiple personalities.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Amanda

Marni: “Everybody’s doin’ a brand new dance now…”

Amanda: No! Oh, hello, good morning, Kylie. How’re you?

Marni: I’ve got that stuck in my head!

Amanda: I can’t believe that Kylie Minogue is actually in my apartment right now.

Marni: Well, OK, so she redid that song, and it was very popular. And she…I don’t know…There’s something really charming about her. She’s got that girl-next-door thing.

Amanda: I agree. And she keeps reinventing herself. She’s kinda like a Madonna, right? I mean, not that big…

Marni: Sort of a Madonna junior.

Amanda: Exactly. Thank you. I completely agree. She’s not that big, but she’s been performing for decades. I’ve gotta give it to her.

Marni: She’s much bigger in Europe. She’s not striking it big here.

Amanda: What’s kinda cool is she actually didn’t start out in music. She was an actress, or aspiring actress.

Marni: She was in a soap opera.

Amanda: She has some dancing background. And back in the day, was she a showgirl? Or why am I thinking showgirl and Kylie?

Marni: Well, because that’s actually part of her…She wasn’t actually a showgirl, but that’s part of her schtick now or her performances is these big elaborate stage shows. But her new album, X, have you heard it? I mean, it’s her newest…

Amanda: No, I haven’t. But is it as flamboyant and fun and girlie as her others?

Marni: I would suspect.

Amanda: I wonder who her target demographic is.

Marni: I’m thinking…mostly…homosexuals.

Amanda: I’m sorry, what?

Marni: Homosexuals.

Amanda: Oh yeah. I can see that.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

Marni has one of Kylie Minogue’s songs, “The Loco-Motion,” stuck in her head, so she and Amanda start talking about her. When Kylie sang “Loco-Motion,” she had a girl-next-door image. Since then, she has reinvented herself several times, just like Madonna. Although she isn’t as popular as Madonna, she’s very well-known, especially in Europe.

Before she became a singer, Kylie was an actress on a soap opera in Australia. Now she puts on elaborate concerts with lots of crazy props and special effects. She dresses in flamboyant costumes like a Las Vegas showgirl. Her flamboyant costumes and sets, as well as her fun dance music, appeal to the homosexual community.

Have you heard Kylie’s most recent album, X? Do you change your image a lot like Kylie and Madonna, or do you always stay the same?

Comments

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Christoph07

Germany

Yes – she is sexy, pretty and cute but her songs are normally meanstream pop music. I dont like her songs. But sex sells. Thats one big reason for her success.

bistraxx

Bulgaria

Kylie is not of my favourites but I admire her ambitions and up-to-date style..

Haze0

Japan

"What relation between Kylie Kylie Minoque with homosexuality?

Is she a homosexuality?"

I think that she is kind of a "gay icon", meaning that she is a supporter of gays and the gay community, but I don't think that she's gay herself.

carmen31

Moldova, Republic Of

I heard that Kylie Minogue is short ,she is not tall. But she looks kute,beautiful, and stylish. I like all her songs. It,s not easy to reinvent yourself. She managed to do this. It,s not difficult to climb a mountain, it,s more difficult to stay there .That,s why Kylie deserves all our admiration and respect.

dinacord

Sudan

hi every body how nice to be friendship

Dick7456

Taiwan

What relation between Kylie Kylie Minoque with homosexuality?

Is she a homosexuality?

christlee

China

I have to say ,it's really a pitty that i know nothing about her. But i'd like to get some more informationg of her later. maybe some surprise,,, who can tell.