Chocolate Debate

Faith and I are in a class together where we had to pick a partner and write a debate\script. Not surprisingly, we picked each other. :)  We had to make our script be about 5 min long (when acted) and it had to include hidden fallacies for the rest of the class to pick out. Here is what we came up with. We'd appreciate your feedback!




Faith:  Eating chocolate

Hope:  You know that’s bad for you?

Faith:  Huh?  What do you mean?

Hope:  Well first, you know that has a ton of sugar in it.

Faith:  Sugar? Grabs more chocolate. Yummy!

Hope:  Rolls eyes. Yes it’s good tasting but at least certain types of sugar are bad for you in large doses. Large doses are anything more than 6 teaspoons for women, more for men. That is two teaspoons less than a regular can of soda has in it!

Faith:  Huffs. Are you homeschooled or something? Do you like eat vegetables all day?

Hope:  No.

Faith:  Well, actually, sugar is good for you.  It has carbohydrates in it and carbohydrates provide more than 60% of the amount of energy required by the body.  Also, chocolate itself, decreases the risk of stroke and heart attack

Hope: According to my research that last fact you mentioned is still in debate. Another thing unfavorable about chocolate: it has caffeine in it which helps age you, dehydrate you and raise your blood pressure.

Faith:  Actually, I do believe that you are wrong, chocolate has antioxidants that add two years to your life expectancy.  

Hope: Are you talking about milk chocolate or dark? I was referring to milk chocolate. Based off of the research I've done dark chocolate has a lot of good antioxidants while milk chocolate has a comparatively small amount.  Dark chocolate I don’t think is as bad for you because it has less sugar and is closer to its natural form--cocoa. 

Faith:  But still, that doesn't change the fact that chocolate has antioxidants that help prevent oxidation and that help you to live longer.  Besides, if dark chocolate is good for you then milk chocolate has to be good for you too.  

Hope:  As I said, I think dark chocolate is better for you but it’s still got a bad side It has Phenylethylamine  (fenel-ehtel-ah-mean) in it. That’s a mood elevator. It makes you feel happier and removes your inhibitions. So you’re more likely to do something that would normally embarrass you if you've eaten a load of chocolate.

Faith:  Happy?  What's wrong with being happy?  Yippy!  Bounces up and down.  I’m happy!  Besides, if you are like me, then you don't have to eat chocolate to do something embarrassing.  I'm sure you agree.   

Hope: Sarcastically. Me? No, I never do anything embarrassing. I really don't understand you on that level. How much of that killer have you consumed anyway?!

Faith:  Do you want a piece? Holds one out in her hand.

Hope:  Uh, sure, thanks. Absentmindedly takes it and puts it in her mouth. Where were we now?

Faith:  Chocolate is good for you.

Hope:  You mean it’s bad for you right?

Faith:  So, how good are you at math?

Hope:  Surprised at the change of subject.  Um...I’m not.

Faith:  Chocolate helps with mental math!  Watch. Puts a piece in her mouth and chews ponderously  Two plus two is four! See?

Hope:  Sarcastically. Oh, yes. I’m totally convinced now.  And while you’re eating all that chocolate, enjoy your migraine caused by the tyramine in it.

Faith:  What’s a migraine? My head hurts too much right now for me to remember.

Hope:  Rolls eyes. Like I said, enjoy your migraine. And while you are proving my point let me add this: the high olalate content in chocolate can also cause kidney stones.

Faith:  But spinach and squash also can cause kidney stones.  Are you going to say that they are not good for you as well?

Hope: No I’m not, I don’t know enough about the issue. Besides that, it is irrelevant to whether or not chocolate is healthy.

Faith:  I beg to differ.  I’m saying that, although chocolate may cause kidney stones, so do other foods.  Foods that we believe are healthy.  So, what you are saying does not prove that chocolate is unhealthy.

Hope: Well for one I never said I thought squash and spinach were healthy. In fact I said I wasn't educated enough about that issue to give a good answer. No matter whether they are healthy or not my point still remains that olalate is bad for you and that chocolate has that ingredient.

Faith:  But you must agree that the fact that it has olalate doesn't not necessarily make it bad for you.  Besides, chocolate also does good things for you, like I have already mentioned.

Hope: No, I don't have to agree with you that olalate doesn't make it bad. But I am sick of this... can we just agree that chocolate  might have some good properties (at least dark chocolate) and it might have some bad ones? So if you chose to eat it, practice moderation. Enjoy it in small doses.

Faith: Sure I think I can agree to that.

Hope: Smiles. Great!

Both shake hands.

Faith:  Want another piece of chocolate? 

Hope: Startled. Wait, did you say "another"?!

Faith:  You've already had one, remember?