Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2012 November 24

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November 24

guest star name not list on tv episode

The adult swim TV show "Children's Hospital" season 3 episode "Ward 8" does not currently list Christian Hutcherson as one of the guest stars. This can be verified through IMDb he played the role of "Grimace". Could you please add to the list — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dlhutcherson1 (talk • contribs) 00:26, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

IMDb is not a reliable source. Bonkers The Clown (Nonsensical Babble) 06:54, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

IMDB is usually accepted here for specific facts, especially cast-and-crew lists. The trivia is usually not accepted because it's tougher to verify. However, as with all "reliable" sources, it is not infallible, and could be in error. The OP might have to contect the shows producers, unless there's a DVD of it somewhere that might show credits. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:57, 25 November 2012 (UTC)

A few years ago I did a Northern Exposure marathon, and made many corrections to IMDb's episode cast lists: in particular two recurring characters (the B&B operators) were listed for many episodes in which they were not even mentioned. —Tamfang (talk) 00:50, 28 January 2013 (UTC)

Here is where you come to if you want to track down a reference to some information. It's not the place to discuss the content of the Childrens Hospital article. If you want to do that, please go to Talk:Childrens Hospital. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 19:08, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

Privacy among Japanese celebrities

I've noticed that there are several Japanese entertainers (actors, voice actors, singers, etc.) who keep several details of their life private. This may include their real names or dates of birth, although these same people usually publish their blood type. I respect their decision to do, but I have noticed that keeping basic personal details like dates of birth or real names private is comparatively common among Japanese entertainers. While there are a number of entertainers in America or the Philippines that keep their dates of birth private (or did so at one point), most of these people are not that mainstream or famous. In Japan, however, major celebrities like Kotoko, motsu of m.o.v.e. and Altima, as well as several others keep basic personal information private (in Kotoko's case, her real name isn't even confirmed to be Kotoko Horikawa, although motsu's real name is confirmed, only his year of birth hasn't). My question is, why do Japanese celebrities have high regard for privacy regarding personal details? Most Western celebrities have known years of birth or real names, and while most Japanese celebrities also do, a sizable number don't. I'm not even sure if this custom is common in Korea (which shares the obsession with blood types), China or Taiwan. I know that different cultures have different standards when it comes to privacy (for example, while personal details of Western celebrities are usually known, they usually try to keep their private lives, well, private), but what are the historical and cultural reasons for Japan's situation? Narutolovehinata5 ^tccsdnew 08:36, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

Have you looked in the ref desk archives? This subject sounds familiar, but I can't recall the conclusion, if any, from the previous discussion. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:53, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

In case you didn't remember, I was also the one who started the previous discussions. All of them were inconclusive. Narutolovehinata5 ^tccsdnew 22:34, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

It may be because modesty traditionally kept the Japanese from discussing such details. Now, however, there's a real risk that paparazzi and crazed fans will make your life unbearable, and possibly even cause your death, if you give them all the details needed to stalk you. This is also true in many other parts of the world, but there, with no tradition of secrecy among celebrities, it would be harder for them to get away with withholding such details. StuRat (talk) 23:24, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

But this question is precisely about why Japanese celebrities have such a tradition in the first place. Narutolovehinata5 ^tccsdnew 23:45, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

As I said, that would be because of the traditional modesty in Japan (and the Orient, in general). Are you asking why that aspect of their culture exists ? StuRat (talk) 06:24, 25 November 2012 (UTC)

Yes. Narutolovehinata5 ^tccsdnew 07:53, 25 November 2012 (UTC)

The talk-back you put on my talk page directed me to the Humanities Desk, not here. As to the reasons for Japanese modesty, I think religion plays a major role. Buddhism teaches modesty, and, in Shinto, the Emperor is supposed to be a living god, with everyone else a mere mortal. Then there's the Bushido code, with it's emphasis on obedience to one's master. As recently as WW2, this was emphasized, with the willingness to die for the Emperor. And all this was supposed to be done with nothing more than a tea ceremony to honor the Kamikaze pilots. StuRat (talk) 08:54, 25 November 2012 (UTC)

Not only crazed fans, but maybe even foreign governments. North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens. μηδείς (talk) 22:48, 25 November 2012 (UTC)

Notice too that the dates of birth of certain American celebrities have been consistently incorrectly reported (mostly woman of previous generations whose ages were modified.) Wikipedia has had to modify several articles after obituaries have come out with "alternative ages". So the information you know may not be the real information anyway. (I recall that more recently Natalie Portman's real name was kept quiet for quite some length of time.[1]) Rmhermen (talk) 15:15, 29 November 2012 (UTC)