Wikipedia:Reference desk/Entertainment

Welcome to the entertainment section
of the Wikipedia reference desk.

skip to bottom

Select a section:

• Computing
• Entertainment
• Humanities
• Language
• Mathematics
• Science
• Miscellaneous
• Archives

Want a faster answer?

Main page: Help searching Wikipedia

   

How can I get my question answered?

• Select the section of the desk that best fits the general topic of your question (see the navigation column to the right).
• Post your question to only one section, providing a short header that gives the topic of your question.
• Type '~~~~' (that is, four tilde characters) at the end – this signs and dates your contribution so we know who wrote what and when.
• Don't post personal contact information – it will be removed. Any answers will be provided here.
• Please be as specific as possible, and include all relevant context – the usefulness of answers may depend on the context.
• Note:
  • We don't answer (and may remove) questions that require medical diagnosis or legal advice.
  • We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate.
  • We don't do your homework for you, though we'll help you past the stuck point.
  • We don't conduct original research or provide a free source of ideas, but we'll help you find information you need.

Ready? Ask a new question!

How do I answer a question?

Main page: Wikipedia:Reference desk/Guidelines

• The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.

See also:

• Teahouse
• Help desk
• Village pump
• Help manual

February 23

Charles Aznavour

To any source for contact info for Charles Aznavour

I'm 76 years old, and a big Charles Aznavour fan. I'm also a big Tony Bennett fan, my one Big Life desire, before I'm no longer in good health, or one of these great entertainers is unable to perform, I would go anywhere in the world, (beg, borrow, somehow make it work) to see a performance that Charles Aznavour and Tony Bennett perform together.

I've made this request in dozens of potential sites, and never received any reply, (negative or positive). I have no where to go from here. I would like either to hear from the Aznavour team, or receive some information that would allow me a direct link to ask the Aznavour, or Bennett team if this proposal is possible.

My reason for selecting Tony Bennett for this Entertainment Block Buster, I was born in San Francisco, I was a Police Officer for 25 1/2 years, now retired and living in Montana, I did, leave my Heart in San Francisco. My connection with Charles Aznavour is when I was in the service in the 50's, in France, where I first heard him sing, ( not live,sad to say) but I was hooked. I can not think of any show I would rather see in my life time.

Respecfully requested

Robert Sleadd

Inspector (ret) San Francisco, Police Dept

Hello. Did you check out this page: Charles Aznavour ... or this website: www.c-aznavour.com ...? Thanks. (Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 02:07, 23 February 2009 (UTC))

Joseph, did you actually check those links before you provided them to see whether they would help answer the OP's question? I can't believe you did, because if you had done, you would have seen that neither of them include contact details for the singer, which is presumably what the OP is asking for. To the OP: you would need to contact either Aznavour's or Bennett's management, details of which I do not have. To be honest, though, it's unlikely that the event you describe will happen unless both parties are already committed to it from some other reputable entertainment industry source. They're not going to organize a concert just based on a suggestion from an ordinary person, no matter how good of an idea it is. If you really want this event to take place, your best bet would be to front the money yourself. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 06:48, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

This site lists Aznavour's agent as the Fifi Oscard Agency, 24 West 40th Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Rockpocket 06:58, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

Not to crush your dreams but you should probably just forget about Bennett and see Aznavour while you can. Our French article says he is going on a short final North American tour to NY, LA, Montreal and Ottawa this spring. --JGGardiner (talk) 09:51, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

A Google search reveals lots of ticket sites for Charles Aznavour in 2009 (one also mentioned a concert in Toronto), though I would first approach the box offices of the individual theatres first - it will almost certainly be cheaper and there are lots of ripoff merchants taking money and failing to deliver the tickets.

Tony Bennett is also on tour this year. According to the official site, he will play 3 venues in California in a couple of weeks time and then visit Detroit and New Orleans. Astronaut (talk) 07:11, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

Identifying a song in Big Love episode "Empire"

What is the classical song playing in the Big Love episode "Empire" when Margene is vacuming? It is during the scene when she puts her mother's ashes in the closet.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1075437/ doesn't have a soundtrack listing for any music used in this episode but you might try Big Love: Hymnal. My google-fu suggests it might be Forever Young (Alphaville song) as mentioned at http://forum.dvdtalk.com/archive/t-549028.html. Lanfear's Bane | t 12:41, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

Slumdog Millionaire release dates

Does anyone know when Slumdog Millionaire will be released in cinemas in Austria? The film's IMDB page lists release dates for a slew of countries but Austria is not among them. Many thanks. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 06:39, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

3/20/09. [1] (And its great, so make sure you see it!) Rockpocket 06:46, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

Good stuff, thanks for that. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 06:50, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

I really need someone to answer thisd and make sense (Flushed away mystery part 3)

Okay, First of all I'm not saying those people who previously answered didn't make sense but it's hard to get the whole the whole story from their answers. I've tried to find and contact the people who put up the sequel stuff in the first place but I can't. Could someone please talk to them n find out EXACTLY where they got the information. (Also, if possible, asking aardman would really help.) I'm very grateful to you if you help me or if you already have. 86.138.105.63 (talk) 16:48, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

I presume you are referring to:

• Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2008 August 11#Flushed Away page mystery
• Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2008 August 23#Flushed Away page mystery part 2#

I also presume that by aardman you mean Aardman Animations. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 17:20, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

I'm not sure how much of a "mystery" there is. Some people (who are not in any way related to Aardman) have suggested that Flushed Away 2 should be made. Others have suggested that it should be called "Flushed Again." Others have suggested that "Trashed Away" could be a sequel. You can search through every press release made by Aardman and none of them include a sequel to Flushed Away. -- kainaw™ 18:08, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

Also, this is a list of all past and current productions from the company. -- kainaw™ 18:09, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

Nail-bitten hands in movies

This recent question at the Misc desk reminded me of something. In days gone by, film studios would employ "hand artists". Whenever an actor's hand needed to be seen in a close-up shot, it usually wasn't their own hand but that of a person whose hand was considered more photogenic. In particular, the nails were nicely manicured and there was no evidence of any nail-biting. These days, an actor's real hand is much more likely to be used, and as often as not their nails have been bitten, sometimes quite savagely. I'm wondering why the practice has changed. Is it because nail-biting is no longer considered the social evil it once was, or is it that hand artists are defunct? Or is it something else? -- JackofOz (talk) 23:18, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

Hand models used for purposes such as jewelry catalogues or TV commercials need to have flawless skin and perfectly manicured fingers. For movies, their purpose is more to save shooting time for the star. For example, if a director needs a close-up shot of the star's hand reaching into a drawer for a weapon, there's no need to waste Mr. Pitt or Bloom's valuable time in shooting and re-shooting the scene. The hand needs to look realistic, not perfect. I doubt nail-biting has anything to do with whether or not the practice is becoming more or less widespread. --Xuxl (talk) 16:04, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

Thanks. I only mentioned nail-biting because this is something that's always occurred and is a well-documented psychological phenomenon. We perhaps like to think of our filmic idols as near to perfect as it's possible to be, but the truth is different. The studios, nevertheless, did all they could to promote their unreal image. So, if a Clark Gable or a Humphrey Bogart happened to be inveterate nail biters, there's no way the studios would ever allow their hands to appear in close up. But these days, they don't seem to mind. True, often a stand-in hand is used, simply to not waste the star's valuable time; but where that's not an issue, whether the star has perfect nails or not doesn't seem to figure in the equation any more. Maybe it's all about reality vs. fantasy. Or, as I say, maybe it's because people no longer generally look down on people with bitten fingernails, or assume they're a manifestation of a tortured psyche. But I know many who would form that sort of conclusion. -- JackofOz (talk) 20:39, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Does seem strange that the flawless face (or heavily made up one) and the toned body is stressed, but hands aren't – like Navi Rawat's bitten nails in Numb3rs TV series – not a good look, but natural as. Julia Rossi (talk) 12:31, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

I am reminded of a case where a hand model was used for a humorous effect: The Bizarro Jerry. cheers, 10draftsdeep (talk) 17:53, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

February 24

Miley Cyrus

When will Miley Cyrus release her second non-Hannah Montana album?

Wasn't this just asked the other day? Dismas|^(talk) 10:48, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

I'm asking this as a separate question now because there was no answer to this question. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 60.242.166.182 (talk) 06:28, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

The reason you didn't get an answer is probably because nobody knows the answer. The album hasn't been recorded yet as far as I can tell (certainly not as of last December[2]) and it normally takes several months to record, mix, prepare art and marketing, etc. Release dates for albums aren't fixed years in advance: as well as depending on Cyrus taking time out from TV and movie work to record it (she seems pretty busy right now), release dates for recorded albums often change even at short notice based on marketing decisions: sale figures for her singles, what other albums might compete for the same audience, the availability of Cyrus for promotion, etc. But I'm sure Miley Cyrus discography will be updated as soon as somebody does know. --Maltelauridsbrigge (talk) 13:28, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

We could give the common Disney "in-joke" answer: It will be released in four or five. Maybe six. -- kainaw™ 21:48, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Academy Awards

Does anyone know the following fact / statistic? Which individual film director has directed the most Academy Award-winning acting performances? Thanks. (Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 06:37, 24 February 2009 (UTC))

Interesting question! After a bit of heavy munging of IMDB data, I find that the answer is William Wyler, with Elia Kazan second. Altogether there are 8 people who have directed 5 or more Oscar-winning acting performances:

• William Wyler (13 over 31 years)
  • Jezebel (1938) — Bette Davis, Fay Bainter
  • The Westerner (1940) — Walter Brennan
  • Mrs. Miniver (1942) — Greer Garson, Teresa Wright
  • The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) — Fredric March, Harold Russell
  • The Heiress (1949) — Olivia de Havilland
  • Roman Holiday (1953) — Audrey Hepburn
  • The Big Country (1958) — Burl Ives
  • Ben-Hur (1959) — Charlton Heston, Hugh Griffith
  • Funny Girl (1968) — Barbra Streisand
• Elia Kazan (9 over 11 years)
  • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) — James Dunn
  • Gentleman's Agreement (1947) — Celeste Holm
  • A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) — Karl Malden, Kim Hunter, Vivien Leigh
  • Viva Zapata! (1952) — Anthony Quinn
  • On the Waterfront (1954) — Eva Marie Saint, Marlon Brando
  • East of Eden (1955) — Jo Van Fleet
• Woody Allen (6 over 32 years)
  • Annie Hall (1977) — Diane Keaton
  • Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) — Dianne Wiest, Michael Caine
  • Bullets Over Broadway (1994) — Dianne Wiest
  • Mighty Aphrodite (1995) — Mira Sorvino
  • Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) — Penélope Cruz
• Fred Zinnemann (6 over 26 years)
  • High Noon (1952) — Gary Cooper
  • From Here to Eternity (1953) — Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra
  • A Man for All Seasons (1966) — Paul Scofield
  • Julia (1977) — Jason Robards, Vanessa Redgrave
• Clint Eastwood (5 over 13 years)
  • Unforgiven (1992) — Gene Hackman
  • Mystic River (2003) — Sean Penn, Tim Robbins
  • Million Dollar Baby (2004) — Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman
• John Ford (5 over 21 years)
  • The Informer (1935) — Victor McLaglen
  • Stagecoach (1939) — Thomas Mitchell
  • The Grapes of Wrath (1940) — Jane Darwell
  • How Green Was My Valley (1941) — Donald Crisp
  • Mister Roberts (1955) — Jack Lemmon
• George Cukor (5 over 25 years)
  • The Philadelphia Story (1940) — James Stewart
  • Gaslight (1944) — Ingrid Bergman
  • A Double Life (1947) — Ronald Colman
  • Born Yesterday (1950) — Judy Holliday
  • My Fair Lady (1964) — Rex Harrison
• Martin Scorsese (5 over 31 years)
  • Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) — Ellen Burstyn
  • Raging Bull (1980) — Robert De Niro
  • The Color of Money (1986) — Paul Newman
  • Goodfellas (1990) — Joe Pesci
  • The Aviator (2004) — Cate Blanchett

--Anonymous, 09:50 UTC, February 24, 2009.

Nice work, Anon. Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 18:11, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

Wow! You did a ton of work on this! Thanks, I really do appreciate the information ... and the research / work. Thank you! (Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 05:53, 2 March 2009 (UTC))

February 25

HP7

Will the Deathly Hallows film be the first movie ever made to be split into two parts? JCI (talk) 01:54, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Far from it. For recent history, consider Kill Bill. Additionally, The Hobbit films may well release before HP7 (no idea their respective schedules). The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, while not "two parts", is almost certainly a more impressive technical accomplishment than an HP7 dual-film. Almost assuredly many others have preceded these. — Lomn 02:16, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Other examples:

• The Three Musketeers (1973 film) and The Four Musketeers
• Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources (Manon of the Spring)
• The first attempt to film The Lord of the Rings was intended to be done in two parts, but only the first part was actually made

--Anonymous, 05:20 UTC, February 25, 2009.

During the 1960s, there were two dramatic foreign feature films on same subject, one from male point of view and other from female POV, which opened simultaneously in New York in two different theaters. I think they were French films. Does anyone know the titles? Pepso2 (talk) 11:04, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Also Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse (film), released in 2 parts in Europe, Steven Soderberg's Che (film) originally shown at Cannes as one film but released in 2 parts, and Clint Eastwood's pair of films Letters from Iwo Jima/Flags of Our Fathers (film). --Maltelauridsbrigge (talk) 13:31, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

I've heard that Back to the Future II and III were made simultaneously. —Tamfang (talk) 20:14, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

there was also a film version of Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit that was made into two films. the first, 'Nobody's Fault' was told from Arthur Clenem's point of view and the second, 'Little Dorrit' was told from her point of view. Same events, two films, differet POV.63.146.74.132 (talk) 00:01, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I seem to remember those two as overlapping but not entirely contemporary, because Arthur is a generation older than Dorrit. —Tamfang (talk) 16:44, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Ashton Kutcher And Trucker Hats

What Trucker hats have Ashton Kutcher worn? Full and complete, etc., list would be most appreciated.96.53.149.117 (talk) 03:53, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

He has likely worn many hundreds of different hats, and there is no guarantee that anyone bothered to document them. You know, he may wear a hat out to the grocery store, and no one may bother to write that fact down. Even if we restrict ourselves to his hats he wore in actual produced TV shows, I would doubt (not guarantee that it didn't happen, just doubt) that anyone bothered to create such a list. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 05:10, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Von Dutch is one brand I can recall having seen him wear often. --Whip it! ^{Now whip it good!} 01:56, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Why do you even care about this?

Old Post

Nope not 4 Non Blondes's What's Up, kick ass song as it is: [3].96.53.149.117 (talk) 04:47, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Long guess about misremembered lyrics: Dave Matthew's Band, "So Much To Say"? --98.217.14.211 (talk) 02:12, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Nope, unfortunately.96.53.149.117 (talk) 21:44, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Then it simply must be this. It's got the what's up, the baby, what more could you ask? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-UJGvE8vnQ 129.176.151.10 (talk) 09:48, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Because it kind of sounds like a rock song if you plug your ears....129.176.151.10 (talk) 09:50, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

ok hold up, was Fu-Schnickens as big in Canada as the US? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q7bpMiiVlA 129.176.151.10 (talk) 09:57, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Sorry, none of any of these songs......96.53.149.117 (talk) 21:46, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

February 26

Can anyone identify this Polish song?

Can anyone identify the song being performed by this Polish maritime music group? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ru6RB9_k-k&feature=channel_page

Thanks. Crypticfirefly (talk) 06:16, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Flight 1549 songs

I've been on YouTube viewing some videos regarding US Airways Flight 1549. Some of them have songs written and performed about everything. (One of the songs has some vulgar content). By any chance will any of the songs be compiled onto an album?72.229.135.200 (talk) 08:44, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

• I seriously doubt it, unless all the songs happen to be by professional musicians or by the same unsigned artist who decides to put them together into an album... It's very rare that random songs are thrown together from youtube unless they are official releases from an official artist... You could always find a way of making an album yourself using the clips there by downloading them to your computer, but careful of copyright issues... Gazhiley (talk) 10:29, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Action Man Video Game (Demo)

I'm looking for an PSX demo of some kind of Action Man Driving Game, Where you drive at night in rain, Shooting cars.

Can somebody help me find out what Action Man game it was and what PSX Demo it was on. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.220.107.179 (talk) 15:35, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

People are answering every question except mine, How rude can this be? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.220.107.179 (talk) 08:09, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

It's not rude, or even intentional... it probably just means they don't know the answer... I for one don't have a clue... Gazhiley (talk) 09:05, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

This is the loading screen and interface for the Official UK PlayStation Magzine's demo disc 64. Released: - November 2000. Games featured: - Driver 2 - Sno Cross Championship Racing - In Cold Blood - X-Men Mutant Academy - Incredible Crisis - Action Man: Destruction X Videos featured: - Alien Resurrection - Dino Crisis 2 - Prince Naseem Boxing - This Is Football 2 - Legend Of Dragoon Also available: Cheats download (Tenchu 2) Serial number: - SCED-02638 "PlayStation" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "Official UK PlayStation Magazine" is a trademark of Future Publishing Ltd.

129.176.151.10 (talk) 10:38, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Joy Division song lyric question

Ever since I first heard the Unknown Pleasures album (20+ years ago), I thought that the first two lines of the song "Disorder" were as follows:

"I've been waitin' for a guy to come and take me by the hand

'Cause these sensations make me feel the pleasure of another man"

Someone told me today that I've been hearing it wrong. Does anyone here have an official lyrics sheet/CD booklet that they can look it up in for me? I know that lyrics sites on the web can be unreliable. I've listened to that section of the song over and over this afternoon and those still sound like the words to me. Thanks. --81.77.104.117 (talk) 15:38, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

As far as I know, Ian Curtis never committed his song lyrics to paper. There is some tangential information in the Joy Division article - 'The band refused to explain their lyrics to the press or print the words on lyrics sheets. Curtis told the fanzine Printed Noise, "We haven't got a message really; the lyrics are open to interpretation. They're multidimensional. You can read into them what you like."' --LarryMac | Talk 15:46, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Following up myself, there is some indication in the Unknown Pleasures article and talk page that the first bit is "waiting for a guide." --LarryMac | Talk 15:48, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Thanks. My friend thinks that it's "guide" and "feel the pleasure of a normal man". His reasoning? Because "it would sound a bit gay otherwise", to which I replied "I thought that was the point". I always thought that it was a song about a repressed homosexual (not Ian Curtis, just the character in the song). --81.77.104.117 (talk) 17:23, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

What a bizarre argument. By the same logic, Brokeback Mountain would be a movie about completely heterosexual cowboys, because otherwise it'd be a bit gay... -- Captain Disdain (talk) 19:22, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Touching from a Distance, the book by Ian Curtis' widow Deborah, includes his complete lyrics. I would guess these lyrics would be about as accurate as possible. The first lines from Disorder are "I've been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand, could these sensations make me feel the pleasures of a normal man?". Raven4x4x (talk) 10:57, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Luciana Abreu page

Hi!

Why is impossible I edit the page Luciana Abreu?

Thank you! —Preceding unsigned comment added by FifthMore (talk • contribs) 18:04, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

That page was semiprotected (meaning only signed-in users with at least a minimal edit history can edit it) on January by administrator NawlinWiki. Looking at the edit history on the article it's not immediately apparent why NawlinWiki did this, as the article doesn't appear to have been the subject of an unusual amount of vandalism (although some really nasty vandalism can be deleted outright by administrators, so that might be why). You could ask user:NawlinWiki to remove the protection. 87.112.17.229 (talk) 18:40, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

You could also post on WP:RFPP asking for the protection to be removed, or create an account. Once it's autoconfirmed, you can then edit the article. You can also propose edits on the talk page of the article. Exxolon (talk) 19:28, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

NawlinWiki protected it because it was subjected to page-move vandalism by the Grawp vandal. I would have thought page-move protection would have been sufficient, but he also semi-protected it. The semi-protection is due to expire on March 5, which is less than a week away. —Angr 23:35, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

February 27

Stevie Wonder article Discovery and Early Motown Recordings section incomplete

What is the answer to how Wonder was discovered at age eleven? The article right now says: "In 1961, at the age of eleven, Wonder was discovered singing outside a street corner by a im bored" I do not have the correct information to delete the "im bored" part and don't know how to remove it until someone who does can post it. In the meantime, it's disrespectful. Thank you for any help you can give. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.108.25.222 (talk) 02:38, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

There was a spot of vandalism there that I have fixed. Thanks for alerting us of this. NuclearWarfare _(Talk) 02:53, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

There is one way you can try to fix vandalism yourself:

1) Pick the "history" tab at the top of the page. This contains a list of recent edits.

2) Pick "prev" in front of the top edit listed. This will show the differences between the previous and current (vandalized) versions. Most likely, this is where the vandalism occurred.

3) If that is where it happened, pick "Undo" near the top to fix it, then "Save page" under the edit box.

4) If the last edit wasn't where the vandalism occurred, then it's harder to find and fix, unfortunately. StuRat (talk) 16:38, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Football pitches

What are the dimensions of the football pitches in the uefa chapions league? Are the dimensions of the goal the same everywhere? Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 116.71.63.100 (talk) 07:06, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

US translation: This question is about soccer fields. StuRat (talk) 16:31, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Laws of the Game, I think the dimensions required for Champions League matches are the same as "International matches", Length: 100-110 m (110-120 yds) / Width: 64-75 m (70-80 yds), though the regulations on UEFA.com might give a certain anwser. Goals are always the same size when it comes to Eleven-a-side football, 7.32 m (8 yds) wide, 2.44 m (8 ft) high. — CHANDLER#10 — 07:17, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Commercials loudness and length

In the United States TV channels - who actually decides how loud commercials are allowed to be and who decides how big the commercial breaks are allowed to be? Isn’t there any governing body which regulates this? Are the networks the ones whom decide this for themselves? TheCuriousGnome (talk) 09:49, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

That sort of thing is in the domain of the FCC. My understanding, which could be wrong, is that (1) they stopped regulating the number of commercial minutes allowed per hour in the 1990s or thereabouts, and (2) they require the commercials to be no louder than the programs, but this is not well enforced, and even if it is, it only means they can't be louder than the loudest part of the program. --Anonymous, 10:24 UTC, February 27, 2009.

• at least now we know how that ridiculous amount of US commercials came about - no regulation. - Mgm|^(talk) 11:50, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Here's an article (from 2007) that discusses the loudness issue. There are regulations regarding the peak volume level, however in general the average volume of commercials tends to be higher than the average level of a program. --LarryMac | Talk 13:22, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Fortunately, the majority of advertisers seem to realize that assaulting their potential customers with loud and obnoxious ads isn't the way to sell product. Unfortunately a few still seem to think that annoying people will make them money. What I'd really like to happen is for broadcasters to realize that obnoxious ads cause people to change channels while entertaining ads cause them to stay, and thus that they should charge far more to show obnoxious ads than pleasant ones. StuRat (talk) 16:29, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Yeah, before I apply my fist directly to their foreheads. Deor (talk) 01:36, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

The Commercial breaks can be any length the stations want them to be. At the network Owned and operated station that I work at, breaks are usually no longer than 2:30, but this is no longer regulated by law or recommended practice. Many commercials are perceievd as being louder than the programs because they are produced with a smaller dynamic range by using audio compression techniques. We have an excellent article with more detail on this subject. --Thomprod (talk) 17:45, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Chayanne

In our article about Chayanne (as well as in Chayanne discography) says that a compilation album titled De Piel a Piel was going to be released in September 9, 2008, in format CD/DVD, but it was never released. Even there was a possible cover art of that album. Does someone know if this album has been oficially released? 200.112.27.183 (talk) 12:45, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

allmusic.com seems to indicate that it was released on that date; however there is nothing further here. It does have a catalog number for the DVD. However, DVD planet seems to give more information and indicates that it is for sale. However, the relevent google search seems to be most helpful. I hope you find what you are looking for. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 13:20, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

England Test cricket team shirts

On the England team's shirts there is a number below the three lions logo. This number appears to be different for each player, what does the number signify? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.14.182.97 (talk) 17:56, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

this forum post seems to indicate that players for England all wear a unique number which matches their debut in playing for the English team. Thus a player with number 600 would be the 600th unique player to play in a test match for England. They keep the same number if they continue to play in further test matches. Squad number#Cricket seems to confirm this practice. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 18:08, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

The "Italian riff"

Does the above melody, which you always hear in pizza commercials and the like, come from a real Italian song, or is it just the Italian equivalent of the Oriental Riff? —Angr 23:27, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Yahoo! Answers suggests that it's the Tarantella Napoletana. You can hear it here. - Eron^Talk 23:50, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

That's the one. Tarantella Napoletana also seems to have been the title of an Italian film of 1953. I image this was probably the theme music to that movie. —Angr 23:58, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Interestingly enough, according to the IMDB soundtrack listing, it wasn't. Which makes me wonder if that is really the name of that piece of music or not... - Eron^Talk 00:22, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Well, since the name is just a descriptive phrase meaning "Neapolitan tarantella" it could easily have been applied more than once. —Angr 00:27, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Yeah. I've done more digging to try to find the original composer, without success. This suggests that it's anonymous. It may be a traditional local dance. - Eron^Talk 00:37, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Tarantella is an Italian dance. There is a wide collection of traditional songs for the tarantella. The Neapolitan is one of them. I figure that since the Neapolitan is the preferred Tarantella by the Italian immigrants in New York, that tune became heavily associated with Italians here in the United States - which is where the Pizza Commercials are made. Youth in Asia (talk) 14:26, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

But not only. I live in Germany and see German pizza ads on German TV and they use the same tune. —Angr 14:41, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

February 28

Famous drummers who were the lead singers for their band

A bit of help, please - seeing Phil Collins on television sparked a spell of trying to name famous drummers who were lead singers or sang lead vocal on some or all of their band's songs. Don Henley and Karen Carpenter spring rapidly to mind - are there any others people can think of? Ezio fan | black boots | latin feet 15:52, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Roger Taylor sang lead on some Queen songs. DuncanHill (talk) 15:54, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Ringo Starr sang lead on a few songs, and Paul McCartney can play the drums, so there are songs where he plays all the instruments and sings (though none with the Beatles as far as I remember). Also Levon Helm, Dave Clark of the Dave Clark Five...Jimmy Chamberlin occasionally sang lead. I don't think Dave Grohl ever sang in a band in which he was the drummer, so I guess he doesn't count. Adam Bishop (talk) 16:01, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

We considered Ringo, but figured that what he did didn't really constitute singing, per se ;-) Ezio fan | black boots | latin feet 16:02, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Oh now that's unkind! He was nearly as good a singer as me! DuncanHill (talk) 16:35, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Ringo sang with his own band and had a few hit songs, such as Photograph and It's Not Easy. -- kainaw™ 16:09, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Micky Dolenz sang a lot of Monkees songs. Of course, you have to decide if he was "the drummer" since a lot of people claim they never played their own instruments (which is not true). -- kainaw™ 16:13, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Beth was KISS' first top 10 hit, sung by Peter Criss. -- kainaw™ 16:15, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

The Four Seasons had a big hit with December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night), with the drummer singing the verses. Frankie Valli sang the chorus, leaving no doubt who the real singer was. If I remember TV from the 70s correctly, I think the drummer sang others songs too when Valli was not with the group. —Kevin Myers 17:06, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Brandon Saller plays drums in the band Atreyu and shares vocals on most every song they have recorded. cheers and rock on! 10draftsdeep (talk) 19:16, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Some that people haven't yet mentioned: Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad and Greg Munford of Strawberry Alarm Clock. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 20:37, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

It was Nick Mason who provided the vocals on all 12 words of Pink Floyd's "One of These Days".  :-) Dismas|^(talk) 05:18, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Stevie Wonder did much of the drumming on his records as does Lenny Kravitz.91.111.64.177 (talk) 20:00, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Profiles.met-art

Curious what happened to profiles.met-art.com. Some time ago it featured the user-generated galleries, but now it's quite unusual. 91.135.241.202 (talk) 19:30, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

March 1

Who wants to be a millionaire

What would happen if the contestant got to the Million Pound question, but then someone from the audience shouted out one of the possible answers? Even if it was not the correct answer, it would surely effect the contestant decision. Would a new question be chosen, or is it not known what would happen? 90.212.183.217 (talk) 00:29, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

I find it funny that in Britain, there's a million pound question, yet in the US, there's a million dollar question (the USD is worth more than the pound). Yet another great reason to live in America :) . Anyway, as to your question, the producers would probably 1. kick that audience member out of the studio, 2. pick a new question for the player, and 3. definitely cut that part out of the show. flaminglawyer 00:44, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Errr - since when has the dollar been worth more than the pound? DuncanHill (talk) 00:48, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Indeed, it's yet another great reason not to live in America (as if you needed one! ;)). --Tango (talk) 01:10, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Flaminglawyer's claim is a textbook example of American exceptionalism. "We're the best, and don't let the facts get in the way!" Malcolm XIV (talk) 14:37, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Yeah. Way to represent there, fellow American... Seriously, in my lifetime, the British pound has always been worth more than the U.S. Dollar. In fact, for a sizable portion of the past several years, the Canadian Dollar has been woth more than the U.S. Dollar. And as to the OP's question, I would guess that a new question would be asked, and the problem would be edited out of the telecast. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 01:23, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Actually, the only time since the 1980s when the Canadian dollar was worth more than the US dollar was during the period September 2007 to July 2008, and for most of that period the two currencies were almost equal and were going back and forth as to which was higher. When Who Wants to be a Millionaire decided to have a small number of Canadian episodes in back in 2000, the top prize was $1,000,000 Canadian, which at the time was less than $700,000 US, but the effective value was similar since Canada does not charge income tax on game show winnings. --Anonymous, 01:58 UTC, March 1, 2009.

"Look what you made me" by Yung Berg

In the song Look what you made me from the album of the same name, are there meant to be hissing sounds in some parts of the song? I don't think there should but everytime I download the song it does so --212.120.245.203 (talk) 15:26, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Beethoven pianos

How many keys did pianos have in Beethoven's time? (The Piano article indicates the number was increasing in his lifetime.)

How many octaves did his piano concertos actually use? (I would like to know if there is somewhere to look up such information.)

Thank you. Wanderer57 (talk) 19:31, 1 March 2009 (UTC)