A fact from Atsugiri Jason appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 9 February 2021 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that comedian Atsugiri Jason became the first non-Japanese finalist on the R-1 Grand Prix in 2014?
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The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.
... that comedian Atsugiri Jason also works full-time as an executive at an IT company in Japan? Source: The Japan Times (link): "In fact, I still work full time at a Japanese IT company, managing the operations of its U.S. office from Japan."
ALT1:... that comedian Atsugiri Jason is the first non-Japanese finalist on the R-1 Grand Prix in 2014? Source: Oricon (link): "今年の『R-1ぐらんぷり2015』(フジテレビ系)で大会史上初の外国人決勝進出者として話題を集め、各メディアに引っ張りだことなっているお笑い芸人・厚切りジェイソンが、14日より公開されたアルバイト情報サイト『マイナビバイト』のWEB動画で得意の日本の“あるある”ツッコミネタを披露している。[Atsugiri Jason, a comedian who has been attracting attention as the first non-Japanese finalist in the history of the tournament at this year's R-1 Grand Prix 2015 (Fuji TV) and is curently sought after by various media, will be showcasing his relatable jokes in Japan in an online video on the part-time job recruitment website My Navi Beit.]."
ALT2:... that comedian Atsugiri Jason is famous in Japan for his tendency to scream, "Why Japanese people?!" about the Japanese writing system? Source: Oricon (link): "日本人にとって当たり前となっている日本の習慣や言葉に独自の目線でツッコミを入れる『Why Japanese people!?』ネタでブレイクした厚切りジェイソン。 [Atsugiri Jason made his big break in Japan with his "Why Japanese people?!" narrative, giving a unique perspective on Japanese customs and words that are ordinary to the Japanese.]"
The article is long enough and new enough. I assume good faith on the Japanese references. A QPQ has been completed. I prefer ALT2. SL93 (talk) 23:28, 1 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]
When this comedian uses his catchphrase, is he addressing the Japanese people (the noun phrase is in the vocative case) or are the Japanese people the object of his query? Is he saying, "Why [do you do this, you] Japanese people?!" or is he saying "Why [do] Japanese people [do this]?!" (more verbosely, "[Of all the people who might do things this way,] Why [is it that the ones who do so are the] Japanese people?!")? If he is directly addressing the Japanese people, then a comma belongs in his catchphrase, thus: Why, Japanese people?! Technically, without the comma, his catchphrase cannot accurately be parsed as a direct address, and must be understood as having a meaning parallel to Why Japanese people, instead of some other people, or some other agent or entity? It seems most probable to me that the comedian is identifying an audience of Japanese people as the intended recipients of his direct address—but on the other hand, such a great blunder as the omission of the necessary comma seems unlikely. And so I raise this point, that we all find ourselves syntactically sound, to be buffeted no more by the vagaries of ambiguity. catsmoke (talk) 00:42, 9 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]
@Catsmoke: The sources all ambiguously phrase the line as "Why Japanese people?!" in English, and if you watch his comedy skits, the grammar is also ambiguous in the way he says it. I think the line is a direct translation of なんで日本人が (Nande nihon-jin ga) which is a phrase that, because it lacks context, it can either mean "Why do Japanese people do this?" or "Why is it that Japanese people do this?" lullabying (talk) 22:51, 12 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]
@Lullabying: Thank you for confirming that the comedian's phrase is sound in the form in which it is so often written. My hope is that my question did not seem fatuous. As you yourself note, when the phrase appears out-of-context its meaning is ambiguous. I'd a nightmare vision in which Wikipedia propagated non-standard usage—the online encyclopedia seemed to belch suffocating clouds of incontextual confusion—then your knowledge made all clear—and now that information shall serve posterity and enable an easier enjoyment of the comedian's humor. catsmoke (talk) 06:53, 14 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]