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? A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2021/February. The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Atsugiri Jason.

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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]