Talk:Hershey Felder

Spouse of Prime Minister?
Can we start a discussion on this? The page states that Hershey Felder is the Spouse of a Canadian Prime Minister who was in office in 1993, but he didn't even meet her until 1994. How can he have been preceded or even succeeded by any spouse if he wasn't in the picture yet? Yes, he is the current spouse of a FORMER prime minister, but not of a sitting prime minister. Therefore he can't be considered the official spouse. --Judas
 * Revised. David notMD (talk) 08:33, 18 January 2020 (UTC)

Articles issues
This article has serious issues. Aside from the fact that 95% of the content is without source references, it is obvious that there is a WP:COI since most of this information could not have been included without personal knowledge. It is heavily in resume-style format and promotional in content. I will be scrubbing much that is not notable and over-weight listing; and will only keep what can be cited by sources not primary to the subject. Maineartists (talk) 23:41, 28 October 2019 (UTC)
 * I have moved this article's content to my sandbox here: N/A for easier editing. If any other editor wishes to edit, they are free to join me there. Once I have completed the article cleaning / scrub; I'll transfer it back. Thanks. Maineartists (talk) 00:28, 30 October 2019 (UTC)

After compiling numerous primary and reliable sources not associated directly with the subject through reviews, I have condensed the existing content into a more cohesive article that spotlights the subject's achievements. It is obvious having researched Mr. Felder that his accomplishments are remarkable and varied; however, once studied, one finds that they are repetitive and confined to the same venue locations. He has carved a niche for his talents and professions; but the article as it stands does not provide a NPOV. In that, it focused heavily on positive filler and fluff that made it resume in style; and did not allow negative reviews to be presented. The subject is praised for his portrayals, but there are critics that do not share this acclaim and should be included. Especially NY Times critics. I have gathered as much as I could find regarding the subject's stage persona plays, but could not find much (if any) on his works as a composer, director (except the one play: "The Pianist of Willesden Lane", producer, et al. So I have just focused on the reviewed nomenclature that I have presented in the lede. If you wish to peruse, add, comment on my edits; please feel free to here: Maineartists sandbox. Thanks. Maineartists (talk) 17:21, 30 October 2019 (UTC)
 * Sandbox article has been edited, contributed to, commented on, approved, and now moved to main space article here at Hershey Felder. It no longer is a sandbox article; and can be edited here. Thanks. Maineartists (talk) 16:01, 1 November 2019 (UTC)

Conflict of Interest
Hello It would seem that you may have a WP:COI with this article; in addition, may have direct ties with the subject. Please note that it is necessary for you to disclose your connection with the subject. Your contribution history is only for this article; which leads WP to believe that you may be the subject; since many of your edits are without sources or primary sources that are directly associated with the subject. Substantial edits as the ones you have just carried out should be brought here and asked of WP editors. In the future, your edits may be reverted. Please note that this article is WP:RESUME not a place to update resume style information. I will also leave word on your user Talk Page. Thank you. Maineartists (talk) 00:01, 18 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Teahouse Thread Discussion: Hershey Felder for reference. Maineartists (talk) 16:12, 19 January 2020 (UTC)

Source
The following sources added to this article are primary sources directly related to the subject and are not considered reliable: 1) "Inside the Playbill: Hershey Felder", 2) "THE ROAD TO ‘HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN'", 3) (deadlink) Gershwin Alone Production Diary. I will be removing them and placing CN tags where applicable; in addition to removing content that is not supported by reliable sources secondary to the subject. Maineartists (talk) 01:44, 15 September 2020 (UTC)

Correction request apparently from Hershey Felder
I looked at the edit history of the IP editor who was recently reverted and saw a discussion that was started on 's talk page. The IP editor identifies himself as Hershey Felder, and it looks like he was trying to change two items that appeared to be properly sourced. He was instructed to start the discussion here, but never did. I'm going to put his statement and rationale for the edits here so they can be discussed. TimTempleton (talk) (cont)  00:59, 31 March 2021 (UTC)
 * Comment inserted from other page.

Mr or Ms Deepfried okra.

I was alerted to a fasle "early life" reference that was either created by you or reverted to by you multiple times. While the wikipedia page that is created does not really reflect the full or even a partial scope of my history or work, that is not for me to determine, however I cannot allow demonstrably false narrative, unfortunately based on a very much older gentleman's incorrect newspaper article.

I make reference to the notion that I "grew up in a Yiddish speaking home" and the "my first entrance into showbiz was singing a song on the stage from Shver Tzu Zain a Yid. and another, that perhaps is removed is that my father is a Holocaust survivor. To be factual, which is important: my father left Poland in 1937. While much of his family remained and perished, my father is not a "survivor"by any standard that we address such terms. He was in North America before the war began and besides the loss of relative did not suffer hardship and did not "survive the Holocaust" as we understand it. That is a specific honor and one must never lessen the meaning of that.

Mr. Tugend in his article for the Jewish Journal, unfortunately erred on the side of being excited about details, and unfortunately jumbled them. Mr. Tugend is one of the dearest individuals I have ever spoken with, however when that interview took place he was in his nineties, and perhaps some things became mixed up in his notes. I never "entered showbiz" by singing a song on a stage. My first stage performance was a pianist at eleven years old playing works by Beethoven. I did appear much later (when I was 15 and 16) with the Yiddish Theatre of Montreal, however this was following my early appearances as a pianist. And I never appeared in the play "Shver Tzu Zain a Yid." The plays I appeared in alongside my piano performances were different. In fact, no Shver Tzu Zain a Yid was produced, or selected from during my brief two years in various plays. I did sing the song Papirossn as a child, but certainly not as an entrance to "showbiz"

I would appreciate the correction as it is unfortunately incorrect, and i do not wish to be credited (even in a positive manner) for things I never did. Thank you.

Hershey Felder — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.55.134.1 (talk) 11:46, 29 March 2021 (UTC) End of insert TimTempleton (talk) (cont)  01:01, 31 March 2021 (UTC)
 * Thanks, I have been working on this BLP article for a long time; and have seen many of the reincarnations of Mr. Felder's IP editor usernames and addresses. Since my first attempts at scrubbing the article from its promotional, resume-style form with primary sources, it has been a constant battle with Mr. Felder to keep this page free from COI reverts and inclusions. I am all for working with Mr. Felder directly; but I cannot trust the several different usernames he has created over the years to sneak in content and revert content he does or does not like at whim. In particular with the above, the article that reviewer Eric George Tauber writes from 2017 does not fit the narrative Mr. Felder presents. Who is this "very much older gentleman" Mr. Tugend? The source is not the Jewish Journal, but the "San Diego Jewish World". I was the one who originally placed this content into the article long ago. I have invited Mr. Felder on several occasions to join any and all discussion here on the Talk Page and provide reliable primary sources. He has never done so. All the content that he has contributed has come from his own websites and promotional media sites. If any of the above is true, Mr Felder needs to provide a reliable primary source. Otherwise, I can produce countless IP address and usernames that also stated they are Hershey Felder. Because of this, I requested a page protection. Maineartists (talk) 01:22, 31 March 2021 (UTC)
 * Thanks for explaining the challenging history, and for your help trying to keep this info in compliance with Wikipedia guidelines. I actually made my first edit to this article two days after you made your first.  I also added all his plays, which is what Felder is most known for, along with sources. I've seen two live, and another online as part of an ongoing series of global fundraisers Felder hosts for shuttered theaters during the pandemic. He livestreams them from a studio in Italy, so that might be why you see different IP addresses. I have no doubt that the above writer is him, but as an active help desk volunteer, I also share your frustration when subjects don't understand why they can't just write whatever they want about themselves and it'll be fine. I think he needs to have a journalist clarify the info for us. TimTempleton (talk)  (cont)  01:31, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Once again, per today's edit:, this may very well be Hershey Felder, and yes we should take into consideration the BLP's concerns. But as I've also said on numerous occasions: bring it to the Talk Page. Despite several attempts to engage the BLP to enter into this form of communication correctly via WP policy; they consistently refuse. I am reluctant to revert the edits. At this stage, I have no other way of ceasing this behavior but to let it stand and let the BLP have his way. Maineartists (talk) 21:06, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
 * Since the article isn't really worse off because of these details not being there, I'm thinking we just let it go. Alternatively, we could say his Jewish father fled Poland in 1937, and let the reader decide if that means Holocaust survivor or not. But I can't find a source for him leaving in 1937. It's all dependent on Felder's media coverage, which from this point on is all going to come from his oral history anyway. TimTempleton (talk)  (cont)  21:23, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
 * OK. But I insist a template be placed. It was removed once before by a "fan" of Felder's. I will place a "cn" tag on the content. I wrestled with this for so long; it's not new. As I said, it sets a precedent; which I will keep a close eye on as always. Thanks for weighing in. Maineartists (talk) 21:28, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
 * I think that's the most elegant solution. And unlike the vast majority of the COI-tagged articles, this one actually does have info on the talk page to help educate readers about why it was tagged. <b style="color:#7F007F">TimTempleton</b> <sup style="color:#800080">(talk)  <sup style="color:#7F007F">(cont)  21:32, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

note from Hershey Felder
Hello all -

Thank you for addressing all this. Admittedly I am not at all savvy of the protocol or until today how to utilize the talk page. First, thanks to all for being punctilious, but please note I have not refused a talk page invitation, and I am grateful for all of your contributions. I also want to address the two questions above, most importantly the matter of my father's history and an article quote about my first stage appearance.

My father arrived in North America in 1937. I have asked for documents that are in a box somewhere in his basement to confirm this as it is important. I also note the matter of a question regarding the "Jewish Journal" and Mr. Tugend. It is in that article that my father is incorrectly referred to as a Holocaust Survivor. There is no such mention in Mr. Tauber's review of a one night event in San Diego. As well, Mr. Tauber refers to a stage presentation where I am the source of the performance, in which case I can confirm that I did not refer to myself as having begun in "Showbiz" singing the referred to song but that I had simply "sung the song as a child." At the end of long theatre evening, sometimes, details in a review can get mixed up. As I have the text of what was said, I can confirm, that I first entered "showbiz" playing a Beethoven Sonata at the age of 11 on a stage in Montreal.

With regard to any other edits, as with today, I do not pretend to be other people to "sneak in" information. I am always rather amazed that anyone is interested enough in anything I do to make a point of adding or removing any details, and I confirm that I have never paid anyone ever to craft, correct or falsify information herein. That said, please be assured that I am only interested in making certain that my father is not credited for something untrue - as I was alerted to this by a family member, and that I am not credited for being on a theatre stage a little child, which also credits me with something I never accomplished.

Again, I appreciate the efforts and stay safe and healthy in these times. HF
 * Dear Mr. Felder. Thank you for joining the Talk Page discussion regarding this article and explaining what seems to be "good faith" approaches toward editing content. To be clear: it would help everyone involved (including yourself) if you "registered" as a WP user with an actual account: WP:REGISTER. Presently, no editor can contact you directly; or notify you of current discussions. Each time you log in from a different computer without signing into an account, it displays as a separate IP Address (i.e. 79.55.134.1). Notice the numbers vs the usernames in the History here: [Hershey Felder Action History]. Editors have no way of knowing who is contributing when someone logs on with in an IP Address only. This is why it "appears" to be suspicious activity as it may seem to "pretend to be other people trying to "sneak in" information." In addition, editors cannot communication with an IP Address; only a registered username account. So it would benefit you greatly if you registered with Wikipedia: How to Create a Wikipedia Account. Second, content can only be added to a WP article if it is backed / cited by a source not related directly to the subject of that article. In other words: the above may be true, but without a secondary source that claims / supports your statement; it is inadmissible. In the future, if you have issues with this article; please bring them here. Do not edit the article yourself, as this is what is known as a WP:COI Conflict of Interest. A WP editor will gladly assist in working out whatever concerns you may have. Thanks again for joining the discussion. Hopefully this will assuage any further misunderstandings. Maineartists (talk) 14:46, 12 April 2021 (UTC)