Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2010 August 19

= August 19 =

Pantomime Roles
Could anyone tell me what role the following people are considered to be:
 * Prince Charming - Cinderella
 * Master of Ceremony's - Cinderella
 * Alderman Fitzwarren - Dick Whittington
 * Genie of the Lamp - Aladdin
 * Slave of the ring - Aladdin

I am confused as to what role these characters play in a pantomime. Thanks Paul 2387  chat  02:06, 19 August 2010 (UTC)


 * I'm not sure what you're looking for - are you after a stock description, like "hero", "villain" and so on? Pantomimes tend to have many participants and several storylines going on at once, and there are many scripts with endless variations on the basic story and characters, so it's hard to put a simple label like that on any one character. Most of them focus on a poor or oppressed character who achieves wealth, status and happiness, and the other characters play bit parts in that story, even if they have their own sub-plots too. Thus:
 * Prince Charming is the romantic lead and the successful suitor of Cinderella, the heroine. He represents the wealth and happiness Cinderella gains in her transformation from ragged servant to princess.
 * Master of Ceremonies (when he appears) is a minor character whose purpose is to direct the ball scene. His commentary helps the audience follow what is going on in a potentially confusing scene with many characters, whose action is vital to the plot
 * Alderman Fitzwarren is Dick Whittington's rich employer. His wealth and his daughter are Dick's financial and romantic rewards.
 * The Genie of the Lamp offers Aladdin an easy route to wealth and happiness, but works impartially for anyone who holds the lamp, so can be used to snatch away his magical gains as easily as they were acquired. The Genie (or Slave) of the Ring is a similar but less powerful tool, which, coupled with his cunning, enables Aladdin to win back the lamp from his enemy and regain his wealth and his princess.  Ka renjc 10:57, 19 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Specifically, Prince Charming is the Principal boy, who is usually played by a woman in traditional British pantomimes. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 11:48, 19 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Which sort of makes up for the breeches roles in some operas, where a male character is played/sung by a woman. --   Jack of Oz    ... speak! ...   20:28, 19 August 2010 (UTC)
 * It's more pertinently balanced by the Pantomime Dame, traditionally played by a man (usually the leading comedian in the company), as are (usually) the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella and other pantomimes derived from it. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 23:46, 19 August 2010 (UTC)

MGS4 question
Is it possible to have the special weapons awarded after beating the game carry over, and if so what do I need to do in order to get them when I start a new game? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.135.171.73 (talk) 04:49, 19 August 2010 (UTC)


 * According to MGS4's GameFAQs page, you load up your game save in which you finished the game, then you start up a new game from there at whatever difficulty level you wish. When you reach the Metal Gear Mark 2, you'll receive all your weapons from the beaten game. --McDoobAU93 (talk) 16:42, 19 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Hmph. I tried that and I didn't get the solar gun or any of the weapons awarded when I reached the Mk II. maybe I am not doing something right... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.135.171.73 (talk) 23:01, 19 August 2010 (UTC)
 * This site says you have to save the game right after you beat it, then start the new game with that save file. You might want to do a Google search for hints and such from other sites, as another one might have a more specific sequence you have to follow. --McDoobAU93 (talk) 03:46, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

Hmm, load the save file then start a new game...I didn't think of that, and it may well be the reason why the games do not start with my weaponry and such. Thanks for the help, I'll try that this time and see if it works. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.135.171.73 (talk) 23:39, 22 August 2010 (UTC)

YouTube view counts
It doesn't seem right for some of the view counts on YouTube. Like 5 million or etc for like a 30 second video. So what's the deal with the views on videos? Thank you. --Baysean (talk) 13:02, 19 August 2010 (UTC)
 * It's the number of times they've been watched. Why would there be more to it than that? 90.195.179.60 (talk) 13:32, 19 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Agreed - it literally means it's been viewed that many times since it was uploaded to YouTube... Some videos have gained world-wide notority despite being very short ("Charlie" being a classic that is very short!) In fact given the increase in mobile use for sites like YouTube it is often the shorter videos that get more hits as they are easier to load... I may get slapped with a "citation needed" label here but I don't have a source for this - it's just what I've learnt from reading articles in other sites and newsgroups, plus being a member and reglar user of YouTube myself...  gaz hiley  14:28, 19 August 2010 (UTC)

Unidentified pop-song
I was recently on holiday in Amsterdam, and in a club, heard a "song" which I can't identify. It didn't really have words, mainly music with a regular beat and which sounded vaguely reminiscent of the Thomas the Tank-Engine theme-tune. There was also a music-video playing, which showed edited cuts of Charlie Chaplin messing about with a piano (though I don't know where the video came from, it may not have been "official"). Can anyone help? Thanks! ╟─ Treasury Tag ►  most serene  ─╢ 14:53, 19 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Wow, that's fairly obscure. The Thomas tune runs 2 3/4 minutes. The very first few notes sound like the first few notes of the old-old song "Charley, My Boy", but that's even more obscure. The entire tune (which is really a short stretch repeated over and over) does indeed sound like something that might accompany a Chaplin clip or any silent movie comedy. Having said all that, which part of Thomas reminds you of that song you heard? Or is it the whole thing? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 11:37, 20 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Ah, I've had it identified by someone at home – it's "We No Speak Americano" – thanks anyway! ╟─ Treasury Tag ►  Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster  ─╢ 12:31, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

cuddly character
Who is this cuddly character? I have been trying different key words to find the answer to my question, but its been a few months and i need help. http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab68/pooperdoops/unknowndesktopwallpaperguy.png

99.131.0.119 (talk) 18:01, 19 August 2010 (UTC)


 * Big & Small. APL (talk) 18:42, 19 August 2010 (UTC)

thank you very much —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.131.0.119 (talk) 19:03, 19 August 2010 (UTC)