Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2015 March 24

= March 24 =

Unmentioned controversy
I understand the Federal Communications Commision took action in the wake of the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. They also took action before Saving Private Ryan aired. But no action was taken after 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out aired. That TV movie showed graphic up-close images of bloody wounds and when the first perpetrator was shot, or he committed suicide. In addition, the S-word was said about a few times. Why wasn't the FCC notified about this?158.222.165.116 (talk) 04:44, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
 * The general difference is that 44 Minutes was on cable television (FX Network), while the Janet Jackson/Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy (on CBS) and that airing of Saving Private Ryan (on ABC) was on broadcast television. The FCC historically has had little or no rules on the content of programs on cable, since it has always been a paid subscription service. On the other hand, broadcast television is transmitted over the air via the publicly owned spectrum, and thus can still be picked up for free easily by anyone (even kids) with an antenna. Thus those stricter indecency laws regarding content on broadcast stations remain on the books. Of course, the FCC has been trying to gain more rules to regulate cable content in recent years, but they just did not have that back in 2003 when 44 Minutes aired on FX. Zzyzx11 (talk) 06:51, 24 March 2015 (UTC)

Michelle Knight wiki page?
Why is this a redirect to Ariel Castro Kidnappings. She is more than notable, a #1 author, etc. The Michelle Knight page should be created. — Preceding unsigned comment added by IPRBal (talk • contribs) 06:03, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
 * You could take that issue up on the kidnapping talk page. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 12:14, 24 March 2015 (UTC)

Where did tortoiseshell cats get the name tortoise shell
I am guessing at some point in history someone thought they looked like the shell of a tortoise? But is there a source for this. I feel it could be a good addition to the page Tortoiseshell cat if there is a reliable source for the name. Does anyone know? Popish Plot (talk) 14:34, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
 * See Tortoiseshell, which is a common decorative material made from the shells of specific tortoises known for a particular coloration pattern. By extension, other things which have a similar coloration pattern are also named "Tortoiseshell", like tortoiseshell cats.  -- Jayron 32 14:44, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Ok I guess it's because the cats look like that tortoise shell material? I would need a reliable source saying that tho to put it in the cat article, not just because it looks similar which would be original research. How did you know that?Popish Plot (talk) 14:52, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
 * It's surprisingly hard to google just "why" they are called tortoiseshell, maybe because it's assumed to be obvious. As for how Jayron knew it? Because (1) he knew where to look and (2) he's a fount/font of knowledge on most any subject you'd care to name. (Probably the blessing/curse of a high IQ and a good education - along with being a grizzled veteran of academia.) ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 15:08, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
 * :) I knew that he knew it because he was smart I was just thinking in terms of how to get a reliable source! Thanks for the help, this led to a positive change for a wiki article. Popish Plot (talk) 16:30, 24 March 2015 (UTC)


 * I've added a link to tortoiseshell to the article. Perhaps a citation could be found, but we're talking about the exact same word used as a name for two things that share a similar coloration and patter. In my opinion, You_don't_need_to_cite_that_the_sky_is_blue, applies here. SemanticMantis (talk) 15:22, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
 * That's a great edit you made IMO! I will pay attention to see if anyone objects, but it does seem to fit that sky is blue policy, shouldn't be controversial. Popish Plot (talk) 16:27, 24 March 2015 (UTC)


 * Kinda silly that we have separate articles for torty and calico; a calico is precisely a tortoiseshell that also has the unrelated white spotting gene. (Which makes it technically possible to have a pure white calico.) --jpgordon:==( o ) 14:44, 26 March 2015 (UTC)

Episode of Farscape
Dear All.

I am looking for an episode of Farscape, where the enemy gets shot in the stomach, but regenerates with ease his wounds. I do not remember anything more.

Thank you for your answers.

All the very best.--178.195.98.161 (talk) 17:10, 24 March 2015 (UTC)


 * Take a look through List of Farscape episodes and see if anything rings a bell. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 20:38, 24 March 2015 (UTC)


 * The Episode is "DNA Mad Scientist" where a lab "rat" gains extraordinary powers though genetic manipulation, including the ability to regenerate a blast through the abdomen. It is the ninth episode of the first season.  If you email me privately, I own the DVD copy and will send you a copy or link.  We do not have a separate article on it, although any decent comprehensive encyclopedia would.  If you create it, email me, and I'll assist.  It was quite magnificent,one of the best ever of the show's episodes. You'll have to register and post some useful edits first, though. μηδείς (talk) 06:59, 26 March 2015 (UTC)

Sorry for the late response. First, thanks a million for your answer, I have searched that episode for years! Thank you for the offering for the DVD scan, but I bought the entire series on Blu-ray yesterday. I am going to watch the episode this very day. This is going to be awesome:)

Once again thanks a lot for your assistance.

I wish you all the very best.--178.195.98.161 (talk) 05:39, 29 March 2015 (UTC)

Titanic (1953 film)
Hello,

I just want to find out some more information about an article. It's the Titanic (1953 film) wikipedia page. Titanic (1953 film)

One of the historical inaccuracies is listed as: "A general alarm, consisting of a siren, is portrayed as informing the passengers about the collision. No such system, though, existed on the Titanic; passengers in all three classes were informed about the sinking through stewards knocking on their cabin doors."

I'm researching the film and am wondering where this information came from? I'd like to have a specific reference to there being no siren or alarm.

Hope you can help.

Many thanks 175.45.146.99 (talk) 23:40, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
 * See Sinking of the RMS Titanic, where it states, in the section titled Preparing to evacuate (00:05–00:45): "...stewards went door to door, rousing sleeping passengers and crew – Titanic did not have a public address system – and told them to go to the Boat Deck." -- Jayron 32 00:25, 25 March 2015 (UTC)
 * The fist Public address system wasn't invented until after the sinking. Presumably they could have had sirens, but it might not have occurred to anyone to build them into Titanic's specs. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 03:12, 25 March 2015 (UTC)

This site contains transcriptions of both the British and the American inquiries into the disaster. On this page, the British Attorney-General is interrogating a Paul Mauge, who was the chef's secretary at one of the ship's restaurants:
 * 20086. Did he call you?
 * No; I got up after when I saw him come back, but one steward said to me "Oh, there is no danger; it is better you go to sleep." I had been sleeping again. At the moment I heard the alarm signal, and I went to the front, but the stewards sent me back to my cabin.
 * 20087. I think I heard you saying there was an alarm signal?
 * Yes, an alarm signal.
 * 20088. What do you mean by that?
 * A ringing.
 * 20089. A bell ringing?
 * Yes.
 * 20090. Down where you were on the third class corridor?
 * Yes.
 * 20091. Alarming everybody on that corridor?
 * Yes.
 * 20095. When you heard the bell ringing, giving the alarm in the third class corridor, did you see other persons coming out of that third class corridor?
 * Yes, a lot of persons came from the front and went to the back, some of them with luggage, some with children. Some showed us a piece of ice.
 * 20096. What I want to understand from you is, the effect apparently of the ringing of the bell there was to alarm the third class passengers in that corridor?
 * Yes, it was to alarm the third class passengers.
 * Yes, it was to alarm the third class passengers.

On the other hand, here is Canadian first-class passenger Arthur Peuchen testifying to the American inquiry:
 * 5625. Do you know of your own knowledge whether any alarm was sounded to arouse the passengers from their rooms after the impact?
 * There was no alarm sounded whatever. In fact, I talked with two young ladies who claimed to have had a very narrow escape. They said their stateroom was right near the Astor’s, I think almost next to it, and they were not awakened.
 * 5628. I think you said that from your judgment and from your own observation there was no general alarm given?
 * No, I did not hear one. I was around the boat all the time.
 * 5673. Do you mean to say, too, that so far as you knew and heard and observed no general alarm was given throughout the ship, arousing the passengers, and advising them of their danger?
 * I did not hear any alarm whatever.
 * 5674. Do you know what the method is of giving an alarm in an emergency of that kind?
 * I have never had the experience of an accident at sea before.
 * 5674. Do you know what the method is of giving an alarm in an emergency of that kind?
 * I have never had the experience of an accident at sea before.

Today we'd assume that an "alarm signal... a bell ringing" was an electric bell (a technology that was in use on the Titanic), but Mauge doesn't say that. Conceivably the third-class stewards walked down the corridors ringing handbells, while in first class they knocked on people's doors. I can't say. --65.94.50.15 (talk) 06:03, 25 March 2015 (UTC)


 * Surely someone would have rung the ship's bell. That article has a photo of the one on the Titanic.--Shantavira|feed me 09:02, 25 March 2015 (UTC)
 * On a ship the size of the Titanic, the Ship's Bell would have been basically ornamental and served no purpose to sound a general alarm. I suspect, based on the testimony above and other cites, just as 65.94 notes, the "Bell ringing" alarm would have been the Stewards ringing handbells as the means of alerting passengers.  Protocol may have dictated a more personal approach on the first-class berths.  In addition, as noted in our article and in other sources, there was a much better passenger-to-steward ration in the first-class areas (as would be expected, first class gets better service!), so each steward could personally contact each passenger in a timely fashion.  There were much more passengers for each steward to be responsible for in third-class, it would be unlikely that they had time to personally notify everyone, so they probably rang handbells to sound the alarm.  The article I cite above notes this discrepancy (though not the handbells) when it says "The thoroughness of the muster was heavily dependent on the class of the passengers; the first-class stewards were in charge of only a few cabins, while those responsible for the second- and third-class passengers had to manage large numbers of people. The first-class stewards provided hands-on assistance, helping their charges to get dressed and bringing them out onto the deck. With far more people to deal with, the second- and third-class stewards mostly confined their efforts to throwing open doors and telling passengers to put on lifebelts and come up top. In third class, passengers were largely left to their own devices after being informed of the need to come on deck."  I hope that helps as well.  -- Jayron 32 14:52, 25 March 2015 (UTC)