Tarento

Tarento (タレント^?) are celebrities who regularly appear on mass media in Japan, especially television. The term is a gairaigo word - borrowed a foreign language word - most likely the English talent (since Japanese speakers hardly make a difference between sounds "l" and "r"), and has a connotation of "famous for being famous". During the Golden Age of Hollywood, bankable stars were described as Tarento, and were distinguished from production crews which were seen as having more technical than charismatic talents. In that sense, although some sources may paint "tarento" as a concept not easily translatable outside Japanese, in many cases the term translates perfectly (or nearly so) to the English word "celebrity," including the understanding that the fame of a Tarento may or may not be based upon specific accomplishments and abilities.

Japanese television programs often feature these media personalities. Many, sometimes dozens at a time, are called in to take part in these prime time shows. Their participation in these programs varies greatly and includes performing, voicing opinions, mimicking fellow celebrities in a practice called Monomane, taking part in game shows, joking, or just being present for the entire duration of the show (known as being part of the "gallery").

While it is very common for tarento to appear in serious Japanese television drama or movies, they are distinguished from mainstream actors by the fact that, where an actor might go on variety television to advertise their latest venture, tarento often appear on variety shows with no apparent promotional agenda outside of a personal one.

Often, tarento, whether men or women, have notoriously short career spans (around one or two years), and their earning capabilities are not as high as popularly imagined. The vast majority make just enough to maintain a middle-class lifestyle in Tokyo, Japan's media capital. This is because their talent agencies take a majority share of their earnings for the appearances that they make on TV. Part of the money given up by the tarento is to pay for initial support the agencies gave them in terms of free housing, financial stipends, and promotion of that person. These cuts can sometimes be as much as 90%. However, their work achieves social prominence (and all the associated benefits), and a successful tarento career can be the launching point for a career as movie actor or even political figure. An example is Takeshi Kitano, a prominent director, who started out as a comedy tarento and still does weekly shows. Tarento who are unable to leverage their career into something larger sometimes slowly fade away into eventual obscurity.

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Wikipedia