Education system : Japan vs other countries

[omae mona]

There is a foreign guy on TV here, can't recall his name - went to Harvard. Speaks good Japanese, but I think the name on his degree is the only reason anyone puts up with him.

On TV, the only reason anybody puts up with ANYBODY is because they think it's going to draw in audiences and help make a profit (if we're not talking about NHK).

Disclaimer: I know your foreign guy on TV quite well personally, but I think there are some more pertinent reasons he's on TV.

• Speaks EXCELLENT, not good, Japanese
• The only foreigner (to my knowledge) half of a manzai comedy duo. Not only does this require fluent Japanese, but also a damn good understanding of Japanese culture and what makes Japanese people laugh. Granted, I guess it's not working on your wife, but..
• Looks good on TV

My wife - usually a kind, mild person - has pronounced him a complete git and very snobbish.

I can assure you he's not snobbish, but I think we all know that on TV (especially in Japan) everything comes off *exactly* the way the director wants it to. Frankly, I don't think he seems snobbish on TV either, but granted, I'm not going to be the guy to pick up subtle queues like what seems snobbish to a Japanese person.

[on edit: hey, how did my post count get set to 1? I was almost sure I've posted here before, but maybe I was hallucinating...]