Mao Mizoguchi

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. Tarento who are unable to leverage their career into something larger sometimes slowly fade away into eventual obscurity.

Important considerations for tarento include the degree to which their names are publicly known (知名度, chimeido), which is the Japanese equivalent of a Q Score, the degree to which they are generally liked by the public (好感度, kōkando), and the character or personality by which they are known (often just "chara"). The distinction between the first two terms is an important one, as celebrities such as Egashira 2:50 might be widely disliked by audiences and still make a living; being disliked is a part of their character. Additional elements of a tarento's character may include their origins and other careers (e.g., author/illustrator Lily Franky), intelligence (e.g., Masaru Hamaguchi, a comedian who once misspelled his own name on a televised test), hobbies and skills (many female celebrities are known for how well or poorly they can cook, from the former members of Pink Lady on the high end of the continuum to race queen Yinling on the low end) or appearance (many non-Japanese talents such as Bobby Ologun use their looks to this effect). The way by which a person becomes tarento can more often than not be categorized.