Joaquin Phoenix: Just Who Is The Joke On At This Point, Anyway?

noah | January 19, 2009 1:00 am
When reading about Joaquin Phoenix’s defection from the acting world into the hip-hop realm, I often wonder to myself, “Is this all part of some elaborate joke, in which Mr. Phoenix decides to turn the tables on the press, the public, and the very notion of ‘celebrity’? And if so, is the Casey Affleck-directed documentary that’s apparently capturing all his performances for posterity going to be some sort of ‘fame and its ills’ companion piece to To Die For?” The above clip, of Phoenix falling off a teeny tiny stage while performing in Las Vegas over the weekend, may in fact be an attempt to make Affleck’s mockumentary go viral, or it just may be a PSA against the dangers of too-small stages at venues that seem like everything wrong with this decade. Whatever its intent, the viewing experience wouldn’t be complete without also getting a glimpse at Phoenix’s attempt at rapping, which I’ve placed after the cut.

All I’m saying is, Allison Folland better show up at one of these performances.

Joaquin Phoenix Rapping Like Lil Wayne…Not! [YouTube] Joaquin Phoenix Falls Off Stage [YouTube via the listenerd]