K. Marrott: From the Margins

from the margins
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the best minds
15.feb.09 04:10 pm k. marrott -

I haven't posted a blog entry for a while. I won't go into a great spill of reasons for not posting, but today something I saw made me stop and say, "Hey! I have something to say about that."

What I saw, was a clip on the Internet of Joaquin Phoenix being interviewed by David Lettermen. Many of you have seen it, I'm sure. I refuse to post a link to it, simply because to do so will only help spread it around. Suffice it to say, that the video is very sad. There is a lot of buzz about whether the interview was a hoax based on Phoenix's strange behavior. Phoenix's insistence that he is working on his music, which by his own words is "hip-hop," has got the spin machine going very fast. The rumor mill is spitting out blog after blog about his apparent "rap" career, and though that seems strange as well, the whole scenario doesn't make much sense.

My gut response, when I was asked to view the interview, was that it was very tragic. Phoenix did not appear to even be able to put together a clear sentence. I couldn't get over Phoenix's appearance, however. His matted hair and beard and large round glasses brought an image of Allen Ginsberg to my mind. Then I thought about Ginsberg and rap and realized that the same indictments thrown against "hip-hop" music are the same indictments that were thrown at Ginsberg-Obscenity and moral turpitude. Then I began to wonder if the actor slated to play Ginsberg in the upcoming move "Howl," James Franco, has been replaced? If anyone knows or has further speculation, don't hesitate to send me a message.