Following up on this morning’s story about Joaquer Texas Rapper diving into the crowd at his concert in Miami last night, here’s the video. Is that Jerry Lawler down there? I can’t tell.

Adds commenter 6waysfromsunday (and I have no reason to disbelieve an internet handle and avatar): “I live in Miami and a couple of my friends went to this. They said it was TOTALLY FAKE. For one, Joaquin went after a girl. Secondly, when he got to her he just waited for the bouncers to obscure the audiences view of them fake fighting. And the MC was joking about it. Third, Affleck didn’t even get involved. Just kept taping and giggling. GIGGLING THAT HIS BROTHER AND LAW WAS CHRIS BROWING SOME HOTTY.”

Joaquin Phoenix was a guest on Dave Letterman last night (watch the video after the jump), ostensibly to promote Two Lovers, but really to stay in the actor-turned-rapper character he claims not to have invented for Casey Affleck’s documentary.  You have to give him credit, his schtick is really consistent – earnest but confused, sensitive, always wondering why everyone’s laughing at him.  Early on, Dave (who doesn’t seem to be in on the joke) asks him about his beard.

DAVE: You look different than I remember. (laughter)  You’ve got, uh, a nice beard going.
JOAQUIN: Yeah.  Thank you.
DAVE: How is that, the beard?
JOAQUIN: (looking around) …In what way?
DAVE: Well, is it comfortable? Is it itchy? Are you pleased with it?
JOAQUIN: …I’m okay with it.  …But now you’re making me feel weird about it.

And it goes on like that, with Dave trying to make jokes, Joaquin giving one-word answers and pretending to be offended, and the crowd laughing uncomfortably until it sort of comes to a head when Dave asks him to introduce a clip from the movie (4:35 of the video).  Joaquin says he doesn’t know what the clip is, Dave implies he’s unprofessional, Joaquin gets offended, and Dave makes a crack, “No, that’s fine.  I’ll come to your house and chew gum.”  At which point Joaquin says, “That’s fine, I don’t have to chew gum,” and sticks it to the bottom of the desk (pictured).

Like the tag on his shirt, the gum-under-the-desk moment is one where I think you can tell it’s a joke because he took it one step too far.  Nikki Finke even goes so far as to call it a “career-ending appearance.” But honestly, if you’d rather watch him promote a Gwyneth Paltrow movie than this, I don’t think we can be friends.
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