its all an act

Joaquin Phoenix has been in the news lately because he reportedly gave up acting to pursue a rap career, a move that produced results every bit as awful as you might imagine.  But today, Entertainment Weekly quotes two sources that say it's all a "Borat" type stunt, except without a bear and shape-shifting Jews.  

Following his widely panned three-song debut as a rapper at a Las Vegas nightclub on Jan. 16, two competing theories emerged: Either Phoenix is perpetrating an elaborate Andy Kaufman-style hoax (with an assist from his friend and brother-in-law Casey Affleck, who's ostensibly shooting a documentary about his career transition), or he's truly lost his marbles. The truth, it seems, is closer to the former. "He said, 'It's a put-on. I'm going to pretend to have a meltdown and change careers, and Casey is going to film it,'" says one source who recently worked with Phoenix.Whatever his motivation or ultimate endgame, don't expect him to break character anytime soon. "It's an art project for him," says a source. "He's going full out. He probably has told his reps that he's quit acting. Joaquin is very smart. This is very conscious. He has a huge degree of control."

In a related story, Nick Lachey boxed a kangaroo to promote Northside Toyotas “Dealin Days”.  When asked if that was also a stunt to pretend he was down on his luck, he said "umm, OH MY GOD what's that behind you" and then locked himself in the bathroom.