Since there has been some uncertainty recently over whether certain stories are real or fake, I'm going to state right at the top of this post that I think Joaquin Phoenix was being serious when he announced that he is abandoning his acting career for life as a musician. Furthermore, I believe that his attempts at rapping are sincere as well, and not some ironic nod to nerdcore. But I could be wrong. ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-01-18T14:07:57-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/3/113053/6901

Last week we asked someone, anyone, to marry British-Sri Lankan singer M.I.A. so she could stay in the US after her visa expires. And you came through! Ms. Arulpragasam is now engaged to rocker (and, we assume, Jaunted reader) Benjamin Brewer of the rock-reggae band The Exit.

Brewer's dad is the CEO of Warner Music Group, whose rival Universal put out M.I.A.'s last album. Should make for some awkward family dinners!

Catch M.I.A. in concert tonight in Montreal and later this month at Tennessee's Bonnaroo Music Festival. And sorry, scenesters, her Brooklyn show on Friday is already sold out.

Related stories:
· M.I.A.'s Eye-Bleedingly-Bright Page [MySpace]
· M.I.A. to Wed Bronfman Son [Canoe.ca]
· Deportation Travel: Marriage or Montreal For M.I.A. [Jaunted]

[Photo: ONTD]]]> egw 2008-06-03T12:00:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/29/02123/1723

In rapper M.I.A.'s video for the song "Paper Planes" she claims, "If you catch me at the border, I've got visas in my name." But the artist, real name Mathangi Arulpragasam, just told the press she had to cut her US tour short because her work visa is about to expire.

British by birth, M.I.A. has run afoul of border patrol before because her estranged father has been involved in anti-government groups in Sri Lanka. She's probably headed to Montreal, but Arulpragasam has joked that Kanye West, who's been after her to guest on his records, ought to marry her so she can stay in the States.

Seriously, somebody marry this woman so she can stay in the country! Women of Massachusetts and California? Flavor Flav? The most recent Bachelor?

Related Stories:
· Kanye West Launches Travel Site; We Retire [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> egw 2008-05-29T09:00:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/