In the beginning, it seems Dave -- certainly no stranger to the put-on game -- must be in on it. But by the end, the routine takes on an air of brilliant squirm-inducing Andy Kaufman as Phoenix is no longer just confused but angry that he is being asked all these questions (on a late-night talk show, mind you) and being made fun of when he barely answers.
Dave will have none of it, finally shooting out, "Yeah, I'll come to your house and chew gun." So Phoenix slaps the wad under Dave's desk just before they kick out to a clip the actor-rapper refused to set up. At the end, Dave quips, "Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight." For the record, I still think the whole thing has to be a joke. But whereas I found the rap performances to be simply unwatchable, after the Letterman appearance, I can definitely see how this could be a fun ride.
