Flatulence

German peasants greet the fire and brimstone from a papal bull of Pope Paul III in Martin Luther's 1545 Depictions of the Papacy.

Flatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The medical term for the mixture of gases is flatus, informally known as a fart, or simply (in American English) gas. The gases are expelled from the rectum in a process colloquially referred to as "passing gas", "breaking wind" or "farting". Flatus is brought to the rectum by the same peristaltic process which causes feces to descend from the large intestine. The noises commonly associated with flatulence are caused by the vibration of the anal sphincter, and occasionally by the closed buttocks.

Composition[link]

Nitrogen, the main constituent of air, is the primary gas released during flatulence, along with carbon dioxide. The lesser component gases methane and hydrogen are flammable, and so flatus containing adequate amounts of these can be ignited. However, not all humans produce flatus that contains methane. For example, in one study of the feces of nine adults, only five of the samples contained archaea capable of producing methane.^[1] Similar results are found in samples of gas obtained from within the rectum.

The gas released during a flatus event frequently has an unpleasant odor. For many years, this was thought to be due to skatole and indole, which are byproducts of the digestion of meat. However, gas chromatography testing in 1984 revealed that sulfur-containing compounds, such as methanethiol, hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell) and dimethyl sulfide, were also^[2] responsible for the smell.^[3]

The incidence of odoriferous compounds in flatulence emissions increases from herbivores, such as cattle, through omnivores to carnivorous species^{[citation needed]}. Such odor can also be caused by the presence of large numbers of microflora bacteria and/or the presence of feces in the rectum.

The major components of the flatus, which are odorless, by percentage are:^[4]

• Nitrogen: 20–90%
• Hydrogen: 0–50%
• Carbon dioxide: 10–30%
• Oxygen: 0–10%
• Methane: 0–10%

Physiology[link]

Flatus is brought to the rectum by the same process which causes feces to descend from the large intestine (see peristaltic movement), and may cause a similar feeling of urgency and discomfort. Researchers investigating the role of sensory nerve endings in the anal canal did not find them to be essential for retaining fluids in the anus, and instead speculate that their role may be to distinguish between flatus and feces, thereby helping detect a need to defecate or to signal the end of defecation.^[5]

The sound varies depending on the tightness of the sphincter muscle and velocity of the gas being propelled, as well as other factors, such as water and body fat. The auditory pitch (sound) of the flatulence outburst can also be affected by the anal embouchure. Among humans, flatulence occasionally happens accidentally, such as incidentally to coughing or sneezing or during orgasm; on other occasions, flatulence can be voluntarily elicited by tensing the rectum or "bearing down" on stomach or bowel muscles and subsequently relaxing the anal sphincter, resulting in the expulsion of flatus.

Causes[link]

Intestinal gas is composed of varying quantities of exogenous sources (air that is ingested through the nose and mouth) and endogenous sources (gas produced within the digestive tract). The exogenous gases are swallowed (aerophagia) when eating or drinking or increased swallowing during times of excessive salivation (as might occur when nauseated or as the result of gastroesophageal reflux disease). The endogenous gases are produced either as a by-product of digesting certain types of food, or of incomplete digestion. Anything that causes food to be incompletely digested by the stomach and/or small intestine may cause flatulence when the material arrives in the large intestine, due to fermentation by yeast or prokaryotes normally or abnormally present in the gastrointestinal tract.

Flatulence-producing foods are typically high in certain polysaccharides, (especially oligosaccharides such as inulin). Those foods include beans, lentils, dairy products, onions, garlic, scallions, leeks, turnips, rutabagas, radishes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cashews, Jerusalem artichokes, oats, wheat, and yeast in breads. Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables that belong to the genus Brassica are commonly reputed to not only increase flatulence, but to increase the pungency of the flatus.^{[citation needed]}

In beans, endogenous gases seem to arise from complex oligosaccharides (carbohydrates) that are particularly resistant to digestion by mammals, but which are readily digestible by gut flora – microorganisms (methane-producing archaea; Methanobrevibacter smithii) that inhabit the digestive tract. These oligosaccharides pass through the upper intestine largely unchanged, and when they reach the lower intestine, bacteria feed on them, producing copious amounts of flatus.^[6]

In the case of people who have lactose intolerance, intestinal bacteria feeding on lactose can give rise to excessive gas production when milk or lactose-containing substances have been consumed.

Interest in the causes of flatulence was spurred by high-altitude flight and the space program; the low atmospheric pressure, confined conditions, and stresses peculiar to those endeavours were cause for concern.^[6] In the field of mountaineering, the phenomena of high altitude flatus expulsion was first recorded over two hundred years ago.

Some infections, such as giardiasis, are also associated with flatulence.^[7]

Remedies[link]

Dietary[link]

Certain spices have been reported to counteract the production of intestinal gas, most notably the closely related cumin, coriander, caraway and others such as ajwain, turmeric, asafoetida (hing), epazote, and kombu kelp (a Japanese seaweed). Most starches, including potatoes, corn, noodles, and wheat, produce gas as they are broken down in the large intestine. Rice is the only starch that does not cause gas.^[8] The amount of water-soluble oligosaccharide in beans that may contribute to production of intestinal gas is reputed to be reduced by a long period of soaking followed by boiling, but at a cost of also leaching out other water-soluble nutrients.^{[citation needed]} Also, intestinal gas can be reduced by fermenting the beans, and making them less gas-inducing, and/or by cooking them in the liquor from a previous batch. Some legumes also stand up to prolonged cooking, which can help break down the oligosaccharides into simple sugars. On the other hand, fermented bean products such as miso are less likely to produce as much intestinal gas. Fermentative lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum reduce flatulence in human intestinal tract.^[9]

Probiotics (live yogurt, kefir, etc.) are reputed to reduce flatulence when used to restore balance to the normal intestinal flora.^[10] Live (bioactive) yogurt contains, among other lactic bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus which may be useful in reducing flatulence. L. acidophilus may make the intestinal environmnent more acidic, supporting a natural balance of the fermentative processes. L. acidophilus is available in supplements (some believe non-dairy is best). Prebiotics, which generally are non-digestible oligosaccharides, such as fructooligosaccharide, generally increase flatulence in a similar way as described for lactose intolerance.

Medicinal activated charcoal tablets have also been reported as effective in reducing both odor and quantity of flatus when taken immediately before food that is likely to cause flatulence later.

Pharmacological[link]

Digestive enzyme supplements may significantly reduce the amount of flatulence caused by some components of foods not being digested by the body and thereby promoting the action of microbes in the small and large intestines. It has been suggested that alpha-galactosidase enzymes, which can digest certain complex sugars, are effective in reducing the volume and frequency of flatus.^[11] The enzymes alpha-galactosidase, lactase, amylase, lipase, protease, cellulase, glucoamylase, invertase, malt diastase, pectinase, and bromelain are available, either individually or in combination blends, in commercial products.

The antibiotic rifaximin, often used to treat diarrhea caused by the microorganism E. coli, may reduce both the production of intestinal gas and the frequency of flatus events.^[12]

While not affecting the production of the gases themselves, surfactants (agents which lower surface tension) can reduce the disagreeable sensations associated with flatulence, by aiding the dissolution of the gases into liquid and solid fecal matter. ^[13] Preparations containing simethicone reportedly operate by promoting the coalescence of smaller bubbles into larger ones more easily passed from the body, either by burping or flatulence. Such preparations do not decrease the total amount of gas generated in or passed from the colon, but make the bubbles larger and thereby allowing them to be passed more easily.^[13]

Odor from flatulence, caused by the intestinal bacteria called microflora in the bowel, can be treated by taking bismuth subgallate, available over-the-counter as Devrom. Bismuth subgallate is commonly used by individuals who have had ostomy surgery, bariatric surgery, fecal incontinence and irritable bowel syndrome.^[14][15]

Post-release[link]

In 1998, Chester "Buck" Weimer of Pueblo, Colorado received a patent for the first undergarment that contained a replaceable charcoal filter. The undergarments are air-tight and provide a pocketed escape hole in which a charcoal filter can be inserted.^[16] In 2001 Mr Weimer received the Ig Nobel Prize for Biology for his invention.^[17]

A similar product was released in 2002, but rather than an entire undergarment, consumers are able to purchase an insert similar to a pantiliner that contains activated charcoal.^[18] The inventors, Myra and Brian Conant of Mililani, Hawaii still claim on their website to have discovered the undergarment product in 2002 (eight years after Chester Weimer filed for a patent for his product), but state that their tests "concluded" that they should release an insert instead.^[19]

Health effects[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

As a normal body function, the action of flatulence is an important signal of bowel activity, and hence is often documented by nursing staff following surgical or other treatment of patients. However, symptoms of excessive flatulence can indicate the presence of irritable bowel syndrome or some other organic disease. In particular, the sudden occurrence of excessive flatulence together with the onset of new symptoms provide reason for seeking further medical examination.

Flatulence is not poisonous; it is a natural component of various intestinal contents. However, discomfort may develop from the build-up of gas pressure if an attempt is made to refrain from releasing them. In theory, pathological distension of the bowel, leading to constipation, could result if a person holds in flatulence.^{[citation needed]}

Not all flatus is released from the body via the anus. When the partial pressure of any gas component of the intestinal lumen is higher than its partial pressure in the blood, that component enters into the bloodstream of the intestinal wall by the process of diffusion. As the blood passes through the lungs, this gas can diffuse back out of the blood and be exhaled. If a person holds in flatus during daytime, it will often be released during sleep involuntarily when the body is relaxed. Some flatus can become trapped within the feces during its compaction and will exit the body, still contained within the fecal matter, during the process of defecation.

Society and culture[link]

In many cultures, human flatulence in public is regarded as embarrassing, but, depending on context, can also be considered humorous. People will often strain to hold in the passing of gas when in polite company, or position themselves to conceal the noise and scent. In other cultures^{[examples needed]}, it may be no more embarrassing than coughing.

While the act of passing flatus in said cultures is generally considered to be an unfortunate occurrence in public settings, flatulence may, in casual circumstances and especially among children, be used as either a humorous supplement to a joke ("pull my finger"), or as a comic activity in and of itself. The social acceptability of flatulence-based humor in entertainment and the mass media varies over the course of time and between cultures. The humorous insult "I fart in your general direction" from the comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail has been reprinted on several posters, t-shirts, and hats.^{[citation needed]} The Whoopee cushion is a joking device invented in the early 20th century for simulating a fart. In 2008, a farting application for the iPhone raked in nearly $10,000 in one day.^[20]

A farting game named Touch Wood was documented by John Gregory Bourke in the 1890s.^[21] It existed under the name of Safety in the 20th century in the US, and has been found being played in 2011.^[21]

In January 2011, the Malawi Minister of Justice, George Chaponda, said that Air Fouling Legislation would make public farting illegal in his country. The media had a field day with punning headlines when they reported the story. Later, the minister withdrew his statement.^[22]

Environmental impact[link]

The flatulence of cows is only a small portion of cows' methane release. Cows also burp methane, due to the physiology of their digestive systems.

Flatulence is often blamed as a significant source of greenhouse gases, owing to the erroneous belief that the methane released by livestock is in the flatus.^[23] While livestock account for around 20% of global methane emissions,^[24] 90–95% of that is released by exhaling or burping.^[25]

Since New Zealand produces large amounts of agricultural product, it is in the unique position of having high methane emissions from livestock compared to other greenhouse gas sources. The New Zealand government is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol and therefore attempts are being made to reduce greenhouse emissions. To achieve this an agricultural emissions research levy was proposed, which promptly became known as a "fart tax" or "flatulence tax". It encountered opposition from farmers, farming lobby groups and opposition politicians.

In Fresno, California, a system to harvest methane by-product from dairy cattle and convert it to usable bio-gas is being used, in a partnership with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and BioEnergy Solutions, in which BioEnergy Solutions sells the methane harvested from cows to PG&E, who then converts the methane to usable bio-gas, which is very similar to natural gas. (It should be recognized, however, that this has nothing to do with flatulence. The gas in question is produced by anaerobic fermentation of cattle waste in an enclosed lagoon.)^[26]

Farting at will[link]

Historical comment on the ability to fart at will is observed as early as Saint Augustine's The City of God (5th century AD). Augustine mentions men who "have such command of their bowels, that they can break wind continuously at will, so as to produce the effect of singing". The fact that mankind in general has lost this ability he attributes to the first sin of Adam and Eve and its consequences with respect to body control.^[27] Intentional passing of gas and its use as entertainment for others appear to have been somewhat well known in pre-modern Europe, according to mentions of it in medieval and later literature, including Rabelais.

Le Pétomane ("the Fartiste") was a famous French performer in the 19th century who, as well as many professional farters before him, did flatulence impressions and held shows. The performer Mr. Methane carries on le Pétomane's tradition today. Also, a 2002 film Thunderpants revolves around a boy named Patrick Smash who has an ongoing flatulence problem since he was a newborn baby. He eventually overcame his problems and fulfilled his dreams including being an astronaut.

See also[link]

Biology portal

• Tympanites
• Antiflatulent
• Flatulence humor
• Borborygmus
• Vaginal flatulence
• The Gas We Pass
• Fart lighting
• Le Pétomane

References[link]

Bibliography

• Allen, V. (2007) On Farting: Language and Laughter in the Middle Ages. Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 978-0-312-23493-5.
• Bolin, T. D., & Stanton, R. (1997). Wind Breaks. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-86448-321-5. 
• Dawson, Jim (1999). Who Cut the Cheese?: A Cultural History of the Fart. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 1-58008-011-1. 
• Dawson, Jim (2006). Blame it on the Dog: A Modern History of the Fart. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 1-58008-751-5. 
• Franklin, Benjamin (2003). Japikse, Carl. ed. Fart Proudly ((Reprint) ed.). Frog Ltd/Blue Snake. ISBN 1-58394-079-0. 
• Persels, J., & Ganim, R. (2004) Fecal Matters in Early Modern Literature and Art: Studies in Scatology. (Chap. 1: The Honorable Art of Farting in Continental Renaissance). ISBN 0-7546-4116-3.
• von Schmausen, D. (2002). Official Rules, New World Odor International Freestyle Farting Championship. LULU. ISBN 978-1-4357-0919-5. 

Notes

External links[link]

Look up flatus or flatulence in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Flatulence

Wikisource has original text related to this article: A cure for flatulence from 1872

• The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, Gas
• Dictionary of Fart Slang
• The Great Fart Survey (simple statistical analysis of flatulence in youths) produced by Australian Broadcasting Corporation youth website, Rollercoaster)

Jamie Foxx
Foxx promoting Stealth in July 2005
Birth name	Eric Marlon Bishop
Born	(1967-12-13) December 13, 1967 (age 44) Terrell, Texas, United States
Medium	Stand up, Film, Television, Radio, Music
Nationality	American
Years active	1989–present
Genres	Musical comedy, Political satire, Observational comedy, Character comedy, Black comedy (as actor) R&B, hip hop, soul, pop(as singer and rapper)
Subject(s)	Race relations, Racism, African-American culture, Celebrities, Human sexuality, American politics, Current events, Self-deprecation
Influences	Redd Foxx[1]
Notable works and roles	Law Abiding Citizen Jamie King on The Jamie Foxx Show Ray Charles in Ray Nico in Rio
Website	Official site

Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, rapper, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host who began playing the piano when he was five years old. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a musical/comedy. He is also a Grammy Award winning musician, producing three albums which have charted highly on the Billboard 200: Unpredictable, which topped the chart, Best Night of My Life and Intuition.

Born in Terrell, Texas, Foxx was raised by his mother's adoptive parents. He performed in high school and was awarded with a scholarship to United States International University. In his twenties, Foxx began performing stand-up at comedy clubs, and eventually joined the cast of In Living Color in 1991; this exposure helped him land film roles and star in his own sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show. He released his debut album, Peep This, in 1994, but he did not gain significant musical success until 2004 when he was featured in Twista's song "Slow Jamz". Also in 2004, Foxx played critically acclaimed roles in the films Collateral and Ray. He released his second album, Unpredictable, in 2005, which was helped by his collaboration on Kanye West's number-one single "Gold Digger". His third album Intuition was released in 2008 and was anchored by the single "Blame It". Foxx released his fourth studio album, Best Night of My Life, in 2010.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Foxx was born as Eric Marlon Bishop on December 13, 1967, in Terrell, Texas.^[2] He is the son of Louise Annette Talley Dixon and Shaheed Abdulah. Foxx was abandoned seven months after birth, and was subsequently adopted and raised in Terrell by his mother's adoptive parents. Terrell was a racially segregated community at the time.^[3] Foxx had a strict Baptist upbringing^[4][5] and began piano lessons at the age of five by his grandmother's orders. As a teenager, he was a part-time pianist and choir leader in Terrell's New Hope Baptist Church.^[3]

Foxx attended Terrell High School, where he received top grades, played basketball and football as quarterback, and had an ambition to play for the Dallas Cowboys. He was the first player in the school's history to pass for more than 1,000 yards.^[3][6] He also sang in a band called Leather and Lace.^[3] After completing high school, Foxx received a scholarship to United States International University, where he studied classical music and composition.^[3][7] He has often acknowledged his grandmother's influence in his life as one of the greatest reasons for his success.^[4][8]

[edit] 1989-94: Stand-up career, acting debut, Peep This and legal issue

After accepting a girlfriend's dare, Foxx told jokes and at a comedy club's open mic night in 1989. When he found that comediennes were often called first to perform, he changed his name to Jamie Foxx, feeling that it was an ambiguous enough name to disallow any biases.^[1][3] He chose his surname as a tribute to comedian Redd Foxx.^[1] In addition his recurrent In Living Color character LaWanda shared names with Redd's friend and co-worker, LaWanda Page.

Foxx joined the cast of In Living Color in 1991 and subsequently played a recurring role in the comedy-drama sitcom Roc.^[9] From 1996 to 2001, Foxx starred in his own sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show, and made his film debut in the 1992 comedy Toys. His first dramatic role came in Oliver Stone's 1999 film Any Given Sunday, where he portrayed a hard-partying American football player.^[4] He was cast in the role in part because of his background as a football player.^[4] Following Any Given Sunday, Foxx was featured as taxi driver Max Durocher in the film Collateral alongside Tom Cruise, for which he received outstanding reviews and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.^[4] In 1994, Foxx released an album (on the Fox record label) entitled Peep This.

In April 2003, Foxx was involved in an incident with two police officers who were attempting to escort him and his sister out of Harrah's casino in New Orleans. Employees claimed they had failed to show identification upon entry. Originally charged with trespassing, disturbing the peace, battery on police officers and resisting arrest, Foxx pleaded no contest to disturbing the peace in exchange for the other charges being dropped, and was sentenced to a six month suspended jail term with two years probation and a $1,500 fine.^[10][11]

In 2003, Foxx made a cameo in Benzino's music video for "Would You", which features LisaRaye McCoy and Mario Winans.

[edit] 2004-06: Ray, Collateral, and Unpredictable

Foxx and Kanye West performing "Gold Digger"

His music career shifted into a higher gear when, in 2004, he was featured on rapper Twista's song, "Slow Jamz", which also featured Kanye West. The song reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, as well as #3 on the UK Singles chart. Foxx's second collaboration with Kanye West, "Gold Digger," in which he sang the "I Got a Woman" Ray Charles-influenced hook, went straight to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained there for 10 weeks. In 2005, Foxx was featured on the single "Georgia" by Atlanta rappers Ludacris and Field Mob. The song sampled Ray Charles' hit "Georgia on My Mind." He also had a beginning verse on Kanye's "Gold Digger."

His standout performance, however, was his portrayal of Ray Charles in the biopic Ray (2004), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor^[4] and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Foxx is the second male in history to receive two acting Oscar nominations in the same year for two different movies, Collateral and Ray. The only other male actor to achieve this was Al Pacino. In 2005, Foxx was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^[12]

Foxx released his second studio album, Unpredictable, in December 2005. It debuted at #2, selling 598,000 copies in its first week.^[13] The following week, the album rose to #1, selling an additional 200,000 copies.^[14] To date, the album has sold 1.98 million copies in the United States, and was certified double Platinum by the RIAA.^[15][16] The album also charted on the UK Albums Chart, where it peaked at #9.^[17] Foxx became the fourth artist to have won an Academy Award^® for an acting role and to have achieved a #1 album in the U.S. (The other three to accomplish this feat were Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Barbra Streisand.) Foxx's first single from the album, the title track "Unpredictable" (featuring Ludacris), samples "Wildflower" by New Birth. The song peaked in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 singles and also made the UK Top 20 singles chart. The second U.S. single from the album was "DJ Play a Love Song," which reunited Foxx with Twista. In the UK, however, the second single was "Extravaganza," which saw Foxx once again collaborate with Kanye West. He was not, however, featured in the song's music video.

At the 2006 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards, Foxx won Best Duet/Collaboration with Kanye West for "Gold Digger" and tied with Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You" for Video of the Year. On December 8, 2006, Foxx received four Grammy Award^® nominations, which included Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for Love Changes featuring Mary J. Blige, Best R&B Album for Unpredictable, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for Georgia by Ludacris & Field Mob featuring Jamie Foxx, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for Unpredictable featuring Ludacris.

[edit] 2006-2009: Dreamgirls, The Soloist, Intuition and Miley Cyrus incident

Foxx's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Following these successes, Foxx appeared in Jarhead, Miami Vice, and Dreamgirls, which were box-office hits, and lifted his profile even higher as a bankable star in Hollywood. 2007 brought him the lead role in the film The Kingdom opposite Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner and Ashraf Barhom. In September 2007, Foxx was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He said, upon receiving the honor, "[it was] one of the most amazing days of my life."^[18]

On January 22, 2007, Foxx was on Sirius Satellite Radio, announcing his new channel The Foxxhole. The channel features talk-radio programs, stand-up comedy albums, and music primarily by African-American performers, and features much of Foxx's own material as well. The Jamie Foxx Show, Foxx's own talk-radio variety program, airs Friday evenings on The Foxxhole, and features Johnny Mack, Speedy, The Poetess, Lewis Dix, and T.D.P., as his co-hosts. Guests include popular musicians, actors, and fellow comedians. He recorded a song with country superstars Rascal Flatts entitled "She Goes All the Way" for their album, Still Feels Good. Foxx also performed background vocals for artist/songwriter Tank. He and The-Dream are featured on Plies' "Please Excuse My Hands." He also appeared on the remix of Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent" entitled "She Got Her Own." The track also features Fabolous. Foxx then collaborated with rapper The Game on the track "Around The World." In April 2009, Foxx played the lead role in the dramatic film The Soloist. A few months later in October 2009, He played a starring role along side Gerard Butler in the thriller Law Abiding Citizen. In April 2011, Foxx voiced Nico, a canary in the movie Rio.

Foxx released his third album titled Intuition in 2008, featuring such artists as Kanye West, T.I., Ne-Yo, and T-Pain. The album's first single, "Just Like Me" featuring T.I., was promoted by a video directed by Brett Ratner and featuring an appearance by Taraji P. Henson. The second single "Blame It" featured T-Pain and became a top 5 single on the Billboard Hot 100 and a number-one single on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The "Blame It" music video, directed by Hype Williams, features cameo appearances by Forest Whitaker, Samuel L. Jackson, Ron Howard, Quincy Jones, and Jake Gyllenhaal, among others. Foxx was also featured on T.I.'s single "Live in the Sky" from the album King. On April 6, 2009 Foxx performed the George Strait song "You Look So Good in Love" at the George Strait Artist of the Decade All-Star Concert. Foxx has been a fan of country music for many years. Jamie Foxx hosted the 2009 BET Awards ceremony on June 28, 2009, which featured several tributes to pop star Michael Jackson, who had died three days prior to the show. Aside from performing "Blame It" with T-Pain and "She Got Her Own" with Ne-Yo and Fabolous, Foxx opened the show with a rendition of Jackson's "Beat It" dance routine and closed the show with a cover of The Jackson 5's "I'll Be There" with Ne-Yo. Foxx stated during the ceremony, "We want to celebrate this black man. He belongs to us and we shared him with everybody else."

On the April 17, 2009 episode of The Jamie Foxx Show on Foxxhole Radio, Foxx and his co-hosts made several sexually suggestive and disparaging jokes regarding teenaged singer Miley Cyrus, in response to a caller's comment on a recent altercation between Cyrus and rock band Radiohead.^[19] Foxx issued a public apology on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno several days later in response to growing public outcry as well as televised criticism by Cyrus's father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus.^[20]

[edit] 2010-present: Django Unchained and Best Night of My Life

In 2011, Foxx was officially cast in the title role of, Django Unchained. It will be written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, and he will star alongside his Ray co-star Kerry Washington, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson. As a producer, Foxx played a role in In the Flow with Affion Crockett on Fox in summer 2011.^[21]

Foxx released his fourth album, Best Night of My Life, on December 21, 2010.^[22] The first single is "Winner", featuring Justin Timberlake and T.I..^[23] The second single is "Living Better Now" featuring rapper Rick Ross and the third single is "Fall For Your Type" featuring rapper Drake.^[22] On October 7, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding J Records along with Arista Records and Jive Records. With the shutdown, Foxx (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release his future material on the RCA Records brand.^[24][25] In 2011, Jamie Foxx was featured in the rapper Pitbull's album 'Planet Pitt' in the song "Where Do We go".

Personal life[link]

This section requires expansion.

Foxx has a daughter, Corinne Bishop, who was born in 1994.^[3] Former Jamie Foxx Show co-star Garcelle Beauvais made a public announcement stating that Foxx has a second child.^[26] Foxx was spotted with the baby in Miami for New Year's Eve 2010, and it was revealed to be a girl.^[27]

Foxx performed a public service announcement for Do Something to promote food drives in local communities.^[28]

Jamie Foxx began playing the piano when he was five years old.

Discography[link]

• Peep This (1994)
• Unpredictable (2005)
• Intuition (2008)
• Best Night of My Life (2010)

Hosted Mixtapes

• Young Buck - Chronic 2006

Tours[link]

• The Unpredictable Tour (2006)
• The Blame It Tour (2009)

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Television Awards

• Image Awards
  • 1998, Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: The Jamie Foxx Show
  • 1999, Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: The Jamie Foxx Show (nominated)
  • 2000, Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: The Jamie Foxx Show (nominated)
  • 2001, Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: The Jamie Foxx Show (nominated)

Music awards

• American Music Awards
  • 2009, Favorite R&B/Soul Male Artist (nominated)
  • 2006, Favorite R&B/Soul Male Artist (winner)
  • 2006, Favorite R&B/Soul Album: Unpredictable (nominated)

• BET Awards
  • 2006, Best Male R&B Artist (nominated)
  • 2006, Best Collaboration ("Unpredictable") with Ludacris (nominated)
  • 2009, Best Collaboration ("Blame It") with T-Pain (Winner)
  • 2009, Video of the Year: ("Blame It") (nominated)
  • 2009, Best Male R&B Artist (nominated)

• Grammy Awards
  • 2010, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group ("Blame It") with T-Pain (winner)
  • 2010, Best Contemporary R&B Album (Intuition) (nominated)
  • 2010, Best R&B Song ("Blame It") (nominated)
  • 2007, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Unpredictable") with Ludacris (nominated)
  • 2007, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group ("Georgia") with Ludacris & Field Mob (nominated)
  • 2007, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group ("Love Changes") with Mary J. Blige (nominated)
  • 2007, Best R&B Album (Unpredictable) (nominated)
  • 2006, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Slow Jamz") with Twista & Kanye West (nominated)
  • 2006, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("Creepin") (nominated)

• Image Awards
  • 2009, Outstanding Male Artist (winner)
  • 2006, Outstanding Male Artist (winner)

• MOBO Awards
  • 2006, Best R&B Act (nominated)

• MTV Video Music Awards
  • 2006, Best Hip-Hop Video: "Gold Digger" with Kanye West (nominated)
  • 2006, Best Ringtone: "Gold Digger" with Kanye West (nominated)
  • 2006, Best R&B Video: "Unpredictable" featuring Ludacris (nominated)
  • 2004, MTV2 Award: "Slow Jamz" with Twista & Kanye West (nominated)

• Soul Train Awards
  • 2009, Record of the Year: "Blame It" (winner)
  • 2009, Album of the Year: Intuition (nominated)
  • 2007, Best R&B/Soul Album, Male: Unpredictable (winner)
  • 2006, Best Music Video: "Gold Digger" with Kanye West (winner)
  • 2006, Best R&B/Soul Dance Cut: "Gold Digger" with Kanye West (nominated)

• Vibe Awards
  • 2005, Best Collabo: "Gold Digger" with Kanye West (nominated)
  • 2004, Best Collabo: "Slow Jamz" with Twista & Kanye West (nominated)

Movie/TV Awards

• Academy Awards
  • 2004, Nominated Best Supporting Actor – Collateral
  • 2004, Won Best Actor – Ray

• BAFTA Awards
  • 2005, Won Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role – Ray
  • 2004, Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Collateral

• BET Awards
  • 2006, Nominated Best Actor
  • 2005, Won Best Actor

• Black Movie Awards
  • 2006, Nominated Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Jarhead

• Black Reel Awards
  • 2007, Nominated – Best Actor – Dreamgirls
  • 2005, Won Best Actor, Drama – Ray
  • 2004, Won Best Actor – Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (TV)
  • 2004, Won Best Supporting Actor – Collateral
  • 2004, Nominated – Best Actor, Musical or Comedy – Breakin' All the Rules
  • 2002, Won Theatrical – Best Supporting Actor – Ali
  • 2000, Nominated – Best Supporting Actor – Any Given Sunday

• Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
  • 2000, Nominated – Favorite Supporting Actor – Drama – Any Given Sunday

• Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
  • 2004, Won Best Actor – Ray

• Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
  • 2005, Won Critics Choice Award Best Actor – Ray
  • 2004, Nominated Critics Choice Award Best Supporting Actor – Collateral

• Florida Film Critics Circle Awards
  • 2004, Won FFCC Award Best Actor – Ray

• Golden Globes
  • 2005, Won Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy – Ray
  • 2004, Nominated Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television – Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (TV)
  • 2004, Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Collateral

• Hollywood Film Festival
  • 2004, Won Hollywood Breakthrough Award Breakthrough Actor

• Image Awards
  • 2007, Nominated Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture – Dreamgirls
  • 2005, Won Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture – Ray
  • 2004, Won Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special – Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (TV)
  • 2004, Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Collateral
  • 2002, Won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Ali
  • 2001, Nominated Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series – "The Jamie Foxx Show"
  • 2000, Nominated Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series – "The Jamie Foxx Show"
  • 1999, Nominated Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series – "The Jamie Foxx Show"
  • 1998, Nominated Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series – "The Jamie Foxx Show"

• Independent Spirit Awards
  • 2005, Nominated Best Male Lead – Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (TV)

• Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
  • 2005, Won Best Actor – Ray (2004/I)

• Kids' Choice Awards
  • 2001, Nominated Favorite Television Actor – "The Jamie Foxx Show"
  • 2000, Nominated Favorite Television Actor – "The Jamie Foxx Show"

• Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
  • 2005, Won Sierra Award Best Actor – Ray

• London Critics Circle Film Awards
  • 2005, Won ALFS Award Actor of the Year – Ray

• MTV Movie Awards
  • 2005, Nominated Best Male Performance – Ray
  • 2000, Nominated Breakthrough Male Performance – Any Given Sunday

• MovieGuide Awards
  • 2005, Won Grace Award Most Inspiring Television Acting – Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (TV)

• National Board of Review
  • 2004, Won Best Actor – Ray

• National Society of Film Critics Awards
  • 2005, Won Best Actor – Ray

• Online Film Critics Society Awards
  • 2005, Nominated Best Actor – Ray
  • 2004, Won Best Supporting Actor – Collateral

• People's Choice Awards
  • 2008, Nominated Favorite Leading Man
  • 2006, Nominated Favorite Leading Man

• Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
  • 2004, Won Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role – Ray

• Prism Awards
  • 2005, Won Performance in a Feature Film – Ray

• Satellite Awards
  • 2005, Won Golden Satellite Award Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television – Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (TV)
  • 2004, Won Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical – Ray
  • 2004, Nominated Golden Satellite Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Drama – Collateral

• Screen Actors Guild Awards
  • 2007, Nominated Actor Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture – Dreamgirls
  • 2005, Won Actor Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role – Ray
  • 2004, Nominated Actor Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture – Ray
  • 2004, Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role – Collateral
  • 2004, Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries – Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (TV)

• Seattle Film Critics Awards
  • 2004, Won Best Actor – Ray

• Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards
  • 2004, Won Best Actor – Ray

• TV Land Awards
  • 2007, Nominated Little Screen/Big Screen Star
  • 2006, Nominated Little Screen/Big Screen Star

• Teen Choice Awards
  • 2007, Nominated Choice Movie: Liplock – Dreamgirls
  • 2005, Nominated Choice Movie Actor: Drama – Ray

• Vancouver Film Critics Circle
  • 2005, Won Best Actor – Ray

• Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards
  • 2004, Won Best Actor – Ray
  • 2004, Won Best Supporting Actor – Collateral

• Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Award
  • 2005, co-recipient, Crystal Award^[29]

See also[link]

• List of Black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jamie Foxx

• Official website
• Official Jamie Foxx Music Site
• Jamie Foxx at the Internet Movie Database