Not only does being shown in an iPod commercial lead to fame and fortune for many artists, but Canadian singer Leslie Feist apparently got something else out of the deal: she got American citizenship. We have no idea how that works, but she says as much in this clip of her appearing on Stephen Colbert's show. When he mentions that she's from the Great White North, she says that she's actually a dual citizen now. Colbert asks if Steve Jobs really stepped up to make her an American and she says yes, that's pretty much how it worked: "They offered me citizenship, that was part of it."
Is she joking? Or has Jobsy actually got the ear of the government now and is giving out citizenships as part of Apple contracts? Either way, we know this: Leslie Feist rocks. We'll have her as a citizen any day, via a backroom Apple deal or otherwise.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-03-2008 @ 8:44AM
Christopher said...
Then I suppose it's only appropriate that this video can't be viewed in Canada.
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5-03-2008 @ 9:29AM
catachip said...
I'm pretty sure she's just joking around. At best, Apple may have sponsored her citizenship application as an employer, or something like that. I don't think Steve Jobs has a direct line to the Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
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5-03-2008 @ 9:32AM
Rick said...
That's interesting, I was under the impression that one of the conditions of acquiring American citizenship was that you have to renounce any other citizenship you hold. In other words, that dual-citizenship as an American was impossible.
Some researching before submitting this post proved my assumption wrong! Dual citizenship is not prohibited, just discouraged. Good to know!
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5-03-2008 @ 9:38AM
Greg said...
U.S. DOES allow it as long as the OTHER country allows it too.
Most European countries let you to pick up American and keep your existing citizenship.
As to Feist: she must have been joking. The last person to get citizenship without living full time in the US was Winston Churchill. AFTER he died, actually.
5-03-2008 @ 10:03AM
crazypenguin said...
ha ha, no you don't have to renounce citizenship, i actually hold tri-citizenship, being born in america, father born and raised in egypt, and mother born in london, then raised in egypt, i'm an english/american/Egyptian.
5-03-2008 @ 1:13PM
Steve P said...
You do have to renounce any other citizenship to become American (unless they have changed the oath since I took it eight years ago).
BUT, Canada (and many other countries) ignore that renunciation. The only way to really renounce Canadian citizenship is to do so officially, in person, in front of a Canadian immigration official (no doubt in triplicate, with extra tax :-)
5-03-2008 @ 2:58PM
robogobo said...
No, no, you don't have to renounce anything to get citizenship, and if you are an American, you can get dual citizenbot status in any country that has reciprocity with the US. I do wish I could renounce my US citizenship sometimes. Anywhere but here.
5-04-2008 @ 1:08AM
Camperton said...
@robogobo
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/75-threatening-to-move-to-canada/
5-03-2008 @ 9:45AM
iband said...
She was joking. You can become a US citizen 3 ways:
1. You have a claim to it, from a US cit parent, for example
2. You hold a green card (permanent residence) for 5 years (3 if married to a US cit) and meet other requirements
3. Congressional act (private bill - rare, unless you want to win Olympic skating, which the US did a few years back)
Her father was a US citizen, so she only had to prove the he "transmitted" citizenship and she applied for a passport. Steve has power, but not that much!
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5-03-2008 @ 9:48AM
rusic said...
she was joking... jesus...
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5-03-2008 @ 9:56AM
MiGrant said...
Whatever happened to her sister Ellen?
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5-04-2008 @ 4:14AM
kevin said...
that was ellen feiss, not feist.
5-03-2008 @ 10:18AM
milkydj said...
You can watch it in Canada, just have to watch it from the Comedy Network website... they have this whole deal with Comedy Central.
http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/the-colbert-report/full-episodes/april-28-2008/#clip49683
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5-03-2008 @ 11:56AM
John from Buffalo said...
Video from that clip when she played on the show ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WN5bY-0ASQ
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5-03-2008 @ 1:14PM
tomas said...
Her father is American... therefore dual citizenship
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5-03-2008 @ 1:15PM
mark said...
Just what we needed, more weird musicians in our country.
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5-03-2008 @ 3:06PM
Chris Newton said...
I just saw her play here in St. Louis.. she said her dad was from STL... but she was born in Canada... That's where the dual citizenship comes in.
She said sometimes the border guards give her a hard time about being a dual citizen...
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5-04-2008 @ 6:56PM
vaguelyamused said...
I saw the St. Louis show as well. It was great! Didn't she say her father was from STL? What was with the giant ketchup bottle reference?
5-04-2008 @ 9:21PM
Chris Newton said...
Collinsville has/had a giant ketchup bottle... it's near St. Louis. http://www.catsupbottle.com/
5-03-2008 @ 3:18PM
John Wu said...
Wow. Seriously? Feist was joking. And in case you didn't figure it out, Colbert is only pretending to be conservative. Gez!
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