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January 29, 2007

Blunt Gets Lifted

Someone please make sense of this for us. Via Contact:

Singer/songwriter JAMES BLUNT has been honoured in the Swiss ski resort Verbier, after a new chairlift was named after him. The YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL hitmaker is reportedly planning to move to Verbier in a bid to dodge UK taxes on the GBP5 million ($9.8 million) he has so far earned from his debut album BACK TO BEDLAM. And PATRICK MESSEILLER, Verbier's director of tourism, insists Blunt is joining esteemed company. He says, "He is the godfather of the new lift. It is an honour.
So, best summarized: "Unbearable pop star moves in order to evade taxes, honoured with a Swiss ski lift." Huh? Switzerland, your "honour" system intrigues us.


Posted at 9:07 AM
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8 Comments

yeah, that's bizarre.

Posted by: emily at 01/29/07 10:51 AM | Reply
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I don't know if they've been reformed, but UK taxes used to be insane: something like ₤2 of every ₤2.5 earned when you entered into a certain high income bracket. Crazy.

Posted by: Ferris at 01/29/07 11:38 AM | Reply
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alec guinness was taxed for 95% of his star wars salary. crazy.

Posted by: Oink invite at 01/29/07 12:21 PM | Reply
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I was in Verbier skiing when he arrive. Not many people cared that he was there accpet the people who shelled out 200 swiss francs to see him perform. I thought that was totally uncalled for. People were just trying to enjoy a bit of apres-ski and then everyone gets kicked out unless they paid to see him. I think Blunt should take a page out of the Arcade Fire's play book and play FREE secert shows. That guy is so greedy.

Posted by: Matt at 01/29/07 12:49 PM | Reply
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I was in Verbier skiing when he arrive. Not many people cared that he was there accpet the people who shelled out 200 swiss francs to see him perform. I thought that was totally uncalled for. People were just trying to enjoy a bit of apres-ski and then everyone gets kicked out unless they paid to see him. I think Blunt should take a page out of the Arcade Fire's play book and play FREE secert shows. That guy is so greedy.

Posted by: Matt at 01/29/07 12:55 PM | Reply
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First Bono, now this unfortunate example of vaginal discharge. We ought to make a George Carlin-style prison for these people somewhere in Kentucky. We'll relocate the Dodgers to Lexington and teach them cricket, just so the limeys don't riot. Riot very, very politely, wailing in falsetto for social justice. Blahhhhhhhhhhh.

Posted by: Doug at 01/29/07 4:42 PM | Reply
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Can't we just let people get their apres-ski on without getting all up in their biznatch Blunt-wise?

Posted by: nathan at 01/29/07 7:23 PM | Reply
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It's still more than he deserves

Posted by: stephen at 01/29/07 8:46 PM | Reply
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