MTV Writer Admits 'Bruno' Stunt Was Staged

On Sunday night, when Sacha Baron Cohen's alter-ego Bruno descended from the rafters and landed fanny-first on Eminem's head, most folks figured that the rapper's rage was the real deal. Suckers! Not only was Eminem in on the joke, he and Baron Cohen rehearsed it to make sure it would all go according to plan.

Suspicions over the legitimacy of "butt-gate" had been brewing for days, but it wasn't until a writer for the MTV Movie Awards confessed that we all knew for sure. On his blog, head writer Scott Aukerman wrote that the incident was staged. "They rehearsed it at dress (rehearsal) and yes, it went as far as it did on the live show." Wow. Let it never be said that Eminem isn't a team player.

According to the New York Daily News, Eminem wasn't Baron Cohen's first choice for the joke. That honor, which was tragically declined, went to Paris Hilton. Just imagine the buzz had that happened. Still, Eminem did a great job of selling the stunt considering he "may not have been briefed on just how naked Baron Cohen's flying 'Bruno' would be when he agreed." What a pro.

Even before the writer's admission that the crash landing was planned, the searches had a suspicious slant. Throughout Monday, lookups on " was the eminem bruno stunt staged" and "eminem bruno joke" posted strong gains. Blogs, like this one from the Chicago Tribune, raised the possibility that the audience had just been played.

Now that the joke has been confirmed, queries are surging on "bruno eminem fake stunt." We'd say we feel used, but we're too busy laughing.