14 DAY TRIAL // It was one of the most audacious, outrageous and funny moments in the entire history of the MTV Movie Awards: a winged, angelic-like Sacha Baron Cohen as Bruno, falling in the lap of one of the baddest rappers of the moment, Eminem, and cracking stupid jokes until bodyguards remove him. Some even said it was a skit that showed the world that MTV had lost all trace of dignity for allowing such in poor taste skits to take place, while others believed Em exaggerated when he left the room. All can rest assured now: the skit was staged.
Writer Scott Aukerman clears up the mystery with a post on his Tumblr page, thus setting the record straight and putting an end to an ongoing debate: was Eminem in on the joke or was he just as surprised as the audience when he had Bruno’s legs wrapped around his neck? According to the Emmy-nominated writer, who was also involved in the creative process behind this year’s MTV Movie Awards, MTV pulled a fast one on audiences since both Em and Bruno knew what they were doing, having rehearsed the skit in its entirety hours earlier.
“Yes, the Bruno/Eminem incident was staged. That’s all anyone wants to talk about, so let’s get it out of the way. They rehearsed it at dress and yes, it went as far as it did on the live show then. Okay, you can stop reading this blog now!” Aukerman writes on his blog. In all fairness, several US media outlets point out, earlier speculation already had it that Eminem knew Bruno would land somewhere close to him – perhaps even on his own person –, otherwise he would have jumped out of his chair the moment he saw him dangling in the air above him.
Yesterday, rumor emerged that Paris Hilton was the one MTV initially approached for the skit but, since she was at the awards ceremony on a date with boyfriend Doyg Reinhardt, she turned down the request. Hearing that she would have a jockstrap-wearing Bruno so close to her face presumably also played an important part in her decision of not being a part of the skit, it was said.
Consequently, producer Mark Burnett took his request to Eminem, once known for his fiery temper and homophobic tendencies. Allegedly, to avoid another refusal, the rapper was not told about the outfit Bruno would be wearing, while also being kept in the dark as to the extent Cohen would take the joke. If one were to believe what Aukerman is now saying, Eminem knew everything – which only makes his reaction all the more brilliant since he seemed genuinely upset.