Poll: Eminem Anger Staged?

Em’s abrupt exit from the Gibson Amphitheatre after getting a hefty dose of Sacha Baron Cohen’s backside has people questioning whether the rapper had a failed anger management moment, or if it was all part of a gag.

The plan called for Cohen, appearing as his “Bruno” fashion reporter character, suspended by wires and wearing a pair of angel wings, to fly over the crowd with most of his rear-end exposed to the audience.

But after colliding with an obstacle, the comedian was lowered into the audience and right into the Real Slim Shady’s lap, giving Eminem an extreme close up of Cohen’s derriere.

Witnesses say Eminem was visibly upset as he stormed out of the building, but was the rapper truly pissed off? Or was the episode all part of the plan?

The Los Angeles Times’ Pop & Hiss blog speculates the latter, but says if it was staged, the least Em could do was stick around and enjoy the moment.

Entertainment Weekly also questioned the reality of the moment.

“It’s hard to believe, after Eminem threw a similar fit at Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at the VMAs a few years ago, that he’d be truly angry at this stunt,” wrote EW’s Ken Tucker. “Must have been a put-on on Em’s part, right?”

Why would anyone think Em, Cohen and MTV staged the moment? Maybe because the timing was too perfect. Cohen’s in-flight collision occurred right over the rapper’s head, causing him to land on top of Eminem in a position that’s usually only seen in gross-out comedies and porn flicks. Plus, Cohen stayed in character the entire time as Eminem stormed out of the auditorium.

But make up your own mind. Was Em really ticked last night? Was it all part of promoting his new album, Relapse? Or did MTV play a joke on the rapper, meaning everybody was in on the gag except him? Eyeball the video below, answer the poll and leave a comment or two.

Click here for the Entertainment Weekly article.

Click here for the Los Angeles Times / Pop & Hiss article.