James Franco says MTV wrote weed joke, supplied bag of fake weed

Like the stoners they play in the upcoming “Pineapple Express,” Seth Rogen and James Franco stumbled unkowingly into trouble Sunday at the MTV Movie Awards. But before TV audiences could see the “contraband,” the cameras pulled to an extremely wide angle, and stayed that way until Rogen and Franco left the stage. The awkward moment made some in the audience laugh, but left Robert Downey Jr. — who accepted the award on behalf of “Iron Man” alongside director John Favreau — with a puzzled look.

Backstage, Franco told The Associated Press that MTV put them up to the joke, even supplying the script, the fake marijuana and the fake joint — then had a last-second change of heart about the bit.

“MTV wrote it! … Then backstage there was this big commotion: ‘You guys can’t say that,’” Franco said. “It says right in the script: ‘Lights fake joint.’”

So what was really in the bag?

“I don’t know! MTV gave it to us.

- From Newsweek