By Adrian Chen

Iraqi Reality TV Show Pranks Celebrities by Planting Fake Bombs in Their Cars

We like our humor dark, but this is dark: In Iraq, a reality show puts fake bombs in celebrities' cars, then tricks them into believing they're going to prison for terrorism once they're "discovered" at security checkpoints.

The show, "Put Him in Camp Bucca," has been on the air since the start of Ramadan, according to the New York Times' At War blog, and has since generated lots of criticism from Iraqi newspapers, mainly because it hits so close to home and is also a horrible idea.

But "Camp Bucca" keeps rolling on, because who doesn't love the terrified look of a man who thinks he's going to spend a long while in an American-built maximum security prison? One of the guests pleads to the soldier at the checkpoint:

"I am a family man. I have two kids. How could I do this to my family? I am telling you the truth, it's not me who planted the bomb."

The show has the official approval of Baghdad's security forces, and judging from clips, American soldiers are in on the joke as well. If this surprises you, remember that in this country we had that terrible Sheriff Joe Arapio reality show in which fugitives were tricked into turning themselves in. Which, if you think about it, is probably more cruel than "Camp Bucca," because at least these Iraqi celebrities get to go home at the end of the show.

Now, if we could have a show here where they stuffed a fake IED in Heidi Montag's purse.