Two reporters/practical joke columnists (really) who worked for a Kyrgyzstan paper decided to step up their joke game in a normal, reasonable way, which was: by kidnapping the host of an popular entertainment show at gun point and forcing her to strip and dance for them.

Nazira Aytbekova was abducted and blindfolded in Bishtek, Kyrgyzstan's capital, at gunpoint and taken to a "wasteland" outside the city.

"They took off the sack from my head and said: ‘Sing!' I refused. They told me to dance and somebody was standing behind me and constantly poked the gun at my head. They said to me: ‘OK, say your last words. And then we'll shoot you.'"

After forcing Aytbekova to say her last words and recording the ordeal on their cell phones, the reporters/kidnappers revealed that, haha, it was all just a joke!

The two professional practical jokesters are now facing charges of kidnapping and were fired from their paper, which, of course, is denying any involvement with the prank.

"Our editorial team would never condone such outrageous stunts, threatening and endangering someone's life," a representative for the paper said

Bizarre side note: According to the BBC, Aytbekova's entertainment show "involves a group of spiritual mediums competing over the accuracy of their predictions," which, what? Do we have that show here? If not, we should option it ASAP.

Also, as a general rule of thumb, don't ever fake kidnap anyone, at gunpoint or otherwise.