"Conan O'Brien Exposes Bizarre Oscar Statue Rules for Promos"

In a surprising turn of events, former Oscars host Conan O’Brien recently shared on the podcast "Conan Needs a Friend" that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences firmly rejected his creative promotional ideas for the ceremony. O’Brien had envisioned a series of ads featuring him in a playful domestic scenario with a 9-foot tall Oscar statue. However, the Academy was not on board with his plan to lay the statue horizontally or dress it in clothing.

Keep that Oscar upstanding. Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP.

O’Brien humorously recounted one of his pitches where he imagined himself vacuuming while the Oscar statue lounged on a couch. "We’re fighting about things couples fight about," he said. "At one point, I thought, wouldn’t it be great if it’s just on the couch? Let’s lay it on a really big couch and I’ll be vacuuming and say, ‘Could you at least lift your feet? Or could you at least get up and help? Load the dishwasher?’ We wanted to do it and they just said, ‘No, no no, that can’t happen.’"

The Academy's strict stance on their iconic statue baffled O’Brien. "One of the people from the Academy came forward and said, ‘Oscar can never be horizontal.’ And that blew my mind," he shared. "Like, wow, this is like the thigh bone of St. Peter. This is a religious icon." Additionally, the Academy insisted that the statue must remain "always naked," thwarting another of O’Brien’s ideas where the Oscar would serve him leftovers dressed as an apron-clad housewife.

While the Academy's rules may seem peculiar, they are entitled to uphold them. It's unfortunate that audiences didn't get to enjoy the full scope of O’Brien’s comedic talent in these proposed promos. Fans are hopeful that O’Brien will return with equally clever ideas for future ceremonies, and many are already rooting for him to host the Oscars again in 2026.

The History of Comic Book Movies at the Oscars

45 Images