In an unexpected twist from the world of the Oscars, host Conan O'Brien recently shared a peculiar encounter with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on his podcast, "Conan Needs a Friend." O'Brien and his team had pitched a creative promotional campaign featuring a 9-foot tall Oscar statue in a domestic setting with him, but the Academy had strict rules about how the iconic statue could be portrayed.
Maintain that Oscar's dignity. Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP.
O'Brien described one of his ideas where the Oscar statue would be lounging on a large couch while he humorously nagged it to help with household chores like lifting its feet or loading the dishwasher. However, the Academy firmly rejected this concept, stating, "Oscar can never be horizontal." This rule left O'Brien astonished, likening the statue to a sacred relic, "Like the thigh bone of St. Peter. This is a religious icon."
The Academy's strict guidelines didn't stop there. They also insisted that the Oscar statue must always be depicted unclothed, which dashed another of O'Brien's ideas involving the statue wearing an apron and serving leftovers. These stringent rules highlight the Academy's protective stance over the statue's image, treating it with a reverence akin to a holy symbol.
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While the Academy's decisions might seem overly conservative to some, they are entitled to enforce their standards. It's unfortunate that we missed out on seeing O'Brien's full comedic potential in these ads. Fans are hopeful that he'll return with equally clever ideas for the Oscars in 2026, and many are already rallying behind the idea of Conan O'Brien hosting once again.
