Conan O'Brien Discloses Bizarre Oscar Statue Rules for Promos

In an amusing twist to the usual Oscar buzz, former host Conan O’Brien recently shared a peculiar tale on the podcast Conan Needs a Friend with his head writer Mike Sweeney. O’Brien recounted his thwarted attempt to bring a light-hearted promotional campaign to life for the Academy Awards, only to be met with staunch resistance from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

O’Brien's creative pitch involved a series of ads depicting a playful domestic partnership between him and a towering 9-foot Oscar statue. The envisioned scenes included everyday couple squabbles, such as a moment where O’Brien would be vacuuming around the statue lounging on a couch. He humorously proposed to the statue, “Could you at least lift your feet? Or could you at least get up and help? Load the dishwasher?”

However, the Academy drew the line at laying the Oscar statue horizontally or clothing it, which they deemed a strict no-go. O’Brien was taken aback by their insistence, humorously comparing the Oscar to a sacred relic: “Oscar can never be horizontal... Like, wow, this is like the thigh bone of St. Peter. This is a religious icon.” Additionally, the Academy required the statue to remain unclothed, dashing any hopes of seeing the Oscar in an apron serving leftovers.

While these rules may seem overly stringent to outsiders, they highlight the Academy's firm stance on how their iconic statue is portrayed. Despite the setback, fans are eager to see what Conan O’Brien will come up with next, hoping for his return as host in 2026.

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45 ImagesAlthough the Academy's strict guidelines may have curtailed O'Brien's creative vision, their decisions underscore the organization's commitment to preserving the integrity and dignity of the Oscar statue. While it's disappointing not to see O'Brien's full comedic potential in action, the anticipation for his future contributions to the Oscars remains high.