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

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

Author : Jason Update : Apr 09,2025

In an unusual twist from the world of entertainment, Conan O'Brien shared a surprising story about his experience as an Oscars host. On the podcast "Conan Needs a Friend" hosted by his Oscars head writer Mike Sweeney, O'Brien recounted how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejected his creative promotional ad ideas featuring a 9-foot tall Oscar statue.

O'Brien's concept involved a humorous domestic partnership between himself and the iconic Oscar statue. One particular scene he envisioned had the statue lounging on a large couch while O'Brien vacuumed, playfully asking the statue to lift its feet or help with chores like loading the dishwasher. However, the Academy firmly declined these ideas.

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

The reason behind the Academy's refusal was quite peculiar. O'Brien revealed that an Academy representative stated, "Oscar can never be horizontal," treating the statue with a reverence akin to a sacred relic. Additionally, the Academy insisted that the statue must always remain "naked," which dashed O'Brien's idea of dressing the Oscar in an apron to serve leftovers as a housewife.

These stringent rules highlight the Academy's strict guidelines on how the Oscar statue can be portrayed, which may seem odd to outsiders but are clearly important to the organization.

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While the Academy's decisions might seem restrictive, they have the authority to enforce them. It's unfortunate that we missed out on seeing O'Brien's comedic flair in these proposed ads. Looking forward, fans are hopeful that O'Brien will bring his wit and humor to the Oscars again, perhaps in 2026.