"Conan O'Brien Exposes Bizarre Academy Rules for Oscars Statues in Promos"

In a bizarre twist of events, Conan O'Brien shared a peculiar encounter with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on the podcast "Conan Needs a Friend," hosted by his former Oscars head writer, Mike Sweeney. O'Brien revealed that his creative promotional ideas for the Oscars were met with resistance due to stringent Academy rules regarding the Oscar statue.

Maintain that Oscar's dignity. Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP.

O'Brien had envisioned a series of ads featuring a domestic partnership between himself and a towering 9-foot Oscar statue. In one concept, he imagined a humorous scene where he was vacuuming around the statue lounging on a couch, playfully asking it to lift its feet or help with chores. However, the Academy firmly rejected the idea of the statue being laid horizontally.

"One of the people from the Academy came forward and said, 'Oscar can never be horizontal.' And that blew my mind," O'Brien recounted, likening the statue's revered status to that of a religious icon. He also mentioned another rejected idea where the statue, clad in an apron, served him leftovers, only to learn that the Academy insists the statue must always remain "naked."

These strict rules might seem odd to outsiders, but they reflect the Academy's protective stance on their iconic symbol. Despite the disappointment, fans of O'Brien's humor are hopeful he'll bring his unique flair to future Oscar ceremonies, with many rooting for him to host again in 2026.

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45 ImagesWhile the Academy's decisions may appear puzzling, they are within their rights to enforce such regulations. It's unfortunate that audiences missed out on O'Brien's creative vision for the promos, but anticipation remains high for what he might bring to the table next time around.