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

In an unexpected twist in the world of entertainment, Conan O'Brien, the host of the recent Oscars, shared a peculiar tale of creative censorship on his podcast, "Conan Needs a Friend." O'Brien revealed that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had strict rules about the portrayal of the Oscar statue, thwarting his team's promotional ad ideas for the ceremony.

O'Brien had envisioned a series of humorous ads where he and a towering 9-foot Oscar statue were depicted in a playful domestic partnership. One concept involved him vacuuming around a horizontally positioned Oscar on a couch, engaging in typical couple banter about household chores. However, the Academy firmly rejected this idea, emphasizing that the Oscar must never be shown lying down.

"We’re fighting about things couples fight about," O'Brien described one of his pitches. "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 comedian expressed astonishment at the Academy's strict stance, likening the Oscar to a sacred relic. "One of the people from the Academy came forward and said, ‘Oscar can never be horizontal.’ And that blew my mind," O'Brien remarked. "Like, wow, this is like the thigh bone of St. Peter. This is a religious icon." Additionally, he noted that the Academy insisted the statue remain "always naked," dashing another concept where the Oscar was humorously dressed as an apron-wearing housewife serving leftovers.

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While the Academy's decisions may seem baffling, they have the authority to enforce them. It's unfortunate that we missed out on seeing O'Brien's creative and comedic vision in action. Fans are already looking forward to what he might bring to the table next year, with many rooting for him to host the Oscars again in 2026.