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

In a bizarre twist of events, former Oscars host Conan O’Brien recently shared a peculiar tale on his podcast, "Conan Needs a Friend," about his promotional ideas for the Academy Awards that were shot down by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. O’Brien had envisioned a series of ads featuring him and a 9-foot tall Oscar statue in a humorous domestic partnership, but the Academy had strict rules about how the statue could be portrayed.

O’Brien described one of his concepts where he and the Oscar statue would engage in typical couple squabbles. In one scenario, he imagined the statue lounging on a large couch while he vacuumed around it, playfully asking it to lift its feet or help with chores like loading the dishwasher. However, the Academy was quick to reject this idea, stating firmly that "Oscar can never be horizontal."

This revelation left O’Brien astonished, likening the Oscar to a sacred relic, akin to "the thigh bone of St. Peter." He also mentioned another rejected idea where the Oscar was to be dressed in an apron, serving leftovers, which was dismissed because the Academy insists that the statue "is always naked."

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While the Academy's decisions might seem odd to outsiders, they are entitled to their stringent guidelines. It's unfortunate that we missed out on witnessing O’Brien's comedic genius in action with these proposed ads. Fans are hopeful that he'll return with equally entertaining ideas in future ceremonies, and many are already rooting for him to host the Oscars again in 2026.