'Oscar Can Never Be Horizontal' — Conan O'Brien Reveals the Weird Academy Demands for Oscars Statues in Promos

In a surprising turn of events, former Oscars host Conan O'Brien revealed the Academy's surprisingly rigid rules regarding its iconic statue. During an episode of his podcast, "Conan Needs a Friend," O'Brien recounted his attempts to incorporate the Oscar statue into promotional ads for the ceremony. His pitches, which included scenarios depicting him and a nine-foot-tall Oscar in a humorous domestic partnership, were met with unexpected resistance.

"We're fighting about things couples fight about," O'Brien explained, describing one idea where he and the Oscar were on a couch. "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 Academy's staunch refusal to allow even seemingly innocuous alterations to the statue's portrayal surprised O'Brien and many others. It turns out, the Academy has surprisingly strict rules surrounding the statue's iconography. "One of the people from the Academy came forward and said, 'Oscar can never be horizontal.' And that blew my mind," O'Brien shared. "Like, wow, this is like the thigh bone of St. Peter. This is a religious icon." He further revealed that the Academy insisted the statue remain "always naked," thus nixing an idea involving the statue wearing an apron.

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While the Academy's reasoning may seem opaque, they are entitled to their rules. It's unfortunate that O'Brien's creative promotional ideas were stifled, but we eagerly anticipate his future comedic endeavors. Here's hoping to see Team Conan Oscar Host 2026!