'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 their iconic statue. On his podcast, Conan Needs a Friend, O'Brien recounted his attempts to incorporate the Oscar statue into promotional ads, only to be met with staunch resistance from the Academy.

O'Brien pitched several ad concepts, including one depicting himself and a nine-foot-tall Oscar statue as a domestic couple. He envisioned humorous scenarios, such as the statue lounging on a couch while O'Brien vacuumed, playfully complaining about the statue's inconsiderate foot placement. However, the Academy swiftly rejected this idea, along with others.

"We're fighting about things couples fight about," O'Brien explained. "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 Academy's objections stemmed from surprisingly strict rules surrounding the Oscar statue's portrayal. According to O'Brien, an Academy representative stated, "Oscar can never be horizontal." This, O'Brien humorously noted, was akin to treating the statue as a "religious icon." Furthermore, the Academy insisted the statue remain "always naked," thus nixing a proposed ad where the statue, dressed as a housewife, served O'Brien leftovers.

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While the Academy's reasoning remains somewhat opaque, their rules are undeniably strict. It's a shame we missed out on O'Brien's comedic vision for the Oscars promos, but we eagerly anticipate his return and hope for equally creative ideas in the future. We're firmly on #TeamConanOscarHost2026.