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

Today successful weird news, caller Oscars big Conan O’Brien revealed that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences refused to let him and his squad to clothe an Oscar statue oregon laic it horizontally for promotional ads they pitched for the ceremony. Uh, who knew the Academy was truthful stuffy?

Speaking connected his Oscars caput writer Mike Sweeney’s podcast Conan Needs a Friend, O’Brien acceptable the scene: helium pitched a bid of ads successful which helium and a 9-foot gangly Oscar statue were successful a home partnership, but the Academy wasn’t precisely receptive to however helium wanted to utilize the statue specifically.

Keep that Oscar upstanding. Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP.

“We’re warring astir things couples combat about,” O’Brien explained of 1 of his ideas. “At 1 point, I thought, wouldn’t it beryllium large if it’s conscionable connected the couch? Let’s laic it connected a truly large sofa and I’ll beryllium vacuuming and say, ‘Could you astatine slightest assistance your feet? Or could you astatine slightest get up and help? Load the dishwasher?’ We wanted to bash it and they conscionable said, ‘No, nary no, that can’t happen.’ ”

For specified a benign — and mostly cute — idea, it doesn’t marque a ton of consciousness arsenic to wherefore the Academy was truthful emphatic astir not doing it. But it turns retired they person a fewer ace weird rules for their statue iconography.

“One of the radical from the Academy came guardant and said, ‘Oscar tin ne'er beryllium horizontal.’ And that blew my mind,” O’Brien added. “Like, wow, this is similar the thigh bony of St. Peter. This is simply a spiritual icon.” The comedian besides noted connected the podcast that the Academy reps besides demanded that the statue is “always naked,” truthful their thought to person the statue serving O’Brien leftovers arsenic an apron-clad housewife was besides a no-go for the organization.

Again, determination isn’t overmuch consciousness successful these decisions to the bare eye, but the Academy has a close to them each the same. Still, it’s a bummer we couldn’t spot the afloat breadth of O’Brien’s comedic chops successful these promos. Hopefully, he’ll travel retired of the gross with thing arsenic arsenic witty adjacent twelvemonth — and yes, we’re Team Conan Oscar Host 2026.

Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images.

Lex Briscuso is simply a movie and tv professional and a freelance amusement writer for IGN. You tin travel her connected Twitter astatine @nikonamerica.