'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 of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' surprising rigidity regarding their iconic statue. Apparently, O'Brien and his team's proposed promotional ads, featuring creative uses of the Oscar statuette, were met with an emphatic "no" from the Academy. The details, shared on O'Brien's podcast, "Conan Needs a Friend," are as bizarre as they are amusing.

O'Brien pitched a series of ads portraying himself and a nine-foot-tall Oscar statue in a humorous domestic partnership. However, the Academy drew the line at his proposed scenarios. One idea, involving the Oscar statue lounging on a couch while O'Brien vacuumed, was deemed unacceptable.

"We’re fighting about things couples fight about," O'Brien recounted. "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 reasoning, as explained by O'Brien, centers on surprisingly strict rules governing the statue's depiction. "One of the people from the Academy came forward and said, 'Oscar can never be horizontal.' And that blew my mind," O'Brien stated. "Like, wow, this is like the thigh bone of St. Peter. This is a religious icon." Furthermore, the Academy insisted the statue remain "always naked," thus nixing an idea where the statue wore an apron.

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While the Academy's reasoning remains somewhat opaque, their rules are undeniably their prerogative. It's a shame we missed out on O'Brien's comedic vision for the Oscars promos, but we eagerly anticipate his next hosting stint—we're rooting for Team Conan Oscar Host 2026!