This Is the Biggest Misconception About Hosting the Oscars, According to Conan O’Brien
We’re less than a month away from the Academy Awards, which, to be honest, would be a lot more exciting if it wasn’t, like, the 50th awards show we’ve gotten in the past month.
But even if you’re sick to death of watching well-dressed millionaires hand each other trophies from the comfort of your Cheeto-encrusted futon, there’s one good reason to check out the Oscars this year: host Conan O’Brien.
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As we’ve mentioned before, O’Brien seems like a great choice to host the Oscars. He’s funny, has lots of award show experience, and he once chatted about butthole gerbils with four-time Academy Award nominee Mickey Rooney. That’s got to count for something.
O’Brien has already discussed some aspects of how he will handle the March 2nd gig, and in a new interview, he’s revealed a key aspect of his approach to hosting award shows. After bragging that he’s previously hosted the Emmys, the MTV Movie Awards and the Soul Train Awards “nine times,” O’Brien claimed that the Oscars is really the “pinnacle,” adding, “It has great meaning for me to host the Oscars. As long as the pay is good. I’m looking into that.”
Yeah, it’s definitely not.
“I’m going to put my own unique stamp on this year’s Oscars by showing America my body,” O’Brien joked. “There’ll be several moments in the Oscars when I’ll be shirtless and oiled. And I think that’s going to hurt the program incredibly. It’s a terrible decision.”
More seriously, O’Brien explained that his decades of experience have taught him a valuable lesson: Don’t be afraid to embrace chaos. “The biggest thing I’ve learned after all these years of hosting is that mistakes aren’t mistakes,” O’Brien posited. “If something goes wrong, if there’s a mishap of some kind, or if something strange happens, that’s actually a gift. Go with it. Acknowledge it. Maybe have fun with it.”
And the Oscars certainly have had their share of mishaps over the years, not all of which involved Chris Rock being slapped.
“I think that’s a big misconception, is that you’re hoping everything goes perfectly. I’m someone who hopes that things go a little off the rails, because that’s where the real memorable moments happen in late-night television and on the Oscars,” Conan argued. “So I’m going to plan for some terrible, terrible mistakes.”
He’s right, some of the most iconic late-night TV moments involved hosts adeptly responding to unscripted surprises, and O’Brien is especially good at this. For example, he once split his pants during the monologue, and instead of covering it up, he devoted an entire segment to the new butt flap.
And let’s just say that if a horny kangaroo gets loose during the Oscars and tries to kick O’Brien’s balls off, he’ll know exactly how to react.
