In what may develop into the one excellent news to drop this month, it was simply introduced that Conan O’Brien shall be internet hosting the 2025 Academy Awards, even although it’s a worrying job that traditionally pays comedians lower than half the present’s truffle funds.
O’Brien made it clear that he was a strong selection for the Oscars proper from the leap, saying the information with a short sketch wherein he accepts an Oscar, solely to have it snatched away by an unseen determine who informs him that he’s merely the host.
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Clearly, O’Brien has plenty of awards present expertise. In 2014, he hosted the MTV Film Awards — and, by the way, he made that announcement by jokingly dunking on the “rubbish” Oscars.
And he’s hosted the Emmys twice, in 2002 and 2006. As additional proof that O’Brien all the time brings his A-game to awards reveals, followers have been sharing clips from these reveals, such because the time he sang a Music Man-esque present tune about how financially screwed NBC is, and as soon as ensured a decent working time by threatening to chop off TV legend Bob Newhart’s oxygen provide.
Weirdly sufficient, O’Brien was simply speaking concerning the pitfalls of internet hosting the Oscars on his podcast two weeks in the past. As listeners to Conan O’Brien Wants a Buddy might recall, the topic of the Academy Awards got here up throughout his chat with repeat Oscar host Billy Crystal. Whereas Conan didn’t supply any particular indication that he’d been approached about internet hosting the present (which, one would think about, would have occurred some time in the past), he stated that he had been pondering the Academy Awards, and vocalized his considerations about being an Oscar host right this moment, versus when Crystal was first doing it within the ‘90s.
The massive drawback, in line with O’Brien, is that the Oscars used to really feel like a communal expertise. However the films that get nominated today aren’t as culturally ubiquitous as they as soon as have been. “I used to be excited about this too earlier than he got here right this moment, which is (that) media leisure has modified a lot. The folks used to all be on the identical web page, for higher or worst,” Conan argued.
“It’s harder now, I believe, as a result of – I watch plenty of films, and I’m in leisure, however I haven’t seen (like) seven of the issues they’re speaking about,” O’Brien informed Crystal. “Whereas, after I take into consideration the reveals that you simply have been internet hosting, you had superb, nice materials; you’re very comfy, but additionally, all people’s gathered across the campfire. And it felt like a time that may not come again.”
He’s proper, in Crystal’s day, most viewers have been extraordinarily accustomed to the movies he was gratingly crooning about.
Whereas smaller, much less widely-seen films being honored by the Oscars could also be higher to the general integrity of the award, it does restrict the host’s joke arsenal considerably if the viewers hasn’t caught up with lots of the nominees (though, to be truthful, field workplace juggernauts Oppenheimer and Barbie have been each nominated for Greatest Image final yr).
That being stated, O’Brien is a consummate entertainer, who will little question go above and past on this prestigious (but underpaid) position it doesn’t matter what.
Hopefully youthful followers gained’t simply expect him to do his trademark “rubbing scorching sauce in his eyes whereas slowly shedding his thoughts” routine on the Oscars.
