In a surprising turn of events, former Oscars host Conan O'Brien revealed the Academy's surprisingly rigid rules regarding their iconic statue. During an episode of his podcast, "Conan Needs a Friend," O'Brien recounted his attempts to incorporate the Oscar statue into promotional ads for the ceremony. His pitches, which included scenarios depicting the statue in a domestic partnership with O'Brien, were met with unexpected resistance.

O'Brien described pitching ads featuring comedic scenarios, such as the Oscar statue lounging on a couch while he vacuumed, prompting him to jokingly complain about the statue's lack of help with chores. The Academy's response? A resounding "no." The reasoning behind this rejection, as O'Brien learned, stemmed from surprisingly strict rules governing the statue's portrayal.

"One of the people from the Academy came forward and said, 'Oscar can never be horizontal.' And that blew my mind," O'Brien shared. He likened the statue's perceived sanctity to that of a religious icon, highlighting the Academy's unexpectedly firm stance on its depiction. Further fueling the absurdity, O'Brien also revealed that the Academy insisted the statue remain "always naked," thus nixing his idea of the Oscar statue wearing an apron while serving him leftovers.

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While the Academy's reasoning might seem perplexing, their rules are ultimately their prerogative. It's certainly a shame we missed out on seeing O'Brien's comedic vision for the Oscars promos. Here's hoping for equally creative and humorous content from him next time—we're firmly in the "Team Conan Oscar Host 2026" camp.