In a surprising turn of events, former Oscars host Conan O'Brien revealed the Academy's surprisingly strict rules regarding its iconic statue. During an episode of his podcast, "Conan Needs a Friend," O'Brien recounted how the Academy rejected his team's creative promotional ad concepts featuring the Oscar statue. These ideas included portraying the statue in a humorous domestic partnership with O'Brien, even suggesting scenarios as simple as the statue lounging on a couch.

"We're fighting about things couples fight about," O'Brien explained, describing one pitch where he'd be vacuuming around a reclining Oscar, jokingly complaining about its posture. The Academy's response? A resounding "No." This seemingly innocuous idea, along with others, was deemed unacceptable.

The reason behind the Academy's rigidity lies in their surprisingly strict rules surrounding the Oscar statue's portrayal. According to O'Brien, an Academy representative explicitly stated, "Oscar can never be horizontal." This declaration, O'Brien humorously compared to the reverence surrounding a religious icon, highlights the Academy's unexpectedly conservative approach to its prized symbol.

Further adding to the absurdity, the Academy also insisted that the statue remain "always naked," thus nixing an idea where the statue wore an apron while serving O'Brien leftovers. While these rules might seem arbitrary, the Academy maintains the right to enforce them.

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While the reasoning behind these restrictions remains unclear, the Academy's decision prevented viewers from seeing O'Brien's full comedic potential in the Oscars' promotional campaign. However, many are already hoping for a return of O'Brien as host in 2026, anticipating more creative – and hopefully, Academy-approved – ideas.