Conan O’Brien Offers Karla Sofía Gascón Social Media Advice in Unhinged 2025 Oscars Monologue
Conan O’Brien had a unique way of preparing to host tonight’s Oscars ceremony: he took the Substance before opening the 97th Academy Awards. The comedian’s monologue began with him crawling out of Demi Moore’s body — with a brief delay after losing his shoe somewhere in between her small intestines and lungs. That might not be all he lost, either. Stepping out to the audience, O’Brien addressed Moore directly, joking, “Hi Demi, how are you? That was weird. I’m missing some car keys.”
The night is clearly in good hands with a host who is both funny and has a genuine love of cinema. He came prepared with fun facts about tonight’s nominees, like Anora using the F-word 479 times. “That’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist,” O’Brien added, poking at the controversy sparked by resurfaced tweets from the Best Actress nominee. “Karla, if you are going to tweet about the Oscars, remember my name is Jimmy Kimmel.”
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This marks O’Brien’s first time hosting the Oscars, though it’s not the former late-night stalwart’s first time helming an awards show, having previously MC’d the Emmys in 2002 and 2006. For the past two years, Kimmel has hosted the Oscars.
Kimmel had some memorable moments, but nothing that wasn’t immediately trumped by O’Brien verbally sparring with Adam Sandler for wearing a hoodie and gym shorts to the biggest night in Hollywood. But their shows might similarly run over time, thanks to O’Brien breaking into song with some help from the Dune 2 sandworm.
But when it was time to get serious, O’Brien locked in. Leading up to the show, he had previously expressed uncertainty about how to handle the recent Los Angeles wildfires, which claimed lives and devastated communities.
“Any award show can seem self-indulgent and superfluous, but what I want to do is have us all remember why we gather here tonight,” he said, highlighting the work of technicians, costume designers, craftspeople, and more who allow nights like this to exist. “Many people we celebrate tonight are not famous, they’re not wealthy, but they are devoted to a craft that can, in moments, bring us all a little closer together. Now, for almost a century, we have paused every spring to elevate and celebrate an art form that has the power, at its very best, to unite us.”
He added: “So yes, even in the face of terrible wildfires and divisive politics, the work — which is what this is about — continues. And next year and for years to come, through trauma and joy, this seemingly absurd ritual is going to be here. I will not. I’m leaving Hollywood to run a bed and breakfast in Orlando, and I’d like to see you there, but the magic, the madness, the grandeur, and the joy of film worldwide is going to be with us forever. So without further delay, let’s get things started.”
Last week, ahead of this year’s ceremony, O’Brien stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he joked that he’d “made a mistake” taking on the high-pressure gig. “We’re going to have a great time,” O’Brien said. “Things for me come together very late, so I started working on the Oscars about four hours ago and I’m going to pull an all-nighter.” O’Brien then added, a bit more seriously, “We’ve been working hard and I think we have some fun ideas and some great surprises.”
Kimmel also shared some of the tips he gave O’Brien about the job: “I would never give you tips on jokes or any of that stuff. I would never do anything like that. But I did have some kind of old man tips like ‘Try to sit down during the show.’”
Along with hosting the Oscars, O’Brien has been busy lately with his travel show, Conan O’Brien Must Go, and his popular podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. He’s also taken on a rare acting role in Mary Bronstein’s upcoming film, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
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