After a tense “Weapons”-style chase to the Dolby Theater, Oscars host Conan O’Brien reached the stage to deliver a monologue poking fun at some of Hollywood’s hottest topics, including AI.
“I am honored to be the last human host of the Academy Awards,” O’Brien began. “Next year it’s going to be a Waymo in a tux.”
He also threw shade at Timothée Chalamet’s viral comments about opera and ballet, mentioning increased security due to “concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities.”
O’Brien’s monologue hinted at political unrest. “If I could be serious for just a moment, everyone watching right now around the world is all too aware that these are very chaotic, frightening times. It’s at moments like these that I believe that the Oscars are particularly resonant,” O’Brien said. “Check it out. Thirty-one countries across six continents are represented this evening, and every film we salute is the product of thousands of people speaking different languages, working hard to make something of beauty. We pay tribute tonight, not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience, and that rarest of qualities today, optimism.”
Things quickly became lighter as O’Brien closed with a reenactment of winning an Oscar, involving the Pope, Josh Groban, and a falcon delivering his trophy.
Watch O’Brien’s full monologue above.
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