The Oscars ceremony on March 15 delivered plenty of memorable moments, including host Conan O’Brien taking a sharp comedic swipe that many interpreted as a dig at US President Donald Trump.
The awards season officially wrapped up with major wins for One Battle After Another, Jessie Buckley, and Michael B. Jordan at the prestigious Academy Awards.
At 62, O’Brien hosted the show and didn’t hold back when it came to roasting celebrities in attendance, joking about stars like Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
However, his humor didn’t stop with Hollywood. During one segment, O’Brien appeared to reference Trump with a joke about the venue’s name, hinting at a crude punchline about “small penis” without directly mentioning the former president.
For context, the 98th Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. After a commercial break, O’Brien returned with a quip:
“Welcome back, we’re coming to you live from the ‘Has a Small Penis Theatre.’ Let’s see him put his name in front of that!”
Though Trump’s name was never explicitly said, the audience reacted with loud cheers.
Many believed the joke was tied to the recent decision by the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the “Trump-Kennedy Center,” a move supported by Trump and his followers.
In December, the board voted unanimously to include Trump’s name, and signage soon appeared reading “The Donald Trump and” above the original Kennedy Center title. Shortly after, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the venue would officially adopt the new name, despite its original purpose as a memorial to JFK since opening in 1964.
Online reactions came quickly after O’Brien’s joke aired. One user wrote, “Conan hit max chaos mode tonight lol.” Another added, “He went full chaos,” while a third praised him for not even needing to say Trump’s name.
There was also a reason behind that choice.
According to News.com.au, O’Brien explained during a virtual press conference that hosting the Oscars requires balance. “We’re celebrating films and the people behind them, but it has to stay funny without crossing too far into anger or politics,” he said.
In a separate interview on The New Yorker Radio Hour, he also suggested that Trump has become “bad for comedy,” arguing that reality has become more extreme than satire itself. “When comedians get angry instead of clever, it doesn’t work,” he noted.
A White House spokesperson, Davis Ingle, responded by dismissing the joke, stating that “no one in their right mind cares what woke Hollywood celebrities think.”
The night also celebrated the year’s biggest film achievements.
One Battle After Another took home Best Picture, Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for Sinners, and Jessie Buckley earned Best Actress for Hamnet. Other major winners included Sean Penn for Best Supporting Actor, Amy Madigan for Best Supporting Actress, and Paul Thomas Anderson for Best Director.
Additional honors went to films like Frankenstein, Sinners, and F1 across technical categories, while Sentimental Value won Best International Feature and KPop Demon Hunters took home Best Animated Feature.
The ceremony closed out awards season with a mix of major wins, viral moments, and one joke that quickly became the most talked-about highlight of the night.
