Why Watch the Oscars on Hulu or ABC? Conan O’Brien
by Ray Keating
Commentary
March 1, 2025
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I’m a movies guy. I’ve long enjoyed watching films in theaters and at home. In fact, I can still remember the moment when I went from a “movies are fun” fan to appreciating film on multiple levels.
I was flipping channels in my late teens and just stumbled on the exact moment in It’s a Wonderful Life when the camera moves in on the frightened, crazed eyes of Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. I recall thinking, “What’s going on here?” That was it.
In fact, there even was a time – long ago seemingly in a galaxy far, far away – when I used to actually look forward to watching the Oscars.
But like many Americans, the Oscars lost its glitz, if you will. There are, of course, a host of reasons for this, such as the great fracturing of the entertainment market. But quite frankly, at least one part of this striking trend (see the following chart courtesy of Wikipedia) has been that so many nominated movies in recent times simply lack appeal for a wide audience. I’ll leave the discussion as to why these movies lack such appeal for another day.
Instead, I want to focus on why I will be watching the Academy Awards this Sunday night. By the way, the Oscars not only will be broadcast live on ABC at 7 p.m. ET, but for the first time, it also will be streamed live on Hulu.
To be honest, my tuning in on Sunday night isn’t really about any of the films. Instead, it’s about the host. Finally, the Oscars have turned back to someone who actually is funny – Conan O’Brien – and can make a broad audience laugh.
When asked about O’Brien hosting the Academy Awards, Rob Mills, executive vice president of Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment for Walt Disney Television, said, “We are so excited for Conan because in a year that has been so trying for so many people with so much hardship, Conan — as he has done for over 30 years — just wants to make you laugh for three hours and forget your problems. He is also someone who, in addition to being funny, can sing and dance, which we haven’t had from a host in a while.” Good answer, Rob.
O’Brien, of course, hosted Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and Conan. He also was a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. And currently, O’Brien has his own podcast that is well worth listening to – Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.
When it was announced that O’Brien would be hosting the Oscars, he said, “America demanded it, and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars.”
There are people who watch the Super Bowl for the halftime show, and this year, at least, I’m watching the Oscars for the host.
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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.
The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right? Keating also is a stockholder in Disney.
Walt Disney ranked as one of the great entrepreneurs of the 20th century. In 10 Points from Walt Disney on Entrepreneurship, Ray Keating, editor and columnist for DisneyBizJournal and a leading economist on entrepreneurship and small business, turns to Walt for inspiration and insights on what it means to be an entrepreneur, on embracing entrepreneurship, and on learning lessons for the entrepreneurial journey.
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