CHRISTIAN TOTO: Oscars 2026 Review: Resist, They Must.
[Conan] O’Brien channeled his inner Jimmy Kimmel.
“Tonight could get political,” he warned, but he offered a faux solution. “There’s an alternative Oscars hosted by Kid Rock at the Dave and Busters down the street.”
Dear right-leaning America. You may tune out now. And, likely, many who initially trusted O’Brien to stick to his apolitical brand did just that.
They were the lucky ones.
O’Brien cited the lack of British stars in the major acting categories, noting the response from an anonymous British official about that state of affairs.
“At least we arrest our pedophiles,” O’Brien said, a possible attempt to tie President Donald Trump to the Epstein Files, without evidence. The flawed premise was even more flawed than many thought.
Try Googling “British grooming gang scandal.” We’ll wait.
O’Brien dropped the comedy in the last part of the monologue, referencing “chaotic, frightening times” and a plea for optimism.
Good luck with this crowd.
And that’s a wrap! The 98th Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles was a night to remember.*
“Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” were both nominated for a slew of awards and ended up picking up the big prizes of the night.
“Sinners” star Michael B. Jordan took home the Best Actor Oscar while “One Battle After Another” snagged the Best Picture award.
“Hamnet” star Jessie Buckley won Best Actress while “Weapons” star Amy Madigan won for Best Supporting Actress. Sean Penn won Best Performing Actor for his role in “One Battle After Another.”
* Interesting choice of phrasing there: