Conan O’Brien didn’t waste much time before he made a joke aboutEmilia Pérezstar Karla Sofía Gascón at the 2025Academy Awards. Even thoughEmilia Pérezhas the most nominations at the Oscars, it has proven to be a very controversial film. Since its release,Emilia Pérezhas faced criticismfor its portrayal of transgender people. However, despite the controversy,Emilia Pérezhas proven to be an awards season standout. At one point, it even seemed like Gascón might win the Best Actress Oscar.
However,in January, screenshots of several of Gascón’s deleted tweets resurfaced online, which include disturbing remarks about Muslim culture, the death of George Floyd, and other sensitive topics. Following these tweets, Gascón has not appeared at many major award ceremonies. However, she is present atthe Academy Awards, and quickly became a target of O’Brien’s. In addition to making fun of Gascón, O’Brien also made a subtle joke aboutThe Brutalist’suse of AIduring his opening monologue.

Conan O’Brien’s Oscars Joke Aimed At Karla Sofía Gascón Explained
Gascón Was An Easy Target For O’Brien At The Oscars
During his opening monologue at the Oscars, O’Brien mentioned several of the movies that are nominated for Best Picture at the 2025 Academy Awards. He pointed out that the critically acclaimedAnorauses the F-word 479 times, before joking that that’s three more times than Gascón’s publicist.After Gascón’s tweets resurfaced online, she became an extremely controversial figure, which basically confirmed that she would not win Best Actress at the Academy Awards. Since she was a frontrunner before, Gascón’s publicist obviously must have been enraged.
Not long after this joke,O’Brien also jokingly told Gascón to refer to him as Jimmy Kimmel if she tweets about the Oscars. It’s safe to say that a lot of the other Oscar attendees don’t agree with Gascón’s offensive and insensitive tweets. Even Gascón’sEmilia Pérezco-stars, such as Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, have claimed that they don’t condone her hurtful online posts. Therefore, O’Brien’s joke about four-time Oscar host Kimmel landed with the audience. The cameras captured Gascón’s reaction to the joke, but it seemed like she didn’t understand.

Conan O’Brien Also Poked Fun At The Brutalist’s Use Of AI While Opening The Oscars
The Brutalist Has Much Higher Ratings Than Emilia Pérez
O’Brien also poked fun at Best Picture nomineeThe Brutalistduring his opening monologue. Despite its incredible reviews and the fact that Adrien Brody is seen as the frontrunner to win the Best Actor Oscar,The Brutalistalso faced some controversy for utilizing AI.The Brutalistused AI to make the Hungarian spoken in the film sound more realistic and for architectural drawingsthat are included at the end of the movie.
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At the Oscars, O’Brien claimed that no AI will be used during the ceremony. However, he did joke that they used child laborers. Even thoughThe Brutalisthas faced some criticism since it was revealed that AI was utilized, it doesn’t seem like it has slowed any of its momentum during awards season. Therefore,The Brutalistcould still win several Oscars tonight. Keep up withScreen Rant’s Oscars 2025 winners listto stay updated on the 2025Academy Awardsthroughout the night.

Emilia Perez
Cast
Emilia Perez is a drama film that follows the life of Emilia Perez, a determined and ambitious individual striving to make a name for herself in a competitive environment. The story explores her journey as she navigates the challenges and obstacles that come her way, all while uncovering the complexities of her own identity.
The Brutalist
Architect László Toth and his wife Erzsébet flee Europe in 1947, seeking a fresh start in America. Their fate shifts after meeting a wealthy, enigmatic client.