Conan O’Brien Notes ‘Frightening Times’ in Uncharacteristically Somber Moment During Oscars Opening Monologue

Conan O’Brien slipped a surprisingly somber aside into his opening monologue for the 98th Academy Awards. After making some lighthearted jabs about Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and Timothée Chalamet, the comedian known for his silly sense of humor celebrated the international importance of the film industry.

“Tonight’s Oscars are being watched by more than a billion people around the world,” O’Brien said towards the end of his monologue. “Tonight is an international event. If I can 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.”

The comedian went on to note that 31 countries across six continents were represented on Sunday evening.

“Every film we salute is the product of thousands of people speaking different languages working hard to make something of beauty,” O’Brien continued. “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. So let us please celebrate. Not because we think all is well, but because we work and hope for better.”

O’Brien’s celebration of international unity comes during an especially chaotic time in the United States. As the backlash against ICE has strengthened, the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran in late February. This came after the U.S. launched a military strike in Venezuela in January and captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Needless to say, it’s been a complicated time for international politics as far as the U.S. is concerned.

Watch Conan O’Brien’s full cold open below:

The comedian did have several more cutting moments to his monologue. “It’s the first time since 2012 that there are no British actors nominated for Best Actor or Best Actress. A British spokesperson said, ‘Yeah, well, at least we arrest our pedophiles,'” O’Brien said, a nod to the ongoing saga around the Jeffrey Epstein files.

More to come …

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