When Conan O’Brien took to the stage for his opening monologue at the **2025 Oscars**, he did so in an entirely surprising manner—emerging from Demi Moore’s spine in a macabre tribute to Best Picture nominee *The Substance*. It was a daring way to follow the stunning performance of *Defying Gravity* by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

Following his chilling entrance, O’Brien dove into a traditional Oscars monologue, filled with clever yet gentle humor. “A *Complete Unknown. A Real Pain. Nosferatu.* These are merely a few of the names thrown at me on the red carpet,” he joked, setting the evening’s tone.

His humor struck a delicate balance between amusing and non-offensive, making him a secure pick for an awards event rife with controversy. Nonetheless, he couldn’t resist taking a dig at *Emilia Pérez* star **Karla Sofía Gascón**, who was present. “Karla, if you plan to tweet about the Oscars, please refer to me as Jimmy Kimmel,” he jested, eliciting a mixed response from the audience. He also ribbed Netflix, remarking, “Netflix dominates nominations with a total of 18 price hikes.”

O’Brien didn’t shy away from tackling one of Hollywood’s most hotly debated subjects—AI. “We did not employ AI to create this show,” he reassured the crowd. “We would never do such a thing. We used child labor. Hey, they’re still people!”

In a rare moment of earnestness, O’Brien took a brief break from humor to honor Los Angeles and the skilled artisans who bring films to life.

Naturally, no Oscars opening could be considered complete without a grand finale. O’Brien concluded his monologue with a musical performance featuring a **sandworm from *Dune: Part Two*** playing *Chopsticks* on the piano, paired with a dancing **Deadpool**—a fittingly strange and unforgettable ending to his introduction.