Conan O’Brien knows there’s only one Oscar.
That didn’t stop the comedian hosting the 98th Academy Awards from joking at Sunday night’s ceremony that conservative viewers looking for alternative programming might find Kid Rock hosting the show. The quip was in reference to an alternate Super Bowl halftime show held in February by the right-wing group Turning Point USA, which claimed the musician was the headliner.
O’Brien told the audience during his March 15 monologue, “Tonight might get political. If that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternative Oscar hosted by Kid Rock.” “That’s Dave & Buster’s down the street.”
Turning Point’s “All American Halftime Show,” which included performances by President Donald Trump’s longtime rock allies and several country music artists, was largely seen as a response to the NFL’s selection of Bad Bunny as its headliner.
Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican Latin superstar who sings primarily in Spanish, has criticized President Trump’s deportation efforts in the past. When it was announced that he would be chosen to headline the Super Bowl, several conservative pundits and Trump himself criticized the choice, arguing that he was not a popular enough artist and was a divisive choice. Bad Bunny became the world’s most streamed artist on Spotify in 2025.
In protest, Turning Point streamed a show celebrating “faith, family, and freedom” on its social channels as well as on several conservative networks, including Real America’s Voice and OAN. TPUSA was co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk. After his assassination in September 2025, his widow Erica Kirk was appointed CEO.
