Caitlin Wiffler ‘27
Guest Writer
It was announced on November 15 that former late-night show host Conan O’Brien would emcee the 97th Academy Awards. For decades, O’Brien has made his success through the use of his brilliant wit and shifting the comedy scene into a world of wonderful absurdity. Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang commented on the announcement, saying that “his remarkable ability to connect with audiences will bring viewers together.” As someone who has long admired O’Brien’s comedy, I was delighted to hear that he would be replacing Jimmy Kimmel as host, which made me think: What is it about O’Brien’s style of comedy that makes him so beloved?
The host of podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” is an alum of Harvard University, where he studied History & Literature and served as president of the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine his sophomore and junior years. In 1988, he was hired as a writer for Saturday Night Live, and later wrote for The Simpsons from 1991 until his offer to replace David Letterman as Late Night host in 1993. From 1993-2021, O’Brien became an icon for his self-deprecating humor and segments of his show that were silly in a way that makes me angry due to their perfectly crafted simplicity.
O’Brien wrote his thesis on how the works of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor used children as symbols. He also wrote one of the most acclaimed episodes of The Simpsons, “Homer Goes to College”—an episode that includes a bra bomb. The range of these two works emphasizes the brilliance of O’Brien. His sharp mind is what makes his comedy so delightful. He never goes for the high-brow, look-at-how-genius-I-am joke; he uses simple ideas like “what if we had Mr. Burns sit in the most evil-looking chair” to make the audience laugh. Since his departure from The Simpsons, he has only filled his repertoire with more hilarity. When he hosted the Emmy Awards in 2006, he had actor Bob Newhart in a cage that he joked had exactly three hours of oxygen, stating that if the show surpasses even one minute of overtime, Newhart will die. I hope to see O’Brien use this same style of absurdity on March 2, 2025, using his same cleverness to poke fun at award show pomposity without oozing cynicism, like many other comics tend to lean.
In an episode of The Simpsons during O’Brien’s time, there is a banner hanging during an event that Lisa Simpson attends that has “Brevity is…wit” written across it. “Brevity is the soul of wit” is a line from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, spoken by Polonius. The line expresses that concise communication is what conveys intelligence, which is ironic coming from Polonius, someone who never speaks briefly. This small inclusion in an animated sitcom is exactly what makes O’Brien a genius comedian. His style of comedy stems from his intelligence, which is conveyed effortlessly through his inclusive and silly gags.
He offers a lesson to many aspiring comedians: do not overthink it. There may be a desire to achieve high-brow, outstanding jokes, but do not stray from the objective: making the audience laugh. O’Brien’s ability to take a platform like a talk-show, podcast, or sitcom and fully revolutionize it is the most admirable quality to him. He shows a keen interest in all of his guests on his show, and continues to express his genuine enthusiasm for films and television. I know he will make a great host of the 97th Academy Awards, which will undoubtedly be filled with warm, fun frivolity. Crossing my fingers he puts Billy Crystal in the cage this time!
Copy Edited by Lily Wasmund ’28
Featured images courtesy of Google Images
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