Conan O’Brien’s attempt to Gen Z-ify the Oscars is now a viral moment

When Conan O'Brien returned to host the Academy Awards in 2026, he didn't just deliver a traditional opening monologue. Instead, he attempted something the nearly century-old ceremony rarely pulls off: a full-on Gen Z-coded glow-up.

And yes, it involves memes, slang, and even a little gameplay from Subway Surfers.

In one of the night's most viral moments, O'Brien delivered a tongue-in-cheek "message to the young generation" that looked less like a Hollywood speech and more like a chaotic TikTok edit.



While talking, the screen showed gameplay from Subway Surfers, a nod to the short-form content style where gameplay runs under commentary to keep attention spans locked in.

Then came the Gen Z slang overload.

O'Brien joked, "When you're hosting the Oscars and low-genuinely trying to rizz up the younger demographic by going brain-rot mod...even though you're uncoded with a bunch of 22-seconds-of-fame NPCs, you're still S-tier level aura farming at 67."

In the bit, O’Brien misfires words like "bussin'", randomly invents terms like "clavicular", and jokes about “rizzing up” the younger audience and “hostmaxxing” the show. The moment plays into his classic self-aware humour, while also sneaking in jabs about AI and Timothée Chalamet, turning the generational gap into the punchline itself.

The moment instantly spread online, with meme accounts calling it "S-tier aura farming", racking up tens of thousands of likes and reactions.

Another playful sketch, titled "One Battle After Another", saw O'Brien jokingly declare himself "host for life", complete with chaotic comedic energy and a surprise nod to YouTube mega-creator MrBeast.

The pre-recorded segment leaned heavily into internet humour, blending YouTube culture with the traditional prestige of Hollywood's biggest night.

For some viewers, it worked.

For others, it felt like their dad discovering TikTok slang.

O'Brien's cold open was just as absurd. He appeared as Aunt Gladys from the film Weapons, joking that he looked like "Bette Davis with lupus", before being chased by children through scenes from nominated films like Hamnet, One Battle After Another, and Sinners.

Once on stage, the jokes kept flying.

He quipped that he was "honoured to be the last human host of the Oscars", teased Timothée Chalamet about potential "attacks from the open and ballet communities", and roasted Ted Sarandos for it being his "first time in a theatre".

Later, a musical bit with Josh Groban and a cameo sketch from Martin Scorsese kept the show moving between classic Hollywood humour and modern internet absurdity.

One of the biggest nostalgia hits came when the cast of Bridesmaids reunited for the film’s 15th anniversary. Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne and Ellie Kemper read hilariously brutal “audience notes", including one comment praising how “tasteful” their cosmetic procedures looked.



The internet reaction was spilt.

Some viewers loved the self-aware humour, praising O'Brien for leaning into the absurdity of a 98-year-old awards show trying to speak Gen Z.

Others felt the jokes had 'hello, fellow kids' energy, a classic case of older institutions trying a little too hard to sound online. Either way, the clip achieved what the Oscars desperately want: virality.



The attempt isn't random.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been trying to make the Oscars relevant to younger audiences for years as TV viewership declines and Gen Z increasingly consumes entertainment through short-form video, streaming and creators rather than broadcast television.

Referencing memes, gameplay clips like Subway Surfers, and creators like MrBeast is part of a broader strategy: turn the Oscars into shareable internet moments instead of just a TV broadcast.

And ironically, even the backlash proves the strategy is working. Because whether people loved it or cringed at it, Gen Z did exactly what the Oscars wanted; they clipped it, memed it and posted it everywhere.

In 2026, that might be the real measure of success.