“I should warn you, tonight could get political, okay, and if that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock.”
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Second-time Academy Award host Conan O’Brien took a cheap shot at the Turning Point USA halftime show during the Oscars on Sunday, joking that if viewers didn’t like the show, there was an alternative show, hosted by Kid Rock, down the street. Kid Rock performed at the TPUSA alternative halftime show that aired during the Super Bowl. About 6 million people watched in real time and the stream racked up another 20 million views, per organizers.
“I should warn you, tonight could get political, okay, and if that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock. Now, its at the Dave and Busters down the street. A lot of tickets for that,” O’Brien said.
TPUSA planned their alternative “All American Halftime Show” this year after the NFL chose to have Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny do the official halftime show. Bad Bunny’s show was entirely in Spanish and unintelligible for many Americans who do not speak that language. He also refused to play the domestic US on his recent tour in a protest against immigration enforcement.
The TPUSA show featured performances by Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett, and many tuned out the halftime show at the NFL in order to watch TPUSA’s alternative version.
TPUSA spokesman Tyler Bowyer said in response to O’Brien, “Conan is just upset that the @TPUSA alternate halftime show got more viewers in one night than he got all year combined in his final season on TBS.”
An X user responded to the comments from O’Brien, “The only people watching the Oscars, are those who benefit from the Oscars.”