The real reason why Trump's name won't be heard at the Oscars tonight

Some of Conan O'Brien's jokes at the 98th Academy Awards have certainly been risqué, so you'd think Donald Trump's name will come up at some point during tonight's show.

However, the Oscars host is avoiding direct jibes aimed towards the president.

"Hosting this show is a very thin line," he said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday (March 11), as per the New York Post.

"We’re celebrating movies and the amazing people behind them, but it has to be funny without tipping into anger or politics."

The television host claimed during a recent interview on The New Yorker Radio Hour that Trump is 'bad for comedy'.

"When comedians get angry instead of clever, it doesn’t land," he added.

While O'Brien may not have named Trump directly at the Oscars, he did take aim at the MAGA movement and their alternative Super Bowl halftime show last month.

Conan O'Brien will not be naming the president by name (Julian Hamilton/Getty Images)

The host said: "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 at the Dave & Busters down the street."

O'Brien also referenced Trump's move to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump Kennedy Center, which is being challenged in court.

"We’re coming to you live from the ‘Has A Small Penis Theater,”’ O’Brien joked in the opening monologue.

He added: "Let’s see him put his name in front of that."

Most controversial Oscar moments

Hattie McDaniel wins but is segregated from her cast (1940)

Now, we're going back for this one, but with #OscarsSoWhite only being 11 years ago, it's still as topical as ever.

McDaniel was the first Black woman to ever win an Oscar, for her supporting role in the equally controversial film Gone with the Wind. Although she made history that night, paving the way for the likes of Halle Berry and Cynthia Erivo, McDaniel was seated at the back of the room away from her co-stars.

This didn't stop McDaniel from giving an empowering speech, however, in which she said, 'my heart is too full to tell you just how I feel'.

A ban on political speeches (1993)

I don't know about you, but this one is new to me. In 1993, the Oscars seemed to tire of political speeches and decided to ban whoever dared utter one. Well, three people who said, 'f*** that' were Tim Robbins, Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon.

And just as promised, the three were banned. Sarandon and Robbins only for a few years, but everyone's favourite 'officer' (iykyk) sat them out for years, except for making an appearance in 2013, and then never again.

Who would be the first to be banned if that rule still applied today?

Marlon Brando wins and snubs the whole ceremony (1973)

The Godfather star won his second Oscar for Best Actor in 1973, but instead of going and celebrating with his peers, he sent Sacheen Littlefeather in his place. Littlefeather revealed Brando would not be accepting the award due to Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans and the protests at Wounded Knee in South Dakota.

Littlefeather was met with extreme negativity and even booed during her speech.

Sacha Baron Cohen brought Kim Jong Il's 'ashes' to the red carpet (2012)

We all know Sacha Baron Cohen's humor is dark, but this stunt at the Oscars really disturbed some feathers - especially Ryan Seacrest's who ended up wearing the ashes.

To promote his film The Dictator, Cohen showed up on the carpet dressed as his fictional character, Admiral Aladeen. In tow, instead of bringing his wife at the time, Isla Fischer, or, you know, inviting a friend, Cohen's plus one was the 'ashes' of North Korea's previous dictator, Kim Jong Il, which he then spilt on host Ryan Seacrest.

Talk about committing to a bit... no matter how confusing or how uncomfortable it made people.

#OscarsSoWhite (2015 / 2016)

In 2015, Black actors, directors, producers and the like were completely cut out of the 2015 Oscar nominations. This prompted the social movement #OscarsSoWhite to take over social media and the entertainment industry, with notable Black Hollywood members boycotting the 2016 Oscars ceremony.

However, even after the impact it made, it clearly didn't phase the people behind the nominations as it happened again the year after. Chris Rock, who hosted the Oscars that year, addressed it in a 10-minute-long speech and pointed out that 'if they nominated [the] host, I wouldn’t even get this job'.

The award goes to... La La Land or... Moonlight (2017)

The 2017 Oscars were a weird one, to say the least. From Nicole Kidman's weird a** clap to Auli’i Cravalho getting hit in the head by a flag during her Moana performance and Jimmy Kimmel's bus full of tourists, the bad vibes just kept on coming.

When announcing the most prestigious award of the night, Best Film, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced the gong had gone to La La Land, but they couldn't have been more wrong.

"There’s a mistake," producer Jordan Horowitz said. "Moonlight, you guys won Best Picture. This is not a joke." Could have fooled me, Horowitz.

It's safe to say it was a mortifying experience for all involved, with Moonlight director Barry Jenkins saying afterwards: “I noticed the commotion but I was speechless when the result was altered. I've never seen that happen before.”

The slap of the century (2022)

Easily the most unexpected thing to ever happen at the Oscars, Hollywood's favourite cousin, Will Smith, strode on stage and kapow-ed presenter Chris Rock in the face, after he made an ill-advised joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.

The joke in question: “Jada, can't wait for G.I. Jane 2,” as a reference to the Gotham star's shaved head. Having been open about her struggles with alopecia, people saw this as a really low blow from Rock.

As Smith slapped the Madagascar star, he screamed: “Keep my wife's name out of your f**king mouth.”

The awkwardness did not end there, as Smith later won the Best Actor award and had to go on stage again to accept it.