Conan O’Brien hosted this year’s Academy Awards and he has revealed some golden ideas he and his writer weren’t allowed to execute. In an episode of his “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast, O’Brien and Mike Sweeney, who served as his head writer for the Oscars, discussed some behind-the-scenes moments from the recent event.

But O’Brien was eager to put his own stamp on things and pitched a number of skits to the organising committee, which they did not find funny – because they’d be considered too disrespectful to the trophies.