The host’s joke about an “alternate” Oscars didn’t land with the musician who served as counterprogramming to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show.

Kid Rock calls Conan O’Brien’s Oscars diss ‘not a very good one’

The host's joke about an "alternate" Oscars didn't land with the musician who served as counterprogramming to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

EW's editorial guidelines

on March 16, 2026 5:03 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Kid Rock; Conan O'Brien. Credit:

Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty; Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty

- Kid Rock responded to Conan O'Brien's joke about the rapper hosting an "alternate" Oscars at Dave & Buster's.

- The "Redneck Paradise" singer famously headlined Turning Point USA's *All-American Halftime Show* in February, in response to Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl.

- O'Brien's monologue also jabbed at *Marty Supreme *star Timothée Chalamet and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

Kid Rock is bashing Conan O'Brien's Oscars diss about the "Redneck Paradise" singer.

On Sunday during the 98th Academy Awards, O'Brien took aim at Turning Point USA's "All-American Halftime Show," which the organization broadcast in protest to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show in February.

"Tonight could get political, and if that makes you uncomfortable, there's an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock," O'Brien quipped. "It's at the Dave & Buster's down the street."

Kid Rock responded on social media the following day. "I love a good joke, even when I am the butt of it, unfortunately this was not a very good one," the musician began, before taking the opportunity to plug his upcoming tour commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.

"Either way, if you want to see a REAL good show this spring / summer that celebrates America and 250 years of Freedom - make sure you buy your tickets from (ugh) Ticketmaster for my Freedom 250 tour - The Road To Nashville. There is a reason for this, TRUST ME!," Kid Rock wrote.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter*****.**

7 stars who missed the 2026 Oscars: Sean Penn, Hailee Steinfeld, Brad Pitt, and more

Academy disposes of Conan O'Brien *One Battle After Another*-style in bonus post-Oscars sketch

* *reached out to reps for Conan O'Brien and did not receive an immediate response.

Billed as a celebration of "faith, family and freedom," the "All-American Halftime Show" was positioned as a response to the NFL booking Bad Bunny — who performs entirely in Spanish, and has been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration — as its Super Bowl headliner. When surveyed about the musical genres they'd like to hear performed at the event, potential "All American Halftime Show" viewers could select "Anything in English" alongside traditional options like "Pop" and "Americana."

The event drew roughly 6 million viewers during the livestream, with the archived YouTube link currently listing 21 million views. As of this writing, the official YouTube upload of Bad Bunny's performance has 125 million views.

Kid Rock commented on Bad Bunny's performance the day after the Super Bowl on Fox News Monday. "Like most people, I didn't understand any of it," he said. "I saw there's a lot of dancers. He said he wanted to have a dance party and it looks like he had one."

He added, "I don't fault him for doing the Super Bowl, getting in front of a global audience. I fault the NFL for putting him in that position and Turning Point for having to come out and have an alternative for people to watch. You know, it's just — poor kid."

Kid Rock wasn't the only butt of a joke at the Academy Awards — O'Brien had plenty of zingers throughout the evening. He took aim at Timothée Chalamet for remarks he made about ballet and opera. O'Brien also took a jab at Ted Sarandos in his opening monologue, joking that it was his first time in a theater.

See the full list of 2026 Oscars winners.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW News”