Conan O’Brien’s multilingual monologue at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday night, where he spoke in Chinese with “awkward pronunciation,” has drawn a mix of amusement and criticism from Chinese netizens.
During the Oscars ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 2, O’Brien surprised audiences by addressing viewers in Spanish, Hindi, and Chinese, according to the Oscars livestream on ABC. His attempt at Mandarin, however, stood out after clips of the speech circulated on Weibo.
According to subtitles in the video, O’Brien said in Chinese: “I am in serious financial debt. Please consider using me in your many films. I beg you.” Some Chinese social media users admitted they “couldn’t understand” his pronunciation and were grateful for the English subtitles.
Conan’s Chinese leaves much to be desired — props for trying big guy pic.twitter.com/3kq0H4bIYX
— Alexander Boyd (@alexludoboyd) March 3, 2025
While some netizens praised the comedian’s “commendable spirit,” saying that “with more practice, we might understand him better in the future,” others were less impressed. Some criticized his pronunciation as awkward, while one user took issue with the joke’s implication, interpreting it as suggesting that filmmaking in China is primarily driven by short-term financial gains.
Others recalled a previous instance where O’Brien sang a Chinese song with Australian actor Hugh Jackman, showing his continued interest in engaging with the language.
Others were less supportive of O’Brien’s attempt. “Conan O’brien’s NONSENSE CHINESE at the The Academy’s Oscars is a RACIST INSULT to the global Asian community. Shame on Harvard University grads! #OscarsSoRacist #Chibberish,” wrote Quentin Lee on Facebook.
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In a post on Chopso, Lee described O’Brien’s actions as an “insensitive linguistic stunt, which is both disrespectful and insulting to the Asian diaspora.”
“How many more times will I have to hear white people or non-speakers mock Asian languages?” He questioned. “While last night’s Oscars was considered a triumph of independent filmmaking, as an AAPI independent filmmaker having worked in Los Angeles for over three decades, I find this general lack of respect and sensitivity on Asian cultures to be endemic of not only the Oscars and Hollywood but America as a whole.”
