Kid Rock pushed back Monday against a jab Conan O’Brien made at his expense during the 98th Academy Awards, calling the comedian’s quip subpar while using the moment to promote his upcoming summer tour.
During his opening monologue at Sunday’s Oscars ceremony, Mr. O’Brien took aim at the singer’s appearance at Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show,” which was staged as a conservative alternative to the Super Bowl’s halftime performance headlined by reggaeton star Bad Bunny.
“I should warn you, tonight could get political,” Mr. O’Brien told the Dolby Theatre audience. “And if that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock. Yeah, it’s at the Dave & Buster’s down the street.”
Kid Rock, 55, responded on X, acknowledging he can handle being the butt of a joke, just not a bad one.
“I love a good joke, even when I am the butt of it,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, this was not a very good one.”
The rocker used the moment to plug his “Freedom 250 — The Road to Nashville” tour, a spring and summer run he described as celebrating America and 250 years of freedom. He included a link to Ticketmaster for ticket purchases, with shows beginning in May.
TPUSA spokesman Andrew Kolvet also weighed in, telling Fox News Digital that he had been unaware the Oscars were even airing until he saw the clip. Mr. Kolvet framed the mention as a net positive for the organization, citing the halftime show’s viewership figures.
“It’s a testament to the success of the All-American Halftime Show,” Mr. Kolvet said. “Over 50 million Americans tuned in, making it the No. 1 livestream in American history and No. 2 globally. We love the free publicity, so thank you, Conan. We’ll see you in 2027!”
The TPUSA event was streamed across the organization’s social channels and several conservative networks, including Real America’s Voice and OAN, and was billed as a celebration of “faith, family and freedom.” It was organized in part as a protest of the NFL’s selection of Bad Bunny — who has been critical of President Trump’s deportation policies and sings primarily in Spanish — as the Super Bowl’s halftime headliner. Mr. Trump and several conservative commentators had objected to that choice ahead of the game.
Bad Bunny’s halftime performance averaged 128.2 million viewers in the U.S. and drew 4.157 billion views globally within 24 hours, making it the most-watched halftime show in history, according to Roc Nation. YouTube metrics showed the TPUSA alternative drew roughly 5 million concurrent viewers.
TPUSA was co-founded by Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September 2025. His widow, Erika Kirk, has since been named CEO of the organization.
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