Laugh with Me: Oscars Recap with Grant

Podcast: Laugh with Me (iHeartPodcasts)
Host: Jeremy Oto
Guest: Grant Pearson
Date: March 17, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively Oscars recap, comedian Jeremy Oto and returning movie expert Grant Pearson break down Hollywood’s biggest night—from glitchy production snafus to memorable wins, meme-worthy moments, upsets, and the annual Oscars family betting pool. With sharp wit and plenty of inside jokes, Jeremy and Grant navigate both the triumphs and trainwrecks of the 2026 Academy Awards and the infamous Razzies, keeping things insightful and hilarious for both film buffs and casual fans.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Oscars Ceremony: Glitches, Hits, and Misses

• Painfully Awkward Production: Both Jeremy and Grant note the ceremony felt "glitchy" and "messy."

  • Notable Moment: Conan O'Brien, the host, was caught off-guard talking to people in the audience, unaware he was live.

    “He was out there just dying.” — Jeremy (05:31)

  • The sound cut out during the presentation of the sound awards by the Bridesmaids cast (07:05). “Perfect time to showcase how great sound is when you can’t hear two of the five people that are talking.” — Grant

• Comedy and Presentation:

  • Conan’s bits were hit or miss. His opening and the “Aunt Gladys” sketch got high marks, as did the “Casablanca” bit with Sterling K. Brown.

    “The Casablanca bit with Sterling K. Brown. That was really good.” — Grant (06:25) “Sterling doesn’t get enough credit for how funny he is.” — Jeremy (06:32)

  • The night generally failed to deliver seamless comedy, and some bits (e.g., Iron Man and Captain America’s banter) outright bombed (28:45).

• Timing and Pacing Issues:

  • Show ended early, yet many speeches were abruptly cut off.

    “They even cut to [Conan] during that and he’s just laughing. ... What are we doing here?” — Jeremy (22:34)

  • The In Memoriam segment was “so long,” yet still left out many notable names (26:02–27:33).

2. Major Winners, Losers, and Surprises

• Best Picture & Big Winners:

  • Sinners dominated, especially with Michael B. Jordan’s win (“Monster on this night” — 10:24).
  • “One Battle After Another” scooped up six awards.
  • K Pop Demon Hunters won both of its guaranteed categories, sparking discussion about its potential as a Best Picture contender.

• Performance Highlights:

  • Michael B. Jordan’s win was not widely predicted beforehand, but momentum shifted his way post-ballots (10:54).
  • Timothy Chalamet missed out, partly due to a controversy over remarks about musical theater (11:17–12:27). Grant predicts he’ll have a DiCaprio-like journey to an eventual Oscar.

• Notable Quotes:

  “It really should have been Marty Supreme. … it was really Timothy Chalamet’s to lose and he lost it.” — Grant (12:36)

• Horror Genre Recognition:

  • Horror saw rare Oscar recognition with wins for Frankenstein, Sinners, and Weapons (19:07–19:51).

Notable Segment – In Memoriam

• Timestamps: 26:02–28:12
  • One of the longest ever—“beautiful,” “very touching,” yet “still forgot people” (James Van Der Beek, George Wendt, Malcolm Jamal Warner).
  • Jeremy: “It definitely felt like they were saving some names for next year, which is odd.”

3. The Bracket Pool: A Family Affair

• The Oscars pool includes Jeremy, Grant, both families, and even children. Scores ranged from 7/24 (Hattie) to Jeremy’s winning 19/24.
• Des, Grant’s son, strategically picked movies he had seen—tough trade-offs for Andy Samberg fans.
• “Imagine picking Zootopia 2 to beat K Pop Demon Hunters, which I did. … Sometimes you have to look at a category ... and be like, I’m going to go the road less traveled.” — Jeremy (43:35)
• Grant, Ashley, and Kathy all tied for second with 18/24.

4. The Razzies: Celebrating the Worst

• War of the Worlds “dominated”; Ice Cube won Worst Actor and the film took five of nine awards.
• Rebel Wilson snagged Worst Actress for Bride Hard.
• The worst screen combo: All seven dwarves.

  “It is just something that you can’t describe to people—you have to actually experience how bad it is.” — Grant, on War of the Worlds (35:35)

5. Other Notable Moments & Categories

• Jessie Buckley (“phenomenal in Hamnet”) won Best Actress (23:28).
• Paul Thomas Anderson took Best Director (24:09).
• New Category: Best Casting went to One Battle After Another (30:19).
• Rare Tie: Best Live Action Short was a tie (“handled incredibly well” by Kumail Nanjiani) (31:02).

6. Closing Thoughts on the Show

• The show overall: “Not an enjoyable show for the most part.” — Grant (47:19)
• Both still love Oscar night and plan to watch next year regardless.
• Jimmy Kimmel’s presenter bit was a flop; late night hosts are given little slack by Grant and Jeremy.
• The night ended with typical self-deprecating banter and the promise of renewed competition next awards season:

  “Next year I’m gonna dominate this bracket. I’m not going to put personal feelings into it … I’m going to get all 24 right.” — Grant (47:43)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------| | 05:31 | “He was out there just dying.” | Jeremy | | 07:05 | “Perfect time to showcase how great sound is when you can’t hear two of the five people that are talking.” | Grant | | 06:25 | “The Casablanca bit with Sterling K. Brown. That was really good.” | Grant | | 10:24 | “Center was a monster on this night. Michael B. Jordan. How cool is that?” | Jeremy | | 12:36 | “It really should have been Marty Supreme. … it was really Timothy Chalamet’s to lose and he lost it.” | Grant | | 22:34 | “They even cut to [Conan] during that and he’s just laughing. ... What are we doing here?” | Jeremy | | 26:02 | “In memoriam was so long, and they still forgot people.” | Grant | | 35:35 | “It is just something that you can’t describe to people—you have to actually experience how bad it is.” | Grant | | 43:35 | “Imagine picking Zootopia 2 to beat K Pop Demon Hunters, which I did.” | Jeremy | | 47:43 | “Next year I’m gonna dominate this bracket. … I’m going to get all 24 right.” | Grant |

Important Timestamps

• Oscars Show Recap Begins: 03:08–10:21
• Winners/Losers Analysis: 10:21–17:02, 23:28–25:55
• K Pop Demon Hunters/Horror Genre Wins: 17:02–20:13
• Speeches & Show Pacing: 22:02–23:13
• In Memoriam Segment: 26:02–28:12
• Bracket Pool Results: 40:05–44:24
• Razzies Recap: 35:04–39:17
• Closing Thoughts & Banter: 47:19–end

Episode Tone

Jeremy and Grant maintain a playful, sarcastic camaraderie with a mix of inside baseball Oscar knowledge and genuine appreciation for film. They riff on everything from production missteps and awkward hosting to family rivalry and Hollywood’s unending quirks.

Summary Takeaway

This episode offers a fast-paced, joke-filled, but comprehensive Oscars postmortem—perfect for listeners who want the gossip, the gaffes, the surprises, and a peek at how movie buffs really judge awards night. From Conan’s wobbly hosting to Michael B. Jordan’s surprise win, K Pop Demon Hunters’ domination, and War of the Worlds sinking at the Razzies, Jeremy and Grant serve the Oscars—plus the Razzies—a big dollop of opinion, laughter, and love for movies.