The Office - Something Less Offensive

Michael wants to know a less offensive term for "Mexican"

[myoriginalname]

The whole episode is priceless. I lost it at the part when Michael sticks racial signs on their forehead. “Shalom, I’d like to apply for a loan” 🤣

[heyitsyeh]

Michael: "Is there a term besides 'Latino' that you prefer, something less offensive?"
Oscar: "Latino isn't-"
Michael: "Latinx"

[redman]

The way he leans into saying "Mexican".

[latincooligan]

I have story to tell related to the content of this video. When I was a high school teacher in Dallas, Texas I went to go have lunch with a couple of non-Hispanic colleagues. Our conversation soon drifted towards racial/cultural identity because one of my colleagues stated that she noticed how upset her students of Central American (Guatemalan, Honduran, Salvadoran, etc...) origin got when they would get mistaken for Mexican. She then said, based on the reaction of these students, that calling a Hispanic person "Mexican" is like calling an African-American person the "N" word. It never occurred to her that maybe they got upset because they were being associated with a nationality and culture that was not their own. It never occurred to her that the word Mexican is an adjective that denotes national origin just like the words Canadian, Jamaican, Brazilian, and Iranian...to name a few. In other words, she had no clue that the word Mexican has no offensive connotation to it. Being Mexican myself, I was quite surprised and offended by the lady's take on why non-Mexican Hispanics get offended when they get called Mexican. The other colleague, noticing that I was about to give my rebuttal, managed to shift away the conversation to a less divisive and inflammatory topic.

[thegreenskittle]

omg this is one of my favorite lines from TO. Michael was just so oblivious to how casually offensive his question was. This and his "let's celebrate Oscar's Mexicanity" are just perfect.

[GippyHappy]

I think about this clip so often, not only cause it's hilarious but because it's true!

I hate when people change terminology for no reason, to be "less offensive" implies there's something offensive about it in the first place. I don't need to be labelled "neurodivergent", I'm fine with being called mentally ill! There's nothing derogatory about it, and if you feel like there is then we need to change the way we think, not the words we use.

[nalvarado]

Being of Mexican heritage I surprise myself at how hard I laugh at stuff like this. I was trying to recount the conversation between Michael and Oscar to my neice one day and I used the words " less derogatory." Which I think works better. We both laughed pretty hard. My wife, who is not Mexican wasn't sure if she could join in. That's too bad. Even after all these years of marriage there's still that little self awareness thing that puts a tiny space between us. As paper thin as it may be.

[scz]

This is hilarious because I would see people get uncomfortable when I would say I was Mexican as opposed to Latina. 🤣🤣🤣

[rodrigmd]

He should have played dispacito. You know, gained some street cred.

[ferorozco]

Disney producers about the etnicity of the characters:

[jdking]

It was innocent enough but I sort of had this convo with my boss the other day 😂 he was talking about how this other foreman calls his guy Spanish people because he’s super PC instead of calling them Mexicans. 😂 I was like…but that’s what they are 😂I was having flashbacks of the scene

[lestatlunar]

0:10
Oscar: Mexican isn’t offensive
Later seasons of the office
Michael: Si señor (mexican)
Oscar: Its offensive!

[lordreven]

Michael Scott invented Cinco De Mayo confirmed

[Chris-lfhj]

Is this a deleted scene? If it’s not what episode is it in?

[sarahcoronel]

This literally happened to me at work yesterday….😒😂

[Ezequiel-lhub]

As a mexican the first time i saw this i was laughing my ass off.

Wasnt expecting that, like what the hell is he sayin

[leozu]

Why’d they make Oscar Mexican? They used his actual name so why not just make him Cuban as well

[cold]

I came to copy what Michael says have his fraction of native American... Some guy saying im now mexican so i just came toncopy mgs

[butterspike]

One thing is being offensive without noticing, but another very different breed of cringe is people being offensive while they're trying to be progressive

[jessejimenez]

White writers have no idea what Mexicans look like? Oscar is obviously Afro Latino which would make him from many other Latin countries. But Mexico not likely one of them.