Mike Francesa Learns He Shouldn't Call People "Oriental" Anymore

On yesterday’s show, Mike Francesa passed along the Supreme Court’s ruling on whether a slur could be registered as a trademark—a case that would have affected the Washington Redskins’ trademark—with the signature delicate approach only he could provide.

When discussing The Slants, the Oregon-based Asian-American band at the center of the case, Francesa not only called the group “Slant,” but referred to the musicians as “Oriental Americans” and “a group of young Oriental Americans.” Later in the day, producer Brian Monzo corrected the host and told him to use the phrase “Asian American.”

“You’re telling me that using the word ‘Oriental American’ is a slight?” Francesa asked.

Experience the three-part journey here:

Francesa was willing to use the preferred nomenclature to make everyone happy, although he still groused about it. “Has it gotten to that point where that would be considered a slight?” Francesa said. “Oh boy.” Indeed.