This preview of “Conan Without Borders” is making us even more excited for the premiere
In late January, Conan O’Brien announced a television special, and his intention was clear: demolish the demonized perception of Mexico, and ease the tension and Twitter diatribes between Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto and President Trump. What a job! Instead of creating a wall, Conan decided to build a bridge and announced Conan Without Borders: Made in Mexico, a show to be produced and recorded in Mexico City with all Mexican staff, crew, guests, and studio audience.
Since the announcement, Conan O’Brien has headed to Mexico City, where he was welcomed with open arms. As soon as he landed, he made a statement on Mexican national television: “Hello Mexico! I’m Conan O’Brien, and I am honored to be here in your country.” And always tongue-in-cheek, Conan added, “I know that there have been some problems between Mexico and the United States, but don’t worry: I will fix everything.”
Conan is now a telenovela star, no, we are not kidding. Also, he got to play fútbol with Mexico’s national team player Giovani dos Santos.
But a trip to Mexico City would not be complete without a must-have chilango delicacy. Conan joined Mexican activist and journalist, Jorge Ramos, for a required stop to Mexico City’s taquería El Califa.
¡Conan, hermano, ya eres mexicano! O al menos eso dice él @ConanOBrien @TeamCoco tras probar nuestra salsa con @jorgeramosnews #ConanMéxico pic.twitter.com/fhKvbglP9i
— Taquería El Califa (@ElCalifaMx) February 21, 2017
But wait, there’s more. Conan also participated in a quinceañera.
¡Feliz Cumpleaños Marisol! It was an honor to be your Godfather tonight. You were the most elegant Quinceañera! #ConanMexico pic.twitter.com/K7dNlFJHZ6
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) February 19, 2017
We can’t stop laughing at everything Conan has been up to in Mexico.
Conan’s guests include former Mexican president Vicente Fox and Mexico City’s own Diego Luna. Vicente Fox has been loud and clear about his stance on the wall with his now famous 140 character commentary on Twitter. He recently posted a picture of his appearance on Conan’s special and stated, “Met this fellow, who’s amending the MX and US relations with comedy.”
Met this fellow, who's amending the MX and US relations with comedy, while Trump sends his minions to do the dirty work. No #FuckingWall. pic.twitter.com/1p6k4bLiDI
— Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) February 22, 2017
We’ve been given another glimpse behind-the-scenes, thanks to a backstage video that Diego Luna posted on Instagram. We see Diego backstage, and in the distance we can hear Conan introduce him as “Mexico City’s own.”
Diego has previously appeared on Conan’s show. Our favorite appearance occurred in 2013, when Diego, comical yet truthful, explained the importance of speaking Spanish in the United States.
In the TBS preview of Conan Without Borders: Made in Mexico, we see him in Centro Histórico in Mexico City, jokingly asking for donations to pay for Trump’s infamous wall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgZI5ZY3dmU?feature=oembed
In this time of horrific xenophobia toward Mexico, we have high hopes for Conan Without Borders: Made in Mexico. We hope for his audience, and beyond, to view the rich and diverse cultural contribution of Mexico and its people. We will be polishing our string dance as we patiently wait for the special to air on March 1st on TBS.
