What does it mean when someone says “Don't call me ‘boy’!”

Question

Non-native speaker here.
When someone calls another person boy and the other person responds by saying “Don't call me ‘boy’”. Does that mean the first person was calling the other person ‘boy’ to imply that he/she is wiser (or smarter or has more experience in life etc.) and the other person rejects that by saying “Don't call me boy”.
I heard this on a YouTube video: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Starting 3:13 to 3:30.

Ubi hatt · Accepted Answer

In the given context, Alex Jones is trying to belittle John Oliver by saying him "boy". It is derogatory, if you call a fully grown-up man a "boy".

From Merriam-Webster

an immature male

separate the men from the boys

Also, it is an offensive1 word for a male servant.

1: Check Entry 2 in Merriam Webster

Ed Grimm · Answer

According to one of my history teachers in high school, whites in the south would call male slaves "boy" regardless of their age... also female slaves "girl" regardless of age. I recall this was done in "Huckleberry Finn", where even kids were expected to call grown men "boy".

Answered by Ed Grimm on April 2, 2021

What does it mean when someone says “Don't call me ‘boy’!”

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