Since the debut of George Lopez, comedy has seen a number of Hispanic comedians come onto the scene. Carlos Mencia is one of the leaders of this movement and is also nothing like George Lopez. For those who love George Lopez for his show about family values in a Hispanic family, Carlos Mencia may not be heartwarming for them.
Carlos Mencia is a crude Mexican man who criticizes everything and everyone. He makes fun of his own culture and every other culture one could think of. In doing so, he has made a name for himself and has developed a decent schtick that comes out in his show, "Mind of Mencia."
Mencia has become the archetypal comic who insults every single race, class, and ethnicity. While this may seem like a good premise for a show, the act grows tiresome after only a short time.
The problem with "Mind of Mencia" is not in its comedy sketches, which is ironic for a show such as this one. While he is not a seasoned actor, Mencia's true comedic genius comes out in the bits he does on the show. Almost every sketch deals with some sort of minority issue, and it does so in such a manner that will have you laughing, albeit guiltily.
The problem with "Mind of Mencia" is the actual comedy. His monologues are forced and trite, even for a comedy show. While Mencia's jokes are decent, the mere fact that he has to mention every five seconds that he's just "keeping it real" leads the audience to believe that he's not keeping it real, but rather saying these things for shock value.
As with every comedian, Mencia's funniest jokes arise when he is criticizing himself and his Mexican culture. Yet for Americans who don't know what "tremendo culo" means or what a "cholo" is, the jokes go right past them and all Mencia can do to compensate is make fun of how dumb they are. This is where Mencia gets the most annoying.
Mencia has this joke of imitating a retarded person. This might have been funny three years ago, but by now it is hackneyed and extremely irritating. Comedians like to make shocking jokes as much as the next guy, but Mencia pushes it to the point where it's not funny anymore.
Another problem with the show is that they let him speak for too long. Jokes about Asians crashing cars and black people stealing stuff is funny for two minutes but not for ten. There should be more focus on the comedy sketches, as those bring the true laughs. The comedy bits and sketch topics range everywhere from dumb people to those about racist and unrealistic movies (a funny bit involving truly funny Mexican comedian Pablo Francisco).
Comedy Central could have a hit on its hands but they have to change the format of the show and market it in a different way. The "angry dude telling it like it is" bit has been done, especially when that angry dude is yelling, making retarded voices and saying that he's just being real every five seconds. "Mind of Mencia" has the ability to be a funny show, but for the most part it is a cheap replacement to fill the void left behind by "Chappelle's Show"
