Current events, racial discrimination and stereotypes are topics frequently targeted by comedians, but few attack these issues with as much outrageousness and raunchiness as Carlos Mencia. The popular Latino comedian is now approaching his second year of hosting his smash hit comedy show "Mind of Mencia," and the "Season 2 Uncensored" DVD was recently released. Each episode has all the racist stand-up and hilarious skits that made "Mind of Mencia" Comedy Central's second highest rated show in 2006.
"Mind of Mencia" follows a routine in the vein of syndicated shows such as "The Tonight Show." Mencia does stand-up for several minutes and then introduces a variety of skits, rap numbers and fake infomercials that comprise the remainder of the show. Without real commercials, each episode runs 22 minutes long.
Mencia immediately establishes to audiences in his stand-up and his skits that he pulls no punches and draws no lines when it comes to what he considers appropriate comedy. No ethnic group, political party or natural disaster is safe from Mencia's biting wit and sarcasm. Anyone who has a taste for calmer humor will be utterly scandalized, but those who are amused by racial and ethnic jokes will have the time of their life.
Perhaps Mencia's greatest strength is that he never takes sides on any issue. Instead, he shamelessly and indiscriminately makes fun of everything. He is intentionally as politically incorrect as possible, and audiences will quickly appreciate the ease with which he talks about any subject.
The entire show tends to be hit or miss, but when it hits, which is quite often, audiences are falling out of their seats laughing. Mencia's monologues are consistently hilarious, and the various skits and commercials are relevant and a riot to watch onscreen. Occasionally, the offensive jokes tend to go overboard and even avid Mencia fans have to admit he sometimes makes comments too derogatory for comfort. Mencia, however, obviously knows what he is doing. The rare times that Mencia's jokes push the envelope too far are in scenarios which are not as embarrassing or insulting as they are delightfully shocking.
No comedy show is without a weak point, and on "Mind of Mencia," the musical numbers are a major disappointment. Mencia intends to make music and lyrics similar to his regular stand-up acts, but while this might sound like a good idea on paper, the result is music bland enough to make most people fast forward through it. Beyond being unfunny and dull, the musical numbers go on for ridiculous periods of time. Thankfully, music in "Mind of Mencia" is rare and happens infrequently throughout the entire second season.
Carlos Mencia's show is a great comedy for people who enjoy indulging in politically incorrect material. Regardless of your race, gender or political affiliation, you will find yourself being made fun of by Carlos Mencia. His willingness to mock any topic without hesitation will elicit laughs from people who enjoy him, but those interested in less raunchy humor should look elsewhere.
