Mind of Mencia: Season Two

Words only have the power and impact that we, the people using them, allow them to have. There is a lot of talk recently about the use or misuse of numerous racial, religious and sexual terms that many see as pejoratives. We live in a politically correct society and have to be more careful than ever in what we say and how we say it. While there are some positive aspects to being polite and watching what we say it does not solve or even address problems in our society. Awhile back I received a DVD to review that featured the stand up comedy act of Carlos Mencia. I was blow away by how he took on every possible stereotype and counseled his audience to be more concerned with people than the words used to describe them. He turned every nasty phrase and stereotype possible on its end and makes the audience laugh. Comedy Central has given this talented man his own series, ‘The Mind of Mencia’. The second season of this imaginative series in now available on DVD in an uncensored version that Comedy Central could not show unedited.

The name if the series is very apt. The mind of Carlos Mencia is a twisted, brilliant place that seems lack that lobe that self-censors verbal expression. He looks at the sacred cows of society and takes them straight to the slaughterhouse. The very first skit in the first season two episode lets the audience know that no subject is taboo for Mencia. It opens with Mencia in a catholic confessional ready to speak to the priest. Mencia explains how last season he made fun of everyone, listing most by normally uncomplimentary terms. The priest explains that Mencia has nothing to forgive and even God is a big fan. After Mencia goes out ready to go even bigger with season two the other door opens to reveal the devil coming out, laughing. In one skit Mencia takes on Brokeback Mountain but with a twist no other show tried. Aided by guest star Mario Lopez they play two accountants who sneak off to act out every negative Mexican stereotype possible. When people at work become suspicious Mencia explains that it’s alright they think we are gay. Mencia has a catch phrase that comes out of his bits about the mentally challenged, whether by birth defect, injury or just old fashion stupid actions. When he says ‘Dit dit dit’ with his face contorted the audience always goes wild. For Mencia its one thing to be mentally deficient by biology but he finds it unforgivable when someone acts ‘retarded’ by their own choice. At the opening of each episode and between the skits Mencia speaks directly to his live audience. He may pick out a member of a certain ethnic group and ask for their take on a issue or just rant about how dumb it is with what most consider news. Whether it is a bumbling politician or an empty headed pop star or socialite Mencia show no hesitation about letting people know what he thinks.

One topic that gets a lot of play with Mencia is politics. He goes into President Bush and the war in Iraq or the allegations of favoritism in the executive branch with flair and intelligence. Although Mencia is quick to tell the audience that he is just a guy from a Mexican immigrant family his grasp on the political scene is well founded. He says the things that many of us have thought but do to political correctness would never dare say out loud. Mencia sees the irony in Americans wanting to build a wall to keep Mexicans out but the only way such a wall could be made economically is to use illegal immigrants to build it. Life is a series of such ironies for Mencia, things that are so obvious once he points them out. Even a great tragedy gets the Mencia treatment. He goes off about the decision to rebuild New Orleans. He asks the question if you want to preserve your culture fine but why not rebuild about 200 miles away from the water. He also sends up stereotypes with his own brand of twisted logic. When he talks about black people being lazy he says no they are not. After four hundred years working for free as slaves they just have a lot of accumulated vacation time. Mencia also has a number of recurring characters. One is a Indian man working in a Seven-Eleven type store. (As Mencia would say dot Indian, not feature Indian.) This is his platform to rip on the fears of domestic security and concerns about terrorism. Judge Carlos also shows up in another series of skits to pas judgment on the ridiculous people that are considered for some strange reason news worthy.

If you really listen to Carlos Mencia you will find out that his humor is not mean spirited at all. He truly loves his fellow man but is appalled but how people only see the differences. For him everyone is the target of hateful words and ideas. Only by making fun of this can he show people how little these words really mean. He takes the power out from under racial words and ideas by holding them up to the light of ridicule. Mencia is a very intelligent man. He graduated from California State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. As an avid reader he finds his humor in the stories that most of the public takes seriously. News stories about Paris Hilton, Dick Cheney, Heather Mills and Kanye West are all just something for Mencia to sink his teeth into. When he uses racial slurs or other ‘unacceptable’ language he does so to demonstrate just how ridiculous these terms are. His real life brother Robert often appears in skits making this a real family effort for Mencia.

Paramount brings this series to DVD with the attention it deserves. The full screen video is bright and flawless. The Dolby stereo audio track is crisp and clear. The extras really stand out here. On the first disc there are a series of ‘Talk to Carlos’ segments. After his show is recorded he stands there and takes questions from the audience. Besides extending his act he also opens up to them. When one person asks for his best drunk story Mencia informs the audience that he doesn’t drink or do drugs. He grew up in a neighborhood where substance abuse took too many lives and wanted better for himself and his family. One the second disc there are three extra sections; Outtakes, Deleted Scenes and Bloopers. Instead of just little snippets that most discs have these are almost complete skits, albeit the bloopers do tend to be just the mistake. His humor is like a roast of society and it is laugh out loud funny. If you enjoy watching thoughtful and well crafted humor this is a must have.

Posted 03/23/07