Entry tags:

jambar, television

please mind the mencia
The original title for this, suggested by a staff member of The Jambar: "Bob Mackey Hates Fake Mexicans." I thought that was pushing it a little, and I wanted them to add "(loves real mexicans)" underneath it. Luckily, this person was joking. I also took the liberty of restoring some of my original punctuation, which, when changed, ruined some of the jokes (and I'm being a dick here)! Enjoy.

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With Dave Chappelle's recent move to Crazytown, (not the boy band, rather, the state of mind) cable network Comedy Central is left grasping at straws, looking for the newest "edgy" persona to replace him. The bottom line was finding a new personality who could fill mouths of college students with witticisms that made complete sense, even out-of-context (Ex.: "I'm Rick James, bitch!")

Although they phoned Pauly Shore, in a desperate attempt to revive "the weasel;" he didn't answer. Mistaking "racist" and "unfunny" with "edgy," Comedy Central dug to sub-Shore levels and gave "comedian" Carlos Mencia his very own show.

Before Mencia's show, "Mind of Mencia," hit the airwaves, Comedy Central aired a marketing blitz showcasing just how funny and original the show would be. These promos showed that if you enjoy middle-school observations like how Adam and Eve's children were able to make more babies, or why certain people spend more on rims than on things that are necessary for well-being, then Carlos' show is custom tailored to your comic sensibilities. I also know of several joke-of-the-day e-mail lists that you may be interested in, and that your grandparents can subscribe to at this very moment.

I tried not to prematurely judge the show, even after seeing the terrible previews. Then I remembered Mencia's claim to fame. Shortly after September 11th, 2001, Mencia starred in a stand-up special, the gimmick of which being, "Hey, people from the Middle East, now it's your turn!" Letting Americans know they had the right to be racist and suspicious of those who are different propelled Carlos into some kind of perverse stardom. Mencia is familiar with racism, and has every right to be racist himself, after changing his name from Ned Holness, and subsequently pretending to be Mexican. A pretend dream deferred is a pretend dream denied!

Mencia's penchant for racism didn't stop him from ending his act with the schmaltziest of moments, telling his audience "how it could all end just like that" and silently walking off stage. You know, it really makes you think... about how banal that is.

Now, I've probably spent too much time talking about how unfunny Carlos is and not enough time talking about how this lack of humor is applied to his show, "Mind of Mencia." Apparently all of Carlos's material comes from 2001 or thereabouts, because his obsession with making fun of people from the Middle East, or "Achmeds" as he collectively calls them, is still prevalent. But it isn't this dated and trite material that makes him terrible, it's his delivery.

Periodically, after Carlos tells a joke, he takes the liberty of telling his audience how funny and outrageous he is, with such comments as, "WHAT?!" "DID I JUST SAY THAT?!" and "I DON'T CARE!" It's a good thing Carlos keeps reminding me of how in-my-face he is, because at times, I've had my doubts. I've even taken up his self-aggrandizing tactics by writing little comments on my tests and term papers such as, "DID I JUST MAKE THAT OBSERVATION?" and "I'M ASTUTE!"

Comedy Central is not pushing Mencia as their newest "edgy" persona, as Adam Carolla and D.L. Hughley (who gave America the phrase "Good googa mooga!" which they quickly returned) also have their own shows, making the network a veritable ethnic rainbow of bad taste. What the network doesn't realize is that shows based on one person's personality inevitably lose steam and material, even if they were funny to begin with. This is why Dave Chappelle is on an Ohio farm instead of working on his show's third season.

Comedy Central does have some fantastic series, such as "The Daily Show," "Reno 911" and the possibly soon-to-be-cancelled "Stella" (Tuesdays at 10:30PM), but they all feature strong ensemble casts, and not just one "dude with an attitude." Since talent is spread among several people, the comedy is not entirely dependant upon a made-up personality.

And now even David Spade is hopping on the bandwagon, turning his decade-old "Hollywood Minute" SNL segment into a full-fledged show. It seems like he really shouldn't have the right to criticize Hollywood after such mega-hits such as "Joe Dirt" and "Dickie Roberts."

Sadly, Mencia's show has been picking up steam over the summer, and it doesn't look like it'll be cancelled anytime soon. America took one look at Carlos, settled into their leather couches for a few weeks and then came to the conclusion that they didn't mind his style of "humor." What this means is that more negative stereotypes will be reinforced, and the bar for comedy will have to be lowered again. At this point, it seems that the only thing that would stop Mencia is a fatwa.

DID I JUST SAY THAT?!