The Happy Critic DVD Review: Mind of Mencia - Season 2 Uncensored
Posted by Ryan Latimer on 04.03.2007
"Carlos, you can't say that..."
Carlos Mencia is an example of a less conventional type of comic in that he doesn’t perform, he speaks. He doesn’t act, read from cue cards or recite bits, or at the very least doesn’t appear to be. He simply steps onstage and is himself. That’s his show. He is what is considered a natural. He can’t fathom doing anything else but making people laugh, and for that we thank him.
So it is no coincidence that Comedy Central eventually caught up to him and offered him a sketch/stand-up show once Chapelle’s Show went under. Mind of Mencia debuted in the summer of 2005 and quickly became the station’s 2nd highest rated program, second only to South Park. Many are quick to dismiss Mencia as a flash in the pan or even a plagiarizer (comedians Joe Rogan and George Lopez in particular), but I believe that jury is still out; I’ve been privy to much of this supposed evidence against Mencia and am quite frankly not impressed, but who knows. Besides, the numbers certainly don’t lie - “beaners” do when they’re trying to enter and stay in the country illegally. Mencia would be so proud of me for that one.
Indeed, Mencia’s humor is predominately racial and “offensive,” but that isn’t why he succeeds. The racial barrier, for example, has been broken by even the whitest comic nowadays. All he or she has to do is make the situation funny, and unlike folks with similar mentalities such as, say, Andrew Dice Clay, Mencia doesn’t spout his act as if he is holding a grudge. He does so without personally insulting an individual of any race or class. The rule of law is All in Good Fun. Mencia succeeds because he doesn’t perform, he speaks. He can’t imagine doing anything else, and for that we thank him.
Now allow me to thank him in my own way by giving him a little pimpage with his 2nd season box set.
I’m assuming you are familiar with the show considering you’re reading this, but for those out of the loop and the Dee Dee Dees reading, I’ll clarify. Mencia’s show is a mixture of short in-studio stand-up material and sketch comedy, not unlike the equally amusing Chappelle’s Show, with the primary difference being the comic’s volume level. Chappelle talks, Mencia vociferates. Both methods have their own quality to them, but Mencia just wants to make sure you’re paying attention, and his stand-up segments are usually longer. The two formats are intertwined throughout the 30-minute episode for variety, and the result is an entertaining chuckle session guaranteed to “offend” you at least once.
The 2nd season set includes all 15 uncensored episodes - each approximately 22 minutes in length - and 30 minutes of extras. Here are what I consider the best of the lot.
- Episode 201: Brokeback Mountain was apparently inspired by Hispanic persons, so Carlos gives us a trailer of what the movie should have been. I always knew Mario Lopez was a little iffy. Plus, Carlos advises folks to act their age by, say, not having kids at 67 friggin’ years old or living with their parents at 26 because you‘ll wake your mom when having sex in her basement. Best stand-up line - Carlos explaining how Muslims don’t know how to riot: “You got to RESCUE the plasma from the fire!“ Best sketch line - Opening sequence with Carlos confessing in a Catholic church booth for feeling guilty for his act, and the priest assuring him that God has a sense of humor: “You know what God told Moses when he found out he wandered the desert for 40 years? Dee dee dee!”
- Episode 202: Kanye West gets the royal bitchslap he so rightfully deserves for being such an arrogant jerk, dedicating a rap to him and thus destroying any street cred he ever had. Hey, did you know George Bush has Condi Rice and therefore more street cred than Kanye, and he is *not* Jesus Christ? Could have fooled me. Seeing as how Carlos is a bit of a jerk himself, he goes a step farther and shows the music video dancer auditions that took place before hand. Eesh. Just to give you an idea, one of them looks like the Snapple Lady. BTW, men have it harder in life than women according to Carlos, and his reasoning his simple: “Listen, we have to deal with your menstrual cycle once a month.” Best sketch line - Carlos’ reaction to Joseph quitting the show for Carlos writing a script making fun of “his people”…Scientologists: “You don’t even go to f**king church. Will 5 dollars change your mind?”
- Episode 203: Carlos somehow makes the story of a man cutting off his penis and throwing it at a cop funny. With most others it would just be weird. He then goes to the streets to teach gang bangers how to properly kill other gang bangers after becoming fed up with innocent bystanders getting shot (“…you’re a gang banger, you’re ONLY JOB is to kill other gang bangers”), and opens up his own Drive-By Shooting School to get the job done. Lesson #1: When you shoot you gotta watch, or grandma gets it in the crotch. Lesson #2: Only porn stars should look cool when they shoot, so hold your gun upright. Lesson #3: STOP HYDRALIC BOUNCING. These are good rules, you know. If only more gangsters followed his lead. Carlos then proceeds to piss off nearly every race and class with his 7-11 convenience store skit using a Hindu character with a serious impulse control problem. Heh, it’s funny ‘cause it’s TRUE! Best line from that sketch - Hindu Carlos telling off a fat lady who mentions her personal trainer: “Lady, if you ever had a personal trainer, you would probably eat him.” So simple, yet it’s somehow funnier coming from him.
- Episode 204: The topic of illegal immigration had to come up sooner or later, and Mencia comes out swinging - on the illegal immigrants. “Why don’t Americans treat us like Americans?” they ask. Well, as Mencia puts is, it’s probably because you’re not Americans, and “that f**king (Mexican) flag you’re carrying.” Turns people off, see. They never think these things through, do they? Also, what bumper stickers really mean interpreted by Peter Boyle, and Carlos says Whup Your Kids in public, because it doesn’t happen enough. A quick Jaywalking segment on the street illustrates quite clearly that kids aren’t disciplined enough. Time Out? Carlos got a Time Out once according to his mother: “I knocked him across the room so hard he was Out.” If this wasn’t bad enough, Carlos wanted to demonstrate how to properly spank a child, but Comedy Central was a little nervous about allowing it, so he just got a midget. There is no way you can’t be offended by this episode. But hey, All in Good Fun, right?
- Episode 206: “Britney Spears needs to sew her vagina shut.” That has nothing to do with most of the episode, but he just came out and said it. I’ll include it. Carlos does the world a favor by becoming a drill sergeant in Basketcase Bootcamp that deals with whiny worthless people, namely hippies, tattooed Goths and the handicapped. You heard me. But don’t worry, he gets him walking again with a little encouragement. Also, Carlos likes The Sopranos, but they never seem to do a show that deals with a Beaner crime family, so he dishes one up. I would hate to cross one of those folks and lose a shipment of street oranges, or else I’d get hung upside-down and beaten like a piñata. Hey, don’t look at me. I didn’t write it. Carlos ends it with advice to Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ baby to RUN as soon as it grows feet because, you know, its parents are Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. The joke is outdated by now, but the two are still nutty butty bars, so it’s ok.
- Episode 213: Too many people die because of religion, so sayeth Carlos Mencia, so in the interest of future world peace he puts together a Religious Royal Rumble (“Some Holy Shit is about to go down!“) with the top religious figures fighting to the death. Winner holds the one and only true faith. The competitors are Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Shiva and Mohammed...but they make him invisible because extremist Muslims might riot and kill people if they make fun of him. If a cartoon can do it, this probably will. Good to play it safe, Mencia. WWE’s Edge and Carlos do commentary, and the winner isn’t who you’d expect. Best sketch is Carlos’ Dee Dee Dee catchphrase being turned into a music video, just in case stupid people didn’t realize yet that they are stupid and want to check in music form. Hey, anyway you can perform public service. Coming in second is the opener in Dateline Punk’d where Carlos confronts pedophiles in MTV fashion, complete with sissy Ashton Kutcher impression. Again, it’s funny ‘cause it’s true.
- Episode 215: It’s the Stereotype Olympics! Ever wonder if stereotypes are true or not? Carlos puts it to the test the only way he can - putting together a series of events that supposedly cater to each race: crackers, brothers, beaners, chinamen and camel jockies. Again, his words, not mine. Write the letter to him. Who wins Smallest Penis? The chinaman. Best Looting? The beaner, actually, not the brother, so take that homey. White guy wins the hockey round, although you knew that. And so it is settled: some stereotypes ARE true! Carlos is also interested in the real story behind pirates, as they were at sea for months and years on end with no one keeping them company besides other pirates. That can only mean one thing, and he helpfully provides a skit for such an explanation. His gay Johnny Depp impression is pretty good, surprisingly. Tracey Morgan, Jaime Kennedy and Bobby Lee make appearances. I’ll never look at Pirates of the Caribbean the same way again. Thank, Carlos.
7.0
The Video
Clean transfer, no complaints. Probably one of the best looking TV shows on DVD I’ve seen in a while. But also bear in mind most of my TV on DVD is from the 80s. Presented full screen.
8.0
The Audio
Straight 'n standard release.
6.5
The Extras
Disc one has an Ask Carlos session where audience members get to stand up and throw him questions during a show taping. This is meant to be more informative than funny, and it gives us a little Personal Carlos as opposed to Show Carlos. One question in particular addresses one of his criticism, that being Carlos’ birth name being Ned and supposedly “hiding“ it. Mencia squashes that one pretty well, and it was a lame one to begin with. It’s called “stage names,” people. Carlos is also supposedly half German, as if anyone really gives a shit. Good extra, but a little short. It’s censored, oddly enough, but oh well.
Disc two has the basic bloopers, outtakes and deleted scenes, each a handful of minutes apiece. They are what they are, amusing but nothing special. Consider it just extended scenes.
5.5
The 411: Some may not appreciate Mencia’s juvenile comedic demeanor, which is totally fine, but it’s considerably enjoyable if you loosen the grip on yourself a bit and have some fun. I wouldn’t even consider Mencia to be one of the best comics on the scene today, but he produces an adequately entertaining sketch/stand-up show, and that’s what it’s all about. Screw awards and status, just make people chuckle. Pick it up if you find it for a reasonable price.
