Mindless 'Mencia'
'Mind of Mencia' has the potential to be a good show, but the first season, released today on DVD, is too repetitive.
Published March 21, 2006
In the summer of 2005, Comedy Central found itself in quite a bind. Dave Chappelle had gone AWOL, and the network needed a new act to replace Chappelle's brand of humor. It needed someone smart, edgy and, most importantly, funny. What it got was Carlos Mencia.
The first season of "Mind of Mencia" is released today on DVD. Like the title suggests, the show is about what's on Mencia's mind. Whether it be Hispanic jokes, gay jokes, Hispanic jokes, Middle Eastern jokes, white jokes, black jokes or Hispanic jokes the show isn't really that funny. An average episode of "Mind of Mencia" contains basically three elements: an opening monologue, a video skit and an in-studio skit.
The subjects of Mencia's opening monologues vary little, touching upon the enlightening topics from stupid people and Hurricane Katrina. Much of his material for the monologues is recycled jokes that everyone in the country has already heard. The part I hate the most about Mencia is that whenever he tells a joke with a semi-intellectual punch line, he feels it is important to make fun of those people who didn't understand the joke, then go back over the joke slower for the supposed people who didn't get the joke. Listen, if you tell a joke and people don't get it, either it wasn't funny, or the person just doesn't get it. Just continue talking, Carlos. Maybe your next joke will be funnier.
Most of the video skits involve Carlos going to the streets and asking people questions. This is probably the funniest part of the show, not because of what Carlos says, but because of what the people he asks say in response. Regardless, these skits are nothing original.
The third act involves such studio skits as "Judge Carlos," "Mencia's Movie Review" and "Confucius Carlos." Each skit usually involves a guest who greatly upstages Carlos when it comes to laughs.
Special features include deleted scenes, audio commentary in Spanish, a gag reel and behind-the-scenes footage. It's all less than riveting. Wait, did I mention all 12 episodes are completely uncensored? Yeah, big deal.
Overall, "Mind of Mencia" is the same joke over and over. I think I'm hearing Hispanic jokes in my dreams. Mencia seems like a funny and talented person, but unfortunately this talent doesn't seem to be captured in his show. Catching a single episode on Comedy Central is acceptable entertainment, but watching several hours of this on DVD is enough to drive anyone crazy.