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| Mind of Menica: Season One (2005)
 
Starring: Carlos Mencia Director: Various Category: Comedy  |
With the fate of Dave Chappelle’s return to Comedy Central still indefinite, fans of the series will have to rely on rising star Carlos Mencia’s one-man show to deliver the kind of no-holds-barred comedy they’re quenching for. Unfortunately, Mencia isn’t necessarily the Latino equivalent of Chappelle, but his sharp political stand-up is definitely a rare commodity in a time that’s forced other comics to tone down their material. Of course, many people have yet to see a single “Mencia” episode (a statement that can’t be said of Chappelle’s program), but if you’re going to point the finger at anyone, it should be directed towards Mencia himself, whose childish promos hyping the first season of the show were more than enough reason not to tune in.
This can’t be said for the actual series, though, which features all of the whip-smart antics you could hope for packed into twelve, hilarious half-hour episodes, most of which poke fun at just about every race, religion, and sexual affiliation out there. Along the way, Peter Boyle drops by to read hate mail to Carlos, his brother Joseph introduces his new listen-and-learn “Wetback English” language tapes, and the host takes a trip to the local renaissance fair with his right-hand man, Brad Williams. Other hilarious skits include Carlos’ “Cultural Explorer” episode, where he takes to the streets to learn more about the gay culture, “Mencia’s Reel Reviews” with Pablo Francisco as Don LaFontaine – also known as The Movie Voiceover Guy, and what’s arguably the funniest bit of the first season: “Ask Whitey,” where Carlos approaches people of other races and gives them the chance to ask one question to white people everywhere.
Perhaps the best part of Mencia’s program, however, is in the opening minutes of each episode, where the comic (much like Chappelle) talks to the audience about current events or anything else that just happens to be on his mind; hence the name of the show. Stand-up is Mencia’s strong suit, hands down, and while some of his skits can be humorous at times, it’s his candid discussions about race and politics that earn the most laughs. Regrettably, none of the special features that appear on the three-disc box set include any deleted scenes from these moments in the show. Instead, fans can expect a boring behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes from various skits, a blooper reel with Carlos and his brother Joseph, and plenty more occasions for Carlos to break out his trademark slogan: “Dee dee dee.” And while you won’t necessarily be a dee-dee-dee if you rush out to buy this three-disc set, there are certainly better things to waste your money on.
~Jason Zingale
jzingale@bullz-eye.com