Carlos Mencia is a major name in comedy. He's also one of the most reviled characters in the business among other comics. So, naturally, Marc wants to find out what makes him tick, what it feels like to be so controversial, and what he says in his own defense. This may take a while.
Haha...I'm sure Mencia didn't steal the story, it's just an unfortunate coincidence
"Mr. Show - More money equals better than"
just open you tube in a new window and copy and paste this.....I have a lot of nasty things to say about Carlos but I also know that after listening to this episode of WTF you really need something to laugh at.
what you didn't say: "culture is about stealing"
it is a great red herring, though, bringing up that old chestnut of "everyone takes from everyone!!" especially considering how you admit being a fan of Maron. So, clearly you can recognize a comic who, while being derivative to an extent, offers something honest, original & brave when doing his thing. Mencia does *none* of that. I'm not familiar with Joe Rogan's stand-up.
Did enjoy your tired "Stan's Soapbox" style of rhetoric, though (i'm not being truthful).
My problem with Carlos Mencia is that he's just not funny. How can he steal and plagiarize and _still_ be so damn unfunny? He should be grateful for what success the fates have bequeathed him: know he's beaten the house and gotten away with the money. Then, he should dissolve into obscurity, spare the public and inflict himself on his therapist and his therapist alone.
If mencia stole anything it was the weakest part of the joke and replaced the funny parts with a man angry at his wife for being a better parent.
It's unacceptable that Mencia steals jokes. Stealing from Cosby and Lopez is unforgivable, but imagine how many struggling comedians that Mencia has probably stolen from. A comedian spends hours writing a bit, then spends more hours perfecting the act on stage, then a piece of shit like Mencia comes along, steals it, and takes credit for it cause he can get on TV. To think that this guy probably exploits comedians who probably don't have health insurance.
Also, I am appalled by the fact that Mencia actually admits to not caring about being original.
AND
Humans are a virus is a Paul Mooney bit, but Rogan does that as well.
And i think Joe rogan's whole angry persona is definitely (at best) an homage to Bill Hicks or (at worst) idolatry.
First Mencia is a douche, he is a classically mediocre, uninformed hack!!!
"I bought a joke book for the first time i went on stage, see I still keep it on me"
i have seen Lopez say that Carlos took that HBO special right from George lopes' act
- the entire thing basically (more than one similar premise and i think you have issues)
But George Lopez made it, he has his own show, do you think he really cares? he is still funnier than Carlos any day
But Carlos does have good energy on stage and a popular persona---
Why doesn't he just pay (split the proceeds) the other comedian he STOLE from- That is what Robin Williams said he did ( i am sure thier is some unwritten rule about sharing the money).
If someone else writes your jokes, that someone should get a small portion (like a writer on TV), not the whole paycheck but some restitution.
Carlos HAS ONE very funny bit about how large his familly is and how his mother told him at a very young age-
"look at your family Carlos, they can't all be winners, You have to be the successful one"
That is probably how he sees the world- you want something you gotta take it, (no one is more or less deserving) sure he may compromise his ideas or depict a character that most of us don't like
But he was very famous b/c alot of people liked his performances and persona,
now that you find out he doesn't write his own material you lambast him with insults.
WHO CARES
Some people will always like Carlos (and hack comedians like him) he is the blue collar comedy tour except that blue collar is flanel.
Some people like Marc, probably people who are more experienced with life , thinking, reading, and comedy. Like fine wine its great to enjoy
But some people can;t afford wine (or the time it takes them to find it) so they drink wine coolers, hey at least its a start!
This episode really leaves on a cliffhanger and I don't know where it's going. I feel you on the paying dues thing, I've always said that myself, but I remember watching Mencia on TV as a kid, thinking to myself "Ok I'm 10 years old and I feel a little embarrassed for him, his comedy is so fucking immature." But the dude has been around. His show is shit, his routines are worse, his empty brat-inspired yelling is a perfect example of his arrested development. He's a fucking idiot. But I like that you're giving him his day in court and I'll be back after the recess to see how it all plays out.
Really, Mr. Maron, thanks, keep on keeping on. This is GREAT shit you've been doing.
Maron, I'm glad you picked up on that, and how he let you lead things for him. Can't wait to here part II.
I am still somewhat undecided on the joke-stealing issue. To me, it seems impossible that EVERY stand-up could know EVERY joke ever told by even the most famous comedians. So I'm willing to give people a pass on that issue, to some degree.
BUT, the thing that blew me away was his fucking EGO!! "I could cause riots" GMAFB! And "I knew I'd be bumping someone so I tried to show up really late...." And then Marc's story about Mencia bumping him when Marc's name was on the marquee!?!? It really exposed Mencia's selfishness and narcissism.
I am always suspicious when people accused of doing something wrong say, "Well, if I had done that thing, would I now be doing _____?" That's a huge red flag in my opinion. And I can't even remember how Carlos finished the sentence, "If I had stolen jokes, would I now be ______" but that just set off all kinds of warning bells for me, almost like he's trying too hard to convince us....
Definitely looking forward to part 2, though!
Joke stealing is comedy's cardinal sin, but lifting topical jokes (if that's what happened) is not the same as lifting personal material or a point-of-view, as Leary MIGHT have done with Hicks' stuff. I'm not sure about that allegation either because those two worked together more than once, and who knows what's get bandied about while doing blow off the back of the green room toilet?
I think his "original" material is hilarious. you think it's hateful, pointless, and violent. I disagree. I would also love to see examples of what you consider to be his violent, hateful material.
I've been watching Joe Rogan bitch about Mencia in videos on youtube. He sounds like a jealous, scorned girlfriend. You don't have to agree. it's just my opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZu0DGrv2EA&feature=related
As for Carlos - the guy is funny. If George Lopez is fighting over the "incharitto" bit then he must really be struggling for material. I'm sure every 6th grader that's ever been to a Taco Bell has made that joke.
As for the wall between Mexico and the US goes - I wrote that joke and I'm not even a comedian! I know five people who made that fucking joke!
The Cosby bit is harder to defend - but I can see it happening. Comedians do overlap from time to time (listen to Sam Kinison and Bill Hicks!). Like Marc says "there is only so much reality to draw from". Its going to happen.
Some people just hate to see others have any success in their life and they can't wait to piss on them. That's where all this Mencia hate is coming from now. Its jealous bullshit plain and simple
DAVID CROSS STOLE from MARK LAMARR!!!
Not really - but kinda . . . . . . . .
I know nothing of Carlos Mencia, never seen or heard any of his act, don't know what he looks like and have no opinion on the fella BUT this issue of stealing jokes made a great episode and cliff-hanger!
Back to my topic, at the start of the new dvd by David Cross he does a theatrical style joke where someone is signing his show as a deaf interpreter and a large part of the pay-off is that the guy is signing his own material . . . . funny stuff . . . .
BUT – about halfway through a 1997 VHS release ‘Mark Lamarr - Uncensored And Live’ Mr. Lamarr does the same joke. “i once did a gig for the deaf . . . . . i was nervous and worried and there was a bloke next to me on the stage doing the sign language . . . . . weeks later i found out the bloke doing the sign language was doing his own material.”
Now, Mr. Cross does a larger more expanded version of this joke, but it IS the same joke. I don't think for an instant that David watched that old British VHS and ripped-off the joke for his new show – i just think that no matter how obscure the reference you never know how many other people will think of something similar or the same.
Its a very tricky and sensitive area amongst comedians especially when they get called-out and their reputation is on the line (remember the Denis Leary / Bill Hicks debate!) .
Cant wait to hear what some of Mencia’s contemporaries have to say about him! – ANOTHER GREAT PODCAST MARON.
I think Maron did his usual great job of finding the humanity in Mencia. Whether it allowed him to open up and reveal himself or if he just gave him enough rope to hang himself we will find out soon enough.
Either way its quality listening and great human theatre. Its interesting reading through the comments where people think aloud about whether Mencia really believes his own stories, not to mention the fact that people already have the default setting of "yeah I probably should take this with a grain of salt". And thats even coming from people predisposed to the guy.
I couldn't help but picture people like Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck. People with money, influence and popularity, who are met with skepticism of their authenticity.
This podcast will probably the closest we get to fleshing out the dynamic of the 'Delusional egomanic as the everyman hero'. Having an astute, philosophical conversationalist in Maron probe an infamous, possibly pathological, misunderstood popular entertainer.
I'm recalling two different things.
1) Patton Oswalt calling out unknown comic Nick Madson
http://aspecialthing.com/forum/f42/stop-thief-actor-steals-comedians-jokes-16840/
2) John Safran (Aussie raconteur) interviewing the makers of 'Manufacturing Dissent' (unflattering doco on Michael Moore's methods) and the light hearted schadenfreude they had sharing MMoore stories.
I like that Maron was skeptical but understanding. I like that Mencia is happy to talk and take things head on.
MM: "I heard you with Willie Barcena and Steve Trevino, and you're on there talking about stealing their jokes and bumping their sets, and all that...and I would say, you endorsed or ratified stealing and bumping ..."
CM: "I didn't endorse or ratify that, bro!"
MM: "Then why didn't you stop yourself?!"
Most excellent post on 'sociopath'!
love Tim
My initial reaction of seeing this episode's guest: "holy shit"..."whoa". I have to admit, after the Robin Williams & Steven Pearl episodes, my interest level seemed to dipped down a bit.
Until now. And then, comes that ending. Holy shit.
I had heard an interview with Mencia a while back that convinced me that there's something not quite right about him. He seems to just make it up as he goes, but whether or not he believes his own stories is unclear to me. Could be that he's compulsive liar or maybe he really is a sociopath as someone else suggested.
Two more thoughts:
I saw a clip of him doing the Bill Cosby bit a few months back and it nauseated me. I grew up watching Bill Cosby perform that bit. But, what upset me was not that Mencia did the bit, it was that he mangled the fuck out of it. So cut to this interview and him telling us that his fans say that he steals the jokes but makes them better! WTF? Nobody says that, Carlos...nobody.
And what was with that ultra creepy threat of turning his Mexican minions against white Americans? WTF was that about? What a weird thing to say.
Oh Marc, you and your interviewing skills, thanks for this one. Holy shizit.
With this interview you can hear Mencia making excuses and backwards justifications. I felt he never had his guard down and was still in his on stage persona. What a dink. There's no way he could have not known the Bill Cosby bit was Bill Cosby's or at the very least had enough control over his own product to cut it out of the DVD performance. Dink. Can't wait for Thursday.
that's the end of the story. he's unfunny and there is injustice in the world. joe rogan did fear factor for how long for christs sake. that should be embarrassing enough for him to shut the fuck up. the world at large applauds mediocrity, and it's more about resentment at that then any joke thieving.
Carlos is admittedly in the latter group.
It seems to me that a person who started doing stand up for the love of the craft would be A LOT less likely to take somebody elses work and pass it off as their own.
Also, what he said about his power to get the latino community up in arms against whites... was that a veiled threat?
Viva la Chupacabra!
As I listened to it, I thought "PLEASE tell me you aren't buying this lawyer-meets-publicist-meets-politician-meets-car-salesman bullshit."
Dude, I get the whole thing about "paying dues" and "I've worked at comedy since 1988," but if someone who worked in filmmaking (my line) pulled that shit-- naybe copied several script pages verabtim-- his balls would be cut off (and rightfully so).
I ended this interview hating him more than ever because he is rationalizing his behavior. He is a cheap hood.
And him going basically, "I have so much power and I can do so much shit and rail against white people but I won't because I'm responsible" - like, really? You think we're going to praise you for not being a flaming racist?
I totally get why Marc feels what he felt after the interview, and I hope these guys just come in and rip Mencia apart.
Haha. Haven't listened yet. But I doubt he'll change my mind about the fact that he's a lazy comic and an ass.