IF YOU GO
Who: ÒCarlos Mencia: The Administration of Laughter TourÓ
When: 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: Treasure Island
Tickets: $49-$65; 894-7722
Carlos Mencia pulled the plug on his sitcom ÒMind of MenciaÓ on Comedy Central.
ÒWe did four seasons and it was awesome, but as an artist I thought, man, I gotta get out of this back yard,Ó says Mencia, who wanted to take a year off after working steadily for 22 years.
But Mencia, who is performing at Treasure Island this weekend, was calling from Los Angeles right after signing a deal for another sitcom for a major network.
ÒGo figure,Ó says the 41-year-old native of Honduras. ÒI decide to take off a year and I end up getting a couple of movies, end up performing on the road and getting offers for deals that I canÕt say no to because I come from a working-class family.Ó
Mencia recently talked to the Sun about his hectic, sometimes controversial life:
Q What got you booted from the float at Mardi Gras?
I think the joke was, ÒCan you believe theyÕre rebuilding New Orleans in the same place?Ó That was the joke. And you know whatÕs really funny about it? TheyÕre rebuilding New Orleans in the same place. ThatÕs funny.
Look, I own a home that is backed up to the Santa Monica Mountains (near Los Angeles). Right behind my house is all forest. I know that my house is inevitably going to be almost burned down or burned down or something because these wildfires in California eventually will get to my house. I have insurance, fire insurance, for that. YouÕre never going to see me on television going, ÒI canÕt believe my house caught on fireÓ when my back yard is what it is. Someone might take that personal, but that doesnÕt make it not funny. People live in a place called Tornado Alley — and theyÕre surprised when they get hit by a tornado. IÕm sorry when they get hit by tornadoes but when you live in Tornado Alley you canÕt really claim surprise. I would never move to a place called ÒWeÕre Going to Stab a Latino Boulevard.Ó That might be a little much for me personally. IÕm never going to live on a street called ÒWeÕre Going to Hang a Mexican Avenue.Ó It might just not work out for me. I just think my job as a comedian is to point out comedy, whether people take it personal or not.
Is it more difficult to be funny today because of political correctness?
ItÕs harder to be funny because people are taking our jokes as statements. People watch the news today and literally laugh. I canÕt tell you how many links I get a day with news stories that are interpreted as funny, even though they were just reported as normal news stories. Then people watch comedians like me and theyÕll say, ÒI canÕt believe you said that.Ó Wow. People are taking news like jokes and us seriously. I donÕt feel we should live in a world where comedians need to be politically correct because someoneÕs feelings might get hurt because they donÕt know what comedy is.
Where does your attitude come from?
My family. I come from a different kind of family. My wife was in tears the other day. My mother hugged my wife and said, ÒI think you gained weight.Ó I told my wife sheÕs not trying to hurt your feelings. Mom just noticed you were thinner the last time she saw you. Now youÕre not as thin. She was just making a statement. ThatÕs the family I come from.
I remember, growing up, my mom saying, ÒCarlos, youÕre smart but your brothers, theyÕre stupidÓ to their face. I go, ÒMom, theyÕre right there.Ó And sheÕs like, ÒI know and IÕm telling you youÕre smart and youÕre going to get a good job and theyÕre not and youÕre going to have to lend them money when youÕre older.Ó WeÕre just honest people like that and donÕt take offense to it. If my wife were ever to say to me, ÒDo I look fat in this dress?Ó I wouldnÕt lie to her, IÕd go, ÒLook baby, you look fat in everything, but thatÕs OK because I love you and IÕm taking you to dinner so donÕt get mad at me. IÕm the one feeding you, so if anyoneÕs the blame for this, itÕs me. LetÕs just go to dinner and have fun.Ó
I just feel like in America today weÕve forgotten what comedy is all about. We all feel divided — conservative or liberal. I want everyone to know IÕm both, conservative and liberal. When it comes to my daughter I am a staunch conservative who believes in hard-core conservative values. When it comes to your daughter, IÕm liberal. She can be as promiscuous as she wants to be.
Are you doing standup these days just to keep up your chops?
My standup never ends. My wifeÕs disdain and hatred, at times, for my zeal to perform will tell you pretty much I do it every night. IÕll go out and hit three comedy clubs at night. I love popping in and surprising people. I love making people laugh. IÕve been given a gift and I love exercising it. I just did this movie (ÒFamily WeddingÓ) with Forest Whitaker and America Ferrera. I was pulling 12-hour days on average. IÕd go to work at 7 in the morning and get out of work at 9 or 10 at night and then go to a comedy club before I went home and went to bed. My brain never turns off. From the moment I wake up IÕm watching news, reading newspapers, going online, living life. My brain never turns off to comedy.
Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or at jerry@lasvegassun.com.
Copyright 2009 Las Vegas Sun
