Carlos Mencia: Performance Enhanced* (2008)

I laughed throughout this Carlos Mencia performance just like every other one I've seen. He's such a kid ("dit-di-di-i-h!") with his edgy observations and his on-stage physicality always contributes to the yuks. Maybe it's me but I like how he ribs people who "fell off the bus" and didn't laugh at a joke if it went over their heads. Carlos expertly pokes fun at all groups of people (race, gender, perspective) and he is usually dead-on right. How can you call a man racist who ridicules the cultural foibles of everyone (including himself) -- and applauds their strengths -- equally? (He doesn't defend cockfighting or dogfighting but is spot-on when he explains how people's backgrounds make a difference in how they treat dogs, cows, and pigs. He even says eating beef fights methane production while vegetarians consume the source of photosynthesis!) My favorite bits are when he gets on a rant about how men treat women or how women treat men because he really does put everyone on an equal footing through humor and sarcasm. Come on people, you know what he's saying is true! Listen, if you find his subject matter distasteful -- though it is clearly part of many people's lives since his audience is laughing their heads off -- then you might ask yourself if you have a sense of humor because the whole point of comedy is to compare social disparities and deflate what is unjust, inconsistent, or stupid (while all the time laughing that we're in the same boat). So if you're truly above flirting or beyond arguing with the opposite sex, it's just more Paxil for the rest of us. (Kidding!) As for the Carlos haters, don't jump on the Joe Rogan bandwagon or drum a gifted talent out of his profession unless *you* can do *better*! P.S. Carlos ticked me off at first by calling the Virgin Mary (as he does all women eventually) a b-tch -- but it's a foxhole story where he says he thought he was going to die and then he repented of his words -- so lighten up! It is counter to the whole purpose of a joke to take it dead-serious! 4 stars.