Eyes on Mencia
Carlos Mencia is coming to Fargo tonight, and the “Mind of Mencia” front man is eagerly anticipating his first time in the Dakotas. “I find that in places like Fargo, I get the best reception,” Mencia said. “When you go to a city like Houston, they get to see all those concerts and performers all the time so they aren’t as excited. The energy in the smaller towns is unbelievable.”
Mencia, who was born in Honduras, spent the majority of his childhood in East Los Angeles. Mencia acknowledges his parents as huge influences in his day-to-day life, and claims that his father is the single most significant comedic inspiration in his work.
Even though many in the audience may attend Mencia’s routines solely for laughs, the frequently media-blasted comedian also uses his stage time to raise awareness of social issues. Mencia believes in the power of free speech and the importance of talking about inequality in any forum.
“When you don’t let people talk in a good or bad way, they go beyond talking,” Mencia said. “If I don’t do a joke about it, we might not address that problem, but if I do, we might start talking.”
If an audience member doesn’t see the humor in Mencia’s sketches or rants, the comedian won’t be losing any sleep. To Mencia, a joke isn’t something that anyone has to agree with, it is only a statement made to create a reaction.
The performer credits hard work and speaking his mind as the primary reasons that he has achieved success through stand-up and on his televised show.
“Comedy is an art. You really have to immerse yourself in it,” Mencia said. “There are so many ways to screw up a joke or a message. It is really hard, and my success comes from putting it all together.”
For Mencia, comedy is more than a way to earn a living; it is a way to look at life. Although he appreciates the success that his show has awarded him, Mencia encourages fans to attend live shows if they want to view the comedian in his natural element.
“The show is highly edited and censored, and my standup doesn’t contain any filters from my brain to my mouth,” Mencia said. “If you want to see Carlos, Carlos, Carlos, it is the only way to do it.”