JOE ROGAN VS. CARLOS MENCIA
Okay, for those of you who don't know, comedian Carlos Mencia has been accused of stealing material from other comics for years. In fact, George Lopez dedicated nearly a half-hour of his Howard Stern appearance last year to taking on Mencia's "borrowing" of his jokes for an HBO special.
Another vocal anti-Mencia comic is Joe Rogan, who's created a few videos over the last year in an attempt to vilify Carlos. However last Saturday night Rogan decided to take it up a notch by joining Mencia on-stage and accusing him to his face. It's actually an eye-opener to see a struggling, unfunny comic try to verbally joust without his "prepared material". Enjoy!
Another vocal anti-Mencia comic is Joe Rogan, who's created a few videos over the last year in an attempt to vilify Carlos. However last Saturday night Rogan decided to take it up a notch by joining Mencia on-stage and accusing him to his face. It's actually an eye-opener to see a struggling, unfunny comic try to verbally joust without his "prepared material". Enjoy!
posted by Russell Arch at
2/15/2007
7 Comments:
This is why I can't stand comedians anymore. Self-absorbed, isolating, audience-disregarding assmunches.
If I was out on the town and I chose to go to a comedy club (which I never, ever do these days... used to...) and all of a sudden these guys started barking at each other on stage about stolen material and who-screwed-who and who-said-what and who-lifts-from-who, I would not only demand my admission and drink money back but my valet parking to be paid for, too. While very compelling here on video (and I back Rogan's motivations), it's not AT ALL my idea of a good time out on the town if I'm paying for it. I feel bad for the audience. You can hear it in the crowd. But that's comedians these days for you. They don't give a SHIT. Richards' ridiculous racial tirade, Shore staging he got punched by an angry cowboy, comedians fighting with each other all the time... gimme a break.
I just wanna know what happened to the craft of making people laugh? What would George Carlin and Richard Pryor say about these idiots? Or CARSON? Man, I just really respect and miss the Old School fellas.
Whoa! Sorry, Russ, didn't mean to rant on here, I guess this just struck a nerve!
I'm scared...I want to do standup but am afraid that some bit I might attempt has already been tried by some guy on the east coast once and I never saw it.
I'm scared...This blog is usually filled with fun light hearted fare.
But...I'm most scared because Max is sad, pissed, and some other emotions I don't recognize from him. I want the old Max back!
Someone come get me when the world is right again. I will be in the fetal position in the corner.
Two points... this style of "performance art" has been around for a LOT longer than Joe Rogan and Carlos Mencia.
Heck, Lenny Bruce used to dedicate 90 minute sets to reading his court transcripts, much to the chagrin of his audience. An who could forget Andy Kaufman subjecting a crowd to 120 pages of the "Great Gatsby" because he didn't care for their negative tone.
Now I agree that not everyone would consider this 1st rate comedy. But I've sat through much worse from people who believed that they were entertaining the masses.
As for Royd... it's VERY common to stumble upon a joke that someone has done. The most that usually happens is a quiet and cordial conversation between comedians where some sort of "understanding" is agreed upon.
However, "serial stealers" like Mencia have been around for years. They not only lift individual jokes, but often 10-15 chunks of material verbatim.
There IS a difference.
Wow, glad I returned to the forum here. Do you like that your blog can be so THOUGHT-PROVOKING, Russ?
Listen. Kaufman and Bruce. Whole other deal entirely. They don't make 'em like THAT anymore, either. But naturally I see your points because you are so good at expressing yourself and providing such an intelligent argument. So I know where you're coming from on all this. Rogan vs. Mencia's just not my event today.
As for Royd's concerns, what the hell HAPPENED to me? What'm I, on the RAG?
Climb outta the fetal, bud. I'll be back, I swear.
Here's a link to an interesting article on the subject (from Radar Magazine):
http://www.radaronline.com/from-the-magazine/2007/02/take_the_funny_and_run_1.php
Lenny Bruce..the original's original! Made "those" years almost worth it!
And....what Max said. AL
I can't decide what's the most remarkable thing about this:
1. That I actually find myself rooting for Joe Rogan?
2. That after 20 years working in this country Mencia is STILL not a citizen?
3. That Mencia steals so many jokes from so many comedians and STILL isn't funny?
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