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Dear Carlos,
You always like to state in your show that you are "not a racist" because you "make fun of everybody". You spend most of your energy making highly derogatory comments about Mexicans, Muslims and Asians, then sprinkle it with modest cracks directed at the white population. Even if you did truly direct your hatred equally, your jokes would still be overtly racist -- and its not because you routinely target minorities using offensive stereotypes in your sketches and stand-up routines on your show but by the sincerity behind your words.
Perhaps when you are stealing jokes you should try to steal the ones that aren't racist, that way you only offend the comedian you stole from and not racial groups as well.
You opened last night's episode of "Mind of Mencia" by touching on the recent Don Imus incident, not in a joke bit but as a message in your monologue:
"Did anyone know that the word 'nappy' was racially charged? Neither did I. So here's the deal, black people: we didn't know, that's why we said it. So the next time you guys want us not to say words that you guys say all the time how about you fuckers email us so that we know exactly what not to say."Have you lost touch with reality?
We think the most despicable aspect of your persona is the fact that you make people believe that you are Mexican, and therefore eligible to make highly charged racial comments about "beaners", when in reality you are a half WASP, half Honduran individual parading as a Mexican-American.
Or what about when you make fun of the black community? We guess its acceptable because you're so tight with those "fuckers". Maybe Dave Chappelle had you over for Thanksgiving dinner at his house so now you feel like you're down and it's cool to musingly question how having "nappy hair" and being a "hoe" could even be considered negative stereotypes of black women.
Comedians make racial jokes all the time, anything that is taboo is fair game in the comedy world. But there is a line. It's that line where a joke crosses from harmlessly playing with a stereotype to simply spreading racial hatred with little or no comedic merit. Why don't you ask another comic if you cross that line? Better yet, ask a Mexican or a black one.
We don't hate you because you can be racist at times. We don't hate you because you steal jokes; everyone does it. Perhaps hate is not completely the right word. We're just disappointed. Freedom of Speech is one of the greatest Constitutional rights of this country and you are exercising it -- however the routine ridicule of other nations as well as the prejudicial singling out of racial groups that make up this great country is unpatriotic. It is not what America is about. You have a show; you have a voice. You don't need to throw out positive messages or be an example for the youth or any of that bullshit, but you can definitely show you have a brain and a conscience by not putting others down simply because of the color of their skin. You do have a brain right? Use it please.
Thanks,
LAist.
Photo by Lilbenne via Flickr.
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I don't mean this to be snarky, but why is it okay to use the term WASP, especially in the context of complaining about negative words being attached to various ethnic/racial groups?
WASP isn't a derogatory term. It stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant.
A friend of mine used to work at a law firm that specializes in expediting and processing visas and citizenship papers for people who are getting those special work visas for "creative" types. I think they're H-1 visas.
Apparently when Mencia's paperwork came to the firm, one of Mencia's people called to emphasize that they wanted the info about Mencia's Caucasian heritage to remain top secret.
Mencia is half-Caucasian (German, I believe) and half-Latino (Honduran), but it is absolutely part of his shtick to cast himself as a Mexican-American. Thanks for calling him on it.
As pointed out by FP a safe PC freindly method for not being a racist pig is to describe people through acronyms that contain (closest primary color of skin)(common language spoken by group)(name of group's original tribe)(religion practiced by group)
so ned menica is a WASP posing as a YSAC (yellow)(spanish)(aztec)(catholic)
I'd like to know what that line is that one is not supposed to cross.
Racial prejudice is not what America is about? HAHAHAHA. That was a good one.
Implying that all comedians steal jokes isn't only incorrect but it also is attempting to justify something that the worst of them do.
You would never write off someone who plagiarizes a novel or a song because "everyone does it". don't treat a comic's material any differently.
this is a great letter. I hate that "fucker"
WASP is, in fact, a derogatory term, and probably an inaccurate representation of Carlos Mencia. The term was popularized to define the controlling elite. It would specifically exclude Catholics, Mediterranean-region Europeans, and thus many working class Caucasians.
I believe he's Half-German, which does not necessarily indicate that he's Anglo-Saxon or combination of one or the other. (And, furthermore, Anglo-Saxon is typically used to refer to the British invaders/settlers that established what we now know was the Imperial power of the British.) So even if you are gonna cop-out and say that WASP isn't a pejorative term, its still possibly just as inaccurate as Mencia claiming to be "Mexican."
"The WASP acronym originated in reference to White Americans with a history in the upper class establishment, who are alleged to form a powerful elite.[1] Some may use the term to describe any white person who does not claim any minority affiliation, regardless of their socio-economic status or actual ancestry."
-Wikipedia
You can't argue with Wikipedia. It's infallible. WASP is not derogatory.
=p
Secondly, I am half WASP myself (German), so when I accuse him of parading it is not "just as inaccurate as Mencia claiming to be Mexican." because I am not lying about my race to disenfranchise WASPs. Do you recall me showing prejudice towards WASPs anywhere in my letter above?
Henry D, who are you? George Bush? Read on my friend...
From Wikipedia: "It is frequently used today in a derogatory fashion. In fact, many dictionaries warn the term is often 'derogatory' or 'insulting'." and "In addition some see it as a racial, ethnic, and religious slur showing contempt for white Protestant Americans."
And from Merriam-Webster: "sometimes disparaging : an American of Northern European and especially British ancestry and of Protestant background; especially : a member of the dominant and the most privileged class of people in the United States"
Finally, from your Wikipedia friend: "Some object to the expression because of its inaccuracy and, because the term is bandied about in a casual manner by people who may not understand its full meaning or its imprecision." Hmmm...
I apologize if my use of the word WASP offended you or anyone else.
However this doesn't change my second point.
Henry D,
your point was that there are clear lines that should not be crossed. So it does change your point.
Carlos, please stop pretending/insinuating you're Mexican-American. I have no trouble with beaner/wetback jokes, I'm Mexican-American and make them myself with my Latino friends, but that's not why I'm offended. I'm offended as a fan of good comedy. Your jokes suck and you can see the punchlines a mile away.
Chapelle quit his show because he thought it was becoming the kind of simplistic racial stereotype dreck that Mencia wallows in. No mames guey.
So, you hate Carlos because he's "unpatriotic"? That's fine, but I hate him because he's just not funny. How about a little hate too for Comedy Central for keeping this POS on the air?
Wow, if anyone feels slighted and/or insulted by the term WASP, then you have some serious issues. My God...
And equating Henry to George Bush? What?!? Please.
what about a nappy WASP?
Is this a Joe Rogain sponsored article?
I like Carlos Mencia's humor because I can actually tell he is making fun of behaviors first and fore most. People have had political correctness shoved down their throats for so long and so hard that most have lost track of reality and can only see things in black or white instead of using their brains to think for themselves and understand what is really going on.
Wikipedia, is not hard nose facts like everyone in this thread thinks it is. It is a compilation of whatever from whoever submits something.
WASP stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protistant It is name given to folks of European descent who are not Catholic. That's all. (Too many kids thinking without any direction on this thread, me thinks, he he he).