"I'm not a racist. I make fun of everybody."

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:

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.