Both the first and second parts of the Mencia interview are now available on the WTF website and on iTunes. Maron prefaced the second installment with interviews of Willie Barcena and Steve Travino, both comedians with a history -- good and bad-- with Mencia. And then he gave Carlos Mencia apx. 30 minutes to rebut the allegations made against him.
Back when the only source of Hollywood news came from "Entertainment Tonight" (back then, "Variety" and "Hollywood Reporter" were industry-centered outlets that weren't geared for public consumption, the way "Plumber's Monthly" isn't something for the mainstream) there was no need for every aspect of every actor, movie, singer, TV series, or comedian to be hashed or rehashed. John Tesh and Mary Hart didn't have the journalistic chops for in-depth features, anyway. But along came "E!" and "Extra" and "Access Hollywood," and before you knew it, Brokaw, Jennings, and Rather were talking about box office grosses. Now Couric, Williams, and Gibson talk about a love affair between the key grip and the second assistant gaffer of a $40,000 indie film. And the result of the media coverage of the world of celebrity is that when an actual story comes along, it easily gets buried amongst the TMZ gossip, celebrity pregnancies, and electronic press kits passing as news. Marc Maron made a point of saying he felt the story of joke stealing amongst comics -- big named comics like Robin Williams and Carlos Mencia -- would be better dealt with amongst their peers, away from the public eye. Be that as it may, the issue is now out there, with both accusers and accused publicly commenting on it. This IS a story, not a gossip or tabloid "gotcha" story, but a genuine debate over the morality of show business. As I mentioned before, Mencia isn't someone I either like or dislike. And his chief detractor, Joe Rogan, is someone I like (because of "Newsradio") AND dislike (because of every other thing he has done). I have no personal bias in this debate, and it didn't really seem like Marc Maron had a bias either, even after admitting he had once been bumped by Mencia. Despite having no vested interest in the issues at hand or the people involved, I still found the story to be compelling. I suppose if I have to choose a side, I would say that since Carlos Mencia flatly admitted to being an asshole, he probably is. And, in that capacity, he took it upon himself to prove he was the top dog, and did so by consciously bumping other comics he deemed less worthy than himself (again, his own admission). As for the intellectual property theft, Maron said at the close of the second interview that he believed all comics to be derivative of someone -- at least at the start of their careers when they are finding their footing. Maron has also stated in previous podcasts that as much as he loved and admired Bill Hicks, he had to stop watching him perform stand up because Maron knew how easy it would be to mimic the mannerisms, the persona, and the jokes -- to essentially morph into someone else. But Mencia has been at this for a long time -- more than 15 years -- and the outright theft of a very well known Bill Cosby routine was just a few years ago. There is a point where the youthful indiscretions of amateurs become blatant offenses by professionals. Mencia is a pro, and he has given offense. He claims in each cited instance that any theft was not a conscious act on his part, but for that to be true he would have to be the most ignorant comic of his generation. To hear him speak, he does not sound ignorant. The last thing I'll say about Mencia is in regards to something he said about performing standup. He cited his career as more important to him than his wife and his child. As someone who has engaged in a fair amount of hyperbole myself (though I've cut back in recent years), I hope he was also employing hyperbole. Of all the talk of Mencia being an asshole, that comment resonated more than anything else he said. If he was speaking the truth, then I sincerely hope that he fails as a comedian -- I hope he is banned from appearing in every comedy venue -- I hope he is banned from ever being allowed to tell a joke in public. And that is NOT hyperbole. If he meant what he said, then he is the Donald Trump of comics -- someone who has no sense of what is really important in life -- and the only way I know of for such people to ever see the light is through the complete and utter failure of what they believe matters. www.WTFpod.com -- Kevin M. (RPCV) -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
