must-see

Mike the Maximum Leader links to a YouTube clip of comedian Carlos Mencia offering his unapologetic take on terrorists and Islamist apologists. I laughed long and hard at this, but also enjoyed a meta-laugh: how many of the young, liberal folks in the audience really felt comfortable with what Mencia was saying? Truth be told, I was a bit uncomfortable at some points myself, partly because I think Mencia voices a dark thought many Americans are afraid to say in public. Mencia says (to an invisible Middle Easterner): "I don't apologize for what my country did to become great, you understand that? I know what we've done, and you don't know me."

It might almost be an improvement if more people actually came out and said what they were thinking instead of being pussies about it. Mencia's shtick isn't going to go down well if you're (1) Middle Eastern or (2) from anywhere else that's not America. It's aggressive, unapologetic stuff. Note, too, that Mencia is looking out for his own people as well: the comment I quoted above actually begins with the provocative sentence, "I'm not white." So be careful, neocons, about thinking that Mencia might simply be "on your side." He's nobody's bitch.

Mencia may soon be joining the ranks of people like Spike Lee-- people who make you mad, make you laugh, and make you think. I hope the people in the audience, who were laughing at his jokes, started to think carefully about their own politics. I'm not saying they have to come around to Mencia's point of view, but if they're liberal... they might want to consider that Mencia's making an argument that used to ring true for liberals a long time ago.


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