Table Talk is a weekly Las Vegas podcast hosted by Vegas Lowroller sitting down at the tables with some interesting people and just talk—about life, stories, and whatever comes up—while trying our luck at some table games.
Sometimes we win, sometimes we don’t, but it’s always a good time.
Come hang out and enjoy the ride.
This week, Lowroller enjoys cards and discussion with comedic legend Carlos Mencia.
Mencia talks about returning to stand-up and his new tours (e.g. the “No Hate No Fear” tour). He discusses the challenges and motivations for staying relevant in comedy after controversies. One of the most frequently addressed issues is the allegation that he’s stolen jokes from other comedians. Carlos often frames these accusations in terms of misunderstandings, influence vs copying, and how comedy culture works (similar ideas, overlapping themes).
Mencia talks about the impact of public criticism and “cancel culture” on his career and mental state. He reflects on how comedy audiences have changed, how sensitivity around topics is higher, and how that affects his approach to humor. He occasionally gives insights into plans for new material, media appearances, or how he wants to evolve as a comedian.
Carlos Mencia: Comedian Carlos Mencia is best known for his raw and unfiltered style of comedy, which he has showcased to great success on comedy stages, and in television shows and movies. He has recently gone back to his comedic roots on his No Hate No Fear comedy tour, sharing his newest material with smaller, more intimate audiences. As a comedian who finds the hilarious irony in both the day-to-day and the newsworthy events, Carlos is never lacking in material; he recently shot two stand-up specials due out later this year. Carlos will also reprise his role as Felix Boulevardez in Disney+’s “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” the revival of the groundbreaking animated series “The Proud Family.” The show is heading into its second season.
Mencia comes from a humble background, born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the 17th of 18 children. His parents sent him to the United States when he was three months old, where he was raised in the Maravilla Projects in Los Angeles by his aunt and uncle. In his early teens, Mencia moved back to Honduras. When Mencia returned to Los Angeles, he showed such educational prowess that he pursued a career in engineering. But an amateur night at the world-renowned Laugh Factory comedy club would change his path, and a career in comedy began. He became a regular at The Comedy Store, performing nightly. After he found success on the Los Angeles comedy circuit, Mencia was named International Comedy Grand Champion from Buscando Estrellas (the Latin version of Star Search), eventually landing on shows such as “In Living Color,” “The Arsenio Hall Show,” and “An Evening at the Improv.”
Mencia continued his journey up the comedy ladder by headlining stand-up tours and starring in stand-up TV specials. In 2002, he received a CableACE Award nomination for Best Stand-Up Comedy Special for his HBO special. Comedy Central soon took notice and the show “Mind of Mencia” went into development. Created by Carlos and comedy producer Robert Morton, the comedy series featured Carlos and his crew with their merciless mix of up-close stand-up, unconventional street interviews, and shocking commercial parodies. The show was an instant hit, and propelled Mencia to the comedy elite. After the first season, Comedy Central signed Mencia back for an original stand-up special, “Carlos Mencia: No Strings Attached,” the first Comedy Central Stand-up Special DVD to achieve Platinum sales status.
Throughout the four seasons of “Mind of Mencia,” Carlos never stopped performing live, headlining shows across the country and internationally. “Comedy is my art, and fans are my passion,” he has said. Always looking to give back to those fans, Mencia has entertained troops serving overseas for USO tours in Turkey, Kirkuk, Baghdad, Qatar, Afghanistan, and many other countries.
Later, Mencia went on to star on the big screen. He starred opposite Ben Stiller and Michelle Monaghan in “The Heartbreak Kid,” and in the family-comedy “Our Family Wedding,” alongside America Ferrara and Forrest Whitaker.
Carlos Mencia presently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.
