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Carlos Mencia brings his sharp mind to Tampa

 
Comedian Carlos Mencia, who hosted the popular show Mind of Mencia, will be in town this week at the Improv in Centro Ybor.
Comedian Carlos Mencia, who hosted the popular show Mind of Mencia, will be in town this week at the Improv in Centro Ybor.
Published Sept. 24, 2013

The host of Comedy Central's Mind of Mencia for four seasons, Honduran-born comic Carlos Mencia is known for his blunt observations about social, political and racial issues.

The show was a hit for the cable channel, becoming its second highest rated series in 2006 — second only to South Park. The show included Mencia's comments on pop culture and current events, man-on-the-street interviews, commercial parodies and his interaction with the studio audience.

He stepped away from a fifth season even though ratings were still strong, saying it was starting to feel repetitive.

He returned to touring, doing the occasional TV spot such as his own HBO special, and he appeared in the 2010 comedy Our Family Wedding with America Ferrera.

Though Mencia has a rabid fan base, a handful of his fellow comedians, especially Fear Factor's Joe Rogan and actor George Lopez, have labeled him a plagiarist and occasionally skewer him in interviews. But Mencia said he's no joke stealer, noting that it's not unusual for comics to cover a lot of similar topics.

You can see him this weekend at the Improv in Centro Ybor.

Tickets are $28 at 1600 E Eighth Ave., Tampa. (813) 864-4000; improvtampa.com. Shows are at 8 p.m. today, 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday, 7:30 and 10 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday.

Sharon Kennedy Wynne, Times staff writer