Remember to cite your sources, Carlos Mencia

I love sketch comedy shows. I have a real respect for people who take chances and throw absurd, and often amusing concepts out there for the audience to take or leave. If you consider how many new ideas you'd have to come up with for a half hour show, it's amazing that so many good shows exist.

One thing that's bothered me lately is the way Carlos Mencia has claimed "Dee dee dee" as his trademark phrase for stupid people. His show even has a song about it.


The first time I heard the "dee dee dee" I was immediately taken aback. It sounded eerily familiar to me. Where had I heard it before? OH YEAH, on a genius little show known as "The State." ("The State" is, in my humble opinion, one of the best shows in sketch comedy history. A lot of talent has emerged from it and it was just incredibly well done.)

http://www.ifilm.com/episode/17386

[I apologize, I cannot locate an isolated clip of the scene to which I am referring. So, if you go to the link, in the first segment of the show at time marker 6:53, you will find the scene I am referencing. Unfortunately, you have to sit through a commercial at the beginning...sorry!]

I'm sorry, but that seems like more than just a slight coincidence. Oddly enough, as I was searching for "proof" to my theory, I also stumbled across this clip from another suspicious YouTube member:



I suppose it can be argued that some jokes are "old classics" and can be retold again and again, but I do have an issue when a comedian uses material that can be traced back to someone else in more than one instance.

So, Mr. Mencia, if you must use other people's material, reference it like a good student. And for the love of all that is good, don't steal from "The State" and trademark it for yourself. You have just blacklisted yourself from my sketch comedy book.