America's Mexican

Album Review

A simple audio rip of his 2007 HBO special, George Lopez's America's Mexican finds the comedian relaxed, loose, and free to drop more Spanglish than usual. Even if this might be off-putting to some of his non-Latino fans, a non-crossover and non-family friendly Lopez is a joy to behold, especially for the large Spanglish-friendly audience whose hysterical laughter is captured here. When he drops slang, it's warmly received, causing him to be more interactive and at ease with his audience than he has been previously. This Latino who declares himself "old school" freely wanders through his stories of a poor childhood, stern parents, and times when simple pleasures were the best even though no one appreciated it. After all, drinking out of a hose still tasted like hose as Lopez points out and chasing down and then torturing house flies was all fun and games until Pops came around and pointed out how foolish you looked, perhaps with a rolled-up newspaper to the head. Disappointment with family extends to a grandma who has an extremely foul mouth, a tradition Lopez shares, something that might make fans of his more wholesome television show recoil in horror (and they probably won't care for all the fart and diarrhea jokes either). This George Lopez goes to church with the stamp from the previous night's nightclub on his hand and shows his appreciation for women's bodies in the crudest manner possible. If that makes him sound like a jerk, his attitude that life is hard but still worth celebrating comes through loud and clear, bringing some charm to this edgy set. Other hot topics include Erik Estrada, immigration, and Britney Spears' private parts, all covered in a bawdy, adult manner that just wouldn't be as funny if Lopez was still playing by family television's rules.