He’s bitter. He’s not bitter. He’s pretty bitter. He’s honestly not bitter at all and is thankful. OK, he might be a teensy bit bitter.
Comedian George Lopez entertains in the first to two shows at Pechanga Resort & Casino (Melissa Jewel Photography)
On Mexico’s Independence Day Thursday evening, comedian George Lopez declared his own kind of liberation from a certain television network during his first of two stand-up shows at Pechanga Resort & Casino. Lopez performs again tonight at 8 p.m.
“I’m free. (Expletive) that job. I didn’t want it anyway,” the 50-year-old veteran comedian said to a nearly full theater regarding the Aug. 10 cancellation of his late-night talk show.
“Lopez Tonight” ran for two seasons on cable channel TBS. After being bumped from the 11 to midnight slot to accommodate “Conan,” the show seemingly didn’t fare as well.
But rest assured, Lopez is doing just fine now, scoring loads of women, he noted, and working on “bigger and better” ventures: a new sitcom as well as follow-ups to “Rio,” “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” and “The Smurfs.”
“Never let life wear you down. … They can take your money; they can’t take your talent. … Life is too short to by unhappy. Life is too short to be miserable,” said Lopez intermittently, kick-starting his Pechanga show with “Lopez Tonight” comments and immediately launching into his recent divorce.
After a 17-year marriage, Lopez is single and loving it, he said.
“I will never be married again. One time is enough,” he said at one point. “Because when you’re married, they want you to be honest. And when you’re honest, they get mad.”
Although sprinkled throughout, comments about “Lopez Tonight” and his failed marriage were primarily aired out during the first half of the show, while Lopez seemed to settle into his normal race relations-related fare during the second half.
Taking shots at his own Mexican roots, Lopez hit on some new stereotypes: “We can’t describe a product without making the sound that it makes,” he said, referencing Febreze and using a hissing nose.
In regards to Mexicans marrying “Negros/Negras,” Lopez said he’s now OK with it given the issues with immigration.
“Let’s make Mexicans that can run and jump and hide in the dark,” he said to loud bouts of laughter.
He also skewered other races, especially in reference to Mexicans.
“I have never seen a black migrant farm worker,” Lopez said after referring to his own “lazy” farm worker father. “If you find me a black migrant farm worker, I will give you $1,000.”
There seemed to be less fun and more resentment when poking fun at white people, however, referring to them as “popcorns.”
“I hate those (expletive expletive). Hate ’em. They smell like (expletive) popcorn to me. Never liked ‘em,” he said. “Just the way they think this is their country.”
Lopez said he hired a white housekeeper just to prove a point.
“In two weeks, the (expletive) had me cleaning my own house,” he said.
Even Lopez’ largely Temecula-residing audience wasn’t off limits. Lopez poked fun at his being in Temecula, which used to be merely a place to stop to use a restroom on the way to San Diego, he said.
“Now it’s ‘Wine Country,’” he said derogatorily. “There ain’t (expletive) happening here.”
He then asked why his audience was living in the city and answered for them.
“You want to buy a home for under $100,000,” he said to laughter and cheers.
“Yeah, you know, I’m trying to make friends,” he added sarcastically.
After touching on topics that can’t be mentioned here and playfully interacting with audience members, apparently giving a marijuana-infused “dulce” to one woman suffering from a leg injury, Lopez tried to wrap things up with more positive axioms.
“Don’t flight with anybody,” he said, referring to significant others. “Life is too short … to be disrespectful to anyone. Love them for their flaws. Don’t change anybody.”
Tickets to tonight’s show are still available. Visit pechanga.com for more information.
Email Rachael.recker@swrnn.com or follow her on Twitter
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