By Rob Thomas

Many Madison progressives find themselves in a bittersweet spot this week, ecstatic that they live in a country that gave the Democrats control of the U.S. Congress, disappointed that they live in a state that opposed gay marriage and civil unions.

They found a friend, a funny, fearless, filthy-mouthed friend, in comedian Margaret Cho at the Orpheum Theatre on Thursday night.

"The Democrats won!" Cho exclaimed as she arrived on stage, jumping up and down as the audience cheered loudly. "And Rumsfeld resigned!" More loud cheers. "How cool is that? All we needed was a couple of well-timed gay scandals."

Cho's hour-long set mixed material from previous tours with ripped-from-the-headlines riffs like that, such as her take on Colorado mega-church pastor Ted Haggard, who resigned in the wake of a sex and drug scandal. Cho couldn't help noting that Haggard was one of the pre-eminent supporters of a ban on gay marriage. "People who are against gay marriage -- just offer them crystal meth and a massage."

Gay marriage and homophobia were a recurring theme in Cho's monologue, fitting for a comedian who has been a fervent supporter of the gay community for all of her career. Her unapologetic stance may be best summed up in the title of her last book, written after the 2004 elections: "I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight."

Cho said she didn't understand why some Americans feel completely comfortable enjoying some aspects of gay culture, but balk at equal marital rights.

"There is so much stuff in the world that is so gay and so popular," she said. "How can so much homophobia exist in the same world as 'Project Runway'?"

Singled out for Cho's wrath was the current pope's anti-gay statements. "You're a real good judge of normal," she said. "With your gold dress and your matching gold hat, living it up in the Vatican with 500 men, surrounded by the finest antiques in the world." (Bishop Morlino may need to record another tape to be played at church this Sunday.)

Cho's generally a sharp comedian, one who'd rather cross the line and apologize afterward than stop short. Occasionally her passion for an issue overwhelmed her comic instincts, and her one-liners turned into slogans, such as her clumsy line about President George W. Bush: "We don't need an amendment to protect marriage. We need an amendment to protect us from him!" It's a line probably better suited to a placard.

But she was on target much more often than not, her mind wandering from the VH1 can't-look-away reality series "Flavor of Love" to Kim Jong Il, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to some raunchy sexual material that can't even be hinted at in a family newspaper, but certainly earned the "mature content" label on the ticket stub.

At 37, Cho is looking remarkably trim these days, although she said she doesn't believe in crazy diets and thinks having a positive self-image is far more important than hitting the exercise club.

Cho has always been extraordinarily fearless about her personal insecurities on stage. She recalled once being asked by a radio interviewer what she would do if she woke up one morning "and was beautiful."

"I am beautiful," she said. "I'm strong because I just say that I'm beautiful and I'm fine as I am."

Cho also touched on a bitter lawsuit that she's involved in with her former manager of 17 years, Karen Taussig. She said she's not supposed to discuss it because Taussig sends "winged monkeys" to spy on her act, but she said Taussig once threatened to make an unflattering movie about Cho.

Interesting, since Cho says one of the bones of contention was that Taussig made her turn down movie and TV roles, such as "Memoirs of a Geisha."

"I can't make a movie about me with me in it," she said. "How can you make a movie about me without me?"

E-mail: rthomas@madison.com
Published: November 10, 2006