Margaret Cho and The Femme discuss bullying, Dancing With the Stars, and her new album Cho Dependant

October 18th, 2010

Happy Monday everyone!! I wanted to start off the week by posting an interview I did with an AMAZING woman over the weekend :-) Meet Margaret Cho! You’ve seen her in movies, on Dancing With The Stars, and on numerous late night talk shows. Margaret Cho is an amazing comedian as well as a HUGE advocate of gay rights and equality for all. She’s currently on tour performing songs from her new album Cho Dependent. Enjoy the interview and get to know Margaret Cho a little better! You can also view two of her new music videos after the jump!

The Femme:Let’s talk about your new album titled Cho Dependent. What is your favorite song from the album and what inspired the lyics for your song “Eat Shit and Die?”

Margaret Cho: My favorite song from the album is ‘baby im with the band” which I wrote with Brendan Benson. I love the dynamic way he pushed my voice up. I love the whole album. Eat shit and die was a song I wrote when Iwas very upset at someone who forgot my birthday, not a lover, a friend, but it was hurtful and upsetting and only a song could solve it.

TF: The video for your sing “I’m Sorry” is hilarious. I heard that the inspiration for that song was drawn from a strange discovery you made about a past love interest. Can you elaborate on that a little for us?

MC: The song was inspired by an odd discovery that someone I had loved – very very much, who didn’t like me back at all and actually was quite callous toward me, turned out to be a murderer. I was horrified, but didn’t know how to deal with it, except to write a song. Sometimes dark humor is the only want to get through things, and I was very grateful for that.

TF:Tell us about the song “Intervention” you worked on with Tegan and Sara. Did you enjoy working with them and were you a fan of their music before you guys worked together?

MC: I love Tegan and Sara and I called them first when I decided to make the album. They are incredible and I am a longtime fan. The song is about not just the tv show but the whole process of recovery, and how terrible and yet funny and necessary it can be.

TF: You were recently seen on Dancing With The Stars talking about how you were bullied as a child and how you were called a “fat ballerina” by your peers. How did the teasing you endured as a child help mold you into the strong individual you are today?

MC: I figured out that I could do anything alone, that I didn’t need friends to go with me, that I didn’t need anyone to cheer me on. It sounds lonely but actually it was very empowering. I am still kind of a solitary person and a bit of a lone wolf at times, which is carried over from my childhood.

TF: You looked great on DWTS (especially in the rainbow dress). Were you upset when you were eliminated and do you plan on continuing to dance and embrace your inner ballerina?

MC: I love the gay pride dress! I was disappointed but I am determined to keep dancing. Its something that I love and the experience of becoming physically active while on the show is going to add many years to my life, so I owe them a lot!

TF:The gay community adores you. At what age did you start interacting with the lgbt community and why do you think you connect with us so well?

MC: I grew up within the lgbt community, in the Harvey Milk San Francisco of the 70's era, so when you grow up in his shadow, you learn the importance of activism. I became very political at age 8 and spent my teens working for aids organizations. the community is my family and my home.

TF: What advice can you pass on to kids who are dealing with bullying or depression? What did you do to pass the hard times?

MC: I built a whole world by myself, became a comedian, lived on beyond being bullied and ‘not included’. My advice to kids who are dealing with bullies is to hang in there, to rise above it because they can, that no one should have the power to make you feel bad.

TF:Will you be performing any of the songs from Cho Dependent at any gay pride events next year and do you plan on releasing a new album in 2011?

MC: I would love to perform songs at gay pride!! Hopefully that will happen! and yes, I will put out another album! Already in the works!!!

Visit www.MargaretCho.comto see more of Margaret Cho