I was on this radio show and the DJ asked me, “What if you woke up tomorrow and you were beautiful?” And I was like, “What do you mean, ‘What if?’ “What if you woke up and you were blonde and had blue eyes and you were 5’11” and you weighed 100 pounds and you were beautiful? What would you do?” And I said, “Well, I probably wouldn’t get up ‘cause I’d be too weak to stand.” And I just was so angry and we’ve got to talk about why people only think a certain kind of person is beautiful. That’s so boring. [I want] to spread out this idea of what beauty is and how everybody can be beautiful and how I’m really beautiful. So it’s a jumping off point. And then it’s a lot of other stuff: talking about a lot of race issues, and homophobia, and sexuality and a lot of sex. It’s a really raunchy show—really, really raunchy. Like, probably my most raunchy show—which is pretty intense. And it’s fun, so I’m excited about it.

Burlesque and cabaret have been making a comeback in Honolulu. What inspired you to put that theme into your Sensuous Woman show?

I find that being involved in burlesque is just good for my soul. It makes me feel good about myself. I feel beautiful doing it. I love to watch people do it, like men and women. It’s so great. It’s such a beautiful art form. And I think it’s really revolutionary—it’s really feminist, it’s really queer and I just love it.

Can you elaborate a little bit more on how you think burlesque is feminist?

[I think that] women [are] using their bodies, using their consciousness about their bodies, feeling good about their bodies, using their sexuality to make a point—to really feel good about yourself. It’s like something that women are doing for women to get rid of body issues and body shame, to get rid of feeling inadequate because we’re all not a size two. You know it’s like to celebrate all the diversities that we have in bodies and I think it’s really amazing.

Are you going to have any of those elements in your Beautiful show?

I’m not going to do any burlesque, but I’m going to be doing some singing. So that’s the new thing. I have a big song that I’m gonna do at the end, which I’m excited about. It’s called, “Eat Me Out.” It’s a gospel song.

Is there a different reception from Hawai‘i audiences versus mainland audiences just because the [racial] make-up here is so different?

Well I love it ‘cause it’s so Asian. So I really feel at home. You feel like, “Oh my god, we’re American.” It is just such a beautiful and refreshing thing to feel like you’re the majority, and it’s just amazing. I really think Hawai‘i is important for all Asian Americans to go to. It’s one of my favorite places in the world to go.

Early in your career, when you had All-American Girl, et cetera, you had a lot of criticism from the Asian American community and in particular, the Korean American community. I’m wondering if because of your success, and your continued success, if there has been a change in the way that the same leaders of those communities have treated you?

Yes, I’ve had a lot more acceptance, a lot more recognition. I think that’s wonderful and also there’s a whole group of people who have grown up with me and really like what I do. I feel really embraced by the Asian American community now, whereas before, it was really difficult ‘cause I was so different—it was kind of coming out of left field as so different. But now I feel a lot of acceptance because of my longevity, which I think is really amazing.

I remember you came to perform and speak at Wellesley when I was a student. There was this one girl who liked to do stand-up and she asked you for advice because in her experience, comedy was one of the most racist and sexist fields. And you told her that’s why she needed to keep going and to keep on trying to break into the business. When did you start to realize your position as a role model? And has it changed at all in the past few years?

I don’t know if I am [a role model]. I just want to tell people, to encourage them, that they should just keep going and doing what they’re doing and not be discouraged by sexism and racism and homophobia and those kinds of things because they’re going to exist. And so I’m glad to be a role model in that respect.

In terms of your activism in the gay community, what are some of your current campaigns?

On Fox News, on the Bill O’Reilly show [The O’Reilly Factor], somebody was saying that the transgender conference that’s happening in the Bay Area in a couple of months is somehow killing our culture. I’m just really offended by the casualness of the homophobic way that the right wing has. When they’re backed into a corner, they can’t think of a good argument, they just lob homophobia at us. Or bring up Jesus. I think that is unacceptable and I would like some good journalism for once from the right wing. It’s just so upsetting to me. I just don’t think that they’re doing their job. I don’t think that homophobia is an acceptable form of journalism. I think that hatred toward homosexuals is really barbaric and I don’t understand why it continues to exist, which is why we need organizations like GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) to help but. But you know, it’s really infuriating. I’m writing about it now, I’m just posting it on my blog. I wish that they would be more careful in the things that they say.

Dude, how’s your mom?

She’s great. [My parents] moved to San Diego, so I see them a lot more. There’s a lot of her in this show, too. I’m excited about that.

Is there anything else you want to say?

Well I’m really excited to come out to Hawai‘i. I really don’t get to come out as often as I want to so I’m really thrilled about that.