Margaret Cho, the well-known and self-proclaimed s**t starter and fag hag extraordinaire is never content doing just one thing with her career. The comedienne came to the public’s attention in her short lived, but extremely clever show ALL AMERICAN GIRL, which after its cancellation Cho then turned the angst from that experience into a stand-up comedy career which bloomed on stage and became a series of popular DVDs. Cho has also written books of her experiences in entertainment and now she is not only doing a new tour called BEAUTIFUL; she also is returning to television with THE CHO SHOW on VH1. Taking time out of her schedule right before she goes back out on the road the extremely intelligent and honest lady of comedy fills iF MAGAZINE in on the new show and the road it has taken for her to get here.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

iF MAGAZINE: What can you tell me about THE CHO SHOW?

MARGARET CHO: It’s very new and very different. It’s not really a reality show; it’s more like a reality hybrid show. It’s very innovative and like nothing I’ve seen. I’m so excited because I’ve trying to figure out how to do television since I started and I could never figure out what to do and so now I’ve figure it out. This genre came around and my executive producer and I had been working together for some time so it all just came together. The show is really great and magical and funny and I am really excited about it.

iF: So where did the idea for this new type of show originate?

CHO: I wanted to put my worlds together which are very Asian and very gay. I had to figure out what that is and explore different topics through it. It definitely has this sense of adventure, but it’s adventure around ridiculous things like getting a ‘G Shot.’ A ‘G Shot’ is a shot of collagen to heighten your G spot, or we go on an adventure about anal bleaching; stuff like this that becomes adventures and it’s always very funny.

iF: The stories are then the kind of stories you tell in stand up, but in this case the audience is along for the actual ride?

CHO: Exactly!

iF: When you were thinking about returning to television was there any apprehension from the experience you had on ALL AMERICAN GIRL?

CHO: Yes, but I remembered that when I was doing ALL AMERICAN GIRL it was a couple of things. When I was doing my screen test one of the executives said to never show my stomach in public ever again; so in my new show I’m naked all of the time which is so funny and just stupid and ridiculous. I think people need to see that, first of all and it just freeing and it’s silly and funny. [Laughs] Also, in my earlier show I didn’t really have a hand in the writing but this time I produced the show and had a big hand in the writing and the creation and this id definitely my vision. I’m really thrilled to be able to do it.

iF: This time you probably didn’t have the network watching over your shoulder as well?

CHO: No, because VH1 really allows the artists to do what they want. We are really allowed to have creative control and to have creative integrity, so I am really proud to be on their network.

iF: Do you have special guest stars that you are bringing on to the show or any area Drag Queens making appearances?

CHO: [Laughs] We had Heck Lena from The Tranny Shack. We didn’t have as many queens, we had a lot of divas like Joan Rivers, Sandra Bernhard, and Wanda Sykes; some of my favorite comediennes. We also had all of these different people and it was fun to put that together with people that I knew. Of course my parents are on it, and my wonderful gay friends. My assistant Selene Luna is on it, and she’s a little person, so I always thought that this show was a cross between TRUTH OR DARE and LITTLE PEOPLE BIG WORLD.

iF: How do you balance your schedule with all of the things that you are doing all of the time?

CHO: It was hard because three days a week I would be doing stand up on the road and then four days a week I would be doing the show so it was a little tough. Right now we just finished the season for the TV show and I’m just doing stand up; so I don’t know what to do with myself and I’m doing a lot of crafts and stuff. Now it’s weird, but I think it’s good to have some down time because things just go so crazy for awhile.

iF: You are touring with Liam Sullivan of Kelly and SHOES fame, so how did you two get connected?

CHO: Liam is great and my husband made the robot that is in the SHOES video. That’s how we met, and I was one of the first people to see the SHOES video. I flipped over it and fell in love with it and I couldn’t stop watching it. I put it up on my blog and it went viral and became so popular. Last year we worked on my show THE SENSUOUS WOMAN which was sort of my comedy and dance show and we went Off Broad way with it. So now we decided to tour together for the new show. We’re really good friends and it makes it fun for us to work together. We have a lot of fun travelling and hanging out.

iF: Each show that you do seems almost like a complete reinvention of yourself and your act to a certain extent. Where do the ideas for the themes of the shows come from?

CHO: With this show, BEAUTIFUL, this show was written when I was doing THE SENSUOUS WOMAN which is about political power and feeling beautiful and this show was a natural progression to that. I have to figure what things I am thinking of around that time and what is the right sort of theme and title to pull it all together so it works thematically for me.

iF: Has your political status surprised you as you’ve grown as something of a political speaker along with your comedy?

CHO: I think it’s great because politics are so important and they’re so integral to everything else, but you don’t want to get too lost in it. I still want to be funny and to be a comedienne and not get too swept up into the politics of things. There should be a hybrid, and now there’s such a wonderful atmosphere for it and you have people doing it beautifully like John Stewart or Stephen Colbert, and they are very adept at it and that’s important.

iF: What are some of your favorite place when you are out on the road?

CHO: I love San Francisco. I think it’s an amazing place and I grew up there so I love going back there. It’s fun for me and I like going to Tranny Shack when I go there. I love New York City and being able to work there, and it’s an incredibly beautiful and exciting place. I like go everywhere because each place has new and interesting things to experience.

iF: Any plans to do more films like BAM BAM AND CELESTE?

CHO: Not at the moment. I don’t really have any plans for that. Right now I’m just focused on the TV show and my tour, but I don’t know.

iF: One of your DVDs had GROCERY STORE the cartoon on it. Any thoughts about continuing those maybe as an online story?

CHO: That’s a good idea and would be fun. Animation is more about working with an artist since it’s something that I don’t physically do myself, but I do like making little videos for YouTube. I’ll probably make more of those.

iF: I’ve noticed that your books tend to coincide with your tours, so will there be a book for BEAUTIFUL?

CHO: I imagine there will, but I’m not entirely sure. I’m not actively working on one right now, but we’ll see.

iF: What are some of the more unique gifts you have received from fans?

CHO: Last week I got a beautiful bouquet filled with peacock feathers which was amazing. Then I got, oh My God, this bakery in a town I was at sent me a box with a little piece of cake from every cake they make. That was REALLY a good one. [Laughs] That was a really, really good one, and bakeries if they are down with it, I encourage them to send me more baked goods; one of everything they make!