Pride Interview: Cho Dependent
Posted by LGBT WeeklyEntertainment News, Pride, Top HighlightsThursday, July 7th, 2011

Margaret Cho has made a name for herself as a staunch advocate for a number of LGBT-related causes, ranging from same-sex marriage to the bullying of students, which has been brought into sharp focus with the It Gets Better Campaign.

When Cho began her stand-up ascension with a 1999 one-woman show, I’m The One That I Want, she was on the forefront of female comedians, like Lisa Lampanelli, Kathy Griffin and Chelsea Handler, who would follow suit in highlighting the need for equality for our community.

Her lightning-quick wit, coupled with heartfelt observations that we all fall under the umbrella of being humans first and foremost, has helped Cho push the comedy envelope with a no-holds-barred approach to subjects covered in her subsequent shows, Notorious C.H.O., Revolution, Assassin, Beautiful and her most recent tour and film, Cho Dependent.

Along the way, Cho has parlayed her stand-up prowess into a number of TV projects, including The Cho Show, Dancing with the Stars and Drop Dead Diva. Cho can even add an Grammy Award nomination to her impressive resume with comedy/music project, also titled Cho Dependent.

To top it all off, she will also be headlining San Diego LGBT Pride this year as a featured performer on the main festival stage on Saturday, July 16, 8 p.m. and will undoubtedly shine a rainbow spotlight on what she does best, talking the talk, while walking the walk.

She graciously took time out of her very busy schedule to tell San Diego LGBT Weekly more on her brand of unadulterated comedy for the masses and why audiences will remain Cho Dependent.

San Diego LGBT Weekly: Why do you feel that comedy is the most effective tool in getting a point across?

Margaret Cho: I think because you’re entertaining people at the same time, and it’s a very raw form of entertainment. You’re just a person with a message, and that’s really powerful. It’s just one person and a microphone, and their beliefs.

I think that’s the reason why it was so hard to hear what Tracy Morgan had to say; those are powerful words. I thought his apology was really great, and I love that our community can demand an apology and get it right away. Stand-up comics do have a responsibility. People are listening to them.

And comedy is definitely message driven, and a powerful medium. So you can use it to great effect, or use it negatively. I opt to use it positively.

Since your new concert film is titled Cho Dependent, what is something you couldn’t live without on a daily basis?

Probably Mac Wipes. I use them like a shower, because I’m a dry bitch, and so I love a Mac Wipe and I use it for everything.

You have really been on the forefront of comedians, such as Kathy Griffin, Lisa Lampanelli and Chelsea Handler, embracing “the gays.” What is your take on them?

I don’t know Lisa, but I know Kathy really well, and we’ve been friends for a long time. She’s wonderful.

I love female comics. Those are always the people that I want to watch, and that I love to hang out with.

Chelsea Handler is amazing; I just did her show today. It’s a powerful thing with women in comedy.

Speaking of a subject that you’ve released into the pop culture wilds, I was recently at an adult video store and there was a huge butt plug called Ass Master. Do you see something like that as an honor, or a blatant violation of copyright laws?

Awesome! I love it. You know, I don’t consider it intellectual property (laughs), and I’m cool with it. Its like, “Go for it, girl!” I’m down with anything that sort of takes the phrases that I’ve coined. I think it’s really an honor, and I’m proud of that. But, whose hole is that big?

If you had your druthers, what would you change the term “fag hag” to?

I think fruit fly is probably a good one. That’s one I hear a lot. Queen magnet. Um, side car?

I like fag hag, it’s old school, it’s two words and that’s the generation that I come from, a little bit politically incorrect. That’s the term I’m most familiar with, and that’s what I am – and I’m proud of that.

But it is definitely a word that I don’t want to hear being said as hate speech. It’s our word. But, yeah, there are other options that people can have.

And if you could have a one-on-one with a teenage bully that was harassing an LGBT student at their school, what would you say?

Why are you doing this? I want to know what the point of that is. What makes someone want to do that and don’t they know how damaging it can be? And it kills, it’s murderous and it’s thoughtless. A lot of people who are bullying are gay themselves and they can’t deal with it. And that’s what it’s about. I need to slap these kids (laughs), because I can’t understand why they do that!

You are working on an upcoming CD called The Yellow Album. Can you tell us about that?

Yes, it’s a very intricate project. It’s all Beatle-esque songs about race and being Asian, so it’s The Yellow Album. It’s fierce, and I wrote songs that I sing with my mom. We do our version of “She’s Leaving Home,” which is not a cover, it’s an original song. But she and I sing together like The Judds and it’s phenomenal.

I’m really excited about it!

Any chance we will hear your mother rapping on it, and what type of things would she choose to bust rhymes about?

I don’t know! Money and hos? Money and hos and about her flow.

Let’s play a little bit of word association, shall we? Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Oh he’s so free ride. It’s like he’s got all of the heat off of him, because of Weiner. It’s so free ride! Everything kind of blew over so fast, really fast. Nobody cares now because it’s all about Weiner.

Weiner Gate.

Don’t take pictures of your hole and your face at the same time. You’ve got to do it separately. I think we’ve all been guilty of sending sexts to people, but just make it untraceable. Oh, and don’t be a congressman.

Sarah Palin.

It’s scary, because anything that she does is such news. I don’t think she should be that much on the news. She’s like the lost Kardashian sister. I like them, they’re OK.

You will be headlining at Pride in San Diego. Is there anything that is ever off-limits for you to discuss on stage?

No. I don’t think there’s anything I wouldn’t say, and it’s all about celebrating Pride. I had fun at L.A. Pride and it was amazing and beautiful, and so I’m just gonna bring it!

I’m so in love with Pride celebrations. I have been to them all over the world, and they’re so meaningful.

To keep up with Margaret Cho and her many projects, log on to margaretcho.com