Margaret Cho speaks out on her comedy and 'Dancing with the Stars'
November 1st, 2010 11:40 am ET.

-Carla Hay

In a world where stand-up comedy can look and often feel safely generic, Margaret Cho stands out like a brightly tattooed middle finger. The outspoken comedian/actress/singer is not afraid of rubbing people the wrong way with her social activism and politically progressive views, such as advocating the legalization of same-sex marriage. Her stage show doesn’t skimp on raunchy material and graphic adult language. She has torn down many stereotypes and continues to let her self-described "freak flag" fly in the face of conservative movements that oppose the causes that she supports. And she even pushes the buttons of some liberal groups. For example, in 2004, Cho was invited and then disinvited to speak at a Human Rights Campaign/National Stonewall Democrats fundraiser, reportedly because the organizers thought she might make comments that they would consider too controversial.

That doesn't mean Cho is marginalized or stereotyped. As an actress, Cho has appeared in a variety of mainstream TV shows and movies. She is currently part of the cast of the Lifetime series "Drop Dead Diva," and Cho has been on the road in support of her album 2010 album "Cho Dependent." She is one of the stars of the 2010 New York Comedy Festival, which runs November 3 to November 7 in New York City. As part of the festival, Cho is headlining a show at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on November 5. I caught up with Cho by phone for this exclusive interview, where she talked getting stage fright, how she’s changed as a comedian over the years, and what she thought about her stint on "Dancing With the Stars."

How do you feel about the comedy industry now compared to when you first started?

I think it’s very interesting. I think there’s a lot going on. There’s so much with the Internet and what they do there. There are so many more outlets, yet what’s gone away is the idea of a lot of stand-up comedy on television. Like before, in the ‘80s, you could do all these stand-up comic TV shows. That exists a little bit now, but not to the extent that it did. And now, there’s so much comedy online.

Now, I think there are more big-name comics that you can go and see in major [venues]. I don’t think that was as prevalent when I was a kid, or when I was starting [as a stand-up comic]. It wasn’t so much a theater thing. But now, I play big theaters, and I think that’s a big part of who I am and what I do.

When it comes to staying relevant and addressing political and social issues in your comedy act, how do you think you’ve changed over the years?

I think I’ve gotten more daring, actually — more free about things, more willing to try things. I’m also more wiling to make mistakes or take risks, which I think is really important, because I think I understand more about comedy and how to do it. I think I’ve been able to experiment more and get outside my own comfort zone, which I think is really great.

How do you handle seeing any of your performances, whether it’s as a stand-up comedian or actress? Do you like to watch yourself in playback?

Not really. In general, I don’t. If I do … it’s mostly the audio. The only time I ever really watch myself is doing music, because then I’m analyzing or I’m watching the other musicians … I need to see what my fingers are doing, what my hands are doing … To me, that’s the only time I’m actually visually connecting … and I’m not super-self-conscious. But I definitely use my voice recordings to break down what I’m doing to refine it and make it perfect. But by the time I do a stand-up comedy DVD, for every show that I do, by the time I get to that point, I never watch myself.

You have a lot of really interesting tattoos. What was the first tattoo that you got?

The very first was a very large piece on my back and stomach. That [tattoo] was from Ed Hardy. He’s kind of a tattoo icon and a good friend that I grew up with. I got it around 2004, 2005. I’ve known him since the 1980s. He sold his books at my parents’ bookstore. And all the people who were working for my parents were getting tattoos by him, and so I’d been wanting to get tattooed by him since I was a child.

You were deputized to perform same-sex marriages in San Francisco. What was the wackiest wedding ceremony that you’ve ever officiated?

I’ve not done a wacky one. I’ve only done a couple, and they’ve been at City Hall, and they’ve been very … serious, high-profile ones. Then [same-sex marriages] became outlawed again [in California]. I have to go back and [get deputized] when they become legal again.

There are a lot of celebrities who are politically outspoken, but then you find out that they don’t even vote or they haven’t voted in years. Do you plan to vote in the elections that take place on November 2, 2010?

I have to. It’s a really important election. I have an absentee ballot, and I usually vote absentee. Voting is really important to me. I’d rather go in and vote … but I usually have to vote absentee.

Are there any comedians you’d like to see at the 2010 New York Comedy Festival?

I’d love to see Rosie O’Donnell, but she’s on the same schedule as I am, so I don’t think I’ll be able to see her. She’s one of my favorites.

A lot of people were surprised that you got voted off "Dancing With the Stars" as early as you did. What else surprised you about the show, and what did you learn from the experience?

It was a really weird personal journey. I am actually a very good dancer, but I could never really replicate what I did in rehearsal in front of other people. When my partner [Louis Van Amstel] and I were alone, I could do things really incredibly. And then, I was just so weirdly insecure about it. Because my life is all about the intellectual side of me, I very rarely use my body for anything. So that was a major thing for me to get through.

Also, I feel there were other reasons I why I got voted off "Dancing With the Stars" … It gets kind of political, because it is kind of a conservative show, and I’m pretty progressive. So there are other factors that come into play.

How do you deal with any nervousness before you go on stage, whether for "Dancing With the Stars" or your stand-up comedy?

I still get nervous. I still get stage fright. For me, I just imagine the thing that I do. As a comedian, my vocabulary is unlimited. However, as a dancer, my vocabulary is extremely limited. So that’s the problem for me, a dancer. I can only do a certain amount of things as a dancer, but I can do anything as a stand-up comedian. So I have no fear as a comic, but I have incredible fear as a dancer. Being a dancer — that, to me, is a scary thing.

Out of all the people who were contestants on your season of "Dancing With the Stars," which ones would you be the most likely and least likely to hang out with outside of the show?

I got along really well with everyone. It kind of became a family because we were all so nervous, and everybody connected. The only person I didn’t really talk to was David Hasselhoff, but only because he was gone right away. He was really nice. Jennifer Grey and I became good friends.

What’s next for you?

"Drop Dead Diva" is going to start again next spring [in 2011]. And then I have a new album that I’m working on right now. It’s all brand-new comedy songs. There’s no title for it yet.