ndependent women
MARGARET CHO is one bad ass chick. A sorted, sassy diva who’s beaten drug addiction, dated Quentin Tarantino, crusaded against racial stereotypes, and now she’s found Buddha.
Words: Maureen Ellis
or someone whose life lnstory reads like the transcript
of a racy episode of Rikki [xi/w. Margaret ('ho is very
happy. She‘s just begun a live—month tour with her new show The Notorious ('.ll.().. and when we speak. she's in l’rovincetown. Massachusetts: a popular gay resort. And the self-confessed fag hag feels right at home in this ‘queer city".
Originally from San lirancisco and of Korean descent. (‘ho has never fitted in anywhere. She grew up around the gay men employed in her parents‘ bookshop and did her lirst stand-up gig in a bar above the shop when she was sixteen. Dropping out of school soon after. she learned her trade touring colleges and comedy clubs. partly financing her venture by working as a phone sex operator.
Televised stand—up appearances led to the offer of a television show which would make and break her. All American Girl was the first Asian-American sitcom on American TV — a big deal signifying the acceptance of her marginalised community in mainstream society — only Cho didn‘t equate with her network‘s ideals. Her face was too round. she was too heavy, she wasn’t ‘Asian' enough. Hard knocks for anyone. but Cho was still only 24- years-old. A strict weight loss regime of exercise. starvation, laxatives and diuretics slimmed her down, and hunger pang-staving, pill-popping and alcohol guzzling dimmed the yr mental outcries.
Twenty offloaded poundsilaater": Cho’s kidneys collapsedandf’shc'
‘lt’s so time consuming and so draining to be a drug addict; everything takes forever and everything is such an effort.’
size. The series carried on regardless. ratings plummeted and (‘ho‘s stimulant Lise soared. l'nsurprisingly. the sitcom was cancelled. (‘ho looks back in disbelief at that period in her life: ‘I was so incredibly destructive. I don't know where I had the energy. I mean it's so time consuming and so draining to be a drug addict: everything takes forever and everything is such an effort. It just wasn't mef
In America. (‘ho‘s personal resurrection is the stuff of celebrity legend and a testament to her strength of character. .\ sober (‘ho rebuilt her life and winnineg embarked on a very public expression of self-acceptance in her acclaimed WW stand-up show I'm The ()II(’ Thu! 1 lliinl. The show was more than a voyeur-baiting confessional outpouring of ‘oh. pity poor little me”. it was a sassy. clued-up. wise-crackin'. two— lingered salute at prejudice and preconceptions.
For Cho. making light of her dark situation serves as an effective tool in getting across a strong message about self- belief and self-worth to a society hung tip on personal appearances and saturated with stereotypes. "l‘he work that I do in comedy isn't just to make people laugh.’ she explains.
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