Portland, Oregon
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Easy does it
A conversation, with self­
described Korean American,
fag hag, shit starter, girl
comic, trash talker and
proud slut Margaret Cho
by
C hristopher D. C uttone
11
m I gay? Am I straight? I’m just
slutty. So where’s my parade?”
That’s Margaret Cho in her
new touring show, I’m the One That
I Want. The autobiographical comedy perfor­
mance, which enjoyed an extended off-
Broadway run before cracking up audiences
around the country, is proof positive that the
public wants Cho, too.
Cho, who grew up in the madcap milieu of
1970s San Francisco, did her first comedy
routine at age 16. In the late ’80s and early
’90s, she stormed the standup scene, won a
contest to open a show for
then-godlike Jerry Seinfeld,
toured on the college cir­
cuit, earned an
American Comedy
Award and quickly
became a national
celebrity.
In 1994, Cho
became the star of All-
American Girl, a prime­
time sitcom—the first
with an Asian star and
mostly Asian cast—based
on her comedic rendition of
her first-generation immigrant family.
Prodded by network execs, she went on a
crash diet that nearly killed her and caused
permanent damage to her kidneys. The same
suits balked at Cho’s version of life as a
Korean American—alternately calling it too
“ethnic” and not “ethnic” enough—and,
despite favorable ratings, canceled the show
after one season.
Disillusioned by the experience, Cho
returned to the standup circuit, performing to
sold out audiences while simultaneously
enduring a depression that led her to abuse
drugs and alcohol.
But now she’s back in control and back
onstage. I’m the One That I Want, which
comes to Portland on May 5 and 6, relates
the ups and downs of 31-year-old Cho’s life in
the public eye, her TV-land trauma and
recovery from its aftermath. The show has
won over audiences and critics alike.
Cho’s recent gigs are all over the cultural
map. She’s on Sesame Street with Big Bird and
Prairie Dawn, and she had dinner at the
White House with the Clintons and the pres­
ident of South Korea.
A longtime fan of Cho’s saucy shtick, 1
jumped at the chance to interview her. We
spoke by telephone; here are the high­
lights....
Continued on Page 38