WWW JUSTOUT COM
J Ü L J 8 . AUGUST 20 2010_________________________________
CHO! continuedfrom Pg. 1 7
JO : You’re pretty much an icon o f this
generation o f gay. Was fame within the queer
arena something that you sought or was it
something that ju st kind o f unfolded?
Cho: To me it just makes sense: I’m queer,
and my politics are queer ... and so, to me it’s
always been important to be active in queer
politics, and active in speaking up for the queer
community. I think that’s really valuable and it’s
just part of who I am. I’m glad that I am able
to do that.
JO : W hat’s your favorite thing about your
queer audiences?
Cho: Everything. To me it’s family; it’s who
I am; it’s who we are. It’s that kind of recog­
nition for each other—and really, affection for
each other. It’s what I’m all about, and so that’s
why it’s so easy for me to relate to a queer audi­
ence, because it’s just relaxed. We’re all family.
JO : You say you like your girls real butch,
specifically the type o f girls who roll their own
tampons. Could you give a celebrity example
o f such a girl?
Cho: Oh yeah, like, k.d. lang. Or Katherine
Moennig [Shane] from TheL Word. ...That kind
of butch beauty is so enduring and so iconic and
amazing and important. And butch women are
really amazing because they reject the traditional
idea of femininity and embrace their own defi­
nition of beauty, which I think is so admirable
and brave— and that adds to the attraction. I love
female masculinity; I think it’s just so hot.
JO : Well, you’re coming to Portland, where
it’s everywhere!
Cho: Yeah, it’s great. Portland is such
the capital of that kind of beauty. The Pacific
Northwest is where it was sort of born, and I
love coming there!
JO : Is there a particular reason that Port­
land is the tour launching point or should we
just consider ourselves lucky?
Cho: It’s one of my favorite places to play
so I’m excited to start there. It’s a logical place
[to start]: you want to be where it’s super lib­
eral, super queer, super Asian [laughs]. It’s, like,
where I belong. So I really love that.
Still Unusual After
All T h ese Years
C /ndi Lauper totes her Memphis blues to
the Zoo
BY RYAN J. PRADO
Cyndi Lauper is a name that doesn’t need
much elaboration. Certainly, you could talk of
her splash into the mainstream pop world in
1984 with her Grammy-winning debut album
She’s So Unusual , of her snatching the reigns of
the music video buggy and the journey into
pop-media lore with Captain Lou Albano,
Steven Spielberg and Sean Astin in tow.
You might analyze the legions of new
wave imitators who have clung to her punk-
ish, jewelry-heavy vogue motif—her bubble
gum-chewing, devil-may-care-but-insanely-
talented disposition.
Without reservation, you ought to ac­
knowledge her many career accolades:
first female artist in history to chart
five top 10 singles from a debut al­
bum, 13 Grammy nominations, 18
M TV Video Music Awards; later,
2 Emmy Awards, 2 American
Music Awards and 7 Ameri­
can Video Awards.
M argaret C ho will perform at the Arlene
Schnitzer Concert H all (1111 SW Broadway)
on Thursday, August 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets
are $28.50-$45, available at livenation.com or
through Ticketmaster. Cho Dependent hits stores
August 24. For more of ]ust O uti interview with
Cho, visit hlogout.justout.com.
In short, she’s a household name, and she’s
accomplished more than most artists could
dream.
A lot of that was merely Version 1.0 of
Lauper’s chameleonic evolution. Her legacy
didn’t end with “Girls Just Wanna Have
Fun,” “Time After Time” or The Goonies. In
addition to recording albums— her 11th of
which, Memphis Blues , is currently enjoying a
nationwide tour that will stop at the Oregon
Zoo on Wednesday, September 1— Lauper has
expanded her reach, appearing most recently
on the NBC reality series Celebrity Appren­
tice, while concurrently reprising her role of
psychic Avalon Harmonia on Fox’s Bones.
She’s also inked a deal with reality
TV wunderkind Mark Burnett for
her very own show to debut in
2011, and she’s in the writing
process for the music to the
Broadway adaptation of the
British film Kinky Boots.
It’s a lot to take in. Add
to that Lauper’s ceaseless
LGBTQ_ rights activism
with both her True
Colors Fund, her re­
cently launched Give A Damn campaign, and
her participation with Lady Gaga on the 2010
MAC Viva Glam campaign to educate women
about HIV/AIDS, and it’s no wonder she’s be­
come a perpetual fixture in the limelight.
Lauper took some time out of her busy
schedule, perched inside a bus en route to
Houston’s House of Blues—what other venue
to showcase her new disc of heart-wrench­
ing blues covers, featuring Jonny Lang, Allen
Toussaint and B.B. King?—to punch the keys
on her iPhone and answer some questions for
Just Out.
Ju st Out: You are incredibly busy now, as
always, with acting, recording, True Colors,
Give A Damn, writing your autobiography,
etc. How do you juggle all o f these different
responsibilities, especially on a tour?
Lauper: Trust me ... it is not easy. Just have
to learn to prioritize. Luckily, I have the most
amazing team to back me up, from day to day
and on the road as well.
JO : Which o f your obligations is taking
up the most time right now or is the most
stressful? Which is the most rewarding?
Lauper: I am focused on the Memphis Blues
CD and tour right now through to the end of
next summer. I’ve wanted to make this CD for
eight years, so I want to enjoy it and give it
its best shot by backing it up and hitting the
road, and that also gives me a chance to get to
be close to my fans. That’s the most rewarding
part about touring. As for the stressful part,
[it’s] being away from my family for too long.
JO : When you first began to publicly
advocate for LG BTQ_ rights, what was the
reaction like from friends, family and the
media?
Lauper: One hundred percent supportive.
I am fortunate to have the most amazing and
supportive friends, family and fans that have
been with me through the years.
When you live at Terwilliger Plaza,
art and culture are all around you.
Portland's vibrant entertainment
district is just a few blocks away.
Museums, concert halls and galleries
are right in the neighborhood or just
a short ride by streetcar. Fill your life
with culture and enjoy all the other
benefits of living at Terwilliger Plaza.
PORTLAND BANKRUPTCY LAW GROUP
Christopher J. Kane Attorney
terw illigerplaza.com
• FRI l INI MAI CONSUI IAIION •
• OVI R 14 VI ARS t XPERIINCt •
• A DE HI R'l I II I AGE NCY •
• CHAPTf R 7 X. 13 •
.*.’0 / Nl Bru.itlvv.iv, Sink* V>(), PotII. iik I 503.380.7822
www.ckanolaw.com [
8 0 0 .8 7 5 .4 2 1 1
A Continuing-Care Retirement Community for People 62+
5 0 3 .2 9 9 .4 7 1 6