Margaret Cho: The Next Oprah

One of the best movies of the year, I’M THE ONE THAT I WANT also features one of the best performances from comedian Margaret Cho. Jenelle speaks to Cho about how her family handles her brutal honesty, great Halloween costumes and why she might be the next Oprah Winfrey.

Jenelle Lynn Riley, November 2000
 

Margaret Cho didn’t set out to be a gay icon, but she admits it was always the dream. Anyone who’s seen her current film I’M THE ONE THAT I WANT can understand why the homosexual audience has so embraced her; a self-proclaimed “fag hag”, Cho is an activist, a drinking buddy and a diva all wrapped up in a 5 foot package. She feels close to the gay community, calling it “a minority thing. We don’t understand why we’re not part of the dominant culture.” It’s their loss; Cho is increasingly proving herself to be one of the most distinct and original voices in comedy. For those who abide by the old axiom “any club that would have me as a member, I wouldn’t want to join”, there are an increasing number of people who would feel that any club that doesn’t want Margaret Cho definitely isn’t worth being a part of. A whole new base of fans is growing with the success of Cho’s concert movie, which began a limited release earlier in the year and is still in theaters across the country. The film has garnered glowing reviews for Cho, both for her performance and her writing. In fact, the film has the sharpest script of the year-funny, lacerating and genuinely insightful, it deserves serious Oscar consideration, as does Cho’s performance. That’s a long shot, considering the medium. “I don’t know about that,” Cho replies, when asked how to respond to people who say concert movies don’t count as real films. “It’s definitely a different experience than regular films. But it does have a documentary feel and focus, and I’ve always considered documentaries to be movies.” I’M THE ONE THAT I WANT is more a throwback to the great Richard Pryor films than a typical HBO stand-up special. The film focuses entirely on Cho and it’s easy to forget the audience is even there. “Audience reactions shots seem totally unnecessary,” Cho says. “Usually when you see an audience shot, it’s done because some creative editing is taking place in the film. That, or the filmmaker feels the need to show you ‘hey, this part is funny’.” Some of the biggest laughs in the film come at the expense of family; Cho’s own mother is ruthlessly imitated for her bizarre answering machine messages (“Are you gay??!??”). At the beginning of the film, Cho remarks that her parents are in the audience, but we never see their reactions during the film. But Cho assures me they loved it. “They love what I do, they’re really proud. They’re so proud of my career.” And what about other people who are discussed in the film? Is there a price for such honesty? Cho once did a bit about a producer who tried to bed her, only to see him sitting in her audience. She also has endured some tabloid-worthy relationships with people like Chris Issak, Quentin Tarantino and Garrett Wang. And how do some of her former co-workers from ALL-AMERICAN GIRL feel about the way they’re portrayed? Cho remains philosophical. “Most people I know who worked on the show came to see the film and loved it. It was kind of an uncomfortable thing because of the history of the show, but it needs to be out in the open. Unhealthy relationships can only thrive in silence, these things need to be talked about.” It probably helps that Cho is harshest on herself, taking on full responsibility for allowing others to control and water-down her act. So, given her experience, would she consider doing television again? “I think I would,” she says. “It depends on the project.” Surprisingly, Cho says she doesn’t care much for today’s sitcoms and if she returned to tv, she’d want to be a talk show host. “I love Oprah,” she confesses. “I think she’s done so much for women, people of color and humanity in general. I would love to contribute in that vein, have that kind of a ministry.” It actually makes perfect sense; many of Cho’s struggles with her race and weight mirror Winfrey’s, as does her ability to turn her tragedies into viable entertainment. There are some programs she does enjoy-WILL AND GRACE is “funny”, she relates to SEX IN THE CITY and is even considering a guest appearance. “I consider myself a ‘Carrie’, but with a ‘Miranda’ uprising,” she quips. But American television in general doesn’t appeal to her. One of her favorite shows is actually a British soap opera, EAST ENDERS. “It’s not about rich, beautiful people, but real life. There’s a broad age range and people are so amazing and real. It’s great, powerful writing.” Cho values a good script above all else, which is one of the reasons she says she doesn’t watch other actresses and wish she had their roles. “I’m too involved in my own work, I’m comfortable writing for myself,” she says. One role that did amaze her was Bjork’s performance in the film DANCER IN THE DARK. In fact, she was so moved by the picture she dressed as the lead character for Halloween this year. Complete with thick glasses and her factory girl uniform, Cho was disappointed when virtually nobody got the joke. “Everyone thought I was Laverne from ‘Laverne and Shirley’,” she says. An interesting thought: if there’s any justice in Hollywood, Margaret Cho might find herself nominated against the real Bjork at next year’s Oscars.