http://blogspirator.blogspot.com/2004/09/alleged-comedienne-margaret-cho.html
Posted on 10/02/2004 6:57:05 PM PDT by Kokojmudd
By Cathalena E. Burch ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Comedian Margaret Cho is on a political mission. She's out to boot President Bush from office.
She believes in her mission, so much so that she's financing "State of Emergency," a cross-country tour of cities in states that politicos believe could swing in either direction on Nov. 2.
Arizona is one of those states, and Cho has decided that Tucson should be the city where she spreads her hugely anti-Bush, anti-conservative gospel.
She's politically liberal, in case you haven't guessed. Most comics do lean that way these days. She has more reasons than her profession for her politics: Being Korean-American, she's been on the receiving end of prejudice her entire life, she says. She said she believes Bush and his policies - as well as the conservative-leaning Congress - encourage similar biases.
"The whole idea of having the federal marriage amendment is so corrosive to legislation in our country," she proclaims, calling it the issue that took her over the edge, politically. "This idea that equality can be given out by degree when it's not equality if it's given out by degree. It's something else. It's getting back to the nature of democracy."
Cho, who also has been the target of public insults dished up because of her seesaw battle against obesity and her self-professed occasional bisexuality, decided she had had enough. On Aug. 28 at the famed Apollo Theater in New York City, Cho kicked off her "State of Emergency" tour before a sold-out crowd. A few blocks away, Republicans, including Bush, were holding their national convention.
"I think it's important to get out there to almost do a countercampaign," Cho, 35, said during a phone interview two weeks ago from her home in Los Angeles. "There's so much happening politically that I would like to be more involved with. This is the best way for me to use my voice, to use my work as a platform and take what I believe is right out there."
On the phone, Cho sounds quiet and calm compared with her loud stage persona. You find yourself waiting for her to go into one of those high-pitched, almost whiny scream fests that became her trademark soon after she blipped onto the national radar in the early 1990s.
"State of Emergency" is blatantly political and scathingly funny. No one is safe, particularly Republicans.
"We're talking about politics, talking about current events, talking about the state of the world and the nation and voting," she said.
She also might talk about her home life. Almost two years ago, she married performance artist and journalist Al Ridenour and settled down with a few pets. She and Ridenour are contemplating having kids.
She'll also likely discuss her new slimmer physique.
"I used to be so obsessed with working out and eating right, and that kind of made me fat," she deadpans, sounding a lot like the personality she projects onstage. "Now I don't care. More emphasis is on doing things that make me happy."
Like belly dancing.
It's great exercise, Cho is quick to note. It's fun.
She's been doing it for a few months, but she's not ready - yet - for her stage debut.
"Probably never, but that's a really a big hobby of mine," she said.
Almost as big a hobby these days as her political activism.
Cho said she plans to take "State of Emergency" abroad this fall and then swing back through the United States next spring.
"It's more of a motivational tool to get people involved, to empower people," she said. "It's exciting."
Have you ever noticed that fat chick celebrities, who build a bigmouth campaign around being accepted for being fat, will eventually go to great lengths to lose a lot of weight?
Margaret Cho - another sub-mediocre talent - her TV show lasted, what, six episodes? - probably blames it on all those racist Republicans who wouldn't watch, and now wants to get even..........
OMG the Cho factor is going to unseat Prez. Busch!
That's a good one!
It started.
About half way through I wondered if she was going to say something amusing.
It was over.
And who treated her the worst in her life, as she's previously talked about in her old comedy tours? The good old liberal folks at ABC, who wanted her show to be full of Asian-American sterotypes, and demanded that she lose weight!
Sounds like she needs a gimmic. What will she do after the election?
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