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Being Margaret Cho
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The comedienne forthcoming album 'Cho Dependent' promises more of her much
adored crass, unfettered wit.
By Nalea J. Ko, Reporter
Published June 18, 2010
Margaret Cho has never been known to shy away from airing her opinions on her own
personal battles, including fighting anorexia. The comic has publicly talked about her
struggle to meet network executive's standards for her role on "All-American Girl" in 1994.
Now she is celebrating her role on the second season of Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva",
which stars an intelligent, plus-size woman. It has taken awhile, Cho said, for her to finally
feel at peace with her body image, but that doesn't mean she is lacking in salacious
comedy material.
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Cho's new album "Cho Dependent" is an outlet for her to vent about sex, drugs and murder. She had the help of
musicians like Fiona Apple, Andrew Bird, Ben Lee, Tegan and Sara, and more. The album is set for release Aug. 24.
UPCOMING EVENTS
09/27/2012 - 6:00pm
JACL 2012 National Gala Awards Dinner
Speaking by phone from Atlanta where she is filming "Drop Dead Diva", Cho said these days she has little time for
anything other than work and practicing the dulcimer.
07/05/2012 - 07/08/2012
Pacific Citizen: You play Terri Lee on Lifetime's 'Drop Dead Diva,' which stars plus-size actress Brooke Elliot.
You don't see too many shows featuring confident, curvy ladies.
Margaret Cho: I think it's such a phenomenal show. It's like for me having had so many eating disorders and being
anorexic for most of my younger years, it's so important to have a show like this where we are talking about different
types of beauty and how all women are beautiful. It's such an important message I think to have out there.
08/10/2012 - 08/11/2012
P.C.: You've been very open about your personal struggles with your weight. I understand you have long-term
damage because of your battle with anorexia.
Cho: Anorexia is a really horrible disease, so when you don't eat you can really mess up your system. Like I have a heart
murmur. I have just an irregular heartbeat because I took so many kinds of appetite suppressants for so long that I just
have permanent damage from it.
The 43rd Annual JACL National
Convention
Heart Mountain Pilgrimage
07/16/2012 - 07/20/2012
Tanoshii Fun Camp
06/21/2012 - 06/24/2012
P.C.: The show is about a model, Deb, who dies in a car accident. Her soul jumps into the body of a plus-size
attorney Jane. If your soul could jump into another body, whose would it be?
Cho: I'm very happy with myself. I would hope maybe I could come back with a like [laughs] a heart transplant, so I
wouldn't have these problems.
Minidoka Pilgrimage June 2124
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P.C.: It must feel like a refreshing change to be a part of a show that embraces casting women of different sizes.
Cho: I think that a show like 'Drop Dead Diva' is really something that can help other people also feel good about
themselves. It's taking me a long time to feel a sense of peace and happiness with where I am with my body. But you
don't have to go through what I went through to feel good about yourself.
INTERACT WITH P.C.
P.C.: For the past two years you have also been working on your album 'Cho Dependent.' There is surprising
sweetness to the song entitled 'Eat Sh--t and Die.'
Cho: That was the whole thing because I wanted to have comedy music that was beyond the joke that actually had value
beyond something that was just funny.
P.C.: Can you tell me about what inspired the song 'I'm Sorry?'
Cho: 'I'm Sorry' is about a guy that I used to be really in love with. He worked on my television show 'All-American Girl' 17
years ago. I really loved him and he did not care about me at all. I never Googled him or anything because I didn't want to
know that he was married, and successful, and happy because I was sure that's what his future held. I was sure that he
was going to be just perfectly successful and happy without me.
P.C.: And you eventually looked him up?
Cho: So I finally Googled him and his name came up and said, 'American screenwriter, producer worked on "AllAmerican Girl" with Margaret Cho, and in 2007 was convicted of the murder of his wife.' And he had bludgeoned her to
death and then stuffed her in the attic of their house for a month until she had partially mummified. So, it's really good that
we didn't hook up. And it also shows I'm a very bad judge of character, and I should not pick him. That's [laughs] for sure.
P.C.: Why did you settle on the title 'I'm Sorry?'
Cho: Researching the case and finding out more about what happened he's so not apologetic about it. He still has a way
in all of his confessions; he still blames her for the murder. It's about apologizing, but it's also about not apologizing. In the
end of the song it's still clear that he blames her. But to me it's really a way for me to heal from that experience.
P.C.: Have you tried to reach out to him or his family after learning about the murder?
Cho: No, no. I never will. And the song is sort of maybe my way of doing that without actually having to because I can't you can't. He's doing 26 years, which really isn't a lot, considering he murdered somebody and then hid body. He told her
family that she was in rehab because she was an alcoholic. He lied and said that she was in rehab so they wouldn't come
looking for her. For a month!
P.C.: Is there a dark, sordid backstory to the song 'Intervention'? You haven't had issues with addiction have
you?
Cho: I have had issues with drugs and alcohol. But those mostly are intertwined with my eating disorder. It was mostly
like I was trying not to eat, so I was taking drugs in order not to eat.
P.C.: I'm sure many of your fans had no idea that you have a great singing voice. Have you been singing for a
while?
Cho: My mom is a singer. I've been singing for the last few years, working on this record. I mean this record is the first
time I've really actually worked on my voice. And everybody who worked on the album helped me a lot vocally and also in
playing guitar.
P.C.: I understand you also traveled to the White House for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
How was that?
Cho: That was great. I'm such a fan of the Obama administration and the man. When he was giving his speech, he
winked at me. And I was like, 'Oh my God!' Like I couldn't believe the [laughs] president winked at me. And then he came
down and talked to me and he was like shaking my hand. He's a big fan, which is totally amazing, weird and surreal.
P.C.: Was there much talk about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill? What are your feelings about it?
Cho: I want to definitely see the oil spill cleaned up. It's the worst man-made disaster in recent history. It's just
devastating to our country. Most of the people who lost their livelihood are fishermen and shrimpers and those are
Vietnamese families that live out there. There're so many problems that need to be addressed there. I think that it is such
a pressing emergency. It takes precedence over things like health care. Those things definitely need to be worked out,
but right now the oil spill is definitely something that needs to be cleaned up first.
P.C.: When you're not visiting the White House, filming or working on your album, what do you do?
Cho: I don't really have any off time. I practice. I practice guitar. I practice dulcimer, which I'm getting better at.
P.C.: Thank you for taking time out of your dulcimer practice schedule to chat. Is there anything else I missed?
Cho: If people want to find out more about stuff, they can go to www.margaretcho.com.
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