Comic Cho laughs at adversity

As a young girl, Margaret Cho always wanted to perform. In her book, "I'm the One that I Want," she writes that she would smile and show off for people on buses because she had learned that if you made someone happy, candy was sure to follow. But if they didn't smile back, tough luck finding candy.\nSadly, growing up in the '70s did not provide her with many Asian role models in the entertainment industry. During her lecture Monday night at the IU Auditorium, she said if she wanted to get parts in Hollywood at that time she would have had to settle for playing an extra in Mash or a hooker. And yes, the phrase, "me love you long time," was used.\nTherein lies the brilliance of Cho's comedy. She is not afraid to take on a preconception that the public might have about an issue and turn it on its ear. Throughout her lecture and the following question-and-answer session, she tore down many ethnic and sexual stereotypes that exist in our society. Speaking in honor of The National Day of Silence and Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Cho voiced her beliefs for the audience, taking on powerful topics that often brought a hush to the crowd, and then humanizing them with her razor-sharp wit.\nAt an early age she felt inadequate. Her father once told her to work on her personality because her looks would not take her far. She told the audience about how her parents constantly made her feel misunderstood as a child and she lashed out by defying their beliefs. She touts herself as the only Korean American to ever fail out of high school with a 0.6 GPA. She even ribbed a young Asian girl sitting in the front row for taking notes at the lecture. But it was not a racial slam; she was simply poking fun at the way American society has grouped Asians together as a whole.\nFighting racism is one of Cho's biggest concerns. \n"When someone makes a comment about race, there is no defense," she said. "It is the utter rejection of what holds a person together." \nWhile she does not often face racism head-on, there was an undercurrent in her lecture about being considered different from the start of her career. It frustrated her that Asians were not present in the entertainment industry. She remarked that the old '70s television program "Kung Fu" should have actually been called, "Um, That Guy's not Chinese."\nShe also told the audience about how she wasn't allowed on "Star Search" when she was first beginning her career. Instead she had to appear on "Star Search International," or as she called it, "Ghetto Star Search."\nEven today, as a successful entertainer, she faces unintentionally asinine questions. During an interview after the Sept. 11 attacks, a reporter asked her what it was like to be a part of the "Axis of Evil," to which she replied, "I'm a fucking American goddamnit!"\nCho is also a big proponent of women's rights -- most importantly a woman's right to feel comfortable with who she is as a person. She detailed when she was given her own television show on ABC network and executives allowed her to play herself on the series, as long as she lost 30 pounds before it began filming. This Hollywood-induced eating disorder lingered for four years after the show's cancellation. She spiraled into alcoholism and depression trying to live up to the standards imposed on her by society. Today having recovered, she now gives a voice to the millions of women who feel belittled by society for not living up to the impossible standards of beauty it sets.\nCho not only rallies for the rights of her own sex, but she also stands by her friends. A self-designated, "fag hag," Cho is very vocal in promoting the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered citizens. \n"A Government that would deny a gay man the right to bridal registry is a fascist one," she said. \nDuring the question-and-answer section of the lecture, Cho praised a young lesbian woman who is raising a child with her partner and the gay couple that they brought it into the world with. \n"A family should be created entirely by choice, by people who love one another," she said.\nOf herself, Cho said, "I'm not gay. I'm not straight. I'm just slutty. Where's my parade?"\nThe brilliance of Cho's lecture was in the way she connected with her audience. She embraces her Asian heritage, she is a patriotic American citizen and is, above all, a very funny woman. The diverse crowd of young, old, gay, lesbian, straight, black, white and Asian people embraced her harsh yet sunny evaluation of the world. As she said, if she can serve as the bridge of understanding between San Francisco leather queens and old Korean people, what can't she do?