Margaret Cho: I'm the One That I Want

I saw this about 3 years ago. I really wanted to see it after hearing about it at her website. This was much different from her previous routines as this was a one woman show rather than stand up comedy. This first few minutes are pretty slow where she talks about sexuality.

When she gets into the meat of the show ("The All American Girl" incident), that is where she excels. We hear the story behind the failure of the show, Margaret "selling out" to the show's plot (An episode has her making fun of her parents at a club, something she does often in her routine. In the end, she publicly apologizes for making fun of her parents), losing weight rapidly because the network told her too, and a whole lot more. When she gets serious, we feel her pain. When it was cancelled, she goes into a downward spiral. I loved her retort when she replaced by Drew Carey ("Because he was so thin" lol).

I love the empowerment Margaret gives herself when she realizes that losing a show was not the living end. She knows better now because of those unattainable goals that Hollywood sets up for women and ethnic comedians. She shows her strength and defiance against the system. In the end, she comes out a winner.

I agree with all the rave reviews of this wonderful film. One thing that stayed with me longest, though, is Cho's brilliantly comic and emotional portrayal of her (self-described) "cool" mom. The layers of outrageous humor and friendly exasperation at first conceal, and eventually reveal, intense two-way love and loyalty. Cho's vignette about her mother's favorite Mother's Day is incredible. Cho's "mom" routines are fully realized portraits - of a relationship, an immigrant experience, and the best stuff of families. This film is worth watching at least a few times.

Margaret Cho is a Genius. She has the uncanny ability to talk about very sensitive issues (racism, self image, family, cruelty in the entertainment industry, and of course sex in all of its forms), and make them accessible through sheer hilarity. Her timing is impeccable, her imitations uproarious, and her candor admirable. This movie is an autobiographical account of her life including the failure of her sit-com. Through it all, she is able to show her audience a great deal of vulnerability, and still come out triumphant. I laughed so hard I thought I had gone through a 90 minute abdominal workout.

Actress/comedienne Margaret Cho's 1999 concert, filmed before a live audience in San Francisco, catches the wonderfully embittered (and yet still hopeful) comic genius at a professional peak. Regaling against the Hollywood machinery which nearly put her away for good, Cho masterfully segues from stories about her failed TV-sitcom "All American Girl" to side stories and family memories which gives her main theme--being true to yourself--more depth and punch. Smartly opening with rebel grrl music, Cho appears on-stage without any gimmicks (her follow-up concert, "Notorious C. H. O.", added a back-screen which was probably helpful to that audience but a distraction for movie viewers). This concert keeps getting better, with the funniest of the jokes becoming staples in Cho's repertoire. *** from ****

Ahhh, you're in for a treat. This woman has something to say and she says it in the best ways possible-- funny, edgy, self-effacing, step off buddy, been-there and Hi, I'm baaaack.

And just in time. I love you, Margaret Cho. I've heard the ass master bit fifteen, twenty times, and you still make me laugh. God bless you.

It's interesting how easily male stand-up comedians slip into their eponymous network sitcoms, and how difficult it is to fit a female comedian into one. Cho gives us her story, and then she gives us her new mantra-- I'm the one that I want. This is the kind of tape you'll want to have around, not necessarily because of the humor, but because of the message. If you've never heard of Margaret Cho, then know that she is one of the best around. A 'must see'.