Margaret Cho: Assassin

More clapping then laughing says it all... it wasn't all that offensive but from the clapping from the "alergic to pussy" and the clapping I'd say 90% of the audience was gay or lesbian and just clapping to *support the community* sort of thing, publicity... I got nothing against lesbians and gays at all but this is just kinda stupid... in less your buying it just for that reason I really wouldn't bother watching this... not funny, not that offensive really either, she leaves too much time between "jokes" which are mostly statements more then jokes, very slow paced... short statements that mostly don't connect.

in summery 1. not funny 2. statements more then jokes 3. slow delivery 4. unconnected jokes expect that most are about gays 5. audience cheers and claps but doesn't laugh that much... really tells you something, they agree with what she says but she's not funny.

Margaret Cho tells it like it is, regardless of what anyone wants to think, although her outrageous factor varies from time to time. In "Margaret Cho: Assassin", she talks about various things in the news in 2005: Terri Schiavo, the Pope's death, etc. I really liked her comments about people voting Republican solely to outlaw gay marriage (the gay agenda?). Believe you me, everything that she says is the truth. Her comments about hate mail sent to her show just how out of touch with things all these right-wing wackos are. Also really good was her suggestion for wedding planners. There are not many people who can do it like Margaret Cho. As far as I'm concerned, she IS America.

I started watching this thinking I was going to see some funny stand-up. Probably my fault for not checking, but M Cho is just a bit too hung up in all her political and gay rights issues to really be funny in this show. Not that her willingness to tackle such issues is not admirable, but it just takes the fun out of the stand-up and belongs elsewhere. And could she deliver the lines any slower? I mean if you'd cut all the annoying pauses where she is just standing there waiting for applause that does not come you'd have like a 30 minutes shorter show. So if you are not into extremely politically oriented half serious stand-up you might want to give this one a miss.

Margaret Cho is and probably always will be a highly adept stand-up performer, ingratiating and unafraid of looking silly or sounding caustic; however, her fourth filmed concert, "Assassin", falls a bit short. Cho, much thinner here with her messy hair pulled back, has somehow evolved into the gay world's Everywoman, a best friend who is immediately at the ready when injustice strikes. She's a protester, an activist, a fight-for-our-rights loudspeaker against unacceptable inequality. This isn't new territory for Cho, however this is the first film she's done which is so politically charged and challenging (Cho says in the companion DVD documentary that she is not "angry", she's simply confused). Comparisons to Lenny Bruce, however, may seem a bit premature, especially as Cho has begun to leave her more personal comical experiences by the wayside--and those were her strongest moments. "Assassin" is a diatribe on President Bush, the Pope, "the gay agenda", Terry Schiavo, Bjork, and feminism--not the kind of material (recorded, by the way, in front of a nervous-seeming Washington, D.C. audience) that makes for big laughs. When Cho nails a gag (and then milks it wholeheartedly), she can be side-splittingly effective, and her segues into different topics are wonderfully smooth. But she doesn't seem quite in tune with this particular live audience, and too much of the material is hammered home without thoughtful ripples or nuances. Cho is still a cheerful presence, and fun to watch and listen to, but her more angular face and slimmer appearance (and a throatier voice?) have intruded on her body language and her vocal tricks. She's still special, she's still "the one to want", but she's running the risk of becoming just like everybody else. ** from ****

I've seen Cho on various things on TV and thought she was quite funny, so I decided to give this one a try. I was extremely disappointed. I'm on-board with her politically, but making a statement of political opinion, no matter how true, is not comedy. We all know George Bush was an idiot, but just saying that doesn't make it funny.

In terms of political humor, Bill Hicks was the master. He not only got the point across, but he was hilarious while doing so. That is what I expect from a political comedian.

The oppression of minorities, and in some cases majorities, is an awful thing--but just saying so is pretty awful comedy.