For comedian Margaret Cho, the world is a psycho place
By John Benson
Comedian Margaret Cho likes to point out you can’t spell psycho without “Cho.”
At least that’s what she’s hoping people take away from her latest special, “psyCHO,” which debuted last weekend on Showtime.
“A lot of it is my rage and anger about all of the violence that we’re seeing: police brutality, gun violence, rape from Cosby to ISIS,” said Cho, calling from New York City. “There’s a worldwide problem in a way that women are being treated, and I think these things can be addressed in a stand-up comedy format. There’s a lot of healing there.
“So there’s that and a lot of stories about my friendships with Robin Williams and Joan Rivers, and their deaths really altering the course of my life.”
What about Donald Trump, who seemingly is a big target for all comedians these days?
“Yes, for sure,” Cho said. “He’s amazing. Disgusting, but funny. It’s ridiculous. It is almost like a comedy act. It’s really like some kind of weird, very surreal world.”
These are all topics Cho will cover when she returns to Northeast Ohio for a Sunday performance at the Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park. The 46-year-old funny lady said while much of the material will be updated from her comedy special, she also will be performing her funny songs.
In addition to acting and stand-up comedy, Cho considers herself a musician. In 2010, she released her debut album “Cho Dependent,” which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.
As far as the songs are concerned, Cho said she co-writes with the likes of Fiona Apple, Tegan and Sara and Patty Griffin, with the material delving into difficult topics albeit with a comedic slant.
“It’s very high-quality music, even though it’s joke music,” said Cho, who also can currently be seen as co-host of E!’s “Fashion Police.” “Right now I have two songs I’m going to be doing. ‘Fat [expletive]’ is a fat pride anthem because I think that’s really important. I’m the opposite of a fat shamer. I’m a fat pride activist, a body activist.
“I’m also a rape survivor. So my other song is called ‘I Want to Kill My Rapist.’ That’s a really good song to sing for people because they get very, very emotional. I have songs that have a bit more of edge than my comedy. I try to address things in my music that my comedy is hard to figure out how to tell jokes about.”
In terms of looking ahead, Cho said her goal is to host “Saturday Night Live.” She pointed out the iconic show has never had an Asian-American host. The comedian hinted a campaign could be in the works asking Lorne Michaels to select herself or actor Ken Jeong to host in the future.
Something that’s taking place right now involving inroads for Asian-Americans on network television is the relatively new ABC-TV show “Fresh Off The Boat,” which stars a Taiwanese family.
This is something special and personal for Cho, who first came into America’s living rooms attempting to break stereotypes with the 1994 ABC-TV sitcom “All-American Girl.”
“I love it, it’s to me a dream realized,” Cho said. “And in a lot of ways it is my show. It’s interesting, ‘All-American Girl’ was on in the time period that that show exists. It’s set in the ’90s. And, I’ve already been on it. In one episode, the family is watching my show on television. It’s quite a poignant moment.”
Finally, when it’s pointed out she doesn’t sound psycho, Cho said, laughing, “No, it’s the world that’s psycho.”
IF YOU GO
Who: Margaret Cho
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
Where: Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park, 10777 Northfield Road, Northfield
Tickets: $29.50 To $49.50
Info: Ticketmaster.com