Ho...Ho...CHO!

[December 5th, 2001]

Last week I had a "Byron" day.

One that starts with a verbal assault by a crazy, Korean-American prostitute and ends with a lengthy telephone interview with another crazy Korean-American--comedian-actress Margaret Cho.

I have to say I preferred my interaction with Cho. And why not? Who wouldn't love speaking to a funny lady who not only embraces queers as her best friends but then has the balls to lay down with ladies every once in a while? Back in P-town to perform her one-woman show, "The Notorious C.H.O.," I talked to the feisty bi-otch right before she performed her show on the tiny island of Kauai:

Willamette Week: Do people expect you to be the same person on and off the stage?

Margaret Cho: Yeah, they think I'm going to be loud and obnoxious. But that's just the vehicle for me to get my message across as a comedian. I think people are often disappointed by my presence. I'm not the fire that comes forth in my stage performance.

Do you like playing with fire?

I think it's exciting for people to see an Asian-American woman wield that kind of power. All different types see it as a metaphor for their own lives.

Tell me about the new show.

'The Notorious C.H.O.' is about finding definitions of happiness: happiness in relationships, within the body and within what we dream of as opposed to what happens in our lives.

Huh? I thought it was about female rap singers.

Umm, not really. When I was deciding what the new show would be, I thought it would be funny if I came out with this totally hip-hop show and was totally 'The Notorious C.H.O.' But it's a joke.

Don't you think female rappers have a cool 'lesbian chic' look?

Well, when I think 'lesbian' I don't always automatically think 'chic.' To me lesbians are more earthy. Chic is more the realm of gay men. When I think of 'lesbian,' it's about a confidence that rises above chic. It's more concerned with substance and presence as opposed to appearance.

You talk about your sex life a lot. Why is it easy to be so nasty?

I think it's easy for me to talk about sex because I don't enjoy it.

Sex is one of life's great dissatisfactions for me. I don't find happiness within it. I'm not happy within my body, my skin or whatever.

You've embraced the word 'fag hag' like gay men embrace the word 'queer.' What is another word you would like to reclaim from the world of hate-mongers?

My friends and I are trying to reclaim 'high faggotry.' You know that '70s type of gay lifestyle where everyone screams 'Oh, Mary!' It's hilarious.

OK, so what else makes you laugh?

Well, the guy that I'm touring with makes me laugh a lot.

Vaginal Davis is a famous drag queen, filmmaker and punk star. He's incredible. He's makes me fuckin' laugh like nobody. I just fuckin' scream laughing every day. He keeps me sane.

How would your E! True Hollywood Story begin and end?

I think it would begin with really sad-looking pictures of me from the '70s. It would end with Rupert Everett and me starring in The Next Best Thing, Part II. That would be awesome.