History Creator / MargaretCho

[[RecordedAndStandUpComedy Stand-up comedian]], actress, activist, blogger, and musician Margaret Cho was born Moran Cho in 1968 to a [[UsefulNotes/{{SouthKorea}} Korean]] family in California. Her routines often talk about her pansexuality, sexuality in general, feminism, Asian-American stereotypes, and politics. She had a short-lived sitcom called ''Series/AllAmericanGirl'' based on her life as a second generation Korean-American. The show is known for featuring the first Asian-American family on prime-time tv. She currently plays Terri on the Creator/{{Lifetime}} series ''Series/DropDeadDiva''. She also lends her voice to the stop-motion comedy ''WesternAnimation/RickAndSteveTheHappiestGayCoupleInAllTheWorld''. Was once on ''Series/DancingWithTheStars'', but was eliminated in the third round. She released a music comedy album, ''Cho Dependent'', in 2010.

HUGE gay following. We're talkin' second Creator/JudyGarland here. It helps that Cho has been quite open about her love for gays for her entire career.

* FluffyFashionFeathers: Inspired by Music/{{Cher}} and Music/{{Bjork}}, Margaret once wore an outlandish peacock dress to the Grammy Awards. While she didn't win the Grammy she was up for, she ''was'' named Worst Dressed by various {{fashion magazine}}s. This was met with cheers, since it came after a rant on how everybody at award shows dress the same, and the ones named Worst Dressed are really the best since they created their own look.

* BlackRapeComedy: Was sexually molested from ages 5 to 12 by an older family member which was very devastating for her, however she deals with that pain through comedy ... [[CrossesTheLineTwice which can get pretty dark at times]].

* NWordPrivileges: Large debate as to whether or not she has these when she pokes fun at Asian and/or LGBT culture. One's view on the debate often makes the difference between loving her and hating her. The biggest issue with this is that despite being an advocate on Asians not being type-cast and for gay rights and equality, the majority of her Asian jokes rely on the concept of [[FunnyForeigner Funny Foreigners]], most of the gay men she jokes about are CampGay, and most the lesbians she jokes about are [[ButchLesbian Butch Lesbians]].

[[RecordedAndStandUpComedy Stand-up comedian]], actress, activist, blogger, and musician Margaret Cho was born Moran Cho in 1968 to a [[UsefulNotes/{{SouthKorea}} Korean]] family in California. Her routines often talk about her pansexuality, sexuality in general, feminism, Asian-American stereotypes, and politics. She had a short-lived sitcom called ''Series/AllAmericanGirl'' based on her life as a second generation Korean-American. The show is known for featuring the first Asian-American family on prime-time tv. She currently plays Terri on the Creator/{{Lifetime}} series ''Series/DropDeadDiva''. She also lends her voice to the stop-motion comedy ''WesternAnimation/RickAndSteveTheHappiestGayCoupleInAllTheWorld''. Was once on ''DancingWithTheStars'', but was eliminated in the third round. She released a music comedy album, ''Cho Dependent'', in 2010.

[[RecordedAndStandUpComedy Stand-up comedian]], actress, activist, blogger, and musician Margaret Cho was born Moran Cho in 1968 to a Korean family in California. Her routines often talk about her pansexuality, sexuality in general, feminism, Asian-American stereotypes, and politics. She had a short-lived sitcom called ''Series/AllAmericanGirl'' based on her life as a second generation Korean-American. The show is known for featuring the first Asian-American family on prime-time tv. She currently plays Terri on the Creator/{{Lifetime}} series ''Series/DropDeadDiva''. She also lends her voice to the stop-motion comedy ''WesternAnimation/RickAndSteveTheHappiestGayCoupleInAllTheWorld''. Was once on ''DancingWithTheStars'', but was eliminated in the third round. She released a music comedy album, ''Cho Dependent'', in 2010.

* FluffyFashionFeathers: Inspired by Cher and {{Bjork}}, Margaret once wore an outlandish peacock dress to the Grammy Awards. While she didn't win the Grammy she was up for, she ''was'' named Worst Dressed by various {{fashion magazine}}s. This was met with cheers, since it came after a rant on how everybody at award shows dress the same, and the ones named Worst Dressed are really the best since they created their own look.

[[RecordedAndStandUpComedy Stand-up comedian]], actress, activist, blogger, and musician Margaret Cho was born Moran Cho in 1968 to a Korean family in California. Her routines often talk about her pansexuality, sexuality in general, feminism, Asian-American stereotypes, and politics. She had a short-lived sitcom called ''Series/AllAmericanGirl'' based on her life as a second generation Korean-American. The show is known for featuring the first Asian-American family on prime-time tv. She currently plays Terri on the Creator/{{Lifetime}} series ''Series/DropDeadDiva''. She also lends her voice to the stop-motion comedy ''[[RickAndSteve Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World]]''. Was once on ''DancingWithTheStars'', but was eliminated in the third round. She released a music comedy album, ''Cho Dependent'', in 2010.

* {{Malaproper}}: While performing on a gay cruise, she found out the boat had a reading room and pictured a drag queen teaching people how to "read" (that is, subtly insult people).

[[RecordedAndStandUpComedy Stand-up comedian]], actress, activist, blogger, and musician Margaret Cho was born Moran Cho in 1968 to a Korean family in California. Her routines often talk about her pansexuality, sexuality in general, Asian-American stereotypes, and politics. She had a short-lived sitcom called ''Series/AllAmericanGirl'' based on her life as a second generation Korean-American. The show is known for featuring the first Asian-American family on prime-time tv. She currently plays Terri on the Creator/{{Lifetime}} series ''Series/DropDeadDiva''. She also lends her voice to the stop-motion comedy ''[[RickAndSteve Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World]]''. Was once on ''DancingWithTheStars'', but was eliminated in the third round. She released a music comedy album, ''Cho Dependent'', in 2010.

[[RecordedAndStandUpComedy Stand-up comedian]], actress, activist, blogger, and musician Margaret Cho was born Moran Cho in 1968 to a Korean family in California. Her routines often talk about her pansexuality, sexuality in general, Asian-American stereotypes and politics. She had a short-lived sitcom called ''Series/AllAmericanGirl'' based on her life as a second generation Korean-American. The show is known for featuring the first Asian-American family on prime-time tv. She currently plays Terri on the Creator/{{Lifetime}} series ''Series/DropDeadDiva''. She also lends her voice to the stop-motion comedy ''[[RickAndSteve Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World]]''. Was once on ''DancingWithTheStars'', but was eliminated in the third round. She released a music comedy album, ''Cho Dependent'', in 2010.

[[RecordedAndStandUpComedy Stand-up comedian]], actress, activist, blogger, and musician Margaret Cho was born Moran Cho in 1968 to a Korean family in California. Her routines often talk about her bisexuality, sexuality in general, Asian-American stereotypes and politics. She had a short-lived sitcom called ''Series/AllAmericanGirl'' based on her life as a second generation Korean-American. The show is known for featuring the first Asian-American family on prime-time tv. She currently plays Terri on the Creator/{{Lifetime}} series ''Series/DropDeadDiva''. She also lends her voice to the stop-motion comedy ''[[RickAndSteve Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World]]''. Was once on ''DancingWithTheStars'', but was eliminated in the third round. She released a music comedy album, ''Cho Dependent'', in 2010.

* NWordPrivileges: Large debate as to whether or not she has these when she pokes fun at Asian and/or LGBT culture. One's view on the debate often makes the difference between loving her and hating her. The biggest issue with this is that despite being an advocate on Asians not being type-cast and for gay rights and equality, the majority of her Asian jokes rely on the concept of FunnyForeigners, all of the gay men she jokes about are CampGay, and all the lesbians she jokes about are ButchLesbians.

* NWordPrivileges: Large debate as to whether or not she has these when she pokes fun at Asian and/or LGBT culture. One's view on the debate often makes the difference between loving her and hating her.

* DreamTeam: On ''Cho Dependent'', Margaret collaborated with indie/alternative musicians like Fiona Apple, TeganAndSara, and AniDiFranco.

* ClusterFBomb: Her own swearing is average for a raunchy comedian, but she loves telling the story of a profanity-laden hatemail she got after criticizing then-president GeorgeWBush. It ''started'' with "GOOK CHINK CUNT FAT DYKE!" and got even more poetic from there.

[[RecordedAndStandUpComedy Stand-up comedian]], actress, activist, blogger, and musician Margaret Cho was born Moran Cho in 1968 to a Korean family in California. Her routines often talk about her bisexuality, sexuality in general, Asian-American stereotypes and politics. She had a short-lived sitcom called ''Series/AllAmericanGirl'' based on her life as a second generation Korean-American. The show is known for featuring the first Asian-American family on prime-time tv. She currently plays Terri on the Creator/{{Lifetime}} series ''DropDeadDiva''. She also lends her voice to the stop-motion comedy ''[[RickAndSteve Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World]]''. Was once on ''DancingWithTheStars'', but was eliminated in the third round. She released a music comedy album, ''Cho Dependent'', in 2010.

--->"Someone once asked me, 'Do your Korean parents feel ashamed you talk about what you talk about on stage?' I don't think they're ashamed because they're Korean. I think any parents would be ashamed." ([[BrickJoke mimics driving home with one finger off the wheel after fingering a guy during oral sex]])

'''''HUGE''''' gay following. We're talkin' second Creator/JudyGarland here. It helps that Cho has been quite open about her love for gays for her entire career.

* BerserkButton: The "Hong Kong Phooey" [[UsefulNotes/{{Fonts}} font]], that stereotypically Asian typeface used to advertise anything remotely Asiatic. In ''I'm The One That I Want'', she talked about how she once yelled at a passing driver for having that on a bumper sticker ("This car was made with tools, not chopsticks"), forcing him into the wrong lane.

** A spate of homophobic and racist abuse she endured (see [[ClusterFBomb Cluster F-Bomb]] below) activated her gay fanbase's BerserkButton:
--> "So I posted them on my website, including the return addresses, and some of these people wrote me from their work emails. So I had their work information, their names, their addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, Blockbuster card numbers, favorite flavor of ice-cream. And the thing is, I guess I have this whole fanbase that's ready to go to bat for me. They're already pissed off, and they're looking for ''half'' a reason. 'Oh, I would like to see someone ''try'' to mess with ''my girl!!'' ' And basically I unleashed Al Gay-da. Which is a sleeper cell you do ''not'' want to wake up. ...So suddenly these people are emailing me back: 'Please take my info off of your site. I'm so sorry. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I shouldn't have said what I said. And please make these gay people go away. Please, hurry! I think Cirque du Soleil is warming up on my front lawn!' "

* BilingualBackfire: Inverted. While promoting ''Series/AllAmericanGirl,'' she appeared on a morning talk show for a local station that was recently bought out by Disney. At the end of the interview segment, the host, in a CriticalResearchFailure, asked Margaret to tell the people at home "in [her] native language" that they were changing over to an ABC affiliate. As Margaret was born and raised in California and is actually not fluent in Korean, she simply looked at the camera and curtly said in plain English, "They're changing over to an ABC affiliate."

* PsychoticLover: her song "I'm sorry." is a GenderFlip of a RealLife male example.
* RealityIsUnrealistic: Her biggest bone of contention with the producers of ''Series/AllAmericanGirl'' was how she was forced to lose weight for her role. ''[[CompletelyMissingThePoint To play herself.]]''
* SitComic: her sitcom, ''Series/AllAmericanGirl''
* StopBeingStereotypical: She's gotten this from (many non-Asian) critics. Also, inverted by [[{{MoralGuardians}} some conservative elements]] within the Asian/Korean American community who would [[{{PositiveDiscrimination}} prefer]] a [[{{YamatoNadeshiko}} more "traditional" image of Asians]] in the media. This was the reason the "Asian Consultant" was hired and manages to be a topic of great ire for her today.
-->"Someone once asked me, 'Do your Korean parents feel ashamed you talk about what you talk about on stage?' I don't think they're ashamed because they're Korean. I think any parents would be ashamed." ([[BrickJoke mimics driving home with one finger off the wheel after fingering a guy during oral sex]])

-->"And I said, 'Eh, I'm Asian enough (nervous laughter). '''Did it HAVE to be on YELLOW PAPER?! Oh my GOD you guys!''''"

* RaceTropes

* AllWomenArePrudes -- Recalling her time on ''Series/AllAmericanGirl'', she complained about how sexually neutered her character was, as TV!Margaret would turn down sex even in cases where Real!Margaret would have consented. She found this annoying, as the show was based on her and she personally averts this trope to hell and back. "Slut pride!"

* AsianRudeness -- Her parents, but brought up in an affectionate manner. Imitating her mother is a beloved part of her stand-ups.
* BeautifulAllAlong -- in the semi-autobiographical ''Bam-Bam & Celeste''
* BerserkButton -- The "Hong Kong Phooey" [[UsefulNotes/{{Fonts}} font]], that stereotypically Asian typeface used to advertise anything remotely Asiatic. In ''I'm The One That I Want'', she talked about how she once yelled at a passing driver for having that on a bumper sticker ("This car was made with tools, not chopsticks"), forcing him into the wrong lane.

* BiTheWay -- Her bisexuality is a frequent topic in her comedy.
* BilingualBackfire -- Inverted. While promoting ''Series/AllAmericanGirl,'' she appeared on a morning talk show for a local station that was recently bought out by Disney. At the end of the interview segment, the host, in a CriticalResearchFailure, asked Margaret to tell the people at home "in [her] native language" that they were changing over to an ABC affiliate. As Margaret was born and raised in California and is actually not fluent in Korean, she simply looked at the camera and curtly said in plain English, "They're changing over to an ABC affiliate."
* ClusterFBomb -- Her own swearing is average for a raunchy comedian, but she loves telling the story of a profanity-laden hatemail she got after criticizing then-president GeorgeWBush. It ''started'' with "GOOK CHINK CUNT FAT DYKE!" and got even more poetic from there.

* CrosscastRole -- Margaret's recurring role as [[UsefulNotes/TheRulersOfNorthKorea Kim Jong-il]] on ''Series/ThirtyRock''. Yes, you read that correctly.
* DreamTeam -- On ''Cho Dependent'', Margaret collaborated with indie/alternative musicians like Fiona Apple, TeganAndSara, and AniDiFranco.
* FluffyFashionFeathers -- Inspired by Cher and {{Bjork}}, Margaret once wore an outlandish peacock dress to the Grammy Awards. While she didn't win the Grammy she was up for, she ''was'' named Worst Dressed by various {{fashion magazine}}s. This was met with cheers, since it came after a rant on how everybody at award shows dress the same, and the ones named Worst Dressed are really the best since they created their own look.

* NWordPrivileges -- Large debate as to whether or not she has these when she pokes fun at Asian and/or LGBT culture. One's view on the debate often makes the difference between loving her and hating her.
* PsychoticLover -- her song "I'm sorry." is a GenderFlip of a RealLife male example.
* RealityIsUnrealistic -- Her biggest bone of contention with the producers of ''Series/AllAmericanGirl'' was how she was forced to lose weight for her role. ''[[CompletelyMissingThePoint To play herself.]]''
* SitComic -- her sitcom, ''Series/AllAmericanGirl''
* StopBeingStereotypical -- She's gotten this from (many non-Asian) critics. Also, inverted by [[{{MoralGuardians}} some conservative elements]] within the Asian/Korean American community who would [[{{PositiveDiscrimination}} prefer]] a [[{{YamatoNadeshiko}} more "traditional" image of Asians]] in the media. This was the reason the "Asian Consultant" was hired and manages to be a topic of great ire for her today.

-->"Someone once asked me if I think I'm embarrassing my Korean family. I'd embarrass ''any'' family!" ([[BrickJoke mimics driving home with one finger off the wheel after fingering a guy during oral sex]])

--> "So I posted them on my website, including the return addresses, and some of these people wrote me from their work emails. So I had their work information, their names, their addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, Blockbuster card numbers, favorite flavor of ice-cream. And the thing is, I guess I have this whole fanbase that's ready to go to bat for me. They're already pissed off, so they just need ''half'' a reason. 'Oh, I would like to see someone ''try'' to mess with ''my girl!!'' And basically I unleashed Al Gay-da. Which is a sleeper cell you do ''not'' want to wake up. ...So suddenly these people are emailing me back: 'Please take my info off of your site. I'm so sorry. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I shouldn't have said what I said. And please make these gay people go away. Please, hurry! I think Cirque du Soleil is warming up on my front lawn!' "

** Reversed when a spate of homophobic and racist abuse she endured (see [[ClusterFBomb Cluster F-Bomb]] below) set off her gay fans.