Photo credit: Albert Sanchez.
Margaret Cho took the stage at the Helium Comedy Club and started to dance. And twerk. And bemoan her lack of an ass, which she said made her twerking sad.
She then grabbed the mic and said, “It’s ‘laurel,’ and also, Roseanne is a cunt.”
That pretty much set the tone for the entire show.
The last time Margaret Cho was in St. Louis, she wasn’t well. Well, I’m assuming. Her show was full of hardships that left me wanting to hug her afterwards. She looked deflated, as if she was making herself get to the end.
This year, Ms. Cho was back. She was positively glowing, and was funny, nuanced and relaxed. During comedy shows, the audience members usually have a second to lock eyes with the person they came with and comment on a joke. Not at this show. The jokes just kept coming and the audience was roaring with laughter.
There were no uncomfortable silences, just story after story about her life. From politics to Kathy Griffin, to Tilda Swinton reaching out to her to ask her why Asians were mad at her for taking an Asian role (“as if she were her house Asian”). She talked about shows that succeeded and shows that failed, and a woman who yelled at her that she couldn’t talk about rape on Easter.
The thing that I love about Margaret Cho is that she does talk about rape on Easter. And probably on Christmas, too. As a rape survivor, and a survivor of life in general, she uses her platform to take the shame and silence away from those topics that get shushed.
Margaret Cho is unshushable. Thank God. | Melissa Cynova