Review Copyright Rose Cooper, 2000

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...and speaking of not judging a book by its cover... THE STORY (WARNING: **spoilers contained below**) Margaret Cho, a standup comedian, had the "honor" of headlining the first Asian-American sitcom - ABC's All-American Girl - on American TV. But that "honor" soon turned ugly, when Network Suits tried to make Cho into something she was uncomfortable being, and quickly cancelled her show. In I'm The One That I Want, Cho humorously discusses that tumultuous time in her life, and touches on the affinity she has with the gay community in her hometown of San Francisco and beyond. THE UPSHOT I'll be honest [am I ever not in my reviews? But I digress]: I'm The One That I Want started off slow, and almost lost my interest. I think my Issues with hearing Black comics use the term "nigga" so freely, transferred over to Cho's liberal use of "faggot", as a term of endearment. My cross to bear? Perhaps. Certainly, Cho seems to have the general support of the gay community, so more power to her, I guess. But still, except for a few chuckles here or there during the opening part of her show - her "Bitch, it's not that hot" chiding to fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld for constantly fanning himself, had me rollin' - I just couldn't Get With her humor at first. But when Cho started in on the issues surrounding all the things she had to deal with regarding her TV series, her comedy transformed from being Just (sorta lame) Jokes, to being something much deeper, something which I could easily identify with on multiple levels - and I was hooked. Cho used humor as a method of catharsis in recounting how numbnut TV network producers and such admonished her to be "more Asian" - and I could relate, having heard the same thing from some "well-wishers" who've suggested I be "more Black" in my writing. So too did I Feel Cho when she spoke of having been dissed by fellow Korean-Americans for being "too Asian" - after all, critics of my downhome writing style were one of the reasons why I created "the Bammer Blactionary" (RIP). And I gave a silent Amen when Cho chronicled, with ironic humor, the painful times she went through in trying to gain acceptance by an increasingly unaccepting audience, especially as applied to her "weight problem". After all, what non-svelte American woman - of any race - hasn't had it up to here with being told that her shape makes her unattractive in some bizarre demographic's eyes? As Cho blended humor with the obvious anger that came with being pushed and pulled in multiple directions to become something she was not, the Black Factor, the Female Factor - the Regular Person In An Irregular World Factor - made me want to scream "preach, sista!" throughout. In many ways, Cho's struggle had been my struggle; for until one learns to Show Them The Hand, who doesn't want to be accepted? Cho put me in mind of John Leguizamo, whose one-man shows on HBO have shown a talent hidden behind stereotypical thug parts he's had in flicks like Regarding Henry (not to mention the total waste of time that was Super Mario Bros, ewww) - and more to the point, Cho, like Leguizamo, laid herself bare for the audience, all the while keeping us laughing, and thinking. Cho doesn't quite have Leguizamo's range (hmmm...maybe I should do a review or two of some of his works), but the message behind her madness, came through as loudly as did his. Laughter being the best medicine, she seems to have healed herself from the destructive behavior stemming from her experiences after struggling with her weight and still having her show be cancelled. Don't be fooled: she's no sweet lotus blossom. If you spend an hour or two watching I'm The One That I Want, any preconceived notions you might have of what Asian Chicks Are Like, will quickly evaporate. And in my book, that's most def A Good Thing. BAMMER'S BOTTOM LINE If you're looking for The Asian Original Kings Of Comedy, you're looking in the wrong place: this Margaret Cho piece has more akin with John Leguizamo's heart-wrenching monologues, than with the Kangs' jokes. But listen to Cho tell you why she's gonna keep Rockin' The Mike, and about the pathos that comes with being a Minority expected to Fit In in dese hea' United States, and you'll know why I hung in there after her somewhat slow beginning. Like the drag queens who "raised" Cho might say, You Go Girl... I'M THE ONE THAT I WANT: "Is there a KKKmart?"...ha! back to top And that's the way I see it. Rose "Bams" Cooper 3BlackChicks Review™ Copyright Rose Cooper, 2000 EMAIL: bams@3blackchicks.com    ICQ: 7760005 http://www.3blackchicks.com/