Just as a Disclaimer: this post was written by our crazy awesome blogging intern, Jodi and not by me!“We have the power as woman to call ourselves beautiful.”
Margaret Cho, comedian, activist, fashion designer, writer and actress is on a mission. She wants to cure everybody of self-deprecation, make them realize just how beautiful they are. After her own self body image problems lead to eating disorders that almost killed her, Margaret Cho began to accept and love herself and her body and wants to spread that feeling to everyone. Recently, the concept of beauty, which she defines as “a feeling of goodness and happiness and that you don't have to change anything,” has become a central theme in her work. This past summer, she starred in the Lifetime sitcom, Drop Dead Diva, that centers on the idea of beauty and its context in society. Her passion in promoting self appreciation stems not only from her own personal experience, but her observations that society does not how to deal with women’s bodies, creating a constant sense of self criticism instead of appreciation and love.
Yet that mission is only the tip of the iceberg for Cho, who at forty-one years old has had a number of tours, records, DVDs, film credits and awards. One of the most successful comedians of the past two decades, Cho’s popularity exploded in the early 90s after becoming a hit on the college comedy circuit although she had been performing since she was 16. She quickly became the most booked comedian, doing over 300 shows in two years. Margaret Cho is a political comedian, recognizing activism as the very nature of herself. Her focus issues have been feminism, race, and GLBTQ rights.
For Margaret Cho, feminism is more than just a movement for equality, it is who she is, and she defines it on her own terms. “Feminism to me is like the oxygen that we breathe, it's so vitally important to life, because women ultimately make life happen, and so feminism is really a respect for living. It's a matter of respect for life and where life comes from and what life is and to respect women's rights and to respect women's wishes and what women want. And to respect the Earth and to really respect the planet and just respect life itself.” She’s an avid pro-choice activist and a huge supporter of Planned Parenthood.
As an Asian-American Cho is a strong advocate for racial equality and acceptance. In her comedy and blog she often comments on current race relations and hot topics of the day. Either with humor or wisdom, Cho can make larger issues and distant problems personal and understandable. She’s also been deputized as a marriage commissioner, and has performed a number of same sex marriages
Through her comedy and writing, Cho takes a stand on what she believes, not worrying about being controversial, raunchy or off color. Instead she’s just trying to be funny, make a solid joke, tell you what she thinks and then move on. By speaking her mind, standing up for women, their beauty and strength, Margaret Cho is a great example of a modern feminist. She makes you laugh, makes you think, and makes you feel beautiful.
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