Margaret Cho is “Beautiful” and So Are Her Gay Fans

Margaret Cho has been breaking down the myths and stereotypes of society for years. After last year's successful Off Broadway run of her burlesque style show The Sensuous Woman, Margaret has come home to her stand-up roots.

Her new stand-up tour, Beautiful, debuted February 27^th in Sydney Australia, marking the first time Ms. Cho has premiered a show abroad. But before heading out for Down Under, Cho talked with us about gay men’s body image issues, why she’ll vote for Barack Obama and her upcoming role on Sordid Lives.

AfterElton: For the first time ever you’re starting your tour abroad in Australia. Is that because Australia is so gay?
Margaret Cho: Australia is so gay! I am really excited to go to Mardi Gras which is why I am premiering my show there at the same time. It’s the biggest Gay Pride Party. Cyndi Lauper, who I love, is going with me. It’s going to be rocking!

AE: Hot! Let’s talk about the show you are debuting during Aussie Mardi Gras - Beautiful.
MC: The show came about because I was on this radio show and the DJ asked me: “What would you do if you woke up tomorrow and you were beautiful?” I was like “What?!” He’s like “What if you woke up and you were blond, blue-eyed, 5’ 11 and weighed 100 lbs and you were beautiful, what would you do?”

I told him I probably wouldn’t get up because I would be too weak to stand! [laughs]

It upset me because I thought if that was the only person he thinks is beautiful, he must not see much beauty ever. I wanted to do a show about how we are all beautiful. It is something I have to constantly tell myself. So the show is about that and it is also a salute to the vagina. About half of it is vagina related.

AE: How do your tattoos relate to your being beautiful?
MC: They are a part of my thing. I am in my 30’s and women my age in Los Angeles are getting plastic surgery. I thought: I am going to get tattoos instead so, when I am old, people won’t be looking at my wrinkles, they will be going: “Oh my God, look at that lizard!” [laughs]

AE: What is the gayest thing in Beautiful?
MC: The gayest thing about my show is I talk a lot about my Fag Hagness, and how I love going to gay bars. Being a fag hag is great, until it becomes about dick o’clock. That’s about 12:15 at night. That’s when fag hags don’t exist anymore. If you don’t have a dick you had better leave the bar! You could be Judy Garland coming back from the dead at dick o’clock, and no gay man gives a sh*t! [laughs] If you don’t have a dick, leave! They should organize a fag hag shuttle to pick up all the fag hags when the clock strikes dick!