Margaret Cho: Doing

“People are surprised at the depth of resentment against Asian Americans, but it never shocks me. We are the object of hatred not only for the things we do but just being who we are, ching chong chinamen.”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, RACISM AND CIVIL RIGHTS

People

“I feel 100% responsible, even though there's nothing I could do to prevent it. What good is my guilt if it's not felt by those supposedly in charge?”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, NATIONALISM

Feeling

“I was on a plane, and the steward was coming down the aisle. "Asian chicken salad… Asian chicken salad… Asian chicken salad…" And he gets to me and he's like, "… chicken salad!" What does he think I'm gonna do? "Dis is not de salad of my people! In my homeland, dey use mandarin orange slices… and crispy wonton crunches!"”

Margaret Cho

From Her Tours and CDs, Revolution Tour

People , Thinking

“How many Americans lives have been lost in this brutal and needless war? How many Iraqi? How many names do we know on either side?”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, WAR

War

“Why do Republicans hate gay marriage so much? They certainly don't hate gay prostitutes.”

Margaret Cho

From Her Tours and CDs, Assassin CD

Hate , Marriage

“We justify those atrocities because, well, they're doing their best for their country, but then again, that exactly what the hooded executioners…”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, NATIONALISM

Country

“When we never see who we are, never hear what we think about things, what we are doing as a group or what we are doing individually, then it is as if we are never there in the first place. Silence = Nonexistence.”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, INVISIBILITY

Thinking , Silence

“I don't know how to find our voice. It catches in my throat when I try to use it. If I do manage to get something out, its met with very vocal opposition from all kinds of surprising sources.”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, INVISIBILITY

“A Korean reporter once asked me, "Do you think your Korean parents are ashamed because you talk about what you talk about on stage?" I said, "I don't think they're ashamed because they're Korean. I think any parents would be ashamed."”

Margaret Cho

From Her Tours and CDs, I'm The One That I Want Tour

Thinking , Parent

“Do I look like a happy-ending to you?”

Margaret Cho

From Her Tours and CDs, Beautiful Tour

Happiness

“I try every day to challenge myself further, and I believe in doing this I slay the monster (within) bit by bit. That's why being political is an essential part of my life. In the end, its all I have.”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, ACTIVISM

Life , Parting

“There are still lynchings. And while we don't use ropes anymore, there are more efficient ways of doing it.”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, RACISM AND CIVIL RIGHTS

Way

“My attitude towards peace does not depend on which war we are discussing. I think that words should do the work of bombs”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, WAR

War , Peace , Thinking , Dependency

“We are the scavenger minority, picking at the carcass of civil rights, trying to get our measly share, so very far from the idea of fair…but what do you expect? We are the bottom-feeders of a multicultural fishtank, we get pushed to the back of the bus by more vocal minorities that have been there and don't want to return.”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, RACISM AND CIVIL RIGHTS

Idea

“My mom used to give me messages like this: "Ummmmmmm… Scott called… IS HE THE GAY??!!" "Well, God, mom, I don't know if he's the gay… that's a lot of pressure on just one guy. He has to do the parade all by himself! 'I'm here! I'm queer!… I guess I'm the only one.'"”

Margaret Cho

From Her Tours and CDs, I'm The One That I Want Tour

God , Guy , Moms

“I am secretly a costume drama queen. Oo, I love me some Merchant Ivory films! I do! If there is a petticoat and Helena Bonham Carter, already I can feel the tears well up in my eyes. I love me some period films! And I know that I will never be in them. I will never be in any of these movies, unless I am laying down on my side smoking some opium. And I get offered movie roles all the time, but I say, "No! No! I don't want to play a manicurist. I don't want to play a really pissed-off liquor store owner. I don't want to go nowhere with a chicken under my arm. I don't want to play an exceptionally good student, I do not want to get off a tour bus and take numerous photographs, I do not ever want to utter the phrase, 'Welcome to Japan, Mr. Bond'! I don't want to write down all my memoirs about being a geisha!"”

Margaret Cho

What it is, is that I cannot run up a wall!!
From Her Tours and CDs, Revolution Tour

Love , Feeling , Tear , Time

“Why is this all so hard? Why do these old men need it so hard?”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, WAR

Men

“[on reacting to racism] I don't wanna be the better person. I don't wanna rise above it. I do wanna sink down to their level. I am not gonna turn the other cheek. "I'mma gonna show you what cheek I'mma turn, OK!"”

Margaret Cho

From Her Tours and CDs, Revolution Tour

Personality

“I get nervous when people say to me, "I just can't tell any of you Asians apart!" Um, why do you have to tell us apart? Are we gonna be separated for some reason? I can't tell us apart! I was not born with a chip in my neck that would automatically identify every Asiatic person that I would come across. "beebeebeebeebeep Filipino."”

Margaret Cho

From Her Tours and CDs, Revolution Tour

People , Personality

“Of course, we're there because of weapons of mass destruction that do not exist.”

Margaret Cho

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, WAR