Reality Bites: Margaret Cho of The Cho Show

Margaret Cho has been making people laugh with her, at her, or -- in some cases -- despite her for well over 20 years now. In 1994 Cho starred in the first sitcom to ever prominently feature an Asian American family, the ill-fated All-American Girl. Since then she has tackled gender, racial, religious and other such taboo stereotypes in her stand-up comedy and writing. Now in 2008, Cho is bringing television audiences the second ever Asian American family: her own. Cho's new semi-scripted reality-comedy series for VH1, The Cho Show, premieres on August 21st. The show chronicles the exploits of Cho with her family and friends and, as she puts it, "It's gonna become your religion."

How would you describe The Cho Show?
It's a comedy show, sort of reality. It's pretty scripted in its own way. It's a new format for television shows. It's like a sitcom with real people. It's me in my daily life and the exiting things that I get to do. My family and my gay friends and I have a lot of adventures. In the first episode I'm honored as Korean of the year. [Throughout the series] I get anally bleached, I am given the key to the city of San Francisco and I host my own beauty pageant, among other things.

What changes have you experienced in terms of what you've found networks will let you air and express since you made All-American Girl?
Things have changed so dramatically. It's incredible what you're allowed to do and say on television now. There is a lot more leeway in cable, and VH1 has been really amazing and extraordinary. [The Cho Show] is the second Asian American family show on TV. I can't believe they haven't had another one in all this time.

Do you think the show will help raise awareness of LGBT rights?
Absolutely. It's very gay. The show is very, very gay. It's a big part of who I am.

How do you feel about the reality television phenomenon in general?
I love it, I think it's great. Most of the shows that I watch are reality. Like Project Runway and I Love Money. I love the Flavor of Love girls and Rock of Love. Heather should have fucking won. She would have loved him for all his life. I thought it was wrong that he picked Jess. I was really upset. I was so mad he didn't pick Heather [on the first season], that the second season it took time for me to get into it. I also love Tila Tequila. She's queer and Asian American and that's fucking cool.

You are also on tour right now with your “Beautiful” stand-up comedy show. Can you describe the theme of this tour? How is it different from your other tours?
This tour is really about beauty and feeling beautiful. It comes out of a joke. I did an interview with a radio station, and [the man] asked me, "What if you woke up and you were blond and beautiful and 100 pounds? What would you do?" And I said "I wouldn't get up because I'd be too weak to stand.” And I went off on him, and that is how the idea came about. You don't have to be blond or super skinny or young to be beautiful.

You love dogs. Have your dogs done anything particularly funny or adorable recently?
They do every day. My favorite thing [my dogs do] when I'm eating is that they'll sit by me, real close. They're not there for the food; they're just there for a friend. There is food there, but they're not there to eat it. They won't beg, but they'll just be in the way. It's so funny. I love dogs. I'm a dogizer.

What are you up to for the rest of the summer?
I'll be on the ”Beautiful” tour for awhile, and doing some press for The Cho Show. I just got deputized in San Francisco and Los Angeles to be a deputy marriage commissioner, so that's a really cool thing.

There are so many reality shows out there -- why should people watch yours?
This is the best one. It's gonna become your religion.