Like any great art form, stand-up comedy is a “chew ’em up and spit ’em out” business consisting of mostly forgettable performers aiming for audiences with short attention spans. For instance, you’re not likely to find any in-depth discussions of Carrot Top any time soon. And like all great artists, comedians who endure do it because their craft is simultaneously fresh and timeless.
Margaret Cho’s concert movie “Notorious C.H.O.” proves the rule. But more than simply that, this chick just rocks.
If Jerry Seinfeld is the voice of the every-man, then Cho is the voice of the every-other-man. Her people are the outcasts. And the proof is offered in the opening moments of this Seattle performance as we see her fans marching into the auditorium, stopping by the camera for short professions of love for their idol.
For her part, Cho offers up comedy that is truthful and rich, even if it isn’t always universal. She’s seen a lot and done a lot, but her art comes from a youthful sensibility. You get the sense that Cho is in a constant state of discovery about herself and the world.
From her teenage drag queen friends to a candid discussion of bondage, Cho gives hilarious insights into the absurdities of life that Richard Pryor would be proud of. Venturing into her own bouts with eating disorders and low self-esteem, she proves why the greatest comedy comes from the most painful places. There’s a strength of character that can only come from someone who spent much of her life being told to stay in the background. It is impossible to not get a charge from watching someone bust loose so thoroughly.
By now, Cho’s impression of her mother has become a crowd favorite. And “Notorious C.H.O.” offers enough to satisfy but not wear thin, mainly because of the story she relates about her father’s brush with a friend he thought was gay. Throw in a dash of menstruation and female orgasm humor and any predictability is quickly swept away before she launches into an afternoon colonic story that leaves nothing to the imagination. And we won’t even get into the fisting.
All of this is unabashedly in-your-face, but not for simple shock value. Cho is a person who woke up one day and decided she wasn’t going to settle for the status quo or believe the false prophets of advertising and Cosmopolitan. This is “empowerment” comedy. Her approach to life is summed up in these words: “Love yourself without reservation. Love each other without restraint — unless you’re into bondage, then by all means, show restraint.” “Notorious C.H.O.” will come to the Bijou starting Oct. 25.
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