Vp Issue 1: "The Tao of Cho, An Interview with Margaret Cho"

times change, we are realizing en-masse that we do have to be vocal about the way that we're represented, that we do have to be vocal about what people are saying about Asian Americans, because it affects us. We are tired of being silent about it. There was a huge controversy recently with the clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch, who put out a line of t-shirts that had very racist depictions of Asian Americans on them. So the Asian American community (especially students on campuses all around the country) was up in arms and started a huge campaign on the internet. They were being very vocal and staging protests outside Abercrombie & Fitch stores. The clothing company basically pulled the t-shirts off the market. That would not have happened if we were still the silent minority. The new generation is getting sick and tired of seeing themselves like that, and that being the only time they ever see themselves in the media. So what I'm saying to the younger generation is "Go for it."

You said in another interview that America has a limited view of Asian American women. So, who is she? What is an Asian American woman?

Oh you know, like a newscaster. She has blush on the sides of her nose, to make sure it's narrow and very slim, very beautiful but not too sexy. That is what America believes Asian women are. And then of course there are other sorts of wilder stereotypes that go into the "Asian-Babe-Erotic-China Doll" thing, and then there's "The Student."

So you're saying that "Look, you can be wild. You can be out there. You can be unique.

Right, you can be sexual. You can be crazy. You can be totally normal. You can be whatever you want. But I want to basically kind of re-define what Asian American women are in the media. I mean I'd like to. That's my goal.

Who are your current female role models?

Sandra Bernhard, Rosie O'Donnell, Madonna. I love so many great authors like Amy Tan and Maxine Hong Kingston. I'm just a big fan of so many women. I love Bjork!I love Bjork so much that every time I see her I just start crying. She just really does it for me.

Are there any women in the media, Margaret, that you think are really sexy?

Yeah, I think Diane