Margaret, it's me, Jim. I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about your new DVD "Cho Revolution". I think what you do is best appreciated on DVD and live, and this show made me laugh my ass off.
But.
Yeah, there's always a but. I know it is hard to keep coming up with new material, and you really seem to have found your audience, who really, really love you. But this means you aren't compelled to grow as an artist. You say you want a revolution, but it comes across as a tacked on homily to pander to your fans. Really, the joke about fisting was funny, but it isn't going to persuade the people who think the set-up is a fact.
But that is just a minor quibble, since the hardest part about comedy is finding and maintaining an audience, and you have conquered, so if that means that this is a valentine for your fans, well good on you, and if that means this gives you room to come up with a really killer show, then good for us.
Cho Revolution was filmed last year at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, and adds to her record as one of the funniest activist comedians working outside the yuk factory.
The DVD plays to Cho's strongest suit, her intensely expressive face, from portraying Kim Jong-Il to the ultimate face-lift recipient, from kabuki salad airline passenger to being an unfortunate victim of fecal urgency. While there are several bits which are more mechanics of the show (well, okay, Bangkok pussy jokes), you will either laugh constantly or be absolutely shocked and appalled. In that case you wouldn't have picked up a Margaret Cho DVD in the first place.
The disc includes the opening gig from Bruce Daniels (some reasonable stand-up, but not compelling) a behind-the-scenes featurette, some extras from Cho's website (http://margaretcho.com) and commentary by Cho and Daniels. This isn't really much of an extra since they are in character as their mothers, goofy voices and all, more annoying than informative.
You can get "Cho Revolution" at Amazon in two weeks, or buy it directly from her site RFN. Plus check out her blog.
Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
heh. great review, Jim. i'll be checking this out, most likely, on account of your wordsmithery.