Margaret Cho Works Out A Lot And Makes People Upset In New Jersey

The Hilarious World of Depression

American Public Media

Comedy, Comedy Interviews

4.8 • 4.4K Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2017

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

She’s one of the most influential and innovative comedians of the last few decades, but before all that, Margaret Cho was a Korean-American girl growing up in the 1970s in San Francisco. We hear about the sometimes very darkly humorous ways her family and culture dealt with depression and suicide, and how she harnessed her own depression to begin her comedy. Along the way, the keys to Margaret’s often-shocking comedic style emerge and lead to making people upset in New Jersey.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hi, everybody. John Moe here. I don't usually say this before a show, but this episode gets pretty graphic in describing sexuality, anatomy, drugs, self-harm, and religion.
0:11.6	But it's impossible to talk to our guest without going there.
0:16.2	Is depression funny?
0:17.8	Depression is really funny because it's just like... it's this thing that's not real.
0:23.8	Depression is something that I've suffered from for a long, long time, and it's taken me to the brink of suicide and death.
0:31.4	And yet, I also know coming out the other side is that it's something that I created.
0:40.6	That is something that I do have some control over.
0:43.6	That's the thing about it. It's like I realize that I can change this, but I do need to work somehow to get out.
0:50.6	And so to acknowledge that exists, but that it's not really real is really funny.
1:20.8	It's the hilarious world of depression. I'm John Moe. If you're joining us for the first time, welcome. Come in. Have a seat. Snacks are over there.
1:32.6	We talk about depression here, the disease of depression.
1:36.6	Clinid, we call it. We talk about it with comedians and with funny people. We talk about it honestly, openly, and with humor because we think talking about it is good and helps.
1:47.6	Hi, I'm Margaret Cho. I am a comedian. And I am in Los Angeles. We are by a pool. There's dogs outside.
1:57.6	Margaret Cho is one of the most popular and groundbreaking comedians of the last few decades.
2:02.6	Besides performing stand-up, she's a crusader in the LGBTQ community. She's an actor, author, fashion designer, musician. She played Kim Jong-un on 30 Rock.
2:13.6	And she was in face-off as John Travolta's FBI colleague. In her comedy, she does not hold back, like at all.
2:21.6	I'm going to get trouble, but I'll just tell you, he is so gay.
2:24.6	John Travolta is so gay. Not just gay. Like he's not just gay. He doesn't just like men. He is like Oscar Wilde gay.
2:34.6	We spoke at a publicist's house and actually ended up talking dogs for quite a while. Margaret loves dogs.
2:41.6	But, and this is important, she still finds dog neglect to be sometimes funny.
2:46.6	You know, like when movies like Beverly Hills, Travolta comes out, everybody wants.
2:50.6	Well, we're from Paris, Hilton, had Tinkbell, a tiny little dog. Everybody wanted to get it up. And then the shelters fill up with...
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from American Public Media, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of American Public Media and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.