"Laughter and Lucky Beats: Celebrating Margaret Cho's Comedy and Musical Journey"

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Laughter and Lucky Beats: Celebrating Margaret Cho's Comedy and Musical Journey"

Podcast Information:

• Title: takin' a walk
• Host: Buzz Knight
• Episode: "Laughter and Lucky Beats: Celebrating Margaret Cho's Comedy and Musical Journey"
• Release Date: March 4, 2025
• Description: In this episode, Buzz Knight engages in an insightful conversation with Margaret Cho, a trailblazing comedian, actor, musician, and activist. They explore Margaret's dual passions for comedy and music, her latest album, creative processes, advocacy work, and the healing powers of both art forms.

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Introduction to Margaret Cho

Buzz Knight welcomes listeners to the episode, highlighting Margaret Cho's multifaceted career spanning over four decades. He introduces her latest musical endeavor, the album "Lucky Gift", and sets the stage for an engaging discussion about her journey in comedy and music.

Key Quote:

Buzz Knight [02:58]: "Today on Taking a Walk, Buzz is joined by the incomparable Margaret Cho. She's a trailblazing comedian, actor, musician, and activist."

A Walk with Nancy Kwan

Margaret shares her desire to take a walk with Nancy Kwan, a pioneering Asian American actress and artist. She admires Nancy's contributions to cinema and her status as a true icon.

Key Quote:

Margaret Cho [03:57]: "She's a true pioneer in Asian American cinema and art and entertainment, and she's everything. She's a singer, dancer, actress, model, icon."

Creating "Lucky Gift"

Margaret delves into the creation of her new album, "Lucky Gift", which she has been developing for over a decade. She collaborated with Roger Rocha from 4 Non Blondes and Garrison Starr, blending experiences from her outreach projects and personal songwriting.

Key Quote:

Margaret Cho [05:06]: "This album I've been working on actually for the last 10 years, 11 years. Some of the songs were written with Roger Rocha from 4 Non Blondes. He is a wonderful songwriter and a musical genius."

Differences Between Stand-Up and Music Creation

The conversation shifts to Margaret's creative processes in stand-up comedy versus music. She explains the immediacy of comedy, where jokes are crafted and performed swiftly, compared to the more introspective and prolonged process of songwriting.

Key Quote:

Margaret Cho [07:09]: "Stand up comedy is so much of a dialogue with your audience because they have to laugh to fill in the other part of the joke or to complete the joke. Whereas songs, they can exist on their own."

Exploring Unique Instruments: The Mandatar

Margaret introduces her use of the mandatar, a unique double-neck instrument combining a mandolin and a guitar. She discusses how this instrument influenced the acoustic and country flavors in her music.

Key Quote:

Margaret Cho [09:44]: "The mandatar comes from Bruin, which is a legendary guitar store in Nashville. One neck is a mandolin and one neck is a guitar. I played them together as one long strum, and it worked perfectly for the song 'Lucky Gift.'"

Admiration for Influential Songwriters

Margaret expresses her admiration for legendary songwriters like Bobbie Gentry, Jill Sobule, and Dolly Parton, highlighting their impact on her musical style and artistic confidence.

Key Quote:

Margaret Cho [11:50]: "Bobbie Gentry was just such a force. She's an amazing songwriter, singer, and a great beauty. Dolly Parton is also an icon with incredible songwriting and singing talents."

Advocacy and Personal Beliefs

Margaret discusses her deep commitment to advocacy, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community. She emphasizes the importance of protecting trans rights and combating discriminatory policies, reflecting her activist spirit.

Key Quote:

Margaret Cho [30:12]: "Protecting rights for gay people, for trans people, trans people in particular, is a huge issue for me. It's a very treacherous time trying to combat these ideas of Project 2025."

Healing Powers of Music and Comedy

The duo explores the therapeutic aspects of both music and comedy. Margaret eloquently describes how laughter and sound frequencies can heal the mind and body, underscoring her belief in the power of these art forms.

Key Quote:

Margaret Cho [22:26]: "Laughter is like this hit of oxygen that we all need all the time, but it disrupts your normal breathing pattern and makes you breathe deeper and harder. It's truly life-affirming."

Impact of the Pandemic on Touring

Margaret reflects on how the COVID-19 pandemic altered her approach to touring and traveling. She shares her newfound appreciation for being a homebody and how it has reshaped her touring style to be more controlled and comfortable.

Key Quote:

Margaret Cho [29:02]: "During the pandemic, I had a crisis of conscience, like who are we even without traveling and touring. I realized that I'm actually a homebody and love being at home."

Advice for Aspiring Artists

Margaret offers valuable advice to both comedians and musicians, highlighting the importance of maintaining one’s unique voice and resisting commercial pressures to conform. She encourages artists to prioritize their personal expression above all.

Key Quote:

Margaret Cho [32:52]: "Your voice should be the loudest, should be the strongest, should be the most important. You haven't figured out what you're doing. You figure it out, but prioritize your opinion of your art above others."

Future Creative Pursuits

Looking ahead, Margaret expresses her desire to enhance her musicianship. She aims to return to the basics of singing and songwriting, acknowledging areas like vocal warm-ups and treating her body as an instrument that requires care.

Key Quote:

Margaret Cho [34:29]: "I want to be a better songwriter and singer. I need to go back to the basics because, as a comedian, I take so much for granted, but with music, I really need to focus on treating my body with more respect."

Closing Remarks

Buzz wraps up the conversation by congratulating Margaret on her new music and acknowledging her contributions to advocacy and entertainment. The episode concludes with listeners being encouraged to share and follow the podcast for more engaging discussions.

Key Quote:

Buzz Knight [35:56]: "Margaret Cho, it's so great to talk to you on Taking a Walk. Thank you for this. Congratulations on the new music. I'm so excited for you."

---

Conclusion: This episode of "takin' a walk" offers a comprehensive look into Margaret Cho's dynamic career, blending her talents in comedy and music with her fervent advocacy for social causes. Listeners gain a deeper understanding of her creative processes, inspirations, and the personal growth she has experienced over the years. Margaret's insights underscore the profound impact of art in healing and societal change, making this episode both enlightening and inspiring.

Transcript

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[Margaret Cho]

Taking a Walk well, laughter is the unexpected breath that you take that you didn't know you were going to take that ensures the next moment of life. So laughter is like this hit of oxygen that we all need all the time, but it disrupts your normal breathing pattern and it makes you breathe deeper and harder. And if you're laughing a lot, it's a really life affirming gesture. That's why you know people all you know always seems like laughter is the best medicine. It's true. It actually is medicine.

[Buzz Knight]

Welcome to the Taking a Walk podcast with your host Buzz Knight if you like this podcast, please check out our companion podcast called Music Saved Me, hosted by Lynn Hoffman, where she delves into the healing power of music. Today on Taking a Walk, Buzz is joined by the incomparable Margaret Cho. She's a trailblazing comedian, actor, musician, and activist. Known for her sharp wit and fearless approach to tackling issues. Margaret has been wowing audiences for over four decades. She has new music out called Lucky Gift. She continues to here's Buzz with Margaret Cho on Taking a Walk.

Margaret Cho, welcome to Taking a Walk.

[Margaret Cho]

Thank you.

[Buzz Knight]

So since the podcast is called Taking a Walk, I wanted to ask you to start. If you could take a walk with someone, living or dead, who would it be and where would you take a walk with them?

[Margaret Cho]

I would like to take a walk with Nancy Kwan. She's living. She's quite old. I believe she's probably close to 90, if not 90. I love her. I'd love to take a walk around my neighborhood if she would like to, or her neighborhood if she would like to Just hang out.

[Buzz Knight]

Just casual conversation. Right?

[Margaret Cho]

Yeah. I think she's got a lot to say. She's got great legs. She is a true pioneer in Asian American circumstances, cinema and art and entertainment, and she's everything. She's a singer, dancer, actress, model, icon.

[Buzz Knight]

Multifaceted, just like you.

[Margaret Cho]

Yes. So I'd love to take a walk with her.

[Buzz Knight]

That's awesome. Congrats on your new music, Lucky Gift. It's been a long time since we heard from you with music about. Is it eight years? Almost.

[Margaret Cho]

Yes. Yes. So I'm really glad to put it out.

[Buzz Knight]

Tell me how this came together and who some of the collaborators are with you on this project.

[Margaret Cho]

Well, this album I've been working on actually for the last 10 years, 11 years. Some of the songs were written with Roger Rocha from 4 Non Blondes. He is a wonderful songwriter and a musical genius. And. And he and I wrote about half of the songs of the record when I was working with him on my B Robin project, which was outreach for those experiencing homelessness in San Francisco in 2014. So a lot of the songs were written out on the street with a band. We were stealing electricity and playing in these encampments and also giving out food and much needed supplies and sort of a tribute to Robin Williams. He was a big advocate for the homeless with Comic Relief, which I got to do for many years. And so it was a nice way to honor his passing, but also a creative journey for me and Roger to write a number of these songs, including Funny man, which is all about Robin Williams. And so it was singing out on the street, blowing out my voice, stealing electricity. But we also had violin players and we had horns, we had saxophone players. We had, like huge bands because everybody wanted to play with these people. And so it was a great way to write. But so half of the songs come from that. The other half come from me just writing over time and fitting, writing songs in when I was doing other things like, you know, making movies and TV shows and doing standup comedy. So. And then I collaborated with Garrison Starr, who's somebody I have been working with on all of my records. She's an amazing singer, songwriter, and an incredible producer, and so she produced the other half of the tracks on the record.

[Buzz Knight]

So tell me how your creative process differs, if at all, between your standup creation and your music creation.

[Margaret Cho]

I think it's. Well, it's usually when I'm approaching stand up comedy, like, I'll try to think of, oh, I have to write a joke about that and I'll, like, work on something and then I'll present it later that day at a standup comedy show. So it's very immediate with music, I think, oh, I should write a song about that or. Or I will be fiddling around on an instrument and I'll say, oh, that actually works. And maybe I can create this into something and it'll usually come that way. And then I don't present it for a long time. Like, nobody really hears it or sees it until I'm ready to record it. Or so it's almost something that, like, is isolated for a while. I mean, in general, my writing process is like that. With Roger, with the B Robin project, it was a little bit different because we were like writing songs and then like taking them out on the street. So it was fast. But this one was like some of the other songs, it was a little bit of a slower process where people didn't see them for a little while. So. But yeah, it's very different because it. I think stand up comedy is so much of a dialogue with your audience because they have to laugh to fill in the other part of the joke or to complete the joke. Whereas songs, they can exist on their.

[Buzz Knight]

Own, is it fair to say both sides of the equation, stand up comedy and creating music are not only a way to, you know, express love for things and the beauty around, but also a way to kind of get some of the pain out as well.

[Margaret Cho]

Yes, absolutely. And to say things that are unsayable or to be a solution to A problem, you know, or to communicate things that you really can't communicate any other way. Also to give people a vessel in the way that they can communicate something that they can, like, build a relationship with. Because oftentimes music is the way that what it's written for isn't what it's listened for. You know, people have all sorts of attachments to songs that are outside of the hands of the songwriter, which I love too, because then people can interpret and put on the meaning that they want to put on the song.

[Buzz Knight]

You play this instrument I've never heard of before. It's the mandolin, sort of double neck guitar, otherwise known as the mandatar. Did you create the mandatar?

[Margaret Cho]

No. The mandatar comes from Bruin, which is a legendary guitar store in Nashville. And it was a luthier who passed away and his widow sold all the guitars that he made to the store. So this is one of the ones. And I've never seen anything like it. It's a One neck is a mandolin and one neck is a guitar. And the way that I wrote Lucky Gif, which is the title track of the record, is I used both at the same time as opposed to playing them separately. I played them together like one long strum. And it actually worked the way that it was tuned worked and it worked in the body of the song. And it was pretty incredible. So I was so excited. So most of the song, the kind of acoustic side, the more sort of country ish flavored songs are those songs that I wrote with Garrison are from the Mandatar.

[Buzz Knight]

And how long did it take you to learn the Mandatar?

[Margaret Cho]

Well, I already play guitar, so anything, anything that has a fight, a guitar feel I can work my way around. I am a multi instrumentalist, but I'm not good. So I'm like, I can't play everything, but not well. But I can play everything enough where I can write and show somebody else who can play well, and then I can sing. I will get to the point one day where I can play and sing at the same time. Well, I can't do either well if I'm doing it at the same time. So I like to just focus on the singing, but my writing is working it out on these idiosyncratic instruments. I love idiosyncratic, odd instruments. Things that are just made by luthiers or whoever. So I have a number of like, kind of weird misfit toys of instruments that I like to write.

[Buzz Knight]

The Land of Misfit Toys. I love it.

[Margaret Cho]

Yes.

[Buzz Knight]

Who are Some of the players that you particularly admire. And then who are some of the particular songwriters that you most admire?

[Margaret Cho]

Well, I think of all time would be Bobbi Gentry. You know, that she was just such a force. What an amazing songwriter, what an amazing singer, what a. And also what a great beauty. You know, she's somebody who I would love to take a walk with as well. Still alive out there, but just decided to walk away from entertainment and is sort of, you know, out there. Where is Bobby Gentry? We're not sure. Another great songwriter asked that question in her song. Jill Sobule, one of my favorites. Also asked, where is Bobby Gentry? We all want to know. She was truly one of one. One of my absolute favorites. And of course, Dolly Parton in the same vein. You know, what. What a beauty, what a singer, what a songwriter, what an icon. You know, so many modern people. I would say Chapel Rowan, I absolutely adore her. I love the way that her songs have such a drama that there are. You start one place and then you end someplace totally different. And I. I'm really in awe of that. Where somebody can take chords and song structure and bring it to life in. In a way that is so bombastic and exciting and. And new, but old. I love. I love her.

[Buzz Knight]

And there's a theme there. As far as your. Your taste. You like those that just, like you are. You know, don't apologize for anything you've done and you're saying and creating. You just have that force behind everything that you do. Who instilled that in you? That unapologetic attitude.

[Margaret Cho]

No, I mean, maybe it was something that I'm just. You sort of fake it till you make it. Like, you just don't. You don't even know if it's right. You just do it. Like you. I think you just put it out there and that's kind of the way standup comedy is. You kind of have to put it out there to even know if it's going to work. And you have to be confident in your idea in order to make an audience believe it. So you sort of have to be a salesman for yourself as well. And I think I learned that through comedy. But, you know, it wasn't ever something that I was entirely confident about. You just have to fake it till you make it. That's it.

[Buzz Knight]

A little trial and error, too.

[Margaret Cho]

Yeah. Always. Always. Yes.

[Buzz Knight]

And as a musician, what do you feel like you've most learned over the last year of your work?

[Margaret Cho]

I think that it's. Songs are really magic. Like, they come out of Thin air and that you don't really know, like. And you'll be presented with all sorts of entry points. You know, sometimes in the part of a dream, I'll dream something and then I'll. It'll come into being in, like part of a song, you know, Then you will figure things out. Like, it's just there, it's so interesting. And how it's like a magical stream and then you kind of dip in and it's right there. But if you don't dip in, it's going to go by you. So I think what I've learned is you've got it. When you get like sort of a thread of something, you've got to go and get the whole cloth is you. You can build the whole cloth from that, but it's about going to get it.

[Buzz Knight]

And it seems like it's an ongoing process of strengthening the. The muscles, if you will.

[Margaret Cho]

Yes, yes. Which I have very much in joke writing. So every day the first thing I do before I get out of bed is I write a joke. And it doesn't have to be funny and it doesn't have to be a whole joke, but I have to. That's the first thing that I do as a comedian is I. I make sure I have at least one formed idea that's going to be a joke later or that is already full fully formed joke or that came out of a dream. Whatever. It's the first thing I do every day. I don't have that with songwriting and I really should because that's the way to grow as a songwriter. I used to be in a group of songwriters where we would send each other songs daily that you would actually have to write a snippet of a song every day. And that was really helpful. But I don't have that right now. And I think, yeah, so in the next year. I don't really do resolutions, but that's probably something I would like to do as a songwriter is to again, reinforce the practice of one thing a day in the morning.

[Buzz Knight]

I gather you don't sit idle.

[Margaret Cho]

No, but I also love to lay around.

[Buzz Knight]

But I'm thinking if you're laying around still, you're noodling, you're, you know, you're thinking of it the next, you know, joke. Or maybe a song that just ran through your head that, you know, made an impact on you or something. So I think I have a feeling you're always. There's always something going on up there, Margaret.

[Margaret Cho]

Yeah, I think so. I'll try to fight off dementia. You know, I'm trying to make sure that like it still works. All those things still work. And yeah, yeah, to me it's creating is fun. It's a way to keep your mind alive and it's just enjoyable to me. So I just, I really love it. I love to buy instruments as well. So, you know, for me it's fun to play around with the different ways that sound is made. All different kinds of things. I've gotten really into synthesizers lately, so that's sort of a newer passion. But yeah, I love it.

[Buzz Knight]

We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast.

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Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.

I just encountered this woman named Sierra Hull. Are you familiar with her? She's a mandolin player extraordinaire and, you know, comes really mostly out of bluegrass, which is made up of so much improvisation. I'm thinking, once again, as a comedian who's been so masterful at improvisation, you're probably pretty good on the fly, musically improvising as well.

[Margaret Cho]

So, I mean, I think that it goes to. You sort of like, know what's going to happen. Like, with music, you kind of have an idea, and then if you can follow the sort of chord progression and bring it back a measure. Bring it back a measure, then you could probably figure it out. I don't know if I could compete with the great jazz improvisers or even the best of the bluegrass. Bluegrass is just phenomenal to me. It's like calculus. It's like, how do they even do that? It's a musicianship, but it's also soul, and it's phenomenal. But, yeah, I think I can improv a little bit.

[Buzz Knight]

Well, I mean, I bet a musician would say, watching your art on stage as a comedian, that they're just wowed by, you know, the ease, how you make it look so easy, which is not easy, I'm quite sure.

[Margaret Cho]

Yeah, it's interesting how comedians have such a. We're always in awe of musicians, and musicians are always in awe comedians, and we always want to switch places, which I get to do every once in a while.

[Buzz Knight]

And as I think about music and as I think about comedy, I believe both have true healing powers. We actually produced this music podcast called Music Saved Me, which is about sort of the healing power of music. But can you equate in your mind how music has healing powers and comedy and laughter has healing powers as well? Because I certainly think it does.

[Margaret Cho]

It does. Well, laughter is the unexpected breath that you take that you didn't know you were going to take that ensures the next moment of life. So laughter is like this hit of oxygen that we all need all the time, but it disrupts your normal breathing pattern and it makes you breathe deeper and harder. And if you're laughing a lot, it's a really life affirming gesture. That's why, you know, people all, you know, always say it's like laughter is the best medicine. It's true. It actually is medicine. And sound, I think, well, like cats. I'm surrounded by cats right now. They're all purring. And a cat's purr heals bones like this. The sound frequency heals that. He helps a cat heal, he'll help you heal. So, you know, it makes absolute sense that music will do the same thing. It's the same frequencies using to sort of mend your bones and your body and your mind. And I mean, I always love having music around. It just makes me feel better. It makes me feel great actually. Like, it's just a wonderful thing to have all different kinds of music and all different ways to listen. And so I, I agree. It's a very healing. They're both very healing modalities in different ways.

[Buzz Knight]

So the cats love your music. The question is, how about Lucia, your lovely dog? Does Lucia love your music?

[Margaret Cho]

She loves it. She loves singing. One of my cats really loves singing. She always, if they're singing, she'll always come in and she wants to be a part of it. She wants the singing to happen like right in her, like around her body. Because I think she likes the vibration. Lucia just loves to be in the studio. She loves just to be around musicians. She loves people. And she's always really like happy around any kind of musician. She loves it.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, that's so cool. So you got a tour. Well, you're always on tour in some way. So you have a tour that will be rolling out through a bunch of cities. I know you're doing. You got a Boston date and Connecticut Dade and all through, you know, the east coast certainly. Will people get a taste on this tour of both music and stand up?

[Margaret Cho]

Well, it's hard to mix it. It's hard to. I'm like, I'm trying. This is a stand up comedy show that I'm touring with. Maybe, you know, I haven't really thought about that yet. Like, I wonder, like, is it possible to tour both? Maybe. I know that there are a couple of like music shows coming up in, around the release of the record. I'm doing a musical, like a show at Largo, which I do a lot of comedy at in Los Angeles. And it's A very famous music club. So I. I be doing that as a music show, and then I'm doing a music show at the Grammy Museum on April 1st. So those are specifically music shows. And then, you know, I wonder, like, maybe, maybe it will happen. Maybe there will be a crossover.

[Buzz Knight]

Just a touch, right? Just maybe, yes. I mean, you know, easy for me to say. I'm not the one executing it, so.

[Margaret Cho]

Yeah, well, I think it should happen. I mean, I think that there should be a little bit of crossover for both.

[Buzz Knight]

I love that. Tell me about the beginnings of your. Your comedy career. You started out obviously at a young age. I think 16, as. As a stand up.

[Margaret Cho]

Yes. Well, my earliest shows were. I was 14, but I started like to be like, professional, like at 16, 17, 18. I was making a living by the age of 18, so. Which is pretty good. You know, it's still in the 1980s and, you know, like, I was doing okay, which is like, amazing. And I was like doing television and stuff. You know, I was on shows like Evening at the improv and at MTV's half hour comedy Hour and all sorts of. I was on a show with Bob Hope. He had the Bob Hope's Comedy special that he would do every year was the Young Comedian special that he would host. And so I was doing comedy very young, and I just knew that was my life. Like, I just knew that's what I wanted to do, and it just was my biggest passion since I was about 8 years old. So I knew that I would do it, and I'm grateful that I still get to do it. I just turned 56 and I. I really love it. You know, it's a. It's a life that I. I'm so grateful to have lived. And I still have a lot to do. You know, I still, I do a show every day, pretty much of some kind. I'll do one later today. And you know, for me, it's just. It's a lifelong passion.

[Buzz Knight]

And as it has taken its shape over the years, how have you made living on the road as, you know, easy as possible?

[Margaret Cho]

Well, I have like a set way that I do like my, the way that I pack. I have a life in my suitcase that never actually comes out of my suitcase. So, like, my road clothes never touch my home clothes. I've like my whole life. It's very specific. But I. I travel less nowadays, oddly. I've been traveling less since the pandemic because I've just found I want to stay home more. And also I'm pursuing more acting and that is a little bit of different vibe as well, so. Which requires travel, but it's a little different, so. But yeah, I been on the road for so long that it's weird to take time off. The Pandemic was the first time that I actually stopped traveling for about 35 years and it was just such a revelation to finally just be home. I really love being at home in.

[Buzz Knight]

Talking to so many musicians over the last year and in particular about their, you know, going out on the road and how the pandemic obviously changed everything and really, you know, stifled all that. It feels like for so many of them, it was like cutting off their, their right arm, not being, you know, able to connect with their, their fans and, and play in front of people. I'm sure you could identify with that, that vibe.

[Margaret Cho]

Yeah, I was like, who. Who are we without that? Who are we without traveling and touring and playing out? Like, you know, living out of a suitcase every night? You know, like, I was. I had like a crisis, like, try like a, a real crisis of conscience, like, who are we even without this part of ourselves. And then I realized that I'm actually a homebody, that I actually really love being at home and I'd never even known that, which is so weird because I had never been home for more than a few days for 35 years. And so now when I approach touring, it's very different. I mean, I still tour a lot, but it's a very different kind of way of going about it. Like, I don't go out for months at a time. It's just like much more controlled, which I feel more comfortable doing.

[Buzz Knight]

You've been talked earlier about your advocacy that was influenced certainly by your friend Robin Williams and. But in general, advocacy has been important to you. Can you talk in some other detail about some important causes?

[Margaret Cho]

Well, working in different things. I worked a lot on the Kamala Harris campaign and I really wanted her to be president and I really thought she was going to be president. Now that is, of course, different. There's a lot to do still, you know, there's a lot to work around, especially protecting rights for gay people, for trans people, trans people in particular. That's a huge issue for me. Like, I want to be able to protect the trans community that gender non conforming, gender fluid, non binary people. Like, it's such a crisis now that we're dealing with. So it's very, I mean, you know, it's a very treacherous time kind of trying to figure out how do we combat these ideas of Project 2025, where, you know, we're trying to protect women's rights, trying to protect trans rights. I'm very adamant about doing that. So that's where I think a lot of advocacy is going to be placed in the. In the near future, at least in the next four years.

[Buzz Knight]

Do you feel over the last few years that there's a certain amount of the population that completely lost their sense of humor?

[Margaret Cho]

Yeah, well, people get so defensive about these ideas of what they want to protect and these ideas of protecting gender or protecting, like, the sanctity of gender, which I think is such a ridiculous thing. And to me, that's very humorous. It's like a really ridiculous thing. I'm trying to protect or trying to protect these ideas of, like, families or children, trying to protect children, which is like. I get that that's kind of a noble notion, but what's harming children is not drag queens. You know, drag queens are. There's nothing. They have nothing to do with children, really. It's not even a thing. You know, maybe there's like drag queen story era, but that's just very innocent, beautiful and fun. It's like clowns. It's like when you really look at them as clowns, it doesn't have that sort of negating effect, but somehow drag, there's a weird, sinister element that people want to put on it. That doesn't make sense to me. But, yeah, it's very humorless.

[Buzz Knight]

So when you think of comedians coming up the ranks and you think of musicians coming up the ranks, is it the same set of advice that you would give to both if they were looking to be steered and mentored the right way?

[Margaret Cho]

Yeah, I think so. I mean, I think it's like the same as just to, like, really understand that your voice is the most precious thing and that you should put your opinion of your art above others, above all else, really. And you haven't figured out what you're doing. You figure it out, you know, but it's pretty much the same, because I think what happens is when art meets commerce, commerce is always going to try to change you to make you fit into what they're buying. But in truth, you're in charge. So I would always give younger artists that advice is like, your voice should be the loudest, should be the strongest, should be the most important.

[Buzz Knight]

Is there a particular moment in your career that stands that one moment that stands out that you feel was pivotal towards where you are now?

[Margaret Cho]

I think. I think it was when I was a really young kid and I was doing comedy, and I had a theater teacher who would always impress upon me, like, you can do anything. You're good at everything, so do everything. And that really stuck with me. So it gave me this permission to pursue all different facets of entertainment and to really feel like it was okay for me to do that, because she kind of gave me that vote of confidence.

[Buzz Knight]

So what else do you want to pursue creatively that you haven't pursued? You've got so many things on your plate, but there must be other things that you have a creative itch for.

[Margaret Cho]

Well, I mean, I still want to be a better musician. Like, I want to be a better single songwriter. I want to be a better singer. Like, I want to actually, like, work on what I have. Like, what I have is good. Like, I'm doing good. But I know that if I actually did the vocal warmups, which I've been told to do by so many teachers, if I actually did all of the scales, if I did my scales, I'd be so good. Like, I want to do the basics. Like, I really need to go back to the basics because I been in, like, comedy for so long, and I kind of take so much for granted as a comedian that I feel like I never have to go back to, like, basics in there. But with music, I really want to. So, yeah, I do want to get better at the musicianship. I need to drink more water. Like, singers. It's. It's so weird because, like, you're the instrument, so it's. It's hard to. For me to actually think about treating my body with more respect in that regard. Like, I'm actually the instrument. I actually need to be put in a case. Like, I need to actually be, you know, like, dusted off and restrung. So I think I need to do that.

[Buzz Knight]

Restrung, zipped up, put in a. As long as you could breathe.

[Margaret Cho]

Yes, absolutely. Like, I just need to put a new bridge in every now and again. I really do, like, need to work with, like, the idea that I'm the instrument, which I never regarded, so I have to do that more.

[Buzz Knight]

Margaret Cho, it's so great to talk to you on Taking a Walk. Thank you for this. Congratulations on the meeting Music. I'm so excited for you. And thanks for all you. You give us for your advocacy and for putting a smile on our face and making us think and making us dance around with the music. This is awesome.

[Margaret Cho]

Thank you.

[Buzz Knight]

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Buzz Knight]

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