Summary

The article documents the story of an artist, Margaret Cho that rose to fame as a star of the television and begun to feature in all the Asian American cast. She features in her one-woman show, and I’m the One That I Want, and it reveals a lot about her. The film reveals her improbable life. Cho is a daughter of the Korean parents that immigrated in San Francisco. Her complicated life began when she dropped out of high school, and she gained success in stand up while she ditched herself into self-loathing, the abuse of substances and bad relationships. She was among the crew of the All-American Girl which coerced her to sicken herself through diet (Lee et al., p. npag). It was constant pressure over her weight, the thoughts of suicide and damage of the kidney and addiction to drugs and sex that made her recover and she began the show I’m the One that I Want. The show was her treatment and her victory. The article reveals about the straightforwardness of the past of Cho. It reveals how she had an embarrassing past such as her eager to give blow jobs. The articles further disclose the construction of the excesses of her body which include the collapsed bladder and her inability to decide if she either a gay or straight. The article generally is all around the star Cho her life especially her dark side. It includes doing the stand-ups, taking pills, losing thirty pounds in two weeks for the part. The disappointment arose with the cancellation of the show, and she indulged in self-loathing.

Critical thinking

The article gives detailed information about the life of Cho. The author uses Cho as a symbolism to reveal what the hurdles Asians undergo through in America. (Lee et al, p. npag). Majorly the theme of discrimination dominates the script and it manifests itself in many ways. For example, the Asian Americans are judged based on their color, segregated and denied power and being the occupants of low class jobs (Lee, p. npag). The racial discrimination is revealed when Cho and her boyfriend were heading to Sarasota, and she inquired to know if she would meet other Asian Americans. She expresses discomfort if she should be the only yellow among the whites.

In connection to that, Cho opted to be dropped at the dry cleaner, and she mapped that the Asians occupy suburban America. This reveals the segregation of the Asian within the white community. Moreso, Asian women mainly depend on informal jobs such as laundry work and menail jobs in domestic industries. If they work within the white space, they only serve in country clubs.

Additionally, the Asians are denied the rights to represent and promote their culture. Cho reveals this by telling of her disastrous experience she had for starring in the comedy that featured an all Asian American cast (Lee, p. npag). The program also aired on ABC TV. However, the program didn’t pass the test of time on the American soil. The show was cancelled while the producers tried to eliminate most of the Asian American actors. Therefore, Asians have had a difficult moment just like Blacks in American society.

Work Cited

Lee, Rachel C. “Where’s My Parade?”: Margaret Cho and the Asian American Body in Space.” TDR/The Drama Review 48.2 (2004): 108-132.