“The Margaret Cho” Is As Charming, Funny, and Imperfect As Its Host

For decades, Margaret Cho’s provocative comedy has pushed the envelope for the status quo while making those outside the status quo felt seen–all while being absurd, extremely frank, and unapologetic. In her new show for Earios, Margaret Cho’s The Margaret Cho (hosted by Margaret Cho) provides that same feeling, plus a heaping dose of tenderness–but not without a few small flaws.

For those unfamiliar with Margaret Cho’s expansive body of work, Cho is a comedian who’s been performing since the early 90s. Her work is political, often focusing on race, beauty standards, and sexuality. Cho is a Korean-American bisexual woman who’s known for being “real” and “raw.” Which isn’t to say that Cho’s work is unpolished or unrefined; in fact, I’d guess she has to do at least double the work as most other people to be taken half as seriously as a comedian.

The Margaret Cho draws from the same humor and cutting social commentary as her comedy, but what’s likely to surprise listeners is how sweet and tender the podcast is. It’s clear that Cho only speaks to guests she actually cares to talk to. Whether through research, familiarity with the guest, or a combination of both, Cho’s questions are rooted in a deep understanding of her guests. In each episode, Cho seems to give a guest a compliment that truly moves them–though it doesn’t seem like Cho necessarily sets out with that goal in mind. Instead, this is just who Cho is as a host. She is thoughtful, charming, and astute.

And the episodes are, of course, hilarious. There’s a deep joy in hearing Cho and Queer Eye‘s Jonathan van Ness go from talking about their queer identities to discussing how much they love weed. There’s a bizarre and funny irony in hearing her talk to Kat Von D about being a vegan who is aesthetically just too drawn to leather. Cho is in her element: quippy, frank, and deft on her feet with jokes.

Like so many celebrity-led podcasts, your mileage on The Margaret Cho is likely to depend on your investment in Cho–especially given almost every episode so far clocks in at over an hour. For people who usually listen to chatcasts, this likely won’t seem long. For people more used to highly-produced podcasts that tap out about 30 minutes in, episodes start to overstay their welcome as Cho closes out the midroll. There are moments throughout each episode where the editing could be tightened a bit (an “um” or stammer clipped out of a guest’s responses, a smoother fade in and out on interstitial music) that make the looseness of the episodes feel more pronounced.

But why expect a podcast by Margaret Cho to uphold the glossy, pristine status quo?

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