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Originally appeared in The Boston Phoenix, August 17, 2000 Love her or hate her, Margaret Cho’s comedy is one of a kind. Lionel Coleman’s I’m the One That I Want, the film companion to her touring show of the same name, is proof. Those who have seen Cho only on her oft-repeated Comedy Central half-hour special will be surprised at the depth and character of this performance, which was taken from two shows at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco. Cho hits her topics hard, from being a “fag hag” to growing up as the daughter of Korean immigrants. She can linger a bit too long on a phrase or overdo the mugging, but there is real fire here, and when she latches onto a deeper topic, the effect is devastating. Cho’s sit-com, All-American Girl, was canceled after criticism that she was too fat, too Asian, and not Asian enough; all that sent her into a tailspin of alcohol, drugs and sex. I’m the One That I Want is the story of how she pulled herself back up. It’s thoughtful, funny, positive, and human. Most of all, it’s inspiring. As Cho says, she’s going to be around “at least until the next Korean-American, fag-hag, shit-starter, girl comic, trash talker comes up and takes my place.” That will likely be a long time coming.
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