PsyCHO
I really enjoyed Margaret Cho's special. I think it went from one topic to another in a way that was easy to follow but she still took risks that paid off for the audience. While I was watching, I found myself thinking of the concepts abject and excess, because I think she embodies those ideas. Most of the humor was taboo and outside of the norm. I think now it's more common for comedians to discuss sex and vaginas, even it they get a lot of hate for it, but Cho does it in a way that is even more abject since she relates it to queerness and discusses topics like sexual assault. The excess comes from a lot of her body humor, and her voices and imitations. The excess can be configured in relation to her and the model minority myth, since she rejects many of the ideas of the myth. "A Dialogue on Racial Melancholia" by Eng and Han states that, "those Asian Americans who do not fit into the model minority stereotype... are altogether erased from... mainstream society" (62). By refusing to be erased and also by not fitting into a submissive model, she creates excess.
I found the article on racial melancholia to be fascinating, because the concept of a "psychic splitting on the part of the Asian American subject, who knows and does not know... that she or he is part of the larger group" (60) reminded me of W.E.B. idea of double consciousness. The article on racial melancholia describes Asian Americans as "split subjects" (60), as always aware of their position in relation to whiteness. This isn't exactly the same as double consciousness, which is described as "always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity" (DuBois), but it has the same ideas of being aware of alienation in a white colonial society and what Eng and Han describe as "suspended assimilation" (57).
I definitely agree with you that the article seems to go with DuBois idea of double consciousness, and it seems that Asian Americans can be forced into this position not only mentally, but also in society. Asian Americans are often put in positions where they are both envied (for model minority reasons) and completely othered.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great observation. People are often like "what's so bad about a being the model minority" but like any stereotype it confines and refuses to allow people to live their truth with a sense of real belonging.
DeleteYes, I agree that she took risks to attract audiences. Just like me, I cannot understand her at first, but after watching the whole show and reading the materials, I start to understand. I think that because that the jokes in America are really different from Asia.
ReplyDeleteIts interesting how context bound humor is. It is the one form that doesnt travel well across borders or boundaries of time.
DeleteI think you make a really great point when you say "By refusing to be erased and also by not fitting into a submissive model, she creates excess." I think a big part of what makes Cho so impressive is how she is able to make a name for herself while simultaneously challenging the stereotype of the submissive/docile Asian American woman.
ReplyDeleteI like how Margaret Cho is creating a voice for Asian Americans similar to her who also don't fall under the "model minority" group. She is very brave for continuing to strive for her representation even after failing during "All-American Girl".
ReplyDeleteI also have to agree with Nina's comment about the duality Cho portrays. I love how juxtaposing (i don't know if that's a word) Cho's representation is for society. On the one hand, she's offering a new representation of Asian American, but also challenging cultural and traditional values of her and most Asian cultures. It's very powerful, in my opinion, but also definitely discomforting for some.
ReplyDeleteI agree that excess and abjection are the major modes of address in Cho's comedy and there is something particularly queer about that. I think that is why her humor hits hardest with an LGBTQ audience. I also think that your observations about double consciousness are particularly astute but it is also important to differentiate between specific experiences and histories of marginalized populations.
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