The Sensuous Margaret Cho
If you haven't heard of Margaret Cho, you are in for a shock AND a treat. If you have and you don't like her, you may wish to stop reading. If you are under the age of consent, go away now and look her up in a couple of years.
If you are my mom, hang onto your hat, keep reading, and don't worry too much.
Brilliant and "out there" as an actress, comedienne, political activist and writer, Margaret Cho is, among other things, pro-gay [she laughingly has called herself a "fag hag" for years], pro-free-expression, pro-sensuality, pro-sex, pro-body, pro-acceptance, pro-diversity, pro-self love AND pro-laughing at oneself. Fierce, edgy, hilarious, transgressive, sweet, smart, proud, mouthy, and ultimately transformative. FIERCE. Did I say "fierce?" And last Wednesday she ended a new variety show, The Sensuous Woman, with a powerful dance (NOT comedy).
Artists, liberals, pierced and tattooed hipsters, the gay/ lesbian/ transgender community, and people who create and follow extreme culture (and I'm leaving people out, sorry) adore Margaret. I adore Margaret. She rocks. She writes.
Anyway, Margaret (and a few others?) have spearheaded a series of performances at El Cid, an aging Flamenco restaurant/theater/bar in Silverlake. The series, The Sensuous Woman, features performers of burlesque (did you know there is a full-on burlesque revival going on?), bellydance, comedy, etc. I believe it is the third Wednesday of every month. Margaret emcees, supports the sketch comedy of others, and inserts some comedy bits, and this time did one final, amazing DANCE. The Sensuous Woman has traveled and will travel (to NYC too, soon). Go see it. DON'T bring the little ones.
Several Highlights:
Lisp and Havana (gay and lesbian rappers, incredibly funny, check out the MP3 Sexual Homo and crank it!)
The Wet Spots (transgressive elegant night club singer/songwriter duo: the tasteful Do you Take it in the Ass? is OHMYGOD funny)
Princess Farhana (bellydancer and elegant burlesque artist)
Kelly (alter ego of Liam Sullivan whose performance of songs shoes and txt msg brkup were outrageous)
Biggest Highlight:
Margaret Cho's final, phenomenal dance. Not one to do the expected, Margaret pulled much together, and pulled much off. And yes, here is my take on it.
First, context: Let's not forget that a bunch of the performances were by bump-and-grind pierced and tattooed elegant and naughty hipster burlesque goddesses. AND, I happen to know Margaret not just as a writer and comedienne, but also as a gifted and gorgeous BELLYDANCER. (Another blog, another day.)
It started with sound. The crowd swayed to percussive, invasive, angry and LOUD rap (Eminem's "Lose Yourself"). We knew what was coming and we screamed as Margaret was announced. When Cho stomped in, dressed as a (convincingly male) samurai, the crowd at first laughed and whistled at the sight (and at the contrast with the music). We quieted when our samurai turned to face us, mournful, despairing, holding back tears. (Cho is also a gifted actress, of course.) We watched him. Moving in stylistized squats with the grinding thumping rap, the samurai slowly raised a curved sheath above his head in front of the confused, cheering crowd.
Then he slid out the sword.
I know very little about of hara kiri (ritualized suicide), so I can't comment on the historical accuracy of what followed, but I gasped as our sad samurai acted out a swift self-disembowelment, first thrusting the sword into his belly, and then hurling himself onto the sword, ramming his guts onto it over and over. The movement was male, sexual, violent, and although covered with layers of clothes, a reference to both ritual suicide and sex, even rape. NO there was no blood. The act was all in movement, visual reference, and music.
Thrust after thrust. Then the shocking, shuddering pause.
Then, new movement. The crumpled, eviscerated pile began to undulate. Another Margaret awakened, disheveled, rapturous, body coursing like a bellydancer. She rose, stripping off the kimono to reveal herself, a woman, a goddess. The dragon tattoos on her belly writhed with her as she danced and expanded, triumphant. It is as if our new dancer consisted of serpents that crawled from the massacred bowels of the violent masculine. Unleashed. Free.
Strip tease.
Performance art.
Dance.
Sacred ritual.
I can't stop thinking about it.
If you are my mom, hang onto your hat, keep reading, and don't worry too much.
Brilliant and "out there" as an actress, comedienne, political activist and writer, Margaret Cho is, among other things, pro-gay [she laughingly has called herself a "fag hag" for years], pro-free-expression, pro-sensuality, pro-sex, pro-body, pro-acceptance, pro-diversity, pro-self love AND pro-laughing at oneself. Fierce, edgy, hilarious, transgressive, sweet, smart, proud, mouthy, and ultimately transformative. FIERCE. Did I say "fierce?" And last Wednesday she ended a new variety show, The Sensuous Woman, with a powerful dance (NOT comedy).
Artists, liberals, pierced and tattooed hipsters, the gay/ lesbian/ transgender community, and people who create and follow extreme culture (and I'm leaving people out, sorry) adore Margaret. I adore Margaret. She rocks. She writes.
Anyway, Margaret (and a few others?) have spearheaded a series of performances at El Cid, an aging Flamenco restaurant/theater/bar in Silverlake. The series, The Sensuous Woman, features performers of burlesque (did you know there is a full-on burlesque revival going on?), bellydance, comedy, etc. I believe it is the third Wednesday of every month. Margaret emcees, supports the sketch comedy of others, and inserts some comedy bits, and this time did one final, amazing DANCE. The Sensuous Woman has traveled and will travel (to NYC too, soon). Go see it. DON'T bring the little ones.
Several Highlights:
Lisp and Havana (gay and lesbian rappers, incredibly funny, check out the MP3 Sexual Homo and crank it!)
The Wet Spots (transgressive elegant night club singer/songwriter duo: the tasteful Do you Take it in the Ass? is OHMYGOD funny)
Princess Farhana (bellydancer and elegant burlesque artist)
Kelly (alter ego of Liam Sullivan whose performance of songs shoes and txt msg brkup were outrageous)
Biggest Highlight:
Margaret Cho's final, phenomenal dance. Not one to do the expected, Margaret pulled much together, and pulled much off. And yes, here is my take on it.
First, context: Let's not forget that a bunch of the performances were by bump-and-grind pierced and tattooed elegant and naughty hipster burlesque goddesses. AND, I happen to know Margaret not just as a writer and comedienne, but also as a gifted and gorgeous BELLYDANCER. (Another blog, another day.)
It started with sound. The crowd swayed to percussive, invasive, angry and LOUD rap (Eminem's "Lose Yourself"). We knew what was coming and we screamed as Margaret was announced. When Cho stomped in, dressed as a (convincingly male) samurai, the crowd at first laughed and whistled at the sight (and at the contrast with the music). We quieted when our samurai turned to face us, mournful, despairing, holding back tears. (Cho is also a gifted actress, of course.) We watched him. Moving in stylistized squats with the grinding thumping rap, the samurai slowly raised a curved sheath above his head in front of the confused, cheering crowd.
Then he slid out the sword.
I know very little about of hara kiri (ritualized suicide), so I can't comment on the historical accuracy of what followed, but I gasped as our sad samurai acted out a swift self-disembowelment, first thrusting the sword into his belly, and then hurling himself onto the sword, ramming his guts onto it over and over. The movement was male, sexual, violent, and although covered with layers of clothes, a reference to both ritual suicide and sex, even rape. NO there was no blood. The act was all in movement, visual reference, and music.
Thrust after thrust. Then the shocking, shuddering pause.
Then, new movement. The crumpled, eviscerated pile began to undulate. Another Margaret awakened, disheveled, rapturous, body coursing like a bellydancer. She rose, stripping off the kimono to reveal herself, a woman, a goddess. The dragon tattoos on her belly writhed with her as she danced and expanded, triumphant. It is as if our new dancer consisted of serpents that crawled from the massacred bowels of the violent masculine. Unleashed. Free.
Strip tease.
Performance art.
Dance.
Sacred ritual.
I can't stop thinking about it.
posted by laurelpaley at 10:15 AM
5 Comments:
You probably shouldn't call the action "hara kiri". I may be wrong, but I think the correct term is seppuku, but I may have the spelling wrong.
I have several of her albums, and I had an RSS feed from her blog, though she hasn't posted much of anything for some weeks (while she was on tour?).
Seppuku is a VERY RUDE way of placing it. Hara-kiri is considered more polite.
Anyways, I would very much love to see Margaret Cho dance. I'm so jealous! <3
Savion Glover doing stand-up. Now THAT's what I'd like to see. Ha Ha!
Have you seen the film where she does the Samurai dance? You've described it beautifully!
actually, "hara kiri" is the rude way of putting it (it means "belly-slitting"). "seppuku" is closer to meaning "ritual suicide."
anyway, i'm jealous that i moved away from l.a. and can't see margaret perform. this sounds amazing.
Why's everybody jealous? Don't be jealous. She's coming to SF and NY soon. I hear she's going to tour with this amazing show. I can't wait to see Maggie naked!!!!
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