Reel Critics

Ray Buffer

“That must be some kind of urban/Rap movie,” I thought to myself when

looking over the new films and spying the title: “The Notorious C.H.O.”

Upon closer inspection I discovered it is actually a Nov. 11 stand-up

concert by comedienne, Margaret Cho, filmed in Seattle. The title is a

play on a nickname for rapper Biggie Smalls, but it is more directly an

homage to Lil’ Kim, who named her last album “Notorious K.I.M.”

Otherwise, the movie has nothing to do with rap . . . but it is

notorious.

If you are unfamiliar with Cho, here is some background: Her parents

left Korea in 1964 to live in America. They had a hard time adjusting to

life in the United States. Margaret’s Korean name is Moran and she was

born on Dec. 5, 1968 in San Francisco.

Cho’s show is raunchy, provocative, at times caustic and she invades

your comfort zone frequently with her vitriolic musings. But if you get

past being squeamish, there are a plethora of laughs to be had. Due in

part to her in-your-face, tell-it-like-it-is style, she has fostered a

loyal following of minorities. Her overall message is “be true to

yourself, and don’t buy into the perceptions of beauty sold by

advertisements.”

It is a worthy and courageous message to communicate. Her topics

include but are certainly not limited to sexuality, her mother, eating

disorders and colon hydrotherapy. In the midst of all the profanity and

bluster, her portrayal of her mother in various anecdotes comes across as

urbane and pure while just as amusing, if not more so, than her sexually

charged, graphic and shocking rants.

If you are a fan of stand-up comedy performers Richard Pryor, Chris

Rock, Lenny Bruce, and Bette Midler, add Cho to your list and go see “The

Notorious C.H.O.”

* RAY BUFFER, 32, is a professional singer, actor and voice-over

artist.