On Late Night, Margaret Cho shares some politically incorrect thoughts on race relations
Comedian Margaret Cho had lots of things to say on Tuesday's Late Night, beginning with how her fingers are weirder than host Seth Meyers' (they really are). When talk turned to the Golden Globes — Meyers helped write the jokes for hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and Cho had a cameo as a North Korean general — Cho noted that some people expressed outrage that she would portray a Korean person. (Cho is Korean-American.) The critics, she said, were almost all white.
And Cho was ready with an explanation: "White people like to tell Asian people how to feel about race because they're too scared to tell black people." Meyers went along with the bit. "It's a jackpot for us," he agreed. "We want to scold people about race, too, but we're too scared, so for us, when you do something like that, we're like, 'Here we go!'" Cho wasn't finished: "Whenever white and black people fight, Asians and Mexicans don't know what to do. You know, because we're, like, 'Um, are we white?' We just want to be on the winning side."
Oddly, in the second part of the interview, Cho sounds pretty unimpressed with all the complaints from comedians about a surge of joke-killing political correctness. Comedians should have the right to tell impolitic jokes, but their job is to, "in a way, just make people happy."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Puppet shows, pagodas and pho: a guide to Hanoi
The Week Recommends Vietnam's capital city blends the ancient with the new
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
'There are benefits, but not acknowledging them would tell only half of the story'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What Trump's win could mean for Big Tech
Talking Points The tech industry is bracing itself for Trump's second administration
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published