Watch Margaret Cho: Beautiful

Margaret Cho: Beautiful is a stand-up comedy film featuring Margaret Cho, filmed in front of a live audience at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. The performance is a part of her 2008 tour. The movie is directed by Lorene Machado and produced by Levity Entertainment. Margaret Cho is a Korean-American comedian, actress, and writer. In this movie, she explores some of the most sensitive issues related to body image, sexuality, race, and gender. Cho's sharp and quick-witted humor takes on a range of issues that are both personal and universal. She manages to strike a balance between heavy and light humor with her insightful, self-deprecating, and fearless take on life. The film opens with the introduction of the show and Cho making her entrance, dressed in a glamorous, glittering outfit. She starts by describing her experience of attending a gay pride parade and her discomfort due to her lack of understanding of the culture. From there, she goes on to cover a range of topics. One of the most significant themes that Margaret Cho elaborates on in the film is the social pressure to be physically perfect. She speaks honestly about her own struggle with eating disorders, saying that she wanted to be "beautiful" but did not have the frame to be skinny. She also shares her opinions on the unrealistic beauty standards set by the fashion industry and how those standards affect people's self-esteem. Another central theme of the film is Cho's experience of being a Korean-American woman navigating the entertainment industry. She talks in detail about the heightened expectations, stereotypes, and discriminatory practices that Asian Americans face in Hollywood. Cho speaks candidly about the struggles she faced to land a role on the hit TV show, All-American Girl, and the racism she experienced throughout her career. Throughout the movie, Cho shares several hilarious anecdotes and stories drawn from her personal life. She talks about her parents, her ex-boyfriend, her gay friends, and her encounters with strangers. Her stories are filled with eccentric characters who are just as captivating as Cho herself. The movie features several guest appearances, including the renowned Latin-American comedian, Selene Luna. Luna, who is a little person and also identifies as Queer, performs a hilarious set, empathizing with Cho's outsider status. There's also an appearance from Bruce Daniels, an openly gay African-American comedian, who talks about his experience with racism and homophobia. Another vital theme of the movie is Cho's advocacy for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. She shares her opinions on the absurdity of certain homophobic stereotypes and explains how they harm people. Cho says that it is important to shift the society's perspective on LGBTQ+ people from a point of tolerance to one of acceptance. Overall, Margaret Cho's performance in Beautiful is a masterful exploration of some of the most crucial social challenges of our time. Her humor is not merely entertaining, but it is also thought-provoking and insightful. Cho's excellent performance is a must-watch for those looking for a fresh, modern take on contemporary social issues.