Happy 40th Birthday, Margaret Cho!

From Blake & Margaret

Early 1993. It's 11:00pm on a school night. VHS tapes are flying!

I've turned on The Arsenio Hall Show, as I always do, to see who the guests will be. Tonight, the name "Margaret Choooooooo" rings out. (Arsenio was extending his vowels LONG before Oprah started doing it!)

I think I've seen her before. This chick is damn funny! The clock is ticking. I have to find a video tape I can record over before Margaret walks out. There's no YouTube or Hulu.com yet. If I don't record this appearance, I may never see it again!

With mere seconds to spare, the sacrificial tape is found. I hit RECORD on the VCR and sit back to enjoy the performance.

"How do you like my disco jumpsuit?" Margaret asks in a valley girl accent. Her curled hair bounces as she throws her arm up in a 70s dance pose. I laugh violently for five straight (well...) minutes.

Omigod! I want her to be my friend! At 18, I haven't related to a performer like this before. Sure, Dolly Parton and the Mandrell Sisters fascinated me as a child. And yes, Madonna provided the soundtrack to my teenage years. But never before have I felt this connection. If she went to my school, Margaret Cho and I would be eating lunch together with the other less-popular kids.

That night changed my life. Margaret talked about the music she loved. She told stories about her gay friend. She was fun! "She gets me," I thought.

I just had to see this gal in person! My dad braved "Hollyweird" to take me to a taping of All-American Girl. (It turned out to be the last episode.) I made my own CHO shirts before they sold such a thing. And of course I was there when Margaret came to Fresno, giving her a Charlie's Angels lunchbox!

From Blake & Margaret

My best friend/pseudo-sister Racheal and I trekked to the Irvine Improv time and again to see Margaret's stand-up. We chatted her up in the back of the club, getting autographs and taking pictures with her. We even paid to see the early AND late shows!

From Blake & Margaret

If you ever doubt the impact a comic can have on someone's life, look no further than Margaret Cho. She's never too busy to sign an autograph or pose for a photo. She's always there with kind words and a friendly smile. She's a tireless crusader for equal rights--not only for the gay community, but for anyone who is marginalized. She's there laughing with us through the good times and crying with us through the bad.

Here's Margaret laughing with us in Prop 8: The Musical, rockin' the hot pink tank top in all her tatted glory!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

I love you, Margaret. Happy, Happy Birthday! Thank you, and keep on rockin'!

Leslie Jordan, Ian Harvie & The Griddle

Monday night was a great night! Once again, I hit up The Ian Harvie Show at Largo in West Hollywood. This fiesta of gayness is a showcase for up-and-coming talent as well as established performers.

This time, my friend, singer/songwriter Dan Holguin was part of the show! He wowed the audience with his renditions of '80s classics "Cold Hearted," "Here Comes The Rain Again," and "I'll Stand By You." Then the lovely and talented Marcela Carmona joined Dan on vocals and piano for "Careless Whisper."

Host Ian Harvie kept us in stitches with tales of armpit turn-ons and how he'd hide it if he became pregnant (a la Thomas Beatie). Comic and actress Sarah Hyland entertained with crazy characters, including one who performed tongue pushups. (You had to be there.)

And if all that weren't enough, the incomparable Leslie Jordan was also on hand. You may know Leslie from countless TV shows, but his most memorable outrageous characters are Beverley Leslie (Karen Walker's wig-snatching nemesis on Will & Grace, for which he won an Emmy) and Brother Boy (the Tammy Wynette-obsessed loony bin patient from the film and series "Sordid Lives.")

Leslie is small in stature (4' 11"), but he's a comic giant with the gift of gab and the ability to make you pee your pants with laughter. He captivated the crowd, recounting tales from his memoir, "My Trip Down The Pink Carpet," which he's turned into a one-man show. He will perform the show December 4-21 at LA's Renberg Theatre. Go to thelesliejordan.com for info.

I had the chance to chat with Leslie and he graciously signed my book. However, he rejected my plain black pen, declaring in his signature southern drawl, "I have a pink Sharpie!"



He also proclaimed his love for The Griddle Cafe on Sunset (as well as the beautiful men who work there). I've enjoyed their gargantuan, tasty pancakes before, so I decided to venture over there the next morning. As I sat eating an Oreo-filled "Black Magic" pancake, I looked across the counter and sure enough, there was Leslie, having breakfast and reading his morning paper.

If you've missed any of Leslie's shenanigans as Brother Boy on Sordid Lives, or if you just want to relive all the scandal, you can catch a marathon of all 12 episodes this Saturday, November 29 at 12 Noon Eastern/9 am Pacific on LOGO.



The next installment of The Ian Harvie Show is a special one. On December 10, Ian will again be joined by Leslie Jordan as well as Margaret Cho, Ant, Alec Mapa and others to say No on H8! Proceeds will benefit Equality California.

Margaret Rocks The Capitol

The fight for gay marriage continues, and Margaret Cho is at the forefront. Today, our gal joined nearly 5,000 protesters on the steps of the state capitol in Sacramento, California. Along with attorney and activist Gloria Allred, Margaret lent her voice to the cause. She sang a song she wrote called "Shove Proposition 8 Up Their Ass!"

Of course, being a news outlet, the Sacramento ABC site bleeped and blurred a few words. You can watch their clip here.

Last Saturday, November 15, Margaret appeared in Cincinnati, Ohio at one of many rallies held simultaneously across the country. Here is her speech along with the song, unedited. And in the rain, no less!

Margaret Cho in Long Beach

From Margaret in Long Beach

Famous faces! Cameras swirling! No on Prop 8 signs aplenty! And this wasn't a political event! Saturday night, Margaret Cho tore it up at the Long Beach Terrace Theatre with "Beautiful," her latest show.

I made the pilgrimage for some ritual Cho worship with my friend Dan Holguin, a talented singer/songwriter. Before the show even started, we greeted the always gorgeous Selene Luna of The Cho Show in the lobby. (Later, she told us about her upcoming slasher flick, My Bloody Valentine.)

From Margaret in Long Beach

Liam Sullivan opened the show, performing as his characters Kelly and Susan. The best part was his freaky sex therapist skit, complete with John Denver references, which was presented on the video screen. ("Eeew! Uuugh!")

After an intermission, Margaret lit up the stage with a riff on Sarah Palin and the requisite Mommy impressions. She had the audience roaring with hilarious tales of her very NC-17 sexual escapades.

To add to the excitement, this performance was filmed to be Margaret's next concert DVD. No on Prop 8 signs & stickers were passed out, and at the end of the show, Margaret urged everyone to vote No.

In the green room after the show, Margaret graciously posed for pictures with many admirers while her film crew's cameras rolled. We chatted with Bruce Daniels (photo below), who opened for Margaret on her Revolution tour.

From Margaret in Long Beach

We also gabbed with Ian Harvie, host of the monthly Ian Harvie Show at Largo, and his sweet girlfriend Sarah.

From Margaret in Long Beach

It was a wonderful night filled with friends and laughter, which really is therapeutic. I can't wait to do it again!

Still Fighting Against Prop 8!

As evidence of the Yes campaign's unfortunate wide reach and deep pockets, new commercials have been rolled out, signs keep popping up, and large demonstrations are being held.

Those of us fighting Prop 8 are doing what we can: donating, rallying, and trying to get the word out that this proposition is unfair and wrong. It's discrimination, plain and simple.

Our gathering two weeks ago in front of In & Out at Mooney & Walnut in Visalia was a big success. More than 120 people turned out with signs, and many motorists honked and waved in support. Tomorrow, we'll be rallying again in the same place, 5-7pm. If you can join us, we'd love the support. If you're in the area, drive by and honk!

The Fresno Bee supports No on Prop 8 (click here to read), and California Senator Dianne Feinstein has unleashed this video to help in the fight for equality.

MySpace Celebrity Selene Luna

Recently, on a few occasions, I've had the pleasure of meeting the fabulous Selene Luna. I first became familiar with her as a performer in Margaret Cho's burlesque/variety show The Sensuous Woman. This year, she joined Margaret on VH1's The Cho Show.

Selene's a Hollywood mover and shaker, and she sure can shake it! As such, she's been named a MySpace Celebrity. Check out this vid where she talks about what she's up to, including the No on Prop 8 PSA she made with Margaret. (Just scroll down to watch that on my blog!)

Visalia NO on Prop 8 Rally

Last night I participated in a No on Prop 8 rally, which was a great success. I got to meet and talk to some wonderful people. There was news coverage on the Fresno ABC (click to watch) and FOX stations. Contrary to news reports, there were approximately 100 people who turned out to show their support for equality!

Fighting the Yes Campaign's Lies

Undoubtedly many of you have seen the commercials put out by the Yes on Prop 8 campaign. They resort to outright lies about churches and schools in order to get people up in arms and scare them into voting to legislate descrimination.

Unfortunately, the No on Prop 8 campaign doesn't have as much funds as the Yes campaign does. This is why we haven't seen No commercials on TV to counteract the deception of the Yes commercials.

Today, the No campaign released this PSA to fight all the misinformation out there. Watch now, and pass it on to everyone you know!



Also, Ellen DeGeneres, who recently married her partner Portia de Rossi, made a NO on Prop 8 PSA. Check it out!

Margaret Cho & HRC Fight Prop 8

Margaret Cho, BFF to gays everywhere, has filmed a great PSA urging people to vote NO on Proposition 8. Her "The Cho Show" sidekick Selene Luna is by her side, starring as her neighbor. Watch it now!


Margaret was sick as a dog when she shot this a couple of weeks ago, but wanted to show her support of the community that supports her. Once again, she is going above and beyond, giving so generously of her time and effort to ensure that all of us have equal rights in this important matter.

Also, the Human Rights Campaign is DOUBLING every donation made today (up to $120,000) to fight Prop 8. Go here and donate TODAY: hrc.org.

Blake & Cho are Voting No, Shouldn't You?

I'm probably preaching to the choir here, since most of the people reading this are my friends, but I hope you all will Vote No on Prop 8! California's Proposition 8 aims to reverse the ruling earlier this year which allows same sex couples to marry.



I am not a very political person, and I usually don't talk much about politics or religion. I avoid arguments and confrontation whenever I can because I don't enjoy them. I was never on the debate team. Hell, I don't even know if my school had a debate team when I was there!

This week, Margaret Cho is hosting Equalipalooza, a benefit to defeat Proposition 8. The event is being held Wednesday, October 15 at 8pm in San Francisco. If I were closer and/or it wasn't being held on a week night, I'd certainly try to go. But if any of you are close enough, I'd encourage you to go and show your support! Click the link for info and to buy tickets!