sheena_00110101's review
3.0
I really like Margaret Cho and have explored her works while studying and writing about feminist political thought for my undergrad. The beginning of the book works well, maybe because all the crap of being an outcast child and teenager was so distant at the time she wrote it. The second half, being so much closer at the time of writing, makes for a bit of an uncomfortable read. Despite concluding with profound statements about loving and accepting oneself, after reading through the final chapters that detailed very dark periods of her life, I was left feeling a little relieved that I didn't have to read anymore. But, if you like Margaret Cho it's likely for her raw honesty which you will find here in abundance.
iffer's review
2.0
I'm glad that Margaret Cho told her story. It's a brave story about living for too long not valuing herself, and descending into various addictions and unhealthy relationships. This wasn't bad, but I never really connected with it. I'm not really sure why this is was. It could've been due to the writing, the lack of detail in the vignettes, or because I didn't find this as humorous as I thought that I would.
serene216's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book but it was very hard to follow. Jumped around a lot.
cynthiabemisabrams's review
5.0
As we seek to better understand systemic racism and sexism, Cho's memoir holds unexpected value. In particular, her vivid recounting of the 19 episodes of her groundbreaking TV series All-American Girl is essential reading for TV fans, feminists and students of culture.
I read this work on Kindle, as I needed it fast, in order to prepare for interviewing Cho for my podcast, Advanced TV Herstory. It's amazing and reassuring to see the frequently highlighted passages that Kindle reveals. It helped me understand more about Cho's fanbase.
I read this work on Kindle, as I needed it fast, in order to prepare for interviewing Cho for my podcast, Advanced TV Herstory. It's amazing and reassuring to see the frequently highlighted passages that Kindle reveals. It helped me understand more about Cho's fanbase.
daydreamangel18's review
3.0
Margaret is a really self destructive person for a long time, getting high and drunk because of self esteem issues and lack of direction in life. She was on the radar because of her tv show, but it was failed venture and the subsequent years saw her touring the country as a standup comic, which while she might enjoy, I get the feeling she felt it was a step back after having starred in her own sitcom and that catastrophe no doubt fuelled her self hatred and led her to bad choices, particularly in romantic partners having no self worth to refuse the advances of almost any men. Her life seemed a complete mess but at the end she tells you she was now in a better place, but it’s a bit hard to believe. I think Margaret now days is a lot more centred and I hope she is truly happy in her life.
alexampersand's review
4.0
I really like Margaret Cho, and I liked the idea of this book, mostly from the self-empowerment title. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Less funny, and a lot more dark and depressing. A lot of the book focuses on her addiction to drugs and alcohol, and her self-image issues. And if it was a fictional book, I would probably have got frustrated with her as a protagonist and told her to get over it. But it was real, and she really went through it, and I can see why some people are put off the book because of it.
However, the ending justified it all - it was the self-empowerment that I was looking for. My only complaint is that it felt like the final two chapters were tacked on the end as a last minute afterthought, 10 pages to lighten the mood after 150 pages of darkness and misery.
Luckily, for me it still worked for the most part. The only part I found a struggle was the last 40 or so pages. By that point, I was ready for her to be over the drugs, and it felt like she was too - it felt like there was a lot less detail, and a lot more of just retreading the same ground. But as I said, it was worth it then for the conclusion that came of it. I just wish there was a bit more focus on it.
However, the ending justified it all - it was the self-empowerment that I was looking for. My only complaint is that it felt like the final two chapters were tacked on the end as a last minute afterthought, 10 pages to lighten the mood after 150 pages of darkness and misery.
Luckily, for me it still worked for the most part. The only part I found a struggle was the last 40 or so pages. By that point, I was ready for her to be over the drugs, and it felt like she was too - it felt like there was a lot less detail, and a lot more of just retreading the same ground. But as I said, it was worth it then for the conclusion that came of it. I just wish there was a bit more focus on it.
bethreadsandnaps's review
2.0
I don't think I laughed once while reading this. It was written in a detached way, and she was kind of whiny.
nannahnannah's review
2.0
Yeaaaah, I'm not sure why this is in the categories "Humor" or "Comedy". I mean, sure, Margaret Cho is a comedian, but the book itself isn't comedic. It has comedic touches, but it's overall a pretty serious account of her life leading up to her career taking off.
I wanted to like this so bad. My mother loves Margaret Cho, and although I've never seen any of her stand-up, I've heard such great things about her comedy that I just wanted to fall in love with her voice. And, I mean, I did sympathize with her cycles of self-sabatoge and making light of her sufferings (something I do too :/ ), and the very ending of the book was so hopeful and inspirational that I was left feeling rosy-eyed about everything.
But she fat-shamed people in the book, she used transphobic slurs, homophobic slurs, etc. And not just once, but several, several times. I know Margaret Cho isn't straight, but continually using the f** word made me on the verge of closing the book and picking something else up. She also seems to have a strange infatuation with gay men that seems . . . bordering fetishization? Again I'm not very familiar with Margaret Cho, but it made me very uncomfortable.
So while the ending was great, and I have nothing against her actual journey, the writing and language really put me off.
I wanted to like this so bad. My mother loves Margaret Cho, and although I've never seen any of her stand-up, I've heard such great things about her comedy that I just wanted to fall in love with her voice. And, I mean, I did sympathize with her cycles of self-sabatoge and making light of her sufferings (something I do too :/ ), and the very ending of the book was so hopeful and inspirational that I was left feeling rosy-eyed about everything.
But she fat-shamed people in the book, she used transphobic slurs, homophobic slurs, etc. And not just once, but several, several times. I know Margaret Cho isn't straight, but continually using the f** word made me on the verge of closing the book and picking something else up. She also seems to have a strange infatuation with gay men that seems . . . bordering fetishization? Again I'm not very familiar with Margaret Cho, but it made me very uncomfortable.
So while the ending was great, and I have nothing against her actual journey, the writing and language really put me off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Rape, Transphobia, and Fatphobia
Minor: Racism and Ableism
homophobic slurs; transphobic slurs; the racism is in-bookcorncobwebs's review
I feel like I must have read this book before, because I went through a phase of reading all Margaret Cho's books a few years ago. I didn't particularly remember this one, so I got into it a few nights ago because I guess I felt like reading something empowering. A lot of Cho's writing borders on motivational speaker-y, which I typically don't go for. But she had a lot of terrible experiences, and it seems like she had to get in the habit of positive self-talk in order to dig herself out of the despair. So that makes all the platitudes tolerable -- for Cho, it seems like they're hard-won truths.
Overall: it was a little cliched, and I think Cho is funnier on screen than in writing...but I'd still read one of her books if I was in need of a little self-love pep talk.
Overall: it was a little cliched, and I think Cho is funnier on screen than in writing...but I'd still read one of her books if I was in need of a little self-love pep talk.