Flightless Bird
Flightless Bird

Margaret Cho

October 13, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Margaret Cho on Comedy, America, and the Art of Staying Engaged

When Margaret Cho was 14, she started doing stand-up comedy in San Francisco with a partner: the actor Sam Rockwell. They performed as an old married couple. "It was so ridiculous," she says. "Just what you think kids thinking what adults are doing." That early start launched a career that has now spanned roughly 45 years, across stand-up, acting, writing, music, and activism. Cho has 149 credited roles and 11 more upcoming. She has released multiple comedy specials, played Kim Jong-un and Kim Jong-il on 30 Rock, and currently tours a show called Soligarky — a pun on her name and the concept of running a country her way.

Growing Up in a Different San Francisco

Cho was born in San Francisco to Korean immigrant parents who arrived in 1964. They bought a house next to Golden Gate Park, and her father spent the late 1960s photographing hippies. "I have all these albums filled with random hippie weddings and hippie celebrations," Cho recalls. "My parents weren't hippies, but they thought, 'Oh, this is so interesting.'"

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:01) **Cold Open & Host Banter** - David, Rosa, and Rob discuss what they'd be if they could be a comedian, actor, singer, podcaster, or writer.
  • 2 (02:15) **Dissecting Rosa's "Charmingly Incompetent" Dig** - The hosts realize Rosa’s comment was actually a subtle jab at David, not a self-description.
  • 3 (05:55) **Signal Awards & White Sox Playoff Drama** - David asks listeners to vote for the podcast for two Signal Awards, then dives into Rob's chaotic travel plans to see a White Sox playoff game.
  • 4 (17:23) **Introducing Margaret Cho** - David and Rosa set up the interview with a glowing introduction to the legendary comedian.
  • 5 (20:18) **Margaret Cho's Many Hats & San Francisco Roots** - Margaret introduces herself as a comedian, actor, author, and musician, then describes the unique environment she grew up in.
  • 6 (25:22) **Growing Up Gay-Normal & The Mitch McConnell Corpse** - Margaret explains how her upbringing made her think "everybody is kind of a little bit gay," and the hosts pivot to current politics.
  • 7 (30:23) **Margaret's American Patriotism & The Lost Art of Dialogue** - Margaret explains why she still feels good about America, despite its problems, and laments the loss of cross-political conversation.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob are joined in the studio by legendary comedian Margaret Cho to check in on how she feels about the USA here in 2026. We (Rosabel, me and Rob) are all giant fans of Margaret, and dig into how she is somehow still a fan of the USA. What gives her hope, and what makes her want to scream into the void? And how does she manage to be such a prolific comedian, writer, actor, musician and podcaster?
Also - please vote for us at the Signal Awards!
https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/arts-culture
https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/indie-podcast
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