The Internet Isn't Sure What to Make of Margaret Cho's Golden Globes Character
Golden Globes hosts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey's opening monologue was hilariously on point. But when they introduced comedian Margaret Cho as the newest member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in an attempt to mock Sony's decision to pull The Interview—whose plot involved the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un—after threats from hackers, viewers collectively cringed at their TV screens.
The bit only got worse, dragging on midway through the show as Cho reappeared with her pancake-white makeup, purposely squinted eyes, and a broken English accent just as stereotypically bad as the one belonging to the Kim Jong-il marionette in Team America.
It was an exaggerated performance reminiscent of Mickey Rooney's infamously offensive portrayal of I.Y. Yunioshi in 1958's Breakfast at Tiffany's. But this is 2015. To make matters more complicated, the portrayal was made by an Asian American woman—one who is brazenly outspoken about LGBT rights and her own race and sexuality. So does that make it OK?
The jury's still out on that one, as Twitter reacted with a collective, "Huh?"
Buzzfeed's executive editor for culture, Doree Shafrir, pointed out that Cho was possibly the only Asian person who to grace the Globes stage the entire night.
NPR's Linda Holmes simply couldn't take it anymore. She tweeted this plea for the whole spectacle to end:
Related stories on TakePart:
• Asian American Activists Are Refusing to Join the Fight Against Affirmative Action
• These Sitcoms Ditched Female Stereotypes, and the Result Is Pure Comedy Gold
• Margaret Cho Talks Comedy and 'Fresh off the Boat'
Original article from TakePart
