The comedy icon drops The Margaret Cho Collection and Best in Cho, reflecting on her legacy while gearing up for what’s next.
by scott leonard
For more than four decades, Margaret Cho has been a comedic force—fearless, filthy, political, and always ahead of her time. Now, the comedy icon is celebrating her storied career with The Margaret Cho Collection, six of her most beloved stand-up specials in a brand-new “best of” album, Best in Cho, available now via Goat Song Records.
“It’s like my box set, my Celebration tour, my Eras tour,” Cho laughs. “A life measured in dick jokes—and I am very proud.”
Building a Legacy Through Laughter
Cho first broke out in San Francisco’s comedy scene, unapologetically diving into subjects others wouldn’t touch. Race, sexuality, politics, religion—nothing was off-limits. “I’ve always felt like comedy should go where it’s not supposed to,” she says. “The uncomfortable places are where you find the truth—and the biggest laughs.”
That honesty has carried her across stages worldwide, from sold-out Carnegie Hall shows to groundbreaking TV appearances. And while she’s quick to poke fun at herself, Cho knows her comedy has always been more than just jokes. “I’ve tried to be a teacher, in a way,” she explains. “If you come to my show with an open mind and open heart, maybe you’ll leave laughing and thinking.”
A Greatest Hits of Cho
Her new album, Best in Cho, curates decades of comedy into one raunchy, joyful collection. Classic bits like “Lesbians Love Whale Watching,” “Gay Agenda,” “Beaver Fever,” and “Dick O’Clock” sit alongside fan favorites that have become part of queer cultural shorthand.
“These are the stories and jokes people have quoted back to me for years,” Cho says. “It feels good to put them together in one place—like a scrapbook, but with way more pussy jokes.”
Revisiting the Specials
Alongside the album, fans can revisit six of Cho’s acclaimed specials, including I’m the One That I Want, which Entertainment Weekly hailed as one of the “Great Performances of the Year,” and Notorious C.H.O., which wrapped with a sold-out show at Carnegie Hall. Each captures a different era of her voice: raw, political, sexy, satirical, but always unapologetically Cho.
“These specials are like diary entries,” she reflects. “They’re snapshots of who I was at that moment—what I was pissed off about, what I was laughing about, what I was fighting for.”
Still Raising Hell
Despite looking back, Cho shows no signs of slowing down. She recently released a music album (Lucky Gift), has roles in Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Gregg Araki’s upcoming thriller I Want Your Sex (with Olivia Wilde and Charli XCX), and is gearing up for a brand-new stand-up tour this fall.
“I’m still building my legacy,” she says. “Comedy is forever—it’s how I make sense of the world. And as long as the world keeps giving me material, I’ll keep talking.”
Why Cho Still Matters
For LGBTQ+ audiences, Cho has always been more than a comedian—she’s been a truth-teller, an ally, and an icon. By fearlessly speaking about queerness, sex, and identity long before it was mainstream, she carved out a space where comedy and activism could coexist.
“I never wanted to be quiet,” she says. “Silence has never been my thing. I’d rather make people laugh while saying the thing no one else will say.”
And that’s exactly what Best in Cho delivers: 40 years of fearless, filthy, revolutionary comedy from a voice that refuses to be silenced.
Best in Cho are out now.