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Margaret Cho: Assassin

Name: Margaret Cho: Assassin
Director: Konda Mason, Kerry Asmussen
Released: 2005
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

7.2/10

Good

2005

PG-13

Director

Konda Mason, Kerry Asmussen

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Margaret Cho: Assassin is a sophisticated exercise in cultural deconstruction. The special avoids including someone from a minority group without giving them real depth by centering the performer's identity as the primary driver of its critical inquiry. It uses a framework of moral relativism to challenge the political and religious climate of the mid-2000s. The work demonstrates intentionality in disrupting traditional Western institutional narratives. By targeting the state and organized religion, Cho moves beyond simple comedy into systemic critique. While the performance excels in multi-layered commentary, it lacks visible representation regarding disability.

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Category Breakdown

Does Margaret Cho: Assassin have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The performance highlights Cho's personal experience to critique societal structures that assume everyone is straight or cisgender. It emphasizes queer visibility by exploring identity and challenging traditional family roles.

How does Margaret Cho: Assassin portray gender?

Excellent

Cho challenges gender hierarchies by focusing on a female voice that dismantles patriarchal expectations. She uses satire to break down masculine authority rather than reinforcing the submissive female stereotype.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Margaret Cho: Assassin?

Excellent

As an Asian-American solo performance, the work centers a non-Anglo-Saxon perspective. It leverages Cho's identity to challenge the depiction of homogeneous white experiences as the norm.

How does Margaret Cho: Assassin represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film engages deeply with anti-establishment themes by targeting the Bush administration and religious institutions. It prioritizes systemic critique over traditional patriotism or institutional reverence.

Does Margaret Cho: Assassin include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no specific evidence regarding the depiction of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in this performance.

Present on Screen

Centers a prominent Asian-American perspective to challenge homogeneous cultural defaults.
Uses satire to dismantle patriarchal and religious authority.
Provides a strong critique of traditional family roles and structures.
Engages in meaningful anti-establishment commentary regarding state and religious institutions.

Limited or Absent

Lacks any specific depiction or engagement with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Margaret Cho returns to the concert stage with a "killer" one-woman show that has taken audiences by storm. Filmed live at the Warner Theatre in Washington D.C., Assassin features a fresh dose of Margaret’s ground-breaking and controversial brand of humor. Taking aim at the Bush administration and the religious right, she pulls no punches in her assault on the "ever devolving" state of the union. The result is an unforgettable performance featuring Margaret at her raw, irreverent and hilarious best.

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