Margaret Cho is a very talented woman. While she is known primarily for her acting and stand-up routines, she’s also a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter. Her first album, called Cho Dependent, was released in 2010 and featured collaborations with Fiona Apple, Tegan and Sara, and Ani DiFranco among others. Cho’s second, untitled album is scheduled to be released soon and a Showtime special, containing the new material, will air on September 25.
One of Cho’s new songs discusses her experiences with sexual assault, and was written to help facilitate a discussion. Writing the song, entitled “I Want To Kill My Rapist”, was a cathartic experience for Cho. She says:
I’m a victim and now a survivor of sexual assault and rape, and I think it’s really hard to talk about it. I think having a song to perform live will allow others to talk about it…I think Bill Cosy and Woody Allen and all these men are so disgusting. It’s gross. This song I made is a rejection of all that. The rage women have against abusers is real.
Cho was sexually molested by a relative for 7 years, beginning at age 5, and was raped repeatedly throughout her teen years. When she was younger she didn’t “even understand it was abuse”. Upon becoming aware, Cho “didn’t know how to stop it” from continuing. At the time, there wasn’t a conversation about sexual assault, leaving Cho unable to identify her experiences and without a solid support system.
The song is one way to get the conversation rolling, to help give victims the inspiration and strength to speak about their own experiences. Cho wants victims to feel comfortable speaking out and to acknowledge their rage.
All I have is ownership of my own suffering. I can take that and explain it in a way that helps resolve it.
Author
