In a Room Full of Naked Koreans, Margaret Cho's Body Is an Unwelcome Sight
Mar 25, 2013 2:55 PM 250,476
1,527
1,527 Perhaps I do get stared at a lot because I am a heavily tattooed woman, but I am also a Korean woman, and I feel I have the right to be naked in the Korean spa with other Korean women. I don't feel shame that my skin is decorated. My tattoos are my glory. I am happy in my skin and I am not sure what to say when others are not happy with my skin.
I walked around from pool to pool, and I kept getting dirty looks from the ladies there. They would talk about me very negatively in Korean, and I just spoke loudly in Korean –- not back at them, but nicely –- saying "ahhh Jotah!" which means "this feels good" –- really at no one -– but just to show that I could understand what they were saying and they weren't getting away with anything.
Their intolerance viewing my nakedness –- as if it was some kind of an assault on their senses, like my ass was a weapon - made me furious in a way I can't really even express with words -– and that for me is quite impressive. This bitch always has some shit to say.
I guess it comes down to this -– I deserve better.
I brought the first Korean American family to television. I have influenced a generation of Asian American comedians, artists, musicians, actors, authors -– many, many people to do what they dreamed of doing, not letting their race and the lack of Asian Americans in the media stop them. If anything, I understand Korean culture better than most, because I have had to fight against much of its homophobia, sexism, racism –- all the while trying to maintain my fierce ethnic pride. I struggle with the language so that I can be better understood. I try to communicate my frustrations in Korean so that I can enhance my relationship with my identity, my family, my parents homeland.
I deserve to be naked if I want to.
jiraffer2
Really? Poor rich woman can't get naked at the damn SPA when she is breaking her own cultural rules (however ludicrous they may be)??! Da fuk. I don't expect to go to a seder and eat pork and not make ppl uncomfortable. Or I'm just gonna get tattooed all over but you BETTER still bury me at the Jewish cemetery! I guess it's that attitude of "accept me or you're in the wrong" even though I am the one that is going against the rules and/or doing something that I KNOW makes you uncomfortable. Next time I go into a Muslim temple I'll go in without a headscarf, or I'll just head over to the Vatican wearing my fave tube top (take that! your rules are not MY rules!) see how they react... "I am NOT disrespecting! YOU are the judgmental ones!" This article makes no sense. Go to a NON Korean spa if you're so bothered and they will most likely not give a crap about your tattoos. Or do they not have those in LA?
(Or keep doing what you are doing with pride and maybe one day they will learn to be accepting, but don't be surprised/indignant when they react predictably.)
Sigh. Where's HamNo when you need him.
(Or keep doing what you are doing with pride and maybe one day they will learn to be accepting, but don't be surprised/indignant when they react predictably.)
Sigh. Where's HamNo when you need him.
jiraffer2 and 6 more Also irksome is the fact that she exclaims: "I'm Margaret Cho!" as if any other plebeian is ok to suffer their fate at the hands of the intransigent Spa Masters but by virtue of her name alone she should be absolved? So not because judging tattooed ppl's bodies is wrong but because she is a celebrity? This is so wrong on so many levels.
