MaCho might have wanted to start out with some vertically compressed ass profiles to begin with. To be honest, I've never really understood tattoos on the back...who are they for? Entertainment for your partner? I laugh when I think that I always read the cereal boxes when I had my breakfast as a child or it would otherwise be too boring. I guess they don't have to be "for" anyone, but hers have stepped it up a bit. I just don't care for wall to wall tats regardless of the foundation.

To each her own. Good luck MaCho.

I've been wondering about the anger, myself. It's so unproductive. I like your idea of a Rage-Off Day using sign language, too. Can we ban texting and cell phone usage that day, too? Talk about rage inducing devices. Maybe that's why every one is angry- there's an embedded signal in the cell phone radio waves that twigs the amygdala to create a rage response to the wind blowing crossways from the ENE. Or it could be Tink's picture of Beaver in a bathtub. Gotta think on this one.

PS- where's that picture of Ricky Martin?

Oh, Margaret! You aren't fooling ANYBODY! You ADORE Ms. Cho's ass tat and just WISH you had one like it!

As for you cockamamie idea That everyone should stop yelling, I think that's fine as long as lesbians are excluded. We've earned the right to yell by virtue of putting up with all you freakin breeder chick! 'Sides, we're just cool like dat!

I saw Margaret Cho's live show "Beautiful" -- it was amazing. You would love it, Margaret Feike.

That's all for now (because it's time for a Saturday night movie & wine). I'm not angry ... I'm dead calm. You know like before the storm? :)

Critics and government must stay above the belt.

I am more apathetic than angry these days. I find anger tiresome and draining, and I find other people's anger mostly boring. As often as I hear people clamor on about their right to be angry, they still have the possibility of choosing many ways to express it- or not. Maybe it's why I have been keeping a low profile lately. As it is, I already have to deal with everyone's anger, sadness, horror, abuse and sorrow stories all day long at work, and then among friends, and then among family. We've already agreed at home that we don't want trauma/drama on tv anymore. It's such a bummer.

I think that Jerry Sienfeld had it right several Christmases ago when they had the Festivus for the Rest of Us alternative. That part about the airing of grievances. . .

Thought of a chattering epileptic fit at the water cooler Friday,

just to break the tension, but the ladies already've labeled me,
'eccentric'. Sides, what CD said. See what I mean? I'm lapsing clever and literate as a ghost pony and you're thinking up dirty limericks, aren't you, Maggie?!

I'm not pissed enuf at anybody or anything to shout yet, but I'm working myself up to it. Thank goodness it's fashionable again. Your sign language idea is a stroke of genius, except you're wrong about not many people knowing the signs. There really are only two or three signs, depending on your region of origin, and those are pretty much universally recognizable. Mine needs only one hand and frankly only one finger.

Meanwhile, we can work ourselves to the desired pitch by singing together, at the tops of our voices:

The whole world is festering with unhappy souls. The French hate the Germans. The Germans hate the Poles. Italians hate Yugoslavs. South Africans hate the Dutch and I don't like anybody very much!

Jane? Yukon Cornelius? Daisy Woman? Dirty Harry?: I'm actually way more tired than scared these days. Glad you had a better day and can breathe again.

bbd: I read the cereal boxes too; still do! Tattooing seems like it can be an addiction for some people. I wonder what they do when they run out of skin.

Phyllis: When you figure it out, come back and tell me. I'll believe anything. Also, there's your pic up there.

Amy: "Breeder" chicks? What's that and how do you think you got here? Oh wait, that top secret lab experiment with the alien goo...never mind. And Amy, as far as yelling Lesbians; that's redundant. I didn't know a lesbian was capable of being anything but a shrill, shrieking, shrew.

Scarlett: Dead Calm - that was a movie, I think. I don't know much about Margaret Cho. Just that she got mad about her tats. I've heard she's pretty funny.

J.P. Belts are kind of passe these days; kind of gone the way of suspenders.

Oryoki: Agree with you. It gets tiresome although I'm guilty of it from time to time myself. There usually is a better way.

why so grumpy, Margaret? come on, let's cumbaya - I can almost accompany on keyboard. (Or would such a 'musical' event just infuriate everyone?)

Thanks!

@ Matt: Kudos for knowing the words to my FAVORITEST Kingston Trio song!!!!

BTW, you're wrong about the hand signs. I'm Sicilian and I know at least 148 different ways to flip you off, buster! ;)

Last week Steve and I were out and passed three women in an aisle. We were maybe inches from them when we went buy while they were engrossed in talk. Us walking by should not have bothered anyone. Instead they came after me and called me a rude bitch and stared me down. They did not stare Steve down just me.
I agree.. what the heck is going on?
HUGGGGGGGG

@ Margaret: Ms. Cho wrote a song specifically for you. You can find it by googling "Margaret Cho" and "My Puss". (BTW, I'm the one in the killer cool Pirate Woman bikini!)

Funny piece, and as for Margaret Cho's ass, I don't care to see it with or without tattoos. I'm not a fan of the latter anyway. While lots of people out there are angry -- greenheron wrote a good analysis of why that might be on my post, but bottom line, there is a hell of a lot to be angry about. I don't necessarily think what we "bitches" at OS have been advocating is unfocused rage at anyone unfortunate enough to cross our paths. Rather, it is about standing up for ourselves, righting wrongs, or at the very least, making it clear that certain behaviour and attitudes will not be tolerated.

You assume that involves loud, public confrontations apropos of nothing, but I don't accept that. There are plenty of people, many right here at OS, who very much want women to be "quiet," to defer to men and to never, ever get angry. Many of those people are women. For far too long, getting angry has been the most shocking, dangerous thing a woman could do. I've often wondered what the hell people are so afraid of. It reeks of guilt -- people knowing they've been treated badly, and others knowing they're the ones doing it. And both too paralyzed by power, or lack of it, to speak up and correct the injustice.

When people tell me, as many have done, that we (men and women, but especially women) should never get angry, that anger is a sign of weakness, I invariably wonder about their suppressed rage and exactly how it comes out on the people closest to them, the "safe" people. In my experience, those people are nearly the angriest of all.

Yay. Rage is in. I'm enraged, unfortunately. OMG!!!! So there for the rage off but will beg you to let me utter sounds. Name a date, lady!!!
Flaccid buns, not good comedian, hideous tattoo,and then raging about it when eyesore is dissed? Outrageous.

Angry at you now for having to print the Ricky Martin pic out, and run to bathroom!

I just wrote a longish comment, hit post comment, only to have it disappear. Oh well.

Yikes, there it is. I'd forgotten how long it takes comments to appear. The last sentence should read: "nearly always"

MarianneSP posted a really thoughtful piece on Margaret Cho, her rant, and bullies. People should read MaCho's rant to see what the buzz is all about. It wasn't that people didn't like her tats, it's that assholes felt they had to comment on her body, and they weren't nice comments.
http://open.salon.com/blog/mariannesp/2012/01/13/margaret_cho_vs_the_internet

Pleasant evening, folks.

Any of the ladies can certainly PM me anytime for the ah, real situation. :)

I'm as angry as the next woman at a few of the things you mentioned, but my ears can't stand any more yelling. Instead of the sign language thing, though -(because I predict a ferociously low turnout, sorry)- i think we should throw things. Way more satisfying. Thwack, THUMP.

Tats are fine, but those things on Margaret Cho's ass are gonna look very different - and not in a good way - in about 20 years.

Oh no you don't! I just learned to get mad and then I learned to yell two years ago. But I don't like noise either, maybe we could just come armed.

Im studying that tattoo and trying to figure out where the parts of the face will go when she sags and wrinkles. If she stays thin she's going to have two chinless women with very hooked noses. She better start eating at 50 and checking the mirror or it could get ugly. I hope she's a planner.

Hehehe!

I'm loving the fact of all these str8 chicks ogling & infatuated with Margaret Cho's VERY gay ass!

In the closet much, ladies??? :D

well, i've spent a lot of time being angry and yelling for a lot of reasons. sometimes we just have to. cho's tattooed ass doesn't do much for me, but i respect her for having the balls to post it in a very public place.

now, what was this about amy being a pirate woman in a bikini?! THAT is something i'd like to see :)

O.K. I'll admit it. I looked.
It's a vase, right?

Maybe she was just trying to cover a couple of birthmarks on her buttocks.

Amy is that a good ass on a woman? I'm not in the habit of checking out asses on men or women. Do you find all those pink thong bows busy looking on that tattoo or is that hot? I never understood bows on panties as I think most men aren't all that picky about bows.

Margaret, what's the bulge on Ricky Martin's hips and above his knees? Is that some good workout thing? Maybe I should be checking more of this stuff out. This is Open Salon and I need open information, apparently I'm behind in the ogling.

I just had a screaming fit when the SECOND wine glass of the night got tipped over and broken by a goddam cat. Does that count?

I'm always surprised at the anger just simmering slightly beneath the surface in my otherwise nicey nice life. It is a veritable hot bed under this sweet exterior. I could explode any minute and yet I haven't for a long time. I have been happy. It is very odd. I think I need to stir the pot.

I don't like those tattoos on Cho's butt. There I said it and I feel much better now.

Uh-oh... As I recall the last time zanelle tried to stir the pot for herself I had a massive explosion and you were the first commenter and asked what had she wrought? Add in the cat spilling the SECOND glass of wine and Myriad's screeching and my analysis of Margaret Cho's ass with two faces and...

What will happen to me tomorrow to cause a double explosion? Oh Margaret what have you wrought on OS...

I wish I had the courage of Margaret Cho. Those people who were mean to her were, like, all mean and stuff.

Apropos of nothing, I'm watching a lesbian woman on the Palladium Channel right now. She has a better pompador than whatever that dude's name who wrote "Blue Suede Shoes" is called. Chubby Checker? Paul McCartney? Alyson Hannigan? Something.

John: The airing of the grievances sounds so medieval and "yesterday." I prefer the airing of the dirty laundry.

JP: I couldn't think up a coherent limerick dirty or not to save my life and I had no idea ponies were articulate, the ghostly kind or otherwise. But I'm just juvenile and obnoxious enough to know I'd laugh hysterically if I found someone having a chattering epileptic fit at the water cooler. Then I'd try to write a limerick about it.

Matt: Well that's probably what it would come down to in a sign-language Rage-Off Day, everyone furiously giving each other the finger. I love the song; been trying to sing the words to different tunes. What works best for you?

Myriad: I'm not grumpy at all! I'm trying to understand why everyone else is - like, the whole world. And I'd be happy to sing with you but don't you have something better to offer than lame old Kumbaya? Like some crazy chant where we can call up powerful demons to do our bidding and crush everyone who opposes us?

Phyllis: Welks!

Amy: The Kingston Trio?

Linda: You should have sweetly sung them a little Cee Lo Green, in your prettiest voice. Just the two words from the song's title.

Amy: I am googling nothing if there's a chance it'll show you in a bikini. I don't like nightmares when I'm asleep; one while I'm awake is even more frightening.

Emma: I was being humorous but I was also poking fun at people (women AND men) who feel like they should blow up and get angry at any old thing because they feel they've got to make up for years of holding it back. They are going to MAKE THEIR POINT by golly and heaven help anyone who doesn't understand.

And I don't care for the term "bitch." I don't like it when rappers use it to describe women but I like it even less when women use it to describe themselves, like a badge of honor. It conjures up images of a whining, unpleasant, inflexible, close-minded, confrontational female. Is that something you want to be associated with?

I agree, standing up for oneself and being assertive is necessary especially if it involves righting a wrong. Unfocused rage isn't and just reinforces the image of a "bitch." I've never come across anyone on OS who wants women to be "quiet" and defer to men. I don't even know what sex most of the people on OS are! And do you really think people are shocked anymore these days by an angry woman.

Fernsy: Yeah, re. M. Cho: what you said, all that and more. Isn't Ricky adorable? I don't know when that picture was taken but he had twin boys in 2008 and I am just SO steamed that he got his boyish figure back so quickly!

Emma: It read just fine with or without the "nearly."

Firechick: That's where I read the rant; I should probably put a link in my post. In fact, I shall, thanks to you. When you put pictures of yourself out there, for all the world to see, shouldn't you expect all kinds of comments? That's the risk you run. A grown woman, a tough celebrity like her can't shrug off two negative comments? She didn't even say what they were - and she did NOT specifically state they were about her body. Going off the deep end like she did isn't healthy; she'll end up having a stroke.

J.P: There is no "real situation" because there's nothing real about this place. And most of us aren't even ladies. Don't you dare call us that.

Candace: Throw things? But that's not the Democratic way, especially if it's rich against poor! The rich will get creamed, because they won't want to throw any of their expensive possessions! And the poor will throw their kids because that's one less mouth to feed. As for Margaret Cho's tats - she doesn't care what they'll look like in 20 years since she can't see them. It's her partner, whoever that may be, that I feel sorry for.

Bleue: It is difficult for me to look at that flowery montage on Ms. Cho's buttocks for any length of time. (The beribboned thong doesn't help.) I feel so sorry for those poor silhouettes, staring at each other across the divide, forever forced to bear witness to whatever comes along . I think if it were me, and if for some bizarre reason I was forced to get a tattoo there, I'd go for an image of a toilet seat. I'd feel like I had a psychological port-a-potty with me at all times.

Amy: OMG, can you tell an ass is gay by just looking at it??? And just for the record, you've been here multiple times which makes me wonder who is doing the ogling. Could it be you're ogling RICKY?

@Margaret: Did you read my comment? In my experience, most women get called bitches for doing what a man does only when men do it, they get called "assertive," "powerful," "ambitious" and "focused." Sometimes they're called "brave." I specifically said I didn't mean unfocused rage so not sure why you keep saying that's what I meant. When a man calls me a bitch, and many have since I've worked in at least two male-dominated industries -- journalism and entertainment -- I take it as a compliment because it means I am doing my job right and they have to get on their game instead of expecting me to play theirs. Very rarely has there been any valid reason for the slur -- a bitch is often any woman who doesn't do what they want without question, accept their advances, or laugh at their sexist jokes. I wear that badge proudly and refuse to be shamed by women like you who insist that protesting unfair treatment somehow makes me a raging loose cannon. And I can give you the names of at least two dozen regular contributors here who have routinely attempted to shame women for speaking out. They are among the angriest, most vicious people I've ever encountered.

Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, there is still a strong taboo against angry women in society. Many do NOT feel free to express their feelings at home or in the workplace without serious retribution so yes, they may take it out on some hapless clerk. And that goes for some men too since we're all feeling the pinch these days. I do not condone that in the slightest. Perhaps if there were more productive ways for people to release their feelings without censure, the constant displays of anger you seem to witness would lessen considerably.

I have plenty of things I'm angry about and as long as I can pack a super soaker and go after the people I'm truly angry with and soak them to the skin, I promise to do it (somewhat) quietly. No promises about the Hurling of the Pies at those who REALLy deserve it, though.

I'm way too much of a weenie about needles to get a tattoo, personally!

And just to be clear: your image of what a bitch is comes uncomfortably close to male stereotypes of women who dare to question their "right" to rule the world. We can't win. Speak up and you're a bitch. Shut up and you're a doormat without a brain. I choose to take my lumps and say my piece as politely and clearly as I can. As someone posted on my blog, "bitches are women who get things done."

lemonpulp: You respect Margaret Cho for splattering her ass on the internet? Just curious - why? You want to see Amy in a bikini? Just curious - why?

aka: Could be a vase, I don't know; more like a planter? I think any growing thing would die pretty quickly stuck between Margaret's... OH! you're talking about the reverse image made by the two heads! Silly me.

Larry: To me, those things on her buttocks look like a couple of giant birthmarks.

Bleue: Those intriguing bulges on Ricky are called "things only his lover gets to play with." And he is hot hot hot whether he's gay or not not not. I also love his tasteful tattoo. I'll bet he doesn't have a garden growing out of his butt.

Myriad, you lush don't blame it on the cat. Lay off the vine, lady! And think up that chant so I can take over the world.

Zanelle: A "veritable hot bed"? You say you're ready to explode? I think you better contact that guy from the Tarot reading! I don't like those tats either. I'm glad you feel the same way.

Bleue: What have I wrought? That's wrong! I didn't wrought, I wrote. This post. No, that's wrong too, I writed it first then wret it then... Wait, I WRIT it, wret it, wrought about it a little, tried to wrate it then...hold on.

MEERRREEEAAAAADDDD!!! More wine!!!

Nana: I wish I had her courage too. I think that courageous woman should join the military; the military needs women like Margaret Cho. As for the pompadour'd lesbian? I hope she doesn't look like Carl Perkins because he wrote that song and he didn't have a pompadour. Elvis did and I always thought he'd have made a fine-looking woman.

Ricky Martin!! OH MY!! ~grabs the picture and runs into the thorn bushes~ :D

~runs back out~ The tattoo question, because it's art, you don't have to see it to appreciate it!! What? :D

~runs back in~ LIVIN' LA VIDA LOCA!!!! COME TO ME RICKY, WE SHALL MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TOGETHER!!!

"I wear that badge proudly and refuse to be shamed by women like you who insist that protesting unfair treatment somehow makes me a raging loose cannon." Did I say that? Because I don't think I said that, anywhere.

Yes I read your comment Emma, you loudmouthed, heavyhanded, overbearing bitch. (That's a compliment, right?) I did not say you were fixated on unfocused rage; I was simply differentiating between that and targeted anger. I think the problem here is, we're talking about two different types of anger - the simmering, silent kind, stifled by years of oppression (the kind any oppressed group feels) that can come out in dangerous and unpredictable ways, and anger that's fueled by injustice, by unfairness, by the need to right a wrong or stand up for someone else or to champion a cause. And when you say there's a taboo against "angry women in society" what you really mean is, women expressing anger. I hope you do anyway because the image I get from a statement like that is a bunch of angry vicious women stomping around and screaming about anything and everything.

What's your point? We agree on the same thing - that there's nothing wrong with a woman getting mad and she should when she has a valid reason. And you're splitting hairs on the term "bitch." All I'm saying is, it's a negative term and has unpleasant connotations, whether you like it or not. It's also divisive. If it makes you feel better though, I'll say it again. You're a bitch.


Shiral: I love Super Soakers but I had to register mine as a deadly weapon after I accidentally filled it with battery acid and went nuts in a crowded shopping mall during the holiday season, just trying to have a little Christmas fun. That and I was pissed at Santa.

"loudmouthed, heavyhanded, overbearing bitch."

How come you don't call me that? ~boohoohoo~ I can be a pretty loudmouthed, heavyhanded, overbearing bitch when I want to be!! You should have seen me writing my protest letter to ABC, canceling my soap operas like that!! WHAT THE HELL, COCKSUCKERS!!! GRRRRRR!!!

~wanders back off into the thorn bushes~

I don't think I'm the one being a "loudmouthed, overbearing, heavy handed" and I'll add one of my own, nasty, bitch in my comments Margaret. I'll let you have that dubious honour. By calling me that, you prove my point that indeed this is EXACTLY the way you feel about women who express anger for whatever reason. I'm no psychologist but give me a nickel and I'd say you got a whole lot of anger going on under that nice-girl facade. I've seen you be plenty bitchy on a few blogs lately. And please don't tell me what I mean when I write.

You can call me a bitch all you want, but add the words "loudmouthed, overbearing and heavy handed" and I will call you out on that because it is precisely the opposite of what I am trying to say and you damn well know it.

Tink: I don't want to ask you what that picture of Ricky looks like after a couple of rounds in the rose bushes with you. Or if it can even be handled without latex gloves. You loudmouthed heavyhanded overbearing bitch, you.

Emma: I did not tell you you were mean when you write! I am very sure you are nice when you write, where you write, and to whomever you write. And those other things I called you? Those were adjectives enhancing the word "bitch." As for my "nice girl" image, you're right, that's a facade. When I "peel" off my face at the end of the day I look like that creature Predator. Like now! Too bad you can't see my Predator face, roiling with hatred, anger and violence, Dr. Peel.

I must be doing something right if you deem my recent comments "bitchy." From one mouthy, fork-tongued, bile-spewing, ass-kicking, hot-headed bitch to another, I just wanna say thank you, goddammit.

Tink: Thorn bushes, sorry. You do your dirty deeds in thorn bushes.

I'll post a picture of how Ricky looks like later after a few rounds with the Tink!! ~;D

And I've been known to do the wild thing in a kiddy pool of cherry jello. ~wink wink nudge nudge~

And damn it, can't we just agree loudmouth heavy handed is my nick name and get over it?

~nods and heads off to the Qwiki Mart for some orange soda~

Ass tats are so gaudy. I'm getting a tasteful piercing myself.

You are passive aggressive to the core. I do not find your use of "humour" to deflect criticism or serious examination of your position useful, much less amusing. You flip flop all over the place: first you attack on Beth's blog, then you soften your approach a little on mine but still insist that women who stand up for themselves are at heart loudmouthed whiners, then on your own blog you pretend to be "funny" about it all the while taking potshots. Your shtick seems to work on some people here but I saw through it in your comments when you first arrived at OS. I'm never wrong about these things, and I'm not now. You are one angry bitch.

You wrote ... `My goodness! That is one surly girl.

As I was reading a post elsewhere I got a Pop-Up!

Serious. It was from Salon - "Something went wrong."

I am not teasing. Next thing will be - I get shutdown?

That;s usually what happens. No dare ask editor why?
`
Sunday school class - a child ask teacher for hard evidence.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

If you pour pork and beans over french fries, you get a dish that Zeus and Shiva would fight for control of. Until, obviously, Shiva concedes to Zeus just as Islamabad concedes to Washington DC.

The guy is wearing speedo because he hasnt a Budgy to Smuggle.
I'd be annoyed too.

I think anger's just a part of life, and sometimes it comes to a point where people need to let it out. And sometimes that can be good, in small doses.

I didn't know about this Margaret Cho thing - but I have to disagree with you: I think her ass tattoo is the coolest-looking ass tattoo I've ever seen. I'm not into tattoo's on my own body, but if I were, that's probably the kind of thing I'd get somewhere. If someone looking at it then proceeded to express their dislike of the tattoo, I'd understand. If they said insulting things about my ass, I might find that kind of uncool, to use the understated Jennifer Anniston term. But I don't know if I'd "blow a gasket". Comedians are complicated folk in any case.

I like your idea of everyone expressing anger with gestures. I think it would make a lot of us laugh after a while, and a lot of problems would be solved.

Emma's right, you are one angry bitch.

Personally, I find it attractive ~ just as I find Emma's simmering rage attractive. That's from a male perspective, anyway.

There's far too much of this O, I feel for you sister stuff already. You guys aren't reading each other right, but I'd say you're batting for the same team. You're both bitches, & it's why I love you.

I gotta admit that I don't like her tattoo and had the urge to make fun of it, which I overcame at minimal personal sacrifice.

I think sometimes we do need to rage a bit. Being angry at the ultra-wealthy, who mainly did not work for it but inherited it, I see nothing wrong with that. They are hurting other human beings with their actions. They deserve to some yelling.

As for the rest, it's after Christmas. Everyone has to go back to their routines. It's cold in a lot of the country. It's not sunny in a lot of the country. We're unemployed, poor, overworked. I can see why we're pissed.

We need a national meditation day, really, rather than a day to get it out. :)

Kim Gamble. You wrote that as if You were a nice black-skinned person of color.
I'm singing too.
to My daughter.
`
I had to ask her how old she was. She 31- today. Honest. When She was born I cried.
I called my Father.
I lied to my dad.
I said (teased):`
`
Congratulations. You a Pa Pa `gin. Tour Granddaughter just came on this sad Earth.
I named her Martini.
C. Martini Luther King.
My poor dad cried too.
I forgot to say I lied.
It was a family joke.
`
Martin Luther King was born on January 15th too. I told my daughter this morn:`
`
You are not 31. You 7 & 1/2.
You are as old as Alice is.
She's a Alice in Wonderland.
`
My daughter tossed me a bouquet.
When she married She said to me:`
`
Pop! Catch! Good Catch! I cried.
It was just tear-eyes filling up`gin.
A beautiful wedding was outdoors.
I tried to talk her into backing outs.
She disobeyed.
She no walk back.
I said`walk backwards.
`
I still downloading.
Judy Garland sings.
She Feeds the Birds.
`
She moved 10 times.
That was in 10- years.
She's a feisty angry.
`
Kim Gamble reminds me:
`
You Kim Gamble Martini.
Why?
You get ten Why's a hour.
Why?
So you no get handcuffed.
Cops cuff you with soft fur.
You go to jail with skunk fur.
Cops say you no be pinched.
You teach sane nonviolence.
She mums money from me!
She whines she's so poor!
Who has any dough, huh!

I'm like Myriad. All kinds of major panic-inducing unfair shit can go down and the small crap trips my trigger. Never mind a tipped wine glass...One more pile of cat barf to clean up and I go berserko!

Then the sun comes out, the birds tweet and all is Disney for me.

@ Margaret: Yes, I CAN look at Ricky Martin without feeling treated. I'm not in competition with him for attracting drunk sailors like you are.

@ l'HB: I'd rate Ms. Cho's ass around an 8. I normally prefer my asses to be a bit "perkier", but she gets bonus points cuz getting that tat had to hurt like hell.

@ Emma Peel 2: please don't call Margaret a bitch. Bitch is an EARNED term. Call her slut, skank, worthless whore or slag if you want. She's earned those terms.

@ Kim Gamble: quit being such a needy, angry woman slut! I know you Kiwi men are used to being yelled at by angry Kangaroos and such, but your simpering claims of devotion of love to Mad Dog Maggie is pitiful!

Ms. Feike, anger isn't productive. Rage is. I define the difference thusly: anger is when you scream at something that offends you and hurts you. Rage is when you pick up a weapon and strike back.

This is probably going to upset the poets and folksingers who visit here, but rage gets things done. Rage created this country. Rage helped defeat the Axis. Rage gave black people relatively equal rights; if they had kept raging, they would have been much mor equal. The Equal Rights Amendment died because women were too polite to rage.

Nothing ever happens until someone gets angry and does something about it, and something more genuine than writing a letter to a web site. The people on the freezing streets who are angry about being out of work, unemployed and denied health, food and warmth won't get anywhere until their One Percent enemies start dying in violent fashion, and that purification of humanity won't happen with something as mild as "anger."

Margaret Cho is hilarious. Who cares what's on her tush? ~r

I want to say, again, that I love Ms. Cho, and also that I am not the Everybody; I'm not an angry person. :)

Everybody wants to get on the bandwagon of being angry. Trends promote and fascilitate that. This is the sanest piece I read.

As a tattooed person, I like Margaret's bum, and man, that must have hurt. My art critique would be that the artist went a little heavy with the black ink, but the figures and flowers are very well done.

Communities slurred by terms like"queer" and "faggot" and the N word have claimed them for their own use. Presently, if someone outside the community uses the same term, it will be received as a slur. At a gay friend's party, the room buzzes with the words "bitch" and "faggot", yet the unwritten rule is that I may not use those terms since I'm not in the club. So much suffering has gone down attached to these words that those who reclaim them have earned the right of ownership. Through appropriation, these words begin to lose their original meaning, which is the point.

"Bitch" is complicated. In hip-hop, it's often a slur, but can also communicate pride and power. Between gay men, same thing. One rule seems clear. A straight man cannot expect to use "bitch" to refer to a woman in a friendly and collegial way. At present, it will be received as a potent slur. Men need to understand and respect this about women.

Likewise, as women, we need to examine what this word means to us. We're in the process of doing that, as the comment stream indicates. "Bitch" can hold multiple meanings to a woman, depending on who says it, how we may have been hurt by it in the past, and how we feel about ourselves now. In any case, it's food for thought and discussion, and a counting to ten before using it.

Quite the comment chain here, and it made me ask a question. Why would we claim bitch as a badge of honor? Why not skank or slag or whore? Why are we picking one demeaning term over another? And why are we arguing over the correct usage of the term bitch? A bitch is a bitch is a bitch and I never call myself that. Don't we have better things to worry about? Of course we can all stand up for ourselves. No one can tell us we can't. Do we need to be rude about it? No, because that was the behavior we received and are protesting against.

So I propose that we just retire all demeaning terms used to keep someone down. I don't agree with claiming it then not allowing anyone else to use it, either. It's either good or bad. Context, for some terms, is irrelevant.

And don't you dare call me a bitch.

Just wondering but what is the male equiv of a bitch in the US and Canada?
We have so many choices in the UK we are spoilt for choice.

"Press send FRed(tm) and don't rate it again Boy as it minuses the last one orf."

I'M NOT ANGRY! WHAT THE HELL MAKES YOU THINK I'M ANGRY!

I'm also noticing that people seem to be much angrier these days. Much more than usual, I've seen people flip each other off while driving, honking horns impatiently, sniping at each other on the hiking trail (over doggie/owner behavior)... nobody seems happy. My friend has even witnessed two physical altercations this past week. What gives?

I'll admit, I haven't been in the best of moods lately, therefore, I've stayed home. I don't want to infect anybody with my negative vibes.

Rage is so fashionable, but so undignified and ineffective as well. It's good that you poke some fun at it, and I had to giggle a little while reading this.

We live in a world where we must follow routine.
Professional behavior in offices, bureaucracies, factories, etc:
be tolerant polite & cooperative as you are being pushed around…
petty frictions, hurt feelings:
small angers are accumulated,
and not discharged…

big anger builds…

and it is projected afar…
Look, we meet frustrations every day in almost every situation,
because no one pays attention to anyone else…
yet we cannot admit to ourselves that we are so damn petty
as to be bothered by small slights, so we
gotta find BIG CAUSES to unleash the Big Anger at.
But even this eventually fails.
Everyone is doing it these days, on the tv and radio and in print.
We understand its futility, if we are intelligent:a self perpetuating cycle of anger.
We cannot even have the satisfaction of a BIG ENEMY or cause …
Stymied, we become intensely internalized.
Some turn it inward, become clinically depressed.
a national monthly Rage-Off Day is a fine idea.
but...
do it with people you are NOT angry at,
people who are playing along
with their own rage,
not at you,
to express.

the expression of this pent up anger is paramount.
violence can be prevented by doing it in fun.

Margaret, I thoroughly enjoyed your satiric piece, love your humor. Your suggestion of a "national monthly Rage-Off Day" reminds me of the Roman Gladiator fights, somehow. Yes, the means would not be the same, but the driving emotions and vicarious pleasures would be.

I find some of the North American notions rather screwed up and the word "passive-aggressive" so over used. What a breath of fresh air was your post; thank you !

R♥

There are a number of elements in this post that pique me, Margaret, Rage As The New Calm, not the least. Woah. I was on a date site. You are absolutely correct. So. Thaaat little adventure washed. But this tattoo - I just have to say, that I don't get it with these things either, I have none, will never have any, and am always pretty astounded that one would ask if I do! Me?? But I think her tattoo is awesome! I have seen good and bad ink, and as that goes, her artist did her proud. I dunno -- maybe she did it to - thumb her nose - so to speak, so, in my mind, that's kiiiind of a lot to go through for what, in the end, must be a rather hollow victory.

I already feel better about my ass.

Thanks Margaret (both of you)!

Oh, and well stated rant - very entertaining and hits the hot spots with a big ol' mallet.

I used to think Margaret Cho was funny, but then her voice started to really bug me. I certainly don't get the tattoo thing either...covering up cellulite perhaps? Well told story Margaret. -r-

A wild west showdown sounds great...guess it has to be at sundown. Aren't they always at sundown?

Ricky Martin looks hot! Damn...

Interesting post. Angry, bitchy women. Proud to be one. Not enough of us giving voice with our anger and bitchiness to the plight of women in the world. There is a great deal to be angry and bitchy about. Hurrah for anger and bitchiness, that does move mountains. Now for dear Margaret Cho's anger. If you read about it, it was very well placed. She was severely insulted. Whether or not in some way she brought it on by assuming that everyone would play nice with her on a very public information wave, remains a point of discussion. However, what is it that gives those who insult the right to do so unscathed? Why can't she left unfurl her anger? They have done their best to raise it. If you read about it, it is deep seeded and her voice has been found to express many thoughtful things, not just blind anger. She is a brave person to share her feelings and why she was so angry. There is never just a single layer in each of us. As to What Emma said and some others, I agree. Also with Joan and Jon.

I would ad that I am personally indifferent to her tattoo and found that a minor part to the story. This was about respect and behavior and suppression of hurts and feelings. I a apparently a bitch. I am a bitch for reproductive rights, gender equality and so much more. We all have the right to be angry if our angry is hurting and slighting others. To be better by exercising self control, suppression of the justifiable anger just harms our cause and our selves. Maybe you don't need the yelling and scream spin, but it high time women found their voice and we owe no one any explanation for our interests in being equal. Damnit.

Ha. I should have proof read that before sending. Suffice to say, I hope you get my point. Lots of confusing sentences in that comment.

"We all have the right to be angry if our angry is hurting and slighting others. " This is probably the least understandable sentence, so I will correct it. What I meant to say was, 'We all have the right to be angry if our anger is a result of our being hurt and slighted by others." Ah, hope this helps...also Damnit was not a mistake. However apparently I also spelled that incorrectly...that will not preclude me from repeating it. Damn it. Okay. Thanks.

I have entered the twilight zone.

Truly postmodern hell.

She is weak. Of course people will say stuff, good and bad, if you post a picture of your bare naked ass on the internet, regardless of whether or not it is tattooed.

PUNCH HER IN THE THROAT! PUNCH HER IN THE THROAT!

Thank the gods above and below I am finally starting to get angry. Not a clue at what yet, but that's not important. Just getting there is what it's all about. I'd start typing in all upper case, like Tom, but I'm too enraged to want to be seen as a copycat and, besides, I prefer to express my unholy spittle flinging fury in the more whispery, subtly sinister manner of Dirty Harry. I just need somewhere now, some direction in which to focus my unleashed rabid ramped up berserkitude.

@FusanA: I think passive aggressive does tend to be overused mostly by people who confuse conviction and purpose (especially in people they dislike or disagree or are threatened by) with aggression, but are too chickenshit to stand up to it so revert to the "passive aggressive" terminology as a backhanded insult, which is of course, typical of the terminally passive aggressive. I am using it in its correct sense. It is passive aggressive to purport to care about the rights of women to stand up for themselves to address wrongdoing, but then consistently attack them as "loudmouthed," "stomping" etcetera and fear what might happen if "hordes of angry women" actually had the guts to speak up. The whole bitch discussion is a red herring in my opinion, but I was giving Margaret the benefit of the doubt. She does think women who speak up are bitches -- just read her description of what she thinks bitches are. Bingo.

Unfortunately, you can't have it both ways in an argument. That is dishonest AND passive aggressive. And if this is satire, I find it weak.

Also, to purport to despise the word "bitch" yet use it in the title of a post smacks of just a teeny tiny bit of hypocrisy, not to mention riding on the coattails of others.

emma peel 2:

You are guilty of fuckmuppetry.

First degree fuckmuppetry.

Incorrect, Nick. If I could, I'd punch you in the throat for that gross mischaracterization.

@Nick: I don't think I'm the one being a fuckmuppet here. Just telling it how I see it, and based on my past experiences here, I know I'm not wrong.

@Drew-Silla: Thanks. I know I'm wasting my time and energy, but some things seem worth it. Then again, maybe not.

Ummm, Emma? Why all the bile?

I don't happen to agree with Margaret (certainly not about Ms. Cho's gloriously decorated ass), but she DOES get to state her beliefs and opinions (no matter how misguided the skanky sluts ideas are!) [Love you, Mad Dog. YOU at least know I'm kidding].

So, ya wanna disagree with her: Fine! Wanna be a shew and insult her personally (and mean it) and demean her writing, not so fine.

BTW, nice mind reading act. Can we expect to see you on Leno soon???

P.S. and Emma... No offense, but YOUR "I'm never wrong" and your VAST years of experience here on OS schtick is pretty weak too. Just say'in.

Bottom line is, we're ALL a bunch of hack bloggers with opinions flowing free from our asses. YOURS don't smell any sweeter than Mad Dog Maggie's. (now MINE is a whole different story!!!)

I supported everything I said Amy, unlike Margaret. If you don't like it, I can live with it. The difference is that I said what I felt outright. I didn't use passive aggressive humour as a shield while being a bitch to someone while pretending NOT to be a bitch because the word is somehow offensive to me. If you can't see the hypocrisy in that, so be it.

Tink: What else do you do at the Qwiki Mart? Or should I ask, who else? Whom else? Just how qwik is a qwiki? Also, does the Qwiki Mart have glory holes in the bathroom? I figure since my comment thread is unraveling yet again, I may as well take the lead.

Sirenita: Where are you getting your "tasteful" piercing - on your tongue?

Emma: Please respond in American; in these parts, it's spelled h-u-m-o-r. Now stop thinking about U all the time and let's think US, as in humorUS. Which is what this post was supposed to be before you bitchily hijacked it. We are women but we don't have to roar; it's unladylike. Can't we put on a united front and be demure and genteel, the way God meant for us to be? Maybe if you pulled that "shtick" out of your behind...

Art: You got a Pop-Up? At the Qwiki Mart? It must have been Tink. I think something's going wrong here, on my blog, which I only wrote because Amy told me to write a new post.

Nana: Is pork and beans over fries something else you get at White Castle? There would be no contest between Shiva and Zeus; Shiva would crush him - he's got 4 arms and a third eye.

CreekEnd: Ricky can smuggle my budgy anytime he wants to.

I don't even know what that means.

Alysa: Just how many ass tattoos have you seen? And why would anyone waste their money getting one there anyway? Think what it would do to your neck, always trying to crane around to admire it. You'd end up with a permanent pain in your neck. Tattoos are so impractical and they're boring. Kind of like when someone insists on telling you their dreams. I think I'll start the next big thing - I'm going to get a horn grafted onto my forehead. It'll serve two purposes: it'll make a statement and I can gouge anyone who insults me, no embarrassing display of irrational anger necessary.

Kim: Is there any woman you haven't loved? Why must you always be so sensitive, so agreeable, so conciliatory? That's how women are supposed to be.

odetteroulette: Go ahead and make fun of that tattoo! You can do that here. You can say anything you want here because I won't delete your comment. I like free-for-alls and the crazier the comment, the better. Let it out, get mad, call names, hurl insults, at Margaret Cho's ass, at the injustice in the world, at greedy rich people, at my picture. Think of my blog as a safe haven; it's why you see Amy and Emma here so frequently.

Art: I wish all my kids were 7 1/2. Life was so much easier when I lived under the illusion I could tell them what to do and they respected me. Little did I know that behind those beady innocent eyes, they were calculating their revenge. The only thing I remember about my own wedding is it was on a sleeting, ice-cold night and everyone said the food was great but I couldn't eat because I was sick to my stomach. Because I was pregnant but at least I didn't throw up on my dress. What is a Kim Gamble Martini - the male equivalent of a Shirley Temple?

Linnnn: Ah Disney, where women are objectified to the nth degree by being depicted as beautiful smiling princesses, awaiting the handsome prince who will complete them and make life worth living. You didn't think you'd get away with a nice comment and a reciprocal "thanks for reading" did you Linnnn? You just had to mention Disney - NO ONE contributes to the oppression of women like that behemoth Disney, preying on impressionable youngsters with their unrealistic depiction of what the perfect female should be, working on them from practically the cradle. Now I'm mad Linnnn, really raging and it's all because of you!!! Why won't Mickey put a ring on Minnie's finger after all these years - is it really a coincidence she's depicted as a meek little mouse? How come there's no lesbian princesses singing "Someday my princess will come?" Why is the story called Beauty and the Beast - isn't it about time Disney realized this is the 21st century and called it "Bitch and the Beast?" And why do you have to clean up the cat barf - go grab a man and make him do it!

Amy: Did you take your meds today? You know you'll lose your internet privileges if you don't take those things.

Nope. Not falling for your bait. You'll have to try harder than that.

*ahem*

Speaking of Micky & Minnie Mouse, did you hear about their divorce?

They were standing in front of the judge and he said, "According to your petition Mickey, you are divorcing Minnie because she is insane, is that correct?"

"No, your honor!", replied Mickey. "I'm divorcing her because she's fucking Goofy!!!!"

A lot of people are angry for good reason. Many good reasons. But too many of us have equated freedom and being open with being cruel, mean and coarse. Sometimes I think those who said one's thoughts, especially one's more awful thoughts, are best kept to oneself had a very good point. A very good one.

Good story. Very reasoned.

@Emma, do you have any idea what "humor" is? Have you ever laughed? At anything? Can you define "irony" for us? If, as you said in your post, you tend to be meek in person does this mean you are passive aggressive? You really seem to protest too much about the passive aggressiveness you accuse everyone of. If they try to make people laugh, they're passive aggressive. If they point out behavioral traits without insulting someone by name, they're passive aggressive. Is this an expression you've picked up recently and have become infatuated with? You've been accusing people of it - me for one - the entire two years I've been on OS. Do you know what "transference" is? Isn't it time perhaps to find a new insult to label people with whom you find disagreeable, or, perhaps more accurately, who disagree with you? Why is it you're meek in person (as you claim) but always shrewish on OS, hiding behind the avatar of a TV character? Do you suppose you might benefit from psychological counseling? I should think so.

I'm been thinking about rage all day. In all seriousness, some things happen in life that fill you with such rage . Such rage is sometimes righteous and could last until their is some magic moment when it can go way. Losing that rage can be a bad thing.
It's a you've walk in the shoes, or you wouldn't understand kind of experience. One shouldn't poo poo anothers rage. Though there are petty angers and disproportianate (sp??) reactions such as the Cho tattoo sitch.

" Rage against the dying of the light," is a nice quote.

neutron: Rage can indeed be a powerful weapon especially if you want to overthrow the government or bring about sweeping change but nonviolent resistance as espoused by MLK & Gandhi is the far better way to go. Much more long-lasting and effective.

I didn't write this little piece of fluff to try to change anything. The only change I'm trying to bring about involves my avatar picture. I think it looks like I'm wearing braces. Do you think so? I can't decide - I must have moved my head when I took the pic and that's why my teeth look blurry.

Joan: I've heard that Margaret Cho is hilarious. I wonder why she can't laugh at herself or whoever made fun of her tush?

Jonathan: You are definitely not an angry person and are probably enjoying the health benefits of serenity right this very minute while others of us on this blog are clutching our chests and turning purple as we asphyxiate ourselves on our own internal rage.

blufeather: Sane? You call this sane? What's the matter with you. I can take a lot but NEVER use that word around here. There is nothing sane about anything you'll ever find on my blog. GOT IT???

And, thanks for reading and making some sense!

greenheron: What a well-written analysis. (Can I delete my post and replace it with what you wrote?) I think Margaret's tattoo is hideous but then I'm not fond of body ink. And the black is a little overdone. As for the term bitch - as I've said in other comments, I don't like it although as with those other slurs, it's lost some of its power but it still has a negative connotation. I would never feel proud of being called a bitch in a professional setting. Neither would I take it with a smile; that's when my retractable claws and fangs come out.

Phyllis: I would never dare call a hotcake wrestler a bitch or anything else other than "your highness." I don't like demeaning terms in general and I don't ever see "bitch" becoming a badge of honor. Inappropriate anger doesn't make anyone feel better, even the person who initiated it. It just breeds more anger and makes everyone else feel bad. And -what is a "slag." Never heard that one.

CreekEnd: What is the male equivalent of a bitch in the U.S. and Canada, you ask? Why, there isn't one. Men aren't like that here, can't you tell that after being on OS? There's no such thing!

Tom: Is that Swami Tommy? You're not angry. You just hit "caps lock." Turn it off, retype that sentence and I guarantee you'll feel much better. That'll be $150.

Victoria: Yes people are mad all over the place these days and I'm sure there are lots of reasons for it but that's no reason to come to blows. I think everyone should just stay drunk until the recession's over and the good times roll again. Have a drunk-off instead of a rage-off. I'll start first.

Paul: Well I am sure glad someone here is giggling. Could you do it louder please? Laughter is infectious.

James: Oh dear, another fine analysis and you didn't use the word bitch, not once. Can I combine your comments with greenheron's and repost as my own, because now I want to write something serious but I'm too furious with myself that I didn't put more thought into it.
You nailed it precisely - we don't know who to rage at so we turn it on whomever is convenient or we internalize it, neither of which is productive. And it's hard to sustain too; staying angry all the time is unhealthy not just for the body but for the spirit. It doesn't help that the media spills over with it 24/7, making it seem acceptable and the norm. That's why I'm beginning to rethink the Rage-off as I said to Victoria and am leaning toward the Drunk-Off. Drink-off. Drink up. Salud!

Fusun: Thank you for that! A Rage-off would have a few advantages over the Gladiator fights; no blood, no bodies to haul off, no random limbs to clean up. Although it wouldn't be nearly as exciting to watch in a colosseum-type setting.

Songbird: I don't know, her butt doesn't look too hollow to me. I just think it looks weird and I'm not sure why she felt the need to show the world. I wonder if her tattoo artist had to hold his nose while he did it; I hope she didn't eat a bunch of bean burritos before she prostrated herself for what must have taken a looooong time.

Gabby: Doesn't looking at a naked arse immediately cause you to do some involuntary butt crunches? Every time I look at that picture I realize I'm doing some. Maybe Margaret Cho is doing everyone a service.
A big ol' mallet. I like that.

Christine: Covering up cellulite - I don't know, now I'm looking at it again, harder this time, and I just don't see any evidence of cellulite. And there I go, doing more damn crunches. In her defense, she really has a decent butt. I think she ruined it with the tattoos. I love your new picture; a classy antithesis to Ms. Cho's.

Beth: Yes, a Rage-off could be at sundown but also high noon, and at sunrise too for the angry early risers! They'd almost have to be scheduled in different time slots to accommodate everyone who's furious because there are so many of us. And Ricky Martin could be the emcee, in his Speedo of course. He doesn't look like he ever gets mad.

Sheila: Dammit Sheila, why do you have to be so damned nice about being a damn bitch? :) This was supposed to be a mildly amusing, reasonably entertaining, lighthearted post but it has turned into something altogether different.

I have to ask - why do you classify yourself as "a bitch for reproductive rights, etc." What's wrong with saying "advocate." Or "proponent." Why do you feel that calling yourself a "bitch" validates you in some way? I am all for the same things you are but I don't call my self a bitch nor do I want to be known as one. It makes no sense to slap what is still a negative label on yourself or any woman. It doesn't help or change anything.

Regarding anger, Margaret Cho's and others - look Sheila, everyone has something to be angry about. By the time most people reach adulthood, they've been hurt in some way: put down, demoralized, treated unfairly, discriminated against, mocked, abused, shunned, "knocked down, made small, treated like a rubber ball." (Sorry, that's a song.) The point is, we all can carry these things around and stay mad and take it out on someone else if we choose to. Margaret Cho's not the only one who's been hurt. I'm sorry she had a rough life - and from what little I read, she had an extremely difficult time when she was younger. But she admits she's full of hate. It sounds like she's dragged her horrible childhood memories into adulthood. That's not healthy. That's when things like road rage turning deadly happen.

She says she "blew a fucking gasket" when two people said unkind things about her tattoo. Is that how everyone should act when they feel they've been insulted or hurt? All the time, over any perceived slight? A lot of comedians would have laughed at that or turned it into part of their routine, done something constructive with it. And by the way, comedy can be as effective as anger in bringing about enlightenment and change. Maybe moreso. You've surely heard of Lenny Bruce. George Carlin. Richard Pryor. The Smothers Brothers. They turned a harsh light on things like racial inequality, the Vietnam War, religion, abortion, drugs. They channeled their anger into their humor and a lot of people listened.

Didn't meant to turn this into a lecture; sorry.

Thank you green heron for saying what I didn't have the energy to. Yup, bitch means something different today than it did 5 years ago, 10 years ago, 25 years ago. I recall years ago reading that it was the most used word accompanying battery and rape. I didn't doubt it.

Now to M. Cho. who's on the forefront of some important gender politics in addition to some pretty brilliant and sometime vile (it's a matter of taste) humour. I'm not surprised or offended or concerned about her ass. That "she blew a gasket" well, she's M. Cho -- it's kind of what she does. Her history is worth reading. Whether I laugh at or applaud her action really doesn't matter. I wonder what all the fuss would be about if some guy with a tattooed ass dropped his drawers?
Just sayin ...

My feeling is if she had a perfectly shaped "Hollywood" ass the reception/perception would be quite different.

@Matt: You have reached new lows in sexism and egomania. I didn't think it was possible, but more fool me. Take your cheap shots and stick them where the sun doesn't shine. The thought of that DOES make me laugh. Har dee har har.

"Do you suppose you might benefit from psychological counseling? I should think so."
Matt's comment to emma.

When this type of comment is used in this context it makes me extremely angry as it is the ultimate invalidation and dismissal of the person to whom it is directed. It is a way of saying that the other person's perspective is no longer relevant to the conversation as that individual is not psychologically balanced and cannot be taken seriously. I was unaware that Matt was qualified to determine who needs to seek psychological services.

Furthermore, it is a disservice to individuals who genuinely need psychological intervention as it perpetuates the stigma that those with mental health issues are angry, unreasonable individuals who do not deserve to be taken seriously. It is that stigma that often keeps those who need help (especially adolescents) from seeking it.

And for the record, emma is not an angry, unreasonable individual who needs psychological counseling so perhaps Matt should think twice before making such condescending "recommendations".

Nick: So what you're saying is, you feel right at home here. Great! As they say, misery loves company and the more the merrier. Pull up a barstool, pick yer poison and let's bitch to high heaven!

Rw: I would have to agree - she's weak. And that's something I hadn't thought of. Anger as a sign of weakness. Thanks for that.
You'd have to assume she would have anticipated some backlash when she made the decision to bare her bum. Then again, maybe it's really a publicity stunt.

Drew: Who are you egging on and whose throat would you like them to punch? My blog is a violence-free zone, Drew; we use indoor voices only and anyone even suggesting physical assault will be smacked. Or maybe bitch-slapped since it's more in keeping with the subject matter.

Matt: Just picturing your "unholy spittle-flinging fury" makes me want to put on a raincoat. You sound dangerous.

Emma: For someone who claims to be a writing teacher, you appear not to have mastered the skill of close reading. I would love to go into blow-by-blow detail with you, deconstructing my every thought, expression, choice of words and motivation behind the aforementioned items. But it ain't worth it. Because there weren't a whole lot of that going on. It was supposed to amuse more than anything and you're harder to amuse than most.

What IS amusing, to me, is how unforgiving your standards are, accusing me of hypocrisy, attacking on Beth's blog, and "riding on the coattails of others" with this lightweight piece of mine. So I rode someone's coattails but you didn't, with your nearly identical post that followed on the heels of Beth's. Rather bitchy of you, don't you think? No one here or anywhere writes on similar topics or gets ideas from each other? How is it any different from an open call? Why don't you go sink your humourless fangs into a post with a topic that actually merits your painstakingly merciless and anal-retentive dissection.

And as for the name of your blog "What You See Is What You Get" - I hardly think so. That's the biggest hypocrisy of all. You go by a fictional TV character's name, you use Diana Rigg's photograph, and that's supposed to be honest - who knows what they're getting? It's pretty hard to take anything you say seriously when I feel like I'm being critiqued by a fictitious British TV spy. Oh yeah, here's a little tidbit you'll love. The character's name, "Emma Peel", do you know how that came about? The show's writers wanted a woman with "man appeal" and they reflected it in her name. Man appeal shortened to M. appeal = Emma Peel. Just some useless trivia there.

Nick: That's the first time anyone's used that word on my blog! I'm so excited.

Drew: Stand down, Drew, stand down!!!

Amy: Hack blogger? Who are you calling a hack blogger? I'm just paying my dues here Amy and soon you all will be eating my dust. Or maybe my words. The New York Times is going to call me any day now and ask me to write for them, I just know it. And also Time, Newsweek, Vanity Fair and Weekly World News (that's my top pick). Also I am pretty sure I'm going to be asked to be an anchor on CNN and a judge on American Idol. Plus star in that reality series that I hope Bent is working on. (Yes, I'm back to needing him.)

Can one laugh in sign language?

;)

Rated for (unlikely to ever happen) novelty.

You disappoint me again Margaret. Now you're simply aping Matt's rather pedantic opinion of me as "humourless" because I don't find your sniping at women who aren't afraid to show righteous anger under the cover of humour amusing. And you seem terrified of the word bitch. Contrary to your opinion, comic geniuses such as Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor remained angry -- it fuelled their creativity.

As I said before, you want to have it both ways in your argument and it just isn't going to happen with me at least. As for going for the most tired trope of all, which is making an issue out of my using a pseudonym, yawn. You're not the first and you won't be the last. Your hero Matt calls himself Clark Kent on occasion, among other aliases, and I don't hear you attacking him for it. Just like your good buddy, you're scraping the bottom of the insult barrel. You can't fault my logic (I prefer it to anal retention but that's just me) so you focus on meaningless details simply because you don't like what I'm saying. I've seen you comment on PLENTY of other blogs here than were written by people using aliases and I've never heard you fault them for it. Sorry, but your arguments are petty and not very original.

As for the coattails remark, I acknowledged Beth's blog and linked to it in my very first sentence of my post. That is proper online etiquette but I know you think that is just so unforgiving and all. You do have a point though -- it was bitchy, but what do you expect from an angry bitch like me? Unlike you, I have no fear of that word. Bruce said words have only the power you give them and went to jail more than once for the courage of that conviction.

@DiBi: Thanks, but I am more than used to Matt jumping in to defend the "innocent" womenfolk from bitches like me who aren't "ladylike, demure" and God fearing or some such nonsense that he apparently uses as a barometer of mental health. Matt doesn't like "uppity" women as he has made plain countless times at OS to any female who dares to challenge his ultimate authority on just about everything. I can show you many a blog where he has used the "lack of humour" line on people who don't buy into his ideas, but women are his favourite targets. Tiresome, but like a mosquito, not much you can do about it in the end.

Amy: You comic genius you. You should go on tour with Margaret Cho. As her tattoo buffer.

Mary: Why thank you Mary. And you make an excellent point. Some things are best kept private, not just one's buns.

Matt: Eloquently put and by all means, have at it. There seems to be no limit to how many ways Emma can peel an onion. And I'm the one crying.

Fernsy: I think rage is different than anger. It's hard to sustain it for long periods of time; it can make a person sick in the head. Rage blots out everything else.

I like the line too; "Rage, rage against the dying of the light." Dylan Thomas, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night."

Scarlett: There are tons of good comments here; greenheron's is among the best. The comments & opinions are better than the post, in fact. Lots of thought-provoking ideas and viewpoints from intelligent people and now you're on board. I don't know much about Margaret Cho or her humor. Why she's here isn't because of the photo of her ass on the internet; it's because of her reaction to some negative comments about the photo. It sounds like she went bonkers. If you say she's funny I'd take your word for it.

Emma: You..you...you laughed. Jesus wept. Emma laughed. And the angels sing.

DiBi: But how do you know Emma is the opposite of what Matt is suggesting? Can you be sure she doesn't need psychological counseling? Maybe she's already seeing someone; we just don't know these things. If Matt is adamant she's in need of help and you're just as adamant she doesn't, who's right and who's wrong?

There's only one way to find the truth: Ultimate Cage Fighting.

You. Matt. In a cage. Together. Fight to the death. Broadcast live on my blog.

Emma's sanity will be determined by whomever dies. Matt kills you and we agree Emma's got a screw or three loose. You kill Matt and I'll grudgingly admit on this blog, that she's the smartest person in the universe and I'll personally tattoo her ass. With an image of my face.

Let's DO it!

Seer: Sure you can laugh in sign language! Just tickle yourself under your armpits with your fingers.

Emma: Why don't you like me?

Margaret, the Qwiki mart is related more to Cho's butt, but it's so awesome, Nanatehay would cover it in boston baked beans and call it the best thing to happen to Zeus than the love affair of emma peel and Matt Paust which created their son Chaos and their daughter Loo Can Too.

I'd blog about it but it has already been done by better women(Joeanna Bartslammer) and a guy named French Tickler, also available on ITune as The Day the Earth Stood Still with French Onions and Cream of Mushroom Soup!!!

Your comment thread is awesome, but lacks a certain, something, not sure what, but I will say, if you are a whore and a skank, welcome to the club, I am a whore, my skank title is in contention by someone called DickSucker89, the bitch!! But we do get these awesome jackets.

Everyone thinks calling someone a whore or a skank or bitch is a bad thing, they are badges of honor, as Trig told me many years ago in a bar in Fargo, North Dakota.

Do not worry grass hopper, the grass grows blue in Kentucky, says so the Master of Kungfu or FuckU!!! Assho!! ~bows and then wanders off~

Oh yeah and btw, Emma likes you, she only hisses and throws things at those she loves!!!! (She once threw a truck at me, who knew she was She-Hulk!!! :D)

Margaret: Are you wishing this thread would end yet? ;) I've been told this Scarlett persona seems all sweet and even tempered. Well, she is most of the time; she probably is the person I aspire to be. There is a line in my bio that says ,"Love and outrage properly channeled can be revolutionary." Those are my words and I mean it. I usually stay away from politics @ OS but here are my final thought on Ms. Cho. Emphasis on "my", no one else needs subscribe to them ...

Margaret Cho may be funny and then again there are times I don't find her funny at all (for my tastes) but she is irreverently relevant. I get it that you want to make it about the nasty comments she made. Did she take the low road with her comment? She says she did. In her essay on Jezebel (you must've read it) she says why. Now normally in a high spiritual moment I would say turn the other cheek (pardon the pun!) but there are times to unload. I don't know what it feels like to grow up a marginalized Asian American who was the brunt of extraordinary cruelty. From reading her stuff, I can only imagine. I know you meant this to be humour but I'm adding her blowback was about way more than 2 comments; it's about racism, classism, homophobia and sexism.
Re:
"You've surely heard of Lenny Bruce. George Carlin. Richard Pryor. The Smothers Brothers. They turned a harsh light on things like racial inequality, the Vietnam War, religion, abortion, drugs. They channeled their anger into their humor and a lot of people listened."

Cho, like Lenny Bruce and those you mention, has been channelling her anger into searing humour for years.

(thats'all, I'm done here).

The blog is decent.. on point. I jumped on the "bitch" coattails too, as you know. And yes, I expected to get ripped by ya and wasn't disappointed... bitch!
The problem with Cho's ass is not so much the tat (although I think it's way over the top), it's the shape, or, lack of... ewwww
My bitch-friend Jen-knee (yeah, I'm Forest, and no, she doesn't have an avatar at OS) alerted me to this blog that I somehow missed first time through the feed.
Holy bitch-fest Batman! Haven't seen Emma out of her shell for a good while. Me and her used to go 'round, didn't we Emma!
Anyway... all pretty much good fun.
Sidenote: There were, apparently some hard feeling at my blog after I went to bed last night, what with Amy un-favoriting me and Gamble. Never can tell where these things will go ya know... sigh, whatever.. write on bitches

To Scarlett (and anyone else who has the misfortune of straying here): This post was not about Margaret Cho. Other than the fact that she has an awesome first name and a heavily tattooed ass, I know almost nothing about her. I've never seen her routine, I don't know anything about her politics, I'm not familiar with her brand of humor.

This post was meant to be an amusing take on anger. I used Cho's response to a couple of negative reactions to her tattoos as an example of an over-the-top, wildly inappropriate reaction.

I understand she suffered an abysmal childhood and that she was the butt of discrimination and mean-spirited comments, partly based on her Asian-American heritage. I'm truly sorry for this.

But to excuse her behavior and extrapolate more from it because as you say, Scarlett, "her blowback was about way more than 2 comments; it's about racism, classism, homophobia and sexism," is irrational.

By your logic, anyone should be able to rant and rage to an extreme degree, to the slightest sling or arrow, as long as they can back up their reaction with years of pent-up suffering, abuse, or discrimination.

Suppose Cho had been so angry she'd physically done what she verbally admits to: "tracked the perps down and blocked them, but not before really ramming it to them..." Supposed they'd said these things to her face instead of online. Suppose she'd had a gun and harmed or killed them. Just because you've never walked in her shoes, would you condone that, Scarlett?

When you're as angry as she appears to have been, it's very easy to cross over into physical violence; it happens all the time.

If you excuse her behavior, if you give her carte blanche for her rage, then you have to do it for everyone. Maybe it works for famous comedians but it's not so practical for society at large.

I fucking love Margaret Cho.

trig: This. Post. Wasn't. About. MargaretCho.

This. Post. Wasn't. About. Bitches.

This. Post. Was. About. ANGER.

I've just ripped the head off of a beanie baby with my teeth and I'm presently chewing up the little beads it's stuffed with in an effort to calm myself because most people, including you, seem to have completely MISSEDTHEPOINTOFTHISPOST.

This would be considered an appropriate angry reaction.

Also her response was perfectly justified. She wasn't just standing up for herself-- she was standing up for everyone who has been called fat, ugly, and been made to feel ashamed. She didn't "plaster a picture of her ass all over the internet" (or however you put it somewhere in these comments). She posted a picture on HER tumblr and two loser assholes came out of nowhere to criticize her body. Body snarking anonymously on the internet is one of the most cowardly acts a person can do; good for her for refusing to let it slide.

I don't know if you're talking to me, but I don't think I missed the point of this post at all.

Then you have failed, because reading it did not make me angry mad dog.

we don't know who to rage at so we turn it on whomever is convenient or we internalize it, neither of which is productive

dammit...i had an essay for u..but the above is all
that was printed..it said something about cho,
bitches, who are unevolved women.
it said something rather profound
about anger.

anger about trivial shit is boring. i don't care if cho's ass
is plastered all over NYC. proving her point. which;
uh, help me here........

anger, righteous indignation is the voice of the godhead.
so sez Blake.

how not to be consumed is to stop caring abou stuff
others do. yet some kinda responsibility hangs on u,
to know what is up with these peepul.......

it hurts,it diminishes, to deal with them.

is that our "cross to bear'/?

Jacqueline: I'm afraid you did miss the point of this post. I'll say it again. And again. And again. It was not about Margaret Cho.

trig: Wouldn't be the first time!

James: I think it's time to retire this post. As far as crosses go, allow me to paraphrase (sorta) Milton and say, I'd rather brandish a pitchfork than bear a cross.

Well you used her as an example to illustrate your point, and I thought it was a bad example.

Jacqueline: You thought Margaret Cho was a bad example - why? She's a well-known person who behaved badly and offered herself up as an irresistible target with both a tantalizing photo and an inflammatory quote. I thought she was a marvelous example. If you have a better suggestion, please let me know.

For a change of pace --

Read my blog entry

The opposite of anger.

I think she's a bad example because I don't think she "behaved badly." Her anger was justified, and so was her response. Bottom line: Don't be a coward and troll someone's twitter and not expect to get yelled at. Why is she obligated to sit back and let it slide?

Jacqueline: "Why is she obligated to sit back and let it slide?" you ask, in reference to Ms. Cho's out-of-proportion reaction to a couple of cracks about her ass (yes, gratuitous pun intended).

She's not obligated to, by any means. Not if she wants to remain stuck in the past, reacting the way she wishes she could have when she was defenseless child victim, suffering the taunts and insults she was subjected to on a regular basis. Flailing wildly, spewing profanity and outrage, "really ramming it to them," is how a kid would react.

But she's a grown up, Jacqueline. She's dragged her baggage into the present. I would hope she'd have learned a thing or two, including how to deal with anger and her emotions.

Let me ask you something: should every rape or assault victim go berserk at the smallest provocation or whiff of violence if it reminds them of what was done to them? What about Holocaust survivors? How come they aren't raging left and right? I wonder why Native Americans aren't "really ramming it" to someone every time they perceive an insult to their heritage, like Chief Wahoo, mascot of the Cleveland Indians.

Cho's just giving it back in kind and although there's no law against it, frankly I think her response made her look like an ass. (Gratuitous pun optional.)

Clearly we have different opinions on what constitutes an inappropriate reaction.

As for your example about Holocaust victims, you can bet your bottom dollar that there are plenty of Jews, Roma, etc (whoever else was affected by the Holocaust) that would FREAK OUT if someone made a Holocaust joke on THEIR twitter (remember, she didn't go out of her way searching for these guys-- they commented on her twitter). As for Native Americans, many of them ARE extremely angry about the appropriation and disrespect of their culture.

I would rather live in a world where people stand up for themselves than let themselves be walked all over. Those are the kind of people I like, that's what I'm like, that's what I prefer. Clearly we're not going to see eye to eye on this.

Margaret: Now you can probably tell I'm not the kind of person that goes around yelling my head off. And you'd be right. I usually try a another way and I do find your suggestion of a Rage-Off day amusing (perhaps I should've mentioned that)!! But I still feel differently about Cho and the logic (if there is any) and all of that because there is something bigger here -- as far as I'm concerned. I get what you're saying so let's make sign language and shake hands and disagree, here. Please do not choke on Beanie-Baby stuffing. We need your wit.

What the hell happened over here? Was this a dust-up? Dust-ups are bad, and it saddens me to see people being so uncivil. Please, for the sake of the children, can't we all, like, get along and stuff?

Did Marjie really eat a Beany Baby?

new rule, Margaret: you can only retire a post
when ya got a new one to lay on us. Like it or not,
this is a nexus, a place where people are drawn, and
once in awhile, when art or i comment, or scarlett is heard
from, a spot
where wisdom
sputters up.


in its primordial form.

socrates was right when he said,
i am the wisest cuz i know nothin.
he kept askin questions, tho.

i asked him about cho's ass.

he said

'By means of beauty all beautiful things become beautiful. For this appears to me the safest answer to give both to myself and others; and adhering to this, I think that I shall never fall, but that it is a safe answer both for me and any one else to give — that by means of beauty beautiful things become beautiful.
Phædo

Tink: How did I miss you? The lone voice of reason here and I blew right by you like the evil toxic wind that blows off the local dump and gives the townsfolk pustulant sores and persistent black mucus! The grass may grow blue in Kentucky but in these parts it's psychedelic orange and glows in the dark. I'll defend your skank title against DickSucker89 or anyone else; there is no one more worthy of the title than you. As for Emma and Matt - were their spawn conceived in a vat of baked beans at the Qwiki Mart?

Jacqueline: I have no problem not seeing eye to eye with someone; it's what makes life interesting. What I do have a problem with is the concept of "an eye for an eye" which is what some here seem to be endorsing. I think it's too bad Margaret Cho wasn't a big enough person to take the Bible's advice and "...“Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5:39 Of course, in her case, she'd have to have a third one. Which she'd probably also promptly deface.

Scarlett: You are SUCH a bitch!!! Kidding! Unless you consider that a badge of honour, then I'm not kidding. Emma has accused me of flip-flopping so I guess I'm living up or down to her assessment. Don't worry about me choking on the stuffing; I washed it down with plenty of bile, my favorite after-dinner drink. Yummy!

Nana: This was not a dust-up, it was a gracious and refined exchange of opinions, ideas and heartfelt sentiments, laced with witty yet tasteful repartee and showcasing some of the best intellect on Open Salon. I only regret that DickSucker89 was not able to contribute his? her? usual stimulating input and take this thread to even higher ground.

The Beanie Baby was so good I also had a couple of Webkinz.

James: So even Soccertease is taken with Ms. Cho's bottom-blooming foliage. Well who am I to argue with him. I think it is indeed time to put this thing to rest. I'm going to dive into my barrel right now and see what else I can scrape up!

Wow. Perhaps a post of apology is in order here, something to say "Hey, I feel bad for causing such a ruckus and offending thousands of if not several people." That or just double down the way Bashar al-Assad would do, maybe follow this up with something in the vein of "Only Prostitutes Hate Being Called Hos."

Nana: You're suggesting I apologize? I don't think so! If anyone should apologize, it should be Margaret Cho, for requiring me to scroll past the picture of her flowering buttocks every time I answer a comment and also, for forcing me to write about her. (But don't let that slip because I've said repeatedly this post is NOT ABOUT MARGARET CHO.)

And why would a prostitute hate being called a ho? When I hear that word I think of a useful, reliable implement with a long history of faithful service to millions down through the ages. We should all be so lucky to be thought of that way.