Polyamory in the News
. . . by Alan M.



December 27, 2014

Margaret Cho to be alt-sex and poly rep for TLC

NY Daily News / Bob D'Amico/ABC via Getty Images
Remember Margaret Cho? After 11 years of open marriage, the comedian and her husband Al Ridenour are divorcing, as you may have noticed at the supermarket checkout. In today's New York Daily News she says it wasn't the openness that ended the marriage, and she describes her upcoming new role on TLC's All About Sex:


...The comedian, always happy to make her private business everybody’s business, will star on TLC’s new chat show “All About Sex” along with comic Heather McDonald, actress Marissa Jaret Winokur and sex and relationship counselor Tiffanie Davis Henry.

“It’s really an advice show about sexuality, and women’s sexuality in particular,” Cho told Confidenti@l. “I’m the representative for alternative sexuality, polyamory, sex toys. I’ve been part of the alternative sex community for my entire adult life. That’s my arena.”

Doesn’t she find it slightly incongruous to be chatting about sex on a network that features the Duggars in all their virginal glory? “Maybe those people really need to learn about vibrators so you can hold your boyfriend’s hand but still have a good time,” Cho theorizes....

It’s a difficult time in Cho’s life right now. She recently announced she was separating from artist Al Ridenour, her husband of 11 years. They were in an open relationship, but Cho says that’s not the reason for the marriage’s demise: “The totally sad truth is that sometimes people grow apart … it’s sad for me, I’m learning to live without him, and it’s really painful.”

She’s still an advocate of polyamory and plans to talk about it on the show.

“Opening up your relationship is very risky and a very mature decision, and it needs to be really negotiated,” she said. “I think it’s one of the hardest ways to have a relationship, and the most rewarding.”


The whole article (Dec. 27, 2014).

All About Sex will air Saturdays at 11 p.m. (10 Central) on TLC starting January 10.


Update: And here she talks about poly on HuffPost Live:



              

Update, April 2015: The New York Times Style section runs a vignette of her daily life (April 10, 2015) and observes, "She refuses to be shamed, her chatter on 'All About Sex' racy enough to tackle onetime taboos like polyamory, B.D.S.M. and sex toys. 'Life is rather racy,' she said."

Update, March 26, 2016: In today's New York Post, in an article titled What led to Margaret Cho’s meltdown?:


Cho divorced her husband of 11 years, Al Ridenour, with whom she had an open marriage. “I’m not polyamorous anymore. But I was in my marriage, and it was great. It opened me up to a lot of things sexually, but I just don’t think it’s my style.”


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4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's not Margaret Cho... That's only like HALF of Margaret Cho, she's lost so much weight... Her name should be like MarCh... or MaO... or something...

December 30, 2014 4:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think Margaret Cho is a good spokesperson, but, there is a difference between open relationships and polyamory. I hope she makes that distinction.

December 31, 2014 1:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

TLC of all places....the network that airs 'Sister Wives' but can't help themselves from over-sensationalizing with their advertising to try to get viewers to think there will be more wives or that one of the wives is leaving, when there just isn't that much drama in the Brown family.

I hate TLC, and really hope that either this changes that (it won't) or that it makes other networks realize better ways to display these lifestyles.

January 01, 2015 4:12 AM  
Blogger Rachel Ilana said...

Open relationships are a type of polyamory. There is no distinction to be made...maybe an elaboration. Now that she's no longer with her primary, she will have different relationship configurations.

January 01, 2015 9:18 AM  

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