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I love Karl Lagerfeld, and they [PETA] hate him because he showed fur in his collection, and they protested his fashion show. People were chanting outside, 'KARL LAGERFELD IS A MURDERER! KARL LAGERFELD IS A MURDERER!' And I thought, 'Wouldn't it be fabulous if Karl Lagerfeld actually was a murderer?' Like, what if he just fuckin' lost it one day...backstage, at a show, in Milan...and bludgeoned Elsa Klensch to death with a platform shoe. 'I HATE THAT BLOUSE!'

Margaret Cho#18

HumorFashionAbsurdityControversyProtestViolence

About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker reacts to PETA protests by imagining a violent, fictional revenge scenario against the fashion designer.
In plain terms
She jokes that it would be funny if the designer actually killed someone.
What can you take from it?
Humor can be used to deflect or mock intense moral protests.

Where it applies

  • controversial events
  • protests
  • public debates

Putting it to work

  • using satire on activists
  • processing public controversy

Questions to consider

  • When is it okay to joke about serious protests?
  • How do we respond to moral outrage?

Another view

Violence against public figures is not a valid response.

More from Margaret Cho

  1. [An article about Cho] started out, 'Funny, sexy, zaftig Margaret Cho...' What is 'zaftig?' Isn't that German for 'big fat pig?' I guess I was lucky; 'zaftig' …

    Permalink to quote #17
  2. The best part of any fashion show is Karl Lagerfeld with his white hair, and the big glasses, and a fuckin' fan. Like he's some kind of Spanish lady or somethi…

    Permalink to quote #19
  3. This old fellow came up to me and asked, 'Excuse me, are you Japanese?' No, I'm Korean. 'Oh really, that's very interesting, because I was looking at you and I…

    Permalink to quote #16

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