All-American Girl: The Complete Series

Asian American film and TV is a strange thing. Whenever we are finally presented with something large enough to be considered mainstream, there always seems to be some issues attached, raising the question: "Is this the legacy we want?" For example, there`s the Harold And Kumar movie: stoner movie. Better Luck Tomorrow: murder. Now, don`t get me wrong, it`s great that we have these stereotype-breaking works, but where are our Oscar and Emmy-worthy moments? Mainstream validation: after all these years, isn`t that what we`re really waiting for? Every time we exhale "Finally!" it is usually followed by "Is this really the best we can do?"

A far, far cry from Cho`s current acerbic and soapboxy style of stand-up, "All-American Girl" was a show that was definitely enjoyable and nice to see...at the time. Seeing it again over a decade later, it`s really no surprise why the plug was pulled. Like most Asian American-centric films, you can`t help but "root for the home team," but in the end, there`s always that nagging air of mediocrity. The sappy, feel-good sitcom isn`t without its merits, but "Seinfeld" or "Cosby" it is not.

Cho herself is always the first to admit there were issues with her show, largely documented in her revelatory film and book, I`m The One That I Want. The comedian even does commentary on select episodes. During the credits on one episode, when the credit "Based On The Stand-Up Comedy of Margaret Cho" is flashed, she retorts, "It is so not based on my comedy!"--a red flag and not-so-subtle attack on the show`s producers. It`s undeniable: for a comedian who became famous for lovingly mocking her mother, there`s nothing on the show that touches on that, though Amy Hill`s memorable grandma character hints at it.

Set in San Francisco, "All-American Girl" follows the life of Margaret Kim (Cho), a cosmetics counter girl pursuing her law degree, trying to strike a balance between her Asian heritage and her American lifestyle. She lives with her family, who runs a mom-and-pop bookstore. The cast itself was a weird mix of characters. A passive father (Clyde Kusatsu), a dragon lady mom (Jodi Long), a med student brother with a dorky haircut (B.D. Wong), a average kid brother (J.B. Quon), and the goofy grandma (Hill). On the non-Asian side are Margaret`s two neurotic white co-workers, Ruthie (Maddie Corman) and Gloria (Judy Gold).

Many had issue with the lack of Koreans on the show, and the fact that Cho was frequently dating white guys--either ABC`s attempt to appeal to a larger audience, or yet another attempt to desexualize the Asian male (readers, I`ll leave that for you to discuss). One such date was guest star Quentin Tarantino, in a clever episode called "Pulp Sitcom"--obviously a reference to Pulp Fiction. QT plays a bootleg video salesman who supplies Cho`s unwitting father. And, strangely enough, it`s actually the father who sets the two up. The entire episode is a goofball parody of Pulp Fiction and is almost worth the price of the DVD set alone.

The stillborn 19th and final episode is in stark contrast to the previous 18. Now shot on film instead of video, the new direction suddenly finds Cho living with three white guys, with, save for the Hill`s memorable Grandma, the rest of the Asian cast getting axed. The result is higher on production, more "mainstream," yet in the end a disasterous bite from the "Friends" blueprint. An added bonus feature is a conversation between Cho and Hill, who look back at the show while trying not to talk over each other.

And then it was over. While "All-American Girl" stands without question as a landmark in television history, it`s a feat yet to be repeated in prime time--did it ruin Asian American mainstream television? Time will tell. Verdict: rental.

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