Podcast Summary: Handsome Episode – "Ego Nwodim Asks About Doing Bad Things"

Episode Details

• Title: Handsome
• Hosts: Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, Mae Martin
• Guest: Ego Nwodim
• Release Date: December 31, 2024

1. Welcoming and Lighthearted Banter

The episode kicks off with the hosts—Fortune Feimster, Tig Notaro, and Mae Martin—greeting each other with enthusiasm and playful comments about their attire. This lighthearted exchange sets a relaxed and humorous tone for the conversation.

• Fortune Feimster [01:14]: "Cheers. Welcome to the Handsome Pod."
• Tig Notaro [01:21]: "I'm your other host, Tig Notaro."
• Mae Martin [01:24]: "And I finally am your third host, May Martin."

The hosts engage in a friendly debate about their clothing choices, particularly the color green versus gray, leading to amusing anecdotes about fashion mishaps.

• Fortune Feimster [02:01]: "Head to toe."
• Tig Notaro [02:23]: "You gotta hide those guns."

2. Funny Stories and Personal Tidbits

The conversation smoothly transitions into sharing humorous and personal stories. Mae Martin discusses tailoring T-shirts for a better fit, while Tig Notaro and Fortune Feimster exchange jokes about hiding physical features and signing autographs in unconventional places.

• Mai Martin [12:14]: "Would do it, like, up here, but I can't sign the boot. That's... it was in my marriage vows."
• Fortune Feimster [12:33]: "Never sign another titty for the rest of my life."

Mae Martin also reveals her recent tattoos, sharing a heartfelt story about honoring her friend with symbols representing his life and legacy.

• Mae Martin [14:05]: "I got tattooed on my chest... I got over your heart face."
• Fortune Feimster [14:54]: "And then I wrote the word 'bear.'"

3. Family and Relationships

The hosts open up about their families, discussing relationships with parents and significant others. Forturing talks about her mother's active involvement and desire to attend their live shows, leading to humorous exchanges about inviting family members on stage.

• Fortune Feimster [07:53]: "Dolly has a very specific accent. I don't think I can do it well, y'all."
• Mae Martin [19:21]: "Can I work in the kitchen?"

4. Addressing the Episode's Question: "Doing Bad Things"

Ego Nwodim's question centers on moments when the hosts engaged in behaviors they knew were detrimental but proceeded regardless. Each host shares candid and relatable stories about personal struggles and self-sabotaging habits.

• Mae Martin [27:04]: "I feel like I'm in a constant state of shame because I feel so aware of all the things that are bad for me..."
• Tig Notaro [36:01]: "I'm always like, how are people into this?"

Mae Martin discusses her challenges with social media, smoking, and attempts to quit through hypnosis, highlighting the internal conflict between knowing what's best and giving in to temptations.

• Mae Martin [29:06]: "I was like, what is. Why do you think you need to say that into a microphone? Like, no one is laughing."

Fortune Feimster shares her battle with overeating and the guilt that follows, especially when ignoring healthier choices despite understanding their importance.

• Fortune Feimster [40:08]: "I will order whatever I want, and then afterwards be like, why can't you make better choices?"

Tig Notaro opens up about her struggles with maintaining a strict diet due to her health conditions but finds herself relapse-ing during social events, leading to immediate physical discomfort and regret.

• Tig Notaro [36:32]: "I'll go out like, I'm just gonna enjoy myself and I'm just gonna eat whatever... immediate pain."

5. Responding to Ego Nwodim's Experience

Ego shares her experience of knowingly indulging in foods that aggravate her sensitive stomach and gluten intolerance, resulting in increased discomfort.

• Ego Wodum [25:18]: "I decided, quite arbitrarily, quite destructively, that I wanted to have a sandwich..."
• Fortune Feimster [50:39]: "Dairy messes up a lot of people."

The hosts empathize with her predicament, sharing similar experiences and offering humorous yet supportive comments to illustrate that such struggles are common and relatable.

• Tig Notaro [51:35]: "That was a fun episode. It was fun question and something I think a lot of people can relate to."

6. Sharing Personal Growth and Coping Mechanisms

The discussion delves into strategies for overcoming bad habits and making healthier choices, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion over self-shaming.

• May Martin [39:42]: "I like a harm reduction model rather than an abstinence model for a lot of things."
• Fortune Feimster [40:12]: "So I wish I were, like, a little bit more disciplined with myself that way."

The hosts talk about the challenges of breaking negative cycles and the role of supportive relationships in fostering positive change.

• Tig Notaro [32:00]: "It is truly like moving a mountain."

7. Closing with New Year's Reflections and Future Plans

As the episode nears its end, the hosts transition to discussing their personal plans for New Year's Eve and upcoming events. They share their approaches to setting resolutions, such as creating vision boards and prioritizing well-being over indulgence.

• Fortune Feimster [52:50]: "We're gonna be making vision boards probably tom next day. That's our beginning of the year routine."
• May Martin [53:09]: "I like a vision board. That's... that's really good."

They also promote their future live shows in Nashville and Austin, encouraging listeners to join them in these events.

• May Martin [54:05]: "We have a live handsome show. And then in Austin on April 12th."

8. Final Thoughts and Farewells

The hosts wrap up the episode with heartfelt thanks to their audience, reflecting on the year's experiences and expressing excitement for future endeavors.

• Fortune Feimster [55:09]: "Have a great New Year's Eve."
• May Martin [55:11]: "Thank you for all the support this year for the Pod. We're heading into next year feeling energized, full of vigor, pumped to do more cool stuff with you too."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Fortune Feimster [14:05]: "It's like saying whatever you want."
• Tig Notaro [27:04]: "I have two cigarettes a day and I hate them and I know I should."
• Mae Martin [29:06]: "I had hypnotized to try to quit... I haven't seen that blocked thing."
• Fortune Feimster [33:09]: "Well, that long."
• Tig Notaro [36:32]: "I'm just gonna enjoy myself and I'm just gonna eat whatever."

Conclusion

In this engaging episode of "Handsome," the hosts navigate through a mix of humor, personal anecdotes, and sincere discussions about making and breaking bad habits. Ego Nwodim's question serves as a catalyst for deep yet relatable conversations, offering listeners both laughter and reflection as they consider their own moments of self-sabotage and growth.