Handsome Podcast — Hayley Kiyoko Asks About Victorian Love Stories

Hosts: Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, Mae Martin
Episode Date: April 14, 2026
Special Guest: Hayley Kiyoko (via submitted question)

Episode Overview

This lively episode of Handsome features comedians Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin as they tackle a question from singer, actor, and author Hayley Kiyoko: “If you could take any classic Victorian love story and make it queer, which one would you do and why?” The discussion is characteristically irreverent, warm, and meandering, touching on everything from award show fashion, Southern family celebrations, and reading habits, to the (somewhat limited) knowledge the hosts have of Victorian literature. Throughout, the trio showcases their trademark mix of self-deprecation, heart, and good-humored teasing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catching Up: Award Shows, Travel, and Life Updates

• Mae’s Big Week:

  • Mae recently hosted the Juno Awards, sharing stories of meeting Joni Mitchell and Sarah McLachlan and a behind-the-scenes joke involving Joni and the Canadian Prime Minister. (07:00–08:44)
  • "No one had briefed Joni Mitchell on this joke. And she just looked dead." — Mae Martin (08:16)
  • Celebrations included 20 McNuggets after the show and a rare night off in a nice hotel room with plans for a spa night. (10:16–13:07)

• Fortune’s Update:

  • Wrapping up a film project and prepping for a stand-up tour, with a side trip planned to Amsterdam. She discusses her likelihood (or not) of sampling local joints. (14:06–15:18)
  • Shared details about organizing her partner Ginger’s 80th birthday party and the joys of gathering with family. (15:39–23:10)
  • "It was such an old lady, Southern old lady menu…" — Fortune Feimster, listing ham biscuits, salad spreads, and nugs (16:00)

• Tig’s Updates:

  • Notes her collection of quirky and sometimes mystical fan gifts, such as “a necklace made from a possum’s tooth.” (04:12–04:29)

2. Old Friends and Family Rituals

• Discussions underscore the value of family, tradition, and celebrating loved ones while they're alive, not just at funerals. (22:31–23:08)
• Light-hearted banter about aging, potential facelifts, and self-acceptance. (25:10–26:44)

3. Hayley Kiyoko’s Question: Victorian Love Stories Queered

[38:13]

• Prompt: "If you could take any classic Victorian love story and make it queer, which one would you do and why?"

Hosts’ Honest Admissions:

• None of the hosts claim in-depth knowledge of Victorian romantic fiction—sparking lots of jokes:
  • “Can we admit that the reason we haven’t done this question yet ... is because none of us know Victorian love story?” — Tig Notaro (38:25)
  • Fortune: “We don’t know Victorian love story.” (38:33)

Attempting to Name & Discuss Victorian Love Stories:

• They riff around the concepts of Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and Tess of the D’Urbervilles, but admit only a passing familiarity.
• Mae notes, "I don’t want to inflict [the tragedy of Tess] on queer characters... so maybe Jane Eyre…" (41:44)
• Fortune: “If you’re going to turn a Victorian love story gay, then you’re going to have the person in the tuxedo and the top hat be the person that’s being promised the wife. But in our gay version treats the wife really well, not just as a piece of property.” (43:31)

Pride and Prejudice: The Default Choice?

• Mae settles on Pride and Prejudice, “because I saw Iris Darcy when I was watching it.” (43:13, 53:44)
• The group imagines a queered adaptation where love is out in the open and roles are flipped or expanded.
  • “Like in Jane Eyre, if it’s a sort of woman in a suit who locked her ex-wife in a tower…” — Mae (44:03)
• Parallels are drawn with shows like Bridgerton and Gentleman Jack, the latter described as a “gay version of a Victorian love story.” (43:13)

Claiming Little Women As (Almost) Victorian and Very Queer

• The group discusses Little Women, not strictly Victorian, but “Why does it feel very gay to me?” — Fortune (54:45)
• Hayley Kiyoko, in her response, echoes this axis, citing both Pride and Prejudice and Little Women as inspirations. (53:44)

4. Fun Digressions and Tangents

• Extended bits about playing Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty in school plays, symbolizing their lifelong affinity for queer and androgynous characters. (40:12–41:19)
• Gross-out childhood stories about leech encounters while playing in ditches. (46:01–46:55)
• The fantasy of a “queer Stand By Me” or a Golden Girls-style later-life communal living situation. (45:06–45:49, 24:13–24:45)

5. Reflections on Reading, Meditating, and Attention

• They champion the benefits of family reading time and meditation practice to combat the negative effects of technology. (55:21–56:11)
• “All the proof about, like, how reading … regulates your nervous system … it’s pretty good for you.” — Tig (55:54)
• The surprising productivity boost from daily meditation is discussed. (48:10–48:35)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “No one had briefed Joni Mitchell on this joke. And she just looked dead.” — Mae Martin (08:16)
• “It was such an old lady, Southern old lady menu… And then she added nugs at the end, which was the only food I was in.” — Fortune Feimster (16:00, 21:25)
• “Can we admit that the reason we haven’t done this question yet ... is because none of us know Victorian love story?” — Tig Notaro (38:25)
• “I always related to, like, the little boy characters in Charles Dickens…” — Tig Notaro (50:57)
• “Why does [Little Women] feel very gay to me?” — Fortune Feimster (54:45)
• “I wanna see a queer Stand By Me with a bunch of little androgynous non-binary...” — Tig Notaro (45:06)
• "I saw Iris Darcy when I was watching it. And also Little Women. And that obviously inspired my new book Where There’s Room for Us." — Hayley Kiyoko (53:44)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 07:00 – 08:44 | Mae recounts hosting the Junos & celeb encounters | | 15:39 – 23:10 | Fortune describes Ginger’s 80th birthday & family togetherness | | 25:10 – 26:44 | Candid conversation about aging and facelifts | | 38:13 | Hayley Kiyoko’s question is introduced | | 41:44 | Mae details Jane Eyre as a potential queer rewrite | | 43:13 | Multiple ideas for queer Victorian stories, comparison with Gentleman Jack | | 45:06 | Tig’s dream of a queer Stand By Me | | 46:01 – 46:55 | Leeches and wild childhood stories | | 53:44 | Hayley Kiyoko answers her own question, linking her novel | | 54:45 | Little Women’s “gay energy” discussed | | 55:21 – 56:11 | Reading time and digital detox chat |

Overall Episode Mood & Tone

The episode is full of playful disarray, with plenty of candid admissions about not knowing their Victorian canon, gentle ribbing between the hosts, heartfelt detours about family and self-image, and moments of sincere queer camaraderie. The spirit is one of inclusivity, curiosity, and finding joy (and humor) in the intersections of culture, literature, and lived identity.

Takeaway for Listeners

Even if you don’t know your Hardy from your Austen, you’ll find laughs and relatability here—from discussions of celebratory nugs and bath bombs to aspirational all-women communes and the enduring appeal of imagining a queerer literary and cinematic past. Hayley Kiyoko’s question sparks inventiveness more than scholarship, and the end result is a warm, slightly chaotic ode to queer retellings and chosen family.

For More

Catch future and past episodes wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you know more Victorian love stories, send your suggestions and mantras their way—maybe you’ll inspire the next Handsome riff!