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Fortune Feimster
Some people just know they could save.
Tig Notaro
Hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate First.
Mae Martin
Like, you know, to check and make sure you have plenty of candles before holding that big seance you've been planning for the next full moon.
Tig Notaro
Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. This content is intended for audiences in the US Only. Savings vary. Terms apply Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, IL when it.
Mae Martin
Comes to grocery shopping and meal planning, I've got this problem. I want to eat healthier, but it's a struggle. It feels so much easier to order a pizza than cook up a meal at home. But I realized that the problem wasn't that I didn't want to cook, it's that I didn't have fresh ingredients and foods that excited me to cook. That all changed thanks to Hungryroot. It's the easiest way to eat healthy.
Tig Notaro
Hungryroot helped me and they can help you. They've got easy recipes full of tasty ingredients. Like, I tried the Southwestern Protein bowl with Avocado Crema and it was tasty.
Mae Martin
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Thomas Willette
This is a Headgum podcast.
Mae Martin
Chatting with friends on the Handsome Pod. Chatting with friends on the Handsome Pod.
Fortune Feimster
Cheers.
Mae Martin
Cheers.
Fortune Feimster
Welcome to the Handsome Pod. I'm Fortune Feemster.
Tig Notaro
I'm your co host, Tig Notaro.
Mae Martin
And I'm Fortune and Tig's co host, Mae Martin. You guys, another early morning app for us.
Fortune Feimster
I know. I was awoken at 6am this morning by the agony of a Charlie horse in my calf.
Tig Notaro
Oh, those are a good time.
Fortune Feimster
I haven't had one in so long.
Tig Notaro
You lucky dog.
Fortune Feimster
It was. I was.
Tig Notaro
It is the weirdest part problem to get. And I was telling Stephanie once that I would love to see somebody get a Charlie horse when they're going up to accept an Oscar.
Mae Martin
Oh my God.
Fortune Feimster
Just holding their calf.
Tig Notaro
Yeah. Or walking down the aisle to get married. And they're like.
Fortune Feimster
That'S gnarly. I just like kind of stretched, I guess. And then it was like, isn't it.
Tig Notaro
Supposed to be low potassium.
Fortune Feimster
Is it? Yeah.
Mae Martin
Dehydration.
Tig Notaro
Yeah. Yeah.
Mae Martin
So it feels like your muscles just turns to concrete for a second. It's so weird. Yeah, like.
Fortune Feimster
Yeah, I don't like that kind of horse.
Mae Martin
So were you screaming?
Fortune Feimster
No, because I was trying not to wake Jacks up. So I was just. Just silent, like holding myself.
Tig Notaro
Oh, God.
Fortune Feimster
Braced up, like whimpering in silen or.
Tig Notaro
What if you were having a one night stand?
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Tig Notaro
God, I'm so out of that loop. Like, what is it? One night? Yeah, you're like, lying in bed with somebody and then you're just like, love thinking of an awkward Charlie Horse moment.
Fortune Feimster
It sucks. And then. And then it. Like I finally got it to go down and then I just laid there and then kind of moved my leg and it came back and I was like, no.
Mae Martin
Oh, that's the worst.
Tig Notaro
I just picture it with, like, metal teeth just clamping onto you. Yeah, that's the worst.
Mae Martin
So then you. Did you get back to sleep after that?
Fortune Feimster
Yeah, I passed out. And when it woke up, I was limping.
Mae Martin
Oh, man.
Tig Notaro
Wow, it really took you down.
Fortune Feimster
It took me down. I'm going to have to eat more Edible arrangements.
Mae Martin
Edible Arrangements?
Tig Notaro
Are you already eating a good amount?
Mae Martin
Wait, what's an edible arrangement?
Fortune Feimster
It's the fruit. People send people fruit baskets that are dipped in chocolate.
Tig Notaro
Oh, well, and also, aren't they in a. Like a bouquet? Like a flower? Like a bouquet of flowers.
Mae Martin
I know what you mean.
Fortune Feimster
It's supposed to look like a bouquet of flowers, but it's fruit.
Tig Notaro
That's how you eat fruit is you order. I'm kidding.
Mae Martin
I'm going along with your bit.
Fortune Feimster
Fortune. Good lord, I did. I did have a little. Have you ever seen those little baby apples? Big. Yeah, I ate one of those last night and I was like, my fruit for the day.
Tig Notaro
Did I tell you the song I wrote for Max and Finn? And they sing it in the morning. Don't forget to have your morning fruit. Your morning fruit. Yeah. I feel like there might be a little more to the song, but there's gotta be more.
Mae Martin
My dad used to sing every morning and he'd go, I'm a banana, I'm a banana. And then I'd get kind of anxious because I knew this part was coming. I'm a banana, banana banan. And then he'd like, freeze on banan. And he'd stop moving in the kitchen, like frozen. And I'd have to go up to him and then he'd like a frozen banana, like A frozen banana. Yeah. It was exciting.
Tig Notaro
And he made this up.
Mae Martin
I think this was an original of his. Yeah. And he'd kind of hold the bananas and make them his ears.
Tig Notaro
Now, do you know, I don't know what accent I'm singing. Marnen Fruit. You're Marnen Fruit?
Mae Martin
Yeah. That's like.
Tig Notaro
Is it good?
Mae Martin
Yeah, it's like a good. It sounds like Shrek. Marnen Fruit.
Tig Notaro
Yeah. Well, when I am talking to Stephanie in the Marnons, you know, I can hear Max and Finn in the background singing that they're having. They're marnin fruit. They're marnin fruit. I'll have to find out what the rest of the words are of my original tune, please.
Mae Martin
Yeah, I like how you're saying I have to find out. Like, you gotta ask someone. Someone else.
Tig Notaro
I do. I have to ask Stephanie and Max and Finn because I. I wrote the song, I got it in everyone's head, and then I left for Toronto and forgot the song. That's what I was doing was I was telling them, don't forget to eat your morning fruit when I'm gone. Like, I tried to, like, come up with a little catchy tune. And then, you know what?
Mae Martin
It worked.
Fortune Feimster
That's how I think of my dad, when in my childhood was singing in the morning and making breakfast.
Mae Martin
Really? Yeah, me too. That was like a big part of say, would he. Was he the one that would take you to school and stuff?
Fortune Feimster
They would switch off. Sometimes it was him, sometimes my grandmother, sometimes my mom. It took a village. But they divorced when I was 12. So my memories are very, like, sporadic. But I just remember some singing when he woke us up and then making scrambled eggs.
Mae Martin
I remember that my dad used to pronounce Titanic. Titanic just to make me laugh. And I thought that was the funniest joke I'd ever heard. I was like 8 years old and I was like. Like, it blew my mind because I was like, that's not how you say. And he was like, I know, I'm joking. But he'd say the titnic. I don't know why we were talking about Titanic all the time, but I don't know.
Fortune Feimster
I saw that musical Titanique.
Mae Martin
Oh, yes. Yeah, yeah.
Tig Notaro
What is that?
Fortune Feimster
I don't know if it's still going or not, but it was in New York and it was a play about the Titanic with Celine Dion as the narrator. Oh, and she. She called the Titanic the Titanique.
Mae Martin
Guys, I saw Cheryl Lee Ralph last night.
Fortune Feimster
Oh, yeah?
Mae Martin
Yeah. Friend of the pot. Well, I didn't speak to her, but I saw her at the out 100.
Fortune Feimster
Aw.
Mae Martin
Or yeah, she was getting like ally of the year and she made a rousing speech that was. So she's like an orator. Like, I wanted to elect her president. And then so she did this beautiful speech and I really liked. She ended the speech by going, I am Sheryl Lee Ralph. Good night. She was great.
Tig Notaro
So wait, were you nominated or did you win something or what was going on?
Mae Martin
No, I just. I just.
Tig Notaro
Was just an invitation.
Mae Martin
Just an invitation. Yeah. And yeah. Anyway, I really like the idea of ending a speech. I am May Martin. Good night.
Fortune Feimster
I am May Martin.
Mae Martin
We're ending a stand up set like.
Tig Notaro
That, but a lot of comedians will say, I have been, and then say their name and then leave stage. Which I've never done that. I've never done that.
Fortune Feimster
I haven't done that either, actually.
Tig Notaro
You know what I used to always end my sets with when I first started? The first few years, I'd say, anyway, my name's Tig. And then I'd walk off stage anyway. And yeah, anyway, my name's any.
Mae Martin
Whatever that was.
Tig Notaro
Anyway, my name's Tig. And then I'd wander off the stage and I had this idea where I'd love to grab just show after show ending of me saying, anyway, my name's. Anyway, my name's Tig. Just back to back, a little montage of it all. Because it took me a while to realize that I was saying that. And I think I was saying it even at a point where people were buying tickets to see me. Like, it didn't. It didn't make sense for me to be like, anyway, my name is Tig.
Mae Martin
That's funny. I've been. Is. Is funny to me. Well, I've been blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Tig Notaro
Yeah, yeah. Like it's. And you've been a past tense. Yeah, thing.
Fortune Feimster
I'm no longer.
Tig Notaro
Yes, I'm moving on now.
Fortune Feimster
I like when Shirley wins awards because her award acceptance speeches are so phenomenal.
Mae Martin
It was like, it was a big crowded room. It wasn't like a sit down thing. Everybody was kind of. And so nobody could hold the crowd's attention. This is also like a bunch of drunk gay people. It's like herding cats. But they. But when Cheryl Lee Ralph went up, everyone went silent and was like listening. And then a lot of fans of the POD came up to me because they were serving nuggets at the, at the event. They reserve chicken nuggets.
Tig Notaro
What is nuggets? Oh, oh, Nugget. Oh, chicken nugget. I see.
Fortune Feimster
Yeah, that's fun.
Mae Martin
And. But they're like people.
Fortune Feimster
Big fans of the pod. But you're not one of our 100 no games.
Mae Martin
Yeah, you're not one of the hundred. But people kept coming up to me and being like, oh, you must be excited. And I was like, oh, should I? And they were like, the nuggets. And I was like, what? And I realized, like, everyone knew this about me, that I love breaded chicken from talking about it on the pod.
Fortune Feimster
That's so funny.
Tig Notaro
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
Sometimes you forget what you share.
Mae Martin
Oh, my God.
Fortune Feimster
I know that about me.
Tig Notaro
Yeah, I know it's so confusing. But it also happens to me when I. Right when I get off stage, which I think we've talked about, how, like.
Mae Martin
Right when you go.
Tig Notaro
Right when I get off, people be like, oh my God, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, what? Yeah, like, you said that on stage. Did I?
Fortune Feimster
Yeah, like your brain kind of goes into a different.
Tig Notaro
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
Like dimension.
Tig Notaro
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Fortune Feimster
May. Are you back doing. You're back doing stand up?
Mae Martin
Yeah, yeah. I'm loving doing improv right now, but I am. I. I need to start doing more sets. Like I do a couple a month at Largo. But I need to push myself, I think, and figure out what I'm. Yeah. Because what have I. What have I got? Nothing really. I. I've got like some stuff about if I. How I feel like I have the memory of holding a live chicken, but I don't think I've ever held a live chicken. You know what I mean? It's all a little weird and existential. And then I got the bear story, of course, but yeah, you know, and some child.
Tig Notaro
Maybe you've seen somebody hold a live chicken.
Mae Martin
I must have. But it's like I. I know the feeling of, like the greasy feathers, the heart pounding, the scratchy little feet. I can feel it. But I don't think I've ever held a live chicken. So maybe in a past life.
Tig Notaro
Well, you are a little cowboy, so you might have had a ranch.
Mae Martin
Wait a second. Yeah, you're right.
Tig Notaro
Yeah. Past life. Ranch.
Fortune Feimster
Ranch owner.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Tig Notaro
Ranch hand.
Mae Martin
I said at work when I was. I was filming, I was like, I'd like to be in a western. And then my co stars started laughing and I said, why are you laughing? And she said, no, you're not. You're not gonna be in a western. And then she said, you'd get your leg caught in a lasso and get dragged behind the horse. I was like, oh, come on.
Fortune Feimster
She doesn't know you're a little cowboy.
Mae Martin
Who said this to you?
My co star in the show I just filmed. But I thought, all right, yeah.
Fortune Feimster
And take your. You're working out a bunch of material, right?
Tig Notaro
Still, I have been working on material, but I've kind of taken a beat. I just keep having this feeling of, like. I think I want to be saying something or, you know, I don't know.
Mae Martin
Right. But then, like, sometimes you gotta just talk about mountain goats. But then for.
Tig Notaro
For sure.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Tig Notaro
But you feel this when you're nagging about. Yeah, I'm. I'm feeling a nagging thing of.
Mae Martin
That's exciting, as a fan, because I'm like, oh, if you got a nagging thing, like, something's going to come up and. That's juicy.
Tig Notaro
We'll see. I mean, I don't know. I mean, I might just want to do an hour of talking about mountain goats. But I have started writing something here in Toronto and.
Mae Martin
Is it about us?
Tig Notaro
It's about me and you.
Mae Martin
Oh, my God.
Tig Notaro
Fortune has nothing to do with it. It's just about me and you. And it's.
Mae Martin
Wow. Just deconstructing every neck.
Fortune Feimster
Cowboy.
Tig Notaro
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
Little cowboys.
Tig Notaro
Yeah. Yeah.
Mae Martin
That's exciting.
Tig Notaro
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
May, you don't. I don't know if you know this, but Tig and I, on a pretty little episode, both revealed how much we want to learn how to tap dance.
Mae Martin
I'm sorry, what? Seriously?
Fortune Feimster
Yeah. And then the three of us will host the Oscar. The Oscars?
Mae Martin
Okay, I'm gonna say something crazy, but I don't think that's outside the realm of possibility. If the three of us really focus our manifestation powers and we visualize us hosting the Oscars and tap dancing.
Fortune Feimster
Yeah.
Tig Notaro
I think it could have bad news.
Mae Martin
I have bad news.
What?
Tig Notaro
I don't think it's gonna happen. But we still have to plow forward and learn to tap.
Mae Martin
Do you know how to tap dance?
Tig Notaro
Me?
Mae Martin
Imagine if I was like, yeah, of course. No, I don't know how to move my body at all, really. It's. It's fused. It's. I feel like my joints are fused.
Tig Notaro
Like, you're not a dancer?
Mae Martin
No, but the other day I went on YouTube and searched John Travolta. Saturday Night Fever tutorial. Dance tutorial. What? Yeah. And I thought, I'm gonna learn it and bust it out when you least expect it.
Tig Notaro
Well, can you show us what you've kind of learned already?
Mae Martin
I want to polish it. Well, it's just the way his hips move. Okay.
Fortune Feimster
Magic May.
Mae Martin
Well, Magic May, it's a lot of like. It's like. It's like a lot of this.
Fortune Feimster
Yeah. Oh, my.
Tig Notaro
Wow.
Mae Martin
Okay.
Fortune Feimster
That's gonna get us the Oscars.
Tig Notaro
Yeah. So Fortune and I will be tap dancing, and you'll be doing. How is it that we're talking so much about John Travolta on this podcast?
Fortune Feimster
But, yes.
Tig Notaro
You'Ll be gyrating Travolta.
Fortune Feimster
We did say in our fantasy scenario that Tig and I would be tap dancing and you would be playing the guitar, maybe.
Mae Martin
Oh, interesting. Because you don't.
Tig Notaro
No, I think May was doing is like actually doing a monologue.
Fortune Feimster
Oh. Saying stuff. And we're tapping around.
Tig Notaro
We're just tapping our feet. Faces off.
Mae Martin
Okay.
Fortune Feimster
So get ready for this world.
Mae Martin
Is this gonna be like a routine like in. Like in Singing in the Rain or something? Like, where, you know, one of you will, like, point to one you know, and then someone does a bit, and then you point like you. You trade back and forth?
Fortune Feimster
I think it depends on how good we are at our lessons.
Mae Martin
Okay, well, are you expecting us to.
Fortune Feimster
Tell the instructor this is for the Oscars? Even though the Oscars hasn't tapped us for tapping. For tapping.
Mae Martin
Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking all state first.
Tig Notaro
Like, you know to check your piano is tuned before inviting your friends over.
Fortune Feimster
For a night of sing alongs. Yeah.
Mae Martin
Check in first is smart. So check all state first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. This content is intended for audiences in the US Only. Savings vary terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.
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Tig Notaro
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Fortune Feimster
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Tig Notaro
Yeah, we're gonna approach everything. When we go get our new suits, when we go learn to tap dance, we're gonna be like, and this is for the Oscars.
Mae Martin
Yes. Yeah.
Tig Notaro
And so they will just assume we got the gig, but we are just. Yeah, maybe we just lunatics in Hollywood.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
And they'll say, when does it air? And we're like, you know. Yeah, in the spring.
Mae Martin
What if it just gets back to the Oscar? Like, we just start telling our peers, oh, yeah, you know, handsome pots hosting the Oscars this year. And then we. It's. And it just, like, becomes reality because.
Tig Notaro
Okay, well, let's get it started. Let's get it started. I have some really exciting news.
Mae Martin
Uhoh. What?
Tig Notaro
The handsome pot is hosting the Oscars.
Mae Martin
Oh, my God. No way.
Fortune Feimster
How many of my tap dancing lessons.
Tig Notaro
Okay, we get to it, and we're.
Mae Martin
Going to open with a big number.
Fortune Feimster
Allah. Billy Crystal days.
Mae Martin
That's what we would do, right? Billy Crystal was the best.
Tig Notaro
Top hats, canes.
Mae Martin
Yeah. Would we, like, make jokes about the people in the crowd the way they always do?
Fortune Feimster
You have to make. You have to make a couple.
Mae Martin
Yeah. We go, well, Paul. Paul Mescal's here. Hope he's eaten his morning fruits.
Tig Notaro
Are just inside jokes from the pie. Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
We're all like, yeah.
Mae Martin
Goes. Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
Is everybody sitting a pineapple apart?
Mae Martin
Yeah. Just crickets in the audience.
Fortune Feimster
I love this plan for us.
Tig Notaro
I am down for it, mate.
Mae Martin
I do think that I should learn that Saturday Night Fever thing, though.
Tig Notaro
Yeah. I mean, why? Why wouldn't you? I don't know how you've gotten this far without it, honestly.
Mae Martin
I know.
Tig Notaro
But you did. How much time did you devote to this tutorial on YouTube?
Mae Martin
Oh, I'm really just at the very beginning. But I did learn the Beyonce. Texas Hold'em. Like country dance. I learned that in its entirety.
Tig Notaro
Can we see that? We have time. You can't drop that and then not show us a little something. Okay. Fortune's gonna sing it.
Mae Martin
Okay. Okay. Let me see if I remember.
Tig Notaro
Okay, Start from the beginning.
Fortune Feimster
I don't know the words. I gotta see if I remember Texas. Oh.
Mae Martin
Wait, is this John Travolta?
No, this was Texas Holden, but I'M forgetting it. Suddenly, Beyonce's gonna go.
Fortune Feimster
She sees this rendition.
Mae Martin
Okay, I'm gonna practice it up and send it to you. I actually did it at a party in front of a bunch of people.
But I listen, if we are hosting.
Tig Notaro
The Oscars, I think that's even good enough to present in the. You know, I'm not gonna rehearse, you know, like humming the words you don't know, just really dialing it in.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
Oh, my God, I love it.
Mae Martin
I like that thing where they were. Billy Crystal would put himself in. In the movies, you know, like. Oh, yeah, that was the best. Like whatever was nominated, he'd kind of edit himself into it.
Tig Notaro
So they. They would. That feed would go to Toronto to. I mean, to Canada, to the.
Mae Martin
The Oscars.
That feed. Yeah, yeah, yeah. International broadcast. Yeah.
Tig Notaro
I didn't know.
Mae Martin
It's everywhere.
Tig Notaro
The. The Oscars are everywhere.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
I have no idea.
Mae Martin
Yeah, it was.
Tig Notaro
You had no idea. Fortune, really? No.
Fortune Feimster
I didn't know if Canadians were watching the Oscars.
Tig Notaro
I didn't know if it was outside of the US I didn't know if.
Fortune Feimster
They were up there in their. With their ketchup chips.
Mae Martin
Yeah, it would depend if we could, you know, get electricity into the igloo that night or not. But I would stay up like late.
Tig Notaro
But, I mean, you can't get certain things out here. Like, I can't. I. There's certain whatever streaming and network or news, and I can't. I can't get up here. Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want.
Fortune Feimster
The Oscars.
Mae Martin
And I got to stay up late past my curfew. But that's when my. Famously when I was a kid, my mom, we were watching the Oscars and she was saying, this singer is such a terrible performer. He's so. He's just got his eyes closed. He's the worst showman. And we were like, that's Andrea Bocelli and he's blind. Anyway, she didn't know he was.
Tig Notaro
She wasn't familiar with him.
Mae Martin
No, she. She didn't know that he was blind.
Fortune Feimster
Eyes closed.
Mae Martin
And then the other Oscar's memory inside the other Oscars memory I have is my brother and I were in the basement and my mom was like, we were in the middle of playing a board game. And then my mom was calling to us saying, guys, guys, Bob Dylan is performing at the Oscars. You've got to come up and see this. And my brother just goes, why do we have to see that fuzzy haired asshole? I don't know why. He was only 14 or something. I was like, what?
Fortune Feimster
He had some feelings about Bob? Yeah.
Mae Martin
I think he just didn't like getting interrupted from his Monopoly game or whatever.
Fortune Feimster
Don't let him see my hair.
Mae Martin
Those luscious locks.
Tig Notaro
Yeah. Has he seen Fortune's hair?
Fortune Feimster
This fuzzy asshole.
Tig Notaro
I know you guys know this, but the documentary that I've been working on got into Sundance and is there at the festival.
Mae Martin
Yes.
Fortune Feimster
Yeah, you are.
Tig Notaro
Right now. It's about my dear old pal, Andrea Gibson. Andrea and I are friends of 25 years.
Mae Martin
Oh, my God.
Tig Notaro
Met in Boulder, Colorado. And I remember I was backstage at a show. It was like basically a variety show. And, yeah, I met Andrea and people were like, oh, yeah, Andrea's a poet. And I was like, what's that? Interesting. Yeah. I mean, obviously knew what a poet was, but I'm looking at this. This tatted up, you know, androgynous creature thinking, interesting. And then Andrea gets on stage and just destroys the place. I mean, destroys the place with tears and laughter. And it just changed my view on poetry from that moment on.
Mae Martin
I'm excited that they'll, like, the documentary, will get a whole new audience and reach people who might not be into poetry or think they're not, and then they have their minds blown. Yeah.
Tig Notaro
Yeah. And Andrea is really one of the funniest people I know. Just so deeply funny and. But this documentary is following their. Their Life with stage 4 ovarian cancer diagnosis and just mind blowing. Truly, truly mind blowing. This film.
Mae Martin
That's exciting.
Fortune Feimster
Got it done pretty fast. Is it because of just where Andrea's at, health wise, trying to get it completely? Yeah.
Tig Notaro
I mean, we were reaching a point in the discussion about what to do, how long to film, and then realizing how amazing if we wrap it up now and Andrea can see this movie. And we submitted it to Sundance without telling Andrea. Oh, my God. We didn't tell Andrea that we were potentially wrapping up the film and submitting it because if it didn't get in, we didn't want to let anybody down or have any sort of disappointment. And it truly got in unanimously. That's what the festival told us. That I GUESS There were 11 people, and they said it was unanimous and really exciting that this movie got made and is so well received and congrats, man.
Fortune Feimster
Yeah, but that's really cool.
Tig Notaro
Really, really excited. And it's been a lot of compartmentalizing, too, because it's been quite a. A year that we've all been navigating behind the scenes, so. But anyway, should we get to our questioner yes. Let's do it.
Mae Martin
Today's questioner is a comedian, writer, actor and activist who co created and starred in the Comedy Central series Broad City. They starred in films including Rough Night, False Positive and Babes, and produced the Tony Award winning musical A Strange Loop. Ilana Glazer is asking today's question.
Thomas Willette
Yeah, hi, Tig and May and Fortune. Alana Glazer here. My question for you is, do you believe in God?
Fortune Feimster
Oh, deep, deep. I just, I did after midnight with Alana back before the holidays and Alana is so great. And after the show, we sat on the couch and chatted for a while and I'm, I realized because I don't know her well that she does like to just dig deep right away.
Tig Notaro
Like, what did you get? What'd you get into that was so deep?
Fortune Feimster
Just kind of talking about, like therapy and.
Mae Martin
Yeah, I love it.
Fortune Feimster
Benefits of that and like. Yeah. Just sort of chatting about the pressures of the business and, you know, taking care of yourself, basically.
Mae Martin
Yeah. I'm excited to hear your guys's answers to this question.
Fortune Feimster
All right. I do we believe in God.
Tig Notaro
I have to say. Oh, I don't.
Mae Martin
I'm not doing this pod anymore.
Tig Notaro
Yeah.
Mae Martin
Were you scared?
Tig Notaro
No. Because when I say, when I say that I don't. I also don't like to be so concrete.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Yeah. Are you more agnostic? You're like, oh, I don't know.
Tig Notaro
Yeah. I mean, because. Yeah, it's just like you, when you get into all the mechanics of how the world works and animals and nature and how complex everything is, it's like, how the hell. But then it's also like there can't possibly be just a God who is just doling out these mind blowing, you.
Mae Martin
Know, what if you got hit by lightning right now?
Tig Notaro
Struck that.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Tig Notaro
I still would feel the same way.
Mae Martin
He'd be like, that was a freak out.
Fortune Feimster
You'd be like, yeah, the lightning came through. Yeah.
Tig Notaro
Yeah.
Mae Martin
I feel like there's. It whatever. If there is a God, it's something like science is going to be part of that. Like there's some, like maybe there's some energy source and we're all part of that energy. And like that's what you would call God is like the source energy or something like that.
It does feel.
Tig Notaro
It feels very scientific and then not scientific. It's like God feels like when you walk into a church or you meet certain people who are religious and talk about God, they feel they can feel so removed from science with their thinking. And yet when I Look at the world in a scientific way. It makes me think there would have to be.
Mae Martin
Right.
Tig Notaro
You know what I'm saying?
Fortune Feimster
Right.
Mae Martin
So for you, like science makes you doubt God, but also science is partly evidence of God because you're like this is too crazy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you mean. Yeah, I think so. Like quantum theory and things like that. That as we especially recently we're making these huge leaps in our understanding of reality and, and I feel like at some point that we're gonna cross that bridge into spirituality where science and spirituality meet up. Because like we know that matter behaves differently when it's observed by have consciousness. Like there's things that are so mind bendingly crazy that it's like, yeah, maybe it'll. But I think that all leans more towards like we're all God. Like, you know what I mean? We're all.
Tig Notaro
Thank you.
Mae Martin
Yeah. Just us three. I mean us three. Yeah. And Thomas. And Thomas.
Tig Notaro
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The Father, Son, the Holy Ghost. There's usually three, but I wonder.
Mae Martin
Trinity, you were both raised religious. Like, I wonder. I know as queer people, like, it's a complicated relationship with religion itself, but I wonder. I. I also see all the benefits of community and spirituality as well. But for sure, what was your experience like and how do you. And where'd you land on it?
Fortune Feimster
Yeah, I mean, in the south, there's a church on every corner. Such a part of the culture and also the social fabric. If you live especially in a small town, like, a lot of community revolves around church and a lot of social things and vacation Bible schools and Sunday school and trips. Like, my mom's gotten back active in the church again and she's doing all these social things. But so I grew up having to go every Sunday. And as I got older, I think the thing I struggled with, with church was I would be taught these things of, like, you know, as a kid, you're taught the simple teachings of Jesus, like, be good to one another, do as. Do unto others as, you know, whatever, have them do unto you. And, like, all these principles of, like, morals. And then I would see other people acting a certain way and being, like, very pompous and hypocritical. And I hated that. It really bugged me because I would see these, these people, like, saying, like, alcohol's bad or, like, this is bad or this is evil. And I'm like, yeah, but you're. Your behavior, like, you were hammered.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
Last weekend in public. You know what I mean? And. And so that was always a big struggle for me, was the hypocrisy of it all. And that was.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
Long before I realized I was gay. So that was a whole other conversation once I came out. But when I. But I did have this, like, want and desire to believe in God and to have that personal thing that didn't involve the structure of church.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
And as I got older and I moved to LA and I came out then, I went through a long period of time where I was like, oh, well, now that I'm gay, I'm must not be allowed in church. So I didn't go for many, many years. But my belief in God remained. And I do believe in God, but again with an asterisk of. It's just a personal belief because it makes me feel better. You know, I think mine is rooted in optimism, hope, having someone to, like, talk to in times of need and wanting to see my grandmother again. And someone could come tomorrow with a bunch of, like, facts where I go. That's valid, you know?
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
You know, I don't know, but it makes me feel good.
Tig Notaro
Yeah.
Mae Martin
It feels like a lot of people I know have like, a kind of. Including me, probably like a kind of New Agey, Like. Like, people talk about, like, their guides or, like, you know, like, that they're. I hope that there's some benevolent force that's like that. That wants you to succeed. That's like, doing. That's like. Can hold you when you're, like, when you. When you can't. When you're so depleted that there's, like, nothing in the tank that you can ask for support from the universe or whatever. Like, I feel like a lot of atheist people that I know actually have that. Like, it's a. Yeah. Especially, like, the younger generations and stuff. There's, you know, you got your crystals, you got your tarot, you got your. And I think it's a similar thing. Just hoping that there's, like, that there's.
Tig Notaro
A reason you bought that crystal that.
Mae Martin
Hoping there's a reason that these tarot cards.
Fortune Feimster
Yeah, I like believing in something.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
Because what I hate is when religion is used as a weapon. And that's been happening for centuries. You know, wars have been fought over religion of, we're right, you're wrong. We know the way. You don't know the way. That's where I get really frustrated with religion. It's not a weapon. It shouldn't be a weapon. It shouldn't be an us and them.
Tig Notaro
And what blows my mind is when you think about the actual word believe. That's what you believe in May. That's what you believe in fortune. This is what I believe. People get so triggered because you believe something. Like somebody told you something, like, about religion or spirituality or whatever it is, and you accept it. You go, I believe that. And then people are like, you believe that? And then. Yeah. And then all the way to war starting because you believe, you know, somebody's doing something. You're like, I don't believe that. I believe this and that. And people freak and start wars because you believe something.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Tig Notaro
It's so crazy to me.
Mae Martin
What always bumps for me, even as a kid is like the definition of faith is like believing something despite evidence to the contrary. Kind of.
Tig Notaro
Yeah.
Mae Martin
And that. I can't. I'm like, no, if you give me evidence to the contrary, I'll adjust my.
Fortune Feimster
Like.
Mae Martin
If you know what I mean. If there's hard evidence, you gotta be open to evolving your belief system. But you know that John Lennon song, God, from his solo career? It's so good. It's. Start the opening line. God is a concept by which we measure our pain. Come on. That's a great line.
Tig Notaro
He wrote some good lines in his time. He wrote some good fan over here.
Mae Martin
Big fan.
Tig Notaro
Big fan.
Fortune Feimster
I don't like the, like, cherry picking of the Bible. That bothers me a lot too. This, like. Oh, well, it says in this verse this. And you're like, yeah. This is a lot of things that don't apply.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
These times.
Mae Martin
Like, you're not allowed to wear buttons on Wednesday or whatever. And.
Tig Notaro
Yeah.
Mae Martin
But it's like, I don't think that's in there.
Tig Notaro
God says this Thursday.
Fortune Feimster
That's a sin.
Mae Martin
Yeah. I think I've said this before, but because my parents are staunch atheists, like, much more than me. And I would say have a pretty pessimistic worldview there. My dad said humans are just up little monkeys and all of reality and creation is just like somebody spilled a yogurt and the bacteria proliferated and that's the world. So.
Tig Notaro
Yeah.
Mae Martin
Anyway. But when I was about 10, I decided to rebel and become super Christian for like six months. And I.
Tig Notaro
What?
Mae Martin
Yeah, I went to an Anglican school and I just decided, like, yeah, I. Christ is my savior and I got a little calculator and I would. Maybe I was younger than 10. I must have been like seven or eight. But I remember I would like, talk to Jesus through the calculator, like, and. And. And it would piss my parents off so much.
Tig Notaro
That's so funny.
Mae Martin
My dad said that he believes if you zoomed out on the whole universe and all the galaxies and everything, you would see that all the stars and constellations form an image of a giant insane clown rocking back and forth. So that's their worldview.
Creepy.
Tig Notaro
He could be right. I mean, when I see people that. You know, my. My first girlfriend's parents have been a positive experience in my life as far as deeply religious people. And then my friend Beth and I used to live next door To. In Austin, we lived next door to this family that was deeply religious, Christian, involved in their church, but really, really extraordinary examples of human beings. And you can kind of sometimes get a little concerned or scared or. Which is so crazy. Like, when you find out somebody is so deeply religious, trigger fear. And it's. It's really unfortunate.
Fortune Feimster
Yeah. It's sad when someone's belief system makes someone feel like, oh, well, now they're not gonna like me.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
Or now they'll actually hate me. Yeah. And that's. That's a part of the religious experience that bums me out.
Mae Martin
Yeah. I really like how in Judaism, I feel like they're like, doubt is built into their faith. Like, it's part of it. Like that healthy doubt and constant kind of questioning. I like that.
Tig Notaro
Yeah.
Mae Martin
How can there's a silent be in doubt? Sorry.
Fortune Feimster
My mom is a United Methodist. She makes sure everyone knows that. That's like the modernist church split over the. The gay agenda. I don't know what the word is, where one group of people did not want gay people to be involved in the church or the clergy or believe in gay marriage, any of that stuff. And the other united part did. So the church just completely split. The church that I grew up in is the United Methodist Church. And luckily, I'm very proud that they stayed a United Methodist Church and. And believed in that. And, you know, some people left the church and went elsewhere because of it. But, you know, I go that I. My mom has me go with her when I go home for the holidays and I make videos and, oh, my.
Tig Notaro
God, I saw one of your videos. It was so, so funny.
Fortune Feimster
I can't remember going to church with my mom.
Tig Notaro
Yeah, it was so funny.
Fortune Feimster
I joke that, like, oh, I gotta go to church, and. Oh, yeah. But when I'm there, it's just a simple mess. Like, the preacher is a great guy, and he's doing a sermon about really relatable things and just trying to be a good person. And I'm like, I can get down with that for sure.
Mae Martin
I love, like, myths and stories and stuff. So I always have. I always. I always have a pretty nice time. I used to go with my grandma, too.
Fortune Feimster
I just have all this knowledge of church that I don't know what to do with. And I'm like, it is so weird to have so much knowledge of a thing that you're not really a part of anymore. But, like, I was there in church, like, singing all these hymns. I knew. Saying the Lord's Prayer that I knew it's so funny. But yeah, I don't know.
Mae Martin
Did you ever learn the Lord of the Dance that him. It always. It was like a banger when I was. It's like all I remember is goes, it's hard to dance with the devil on your back.
Fortune Feimster
It is hard.
Mae Martin
I am the Lord.
Tig Notaro
I think it's hard to dance with.
Fortune Feimster
Anyone on your machine song.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Fortune Feimster
It's hard to dance with the devil on your back.
Mae Martin
Yeah, it does sound like Florence and the Machine.
Tig Notaro
Should we hear what Alana has to say?
Mae Martin
Yes, please.
Thomas Willette
I do believe in God. What does that mean? I don't know. I believe that there is a spiritual force that created the universe. But it's not like different. You know what I mean? It's like it is life itself. It is the planet Earth. I mean specifically, like, it's like. I don't know about the whole universe, but I see God as like the force that. The destiny of. Why planet Earth is the one organism. It is all the people, all the animals, all the fucking bugs and plants as one organism. Us being here now, to me, that is God. Truly. We're comedians. When people are laughing together, that's a spiritual. That's God to me. Fucking sex dancing. The. Not to promote my Santa special, but the human magic that we. That comes up, you know, and fights through this like weird, like cancerous system that divides us, that is an intentional design. That isn't God. That's something else. But the humanity that like arises like it. Like a flower rising through the cracks of a brook Brooklyn sidewalk. Like, that's God to me. Does that answer your question? Does that answer my question?
Fortune Feimster
Does that answer my own question? I mean, that is the thing for a lot of people. It is a personal relationship of it maybe doesn't mean the thing that you're taught. It is that old man in the sky thing. It's like whatever it means to you, whatever like you were saying, may iteration the universe, spiritual and spirituality, whatever. If it makes you feel better, do better, get through something good for you.
Tig Notaro
Yeah, I'm. I'm always open, intrigued when somebody like curveball find out. When I find out they are religious or Christian or whatever it is, I'm like, oh, right. Interesting, interesting.
Mae Martin
I'm like. I mean, I'm sort of. On any given day, I'm kind of in the same camp as Alana. But then some days I'm like, well, isn't. How can we just say that all the good stuff is God? What about all the. All the bad stuff? That must be God too. You know, the anger and fear, that's got to be part of it. Like, we ascribe, like, moral values to essential human feelings. Anyway, I don't know. Anyways, I've been tig.
Tig Notaro
What'd you say?
Mae Martin
Anyways, I'm tig. You know, the way you end your sets.
Tig Notaro
Yep, yep, just got that. He was just reminding me also of when people say things like, forget the past or why are you bringing up the past? You live in the past, don't you know? Not that it sounds like everybody's telling me I live in the past, but that argument of leave the past in the past. And I find that interesting because there is good in the past. And so when you conjure up old memories from the past, nobody's like, why are you bringing up these good memories from the past?
Mae Martin
Leave it behind.
Tig Notaro
Leave it behind. Just move on. Something about that reminds me of, like, you kind of do have to have the good and the bad, that balance, because you should be able to talk about the past and what was hurtful and memories. And then you also should be able to talk about good memories and the times you laughed your face off. And they're all equally as important and they all feed each other.
Mae Martin
Yeah, I have a lot of friends who've done ayahuasca or like, dmt. These, like, really intense psychedelics that are becoming popular as, like, kind of ways to exercise trauma or. And so many of them have the same experience of, like, meeting some benevolent kind of source energy, like, especially dmt. I. You watch videos of people, they. Most people say, like, I.
Tig Notaro
Have you done it?
Mae Martin
No, never done dmt. In my teens, I did acid and things like that. But yeah, this. Everyone unanimously pretty much is like, oh, yeah. I confirmed for myself that there's something more going on. And I. And I kind of. And I met some energy that I felt, you know, held by. I mean, some people are like, I just saw a snake with my dad's head or whatever. But most. Mostly people are like, having this profound experience. But I don't know if that's just a brain chemical thing or if that's a real. Are we landing on. We're landing on. Hey, to each their own.
Fortune Feimster
It's a personal decision and who knows? But also, why don't we get ghost? You know what I mean?
Tig Notaro
Yeah, Ghost.
Mae Martin
Yeah, Ghost. I think when we host the Oscars, we should just have this conversation about God on stage.
Fortune Feimster
It'll be a real fun way to wild tap dancing.
Mae Martin
So out of breath, all of us.
Fortune Feimster
I did, like, Alana's onesie outfit.
Mae Martin
Me too.
Fortune Feimster
That made me go hallelujah.
Tig Notaro
Well, that was once again a grand old time. I feel like we could have had some, we could have clanked some whiskey glasses and continued discussing for a while.
Mae Martin
Me too.
Fortune Feimster
I'm on tour doing, working it out shows where I'm writing new material. And so I have some fun shows coming up in California, in Ontario and Oxnard, California in the month of February, and Irvine, California, if you want to kind of see how the sausage is made. And yeah, gross jokes. Oh, and then I'll kick off my tour in Savannah and Charleston, South Carolina, a bunch of places. So those are on my website, but check out my Netflix special, Crushing It. I think you'll like it.
Tig Notaro
I know you will.
Mae Martin
I've got my, my album, my music album coming out soon. And so I'm doing. Yeah, check out my social media for details because I. But I'm doing some, four really big fun shows, one in New York, one in la, one in Toronto and one in London. Playing, playing the album and telling stories and doing Third Eye Blind covers. You know, things like that. Yeah, it'll be nostalgic. It'll be. I'll be apologizing for existing throughout it because I have imposter syndrome about doing music. But I think it'll be fun.
Fortune Feimster
Own it. Own it, my friend.
Mae Martin
Yeah. Yeah, okay. No, it'll be. It'll be great. No, it will be.
Fortune Feimster
It will be.
Mae Martin
Yeah.
Tig Notaro
I'm just wandering around the planet. I'm intermittently working on new material and then intermittently staying home and writing something that may or may not see the light of day. Also, the Andrea Gibson documentary Come See Me in the Good Light.
Fortune Feimster
Get your hands. And merch.com handsomepod.com because we love seeing it out there in the world.
Tig Notaro
And send us pictures of yourselves dressed head to toe in handsome merch, please.
Mae Martin
And keep sending in your questions for the pretty little episodes.
Fortune Feimster
Oh, yes.
Tig Notaro
Yeah, we love hearing the listener questions. Those are so great to answer and rate. Review the podcast. Check out our YouTube page where you can see May doing the John Travolta moves and the Beyonce moves.
Mae Martin
Incredible work.
Tig Notaro
Yeah. You can also see my wrinkled shirt. And share episodes with friends, family. Build the community. Let's keep doing this. And until next time, time keep handsome.
Mae Martin
Handsome is hosted by me, May Martin, Tig Notaro, and Fortune Feimster. The show is produced, recorded and edited by Thomas Willette. Email us@handomepodgmail.com and please follow us on social media at. Handsome Pod.
Tig Notaro
What a podcast.
Mae Martin
What a podcast that was a Headgum podcast.
Tig Notaro
Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate First.
Mae Martin
Like, you know to check where the world's biggest potato chip is located before heading out on that cross country road trip.
Tig Notaro
Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. This content is intended for audiences in the US Only. Savings vary terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and.
Ago Wodom
Affiliates Northbrook, Illinois hi guys, I'm Ago Wodom. Check out my new show, thanks dad. Now on Head Gum. I was raised by a single mom and I don't have a relationship with my dad. And spoiler, I don't think I'm ever gonna have one with him because he's. He's dead. But I promise you that's okay. Because on my new podcast, I sit down with father figures like Bill Burr, Kenan Thompson, Adam Pali, Hasan Minhaj, Tim Meadows, Andy Cohen, and many, many more. I get to ask them the questions I've always wanted to ask a dad. Like, how do I know if the guy I'm dating is the one? Or how can I change the oil in my car? Can you even show me that? Or better yet, can you help me perfect my jump shot? I am so bad at basketball. Oh my gosh. Maybe. Maybe I'm bad at basketball because I don't have a dad. But subscribe. Subscribe to thanks dad on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Cast, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday.
Podcast Summary: Handsome Episode – Ilana Glazer Asks About God
Episode Information
Opening Conversations: The episode kicks off with the typical warm welcome from Fortune Feimster at [02:00], setting a friendly and informal tone. The trio engages in light-hearted banter about everyday mishaps, such as Fortune being awakened by a Charlie horse ([02:19]) and Mae Martin's humorous take on grocery shopping and meal planning challenges ([02:31]).
Humorous Anecdotes: Throughout the initial segments, the hosts share personal stories and jokes, establishing camaraderie and showcasing their comedic chemistry. For instance, Maе reminisces about her father's quirky pronunciation of "Titanic" ([07:45]), and Tig Notaro discusses her unique stage-ending phrase, "Anyway, my name's Tig" ([09:17]).
Work and Projects Updates: The hosts also provide updates on their current projects. Tig talks about her documentary on Andrea Gibson, which recently got into Sundance ([24:50]), while Mae shares her upcoming music album and performance plans ([53:03]). Fortune discusses her tour and Netflix special, "Crushing It" ([52:27]).
Background on Ilana Glazer: Ilana Glazer, known for co-creating and starring in the Comedy Central series "Broad City," along with her work in films like "Rough Night" and the Tony Award-winning musical "A Strange Loop," introduces today's profound question: "Do you believe in God?" ([28:07]).
Hosts Respond: Mae expresses her excitement to hear the hosts' perspectives on this deep and personal topic ([29:16]), setting the stage for an in-depth conversation.
Tig Notaro on Agnosticism:
"I mean, it's just like when you get into all the mechanics of how the world works and animals and nature and how complex everything is, it's like, how the hell." ([29:32])
Fortune Feimster on Personal Belief:
"I do believe in God, but again with an asterisk of. It's just a personal belief because it makes me feel better." ([37:53])
Mae Martin on Spirituality and Science:
"I feel like quantum theory and things like that. That as we especially recently we're making these huge leaps in our understanding of reality and, and I feel like at some point that we're gonna cross that bridge into spirituality where science and spirituality meet up." ([31:01])
Ilana Glazer on Human Connection:
"Comedians when people are laughing together, that's a spiritual. That's God to me." ([48:00])
Mae Martin on Childhood Faith:
"I went to an Anglican school and I just decided, like, yeah, I. Christ is my savior and I got a little calculator and I would maybe I was younger than 10... I would like, talk to Jesus through the calculator." ([41:56])
Tig Notaro on the Word "Believe":
"People get so triggered because you believe something... you believe that... and then people freak and start wars because you believe..." ([40:13])
Diverse Beliefs and Common Ground: The discussion highlights the diverse beliefs of the hosts, ranging from agnostic to personal spirituality, showcasing the plurality of perspectives on God and faith within a comedic framework. Despite differing views, Tig, Fortune, and Mae find common ground in valuing community, personal growth, and the comfort that belief systems can provide.
Intersection of Science and Spirituality: A recurring theme is the intersection of scientific understanding and spiritual belief. The hosts explore how advancements in science can both challenge and complement spiritual concepts, leading to a more nuanced and personal interpretation of divinity.
Critique of Organized Religion: The hosts collectively critique the hypocrisies they perceive within organized religion, advocating for a more individualized and compassionate approach to spirituality that transcends rigid doctrines and fosters genuine human connection.
Personal Experiences Shaping Belief: Personal anecdotes from Mae about childhood faith and from Ilana about the essence of human connection underline how individual experiences and relationships deeply influence one's belief in God or a higher spiritual force.
Humor as a Bridge: Throughout the heavy discussion, humor serves as a bridge, allowing the hosts to navigate complex and sensitive topics with levity and relatability, maintaining the podcast's signature blend of comedy and meaningful conversation.
The episode concludes with the hosts reflecting on the enriching conversation about belief and spirituality, interwoven with their usual humor and light-heartedness. They encourage listeners to continue exploring their own beliefs and to appreciate the diverse perspectives that make up the human experience.
Note: Throughout the episode, the hosts interject with humorous stories and updates about their personal projects, maintaining a balance between deep discussion and comedic relief. The inclusion of notable quotes provides listeners with memorable insights into each host's personal stance on belief in God.