Handsome Podcast Summary

Episode: Kate Micucci Asks About Childhood Lies
Date: November 11, 2025
Hosts: Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, Mae Martin
Special Guest: Kate Micucci
Podcast Theme: Three comedians field questions from their friends and riff on life’s absurdities with stories, candor, and humor.

Main Theme / Purpose

In this in-person recording of Handsome, comedians Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin reunite on the couch to answer a question from their longtime friend, comedian and actor Kate Micucci:
"What is a lie you were told as a child that you believed for way too long?"

As always, the hosts blend earnestness and playful banter, covering career updates, domestic life, sexuality, childhood embarrassments, and the innocence (or madness) of long-held misconceptions.

Episode Structure & Key Segments

1. Catch-Up & Personal Updates

Timestamps: 02:00–15:00

• The Joy of Recording In-Person
  The crew relishes being together after Zoom stints, celebrating how “handsome” they all look and how different the energy is (02:33–02:42).

• Mae’s Career After “Wayward”
  Mae shares how their new hit show’s success hasn’t dramatically changed day-to-day life, highlighting imposter syndrome and fan interactions about character choices (03:14–06:33).

  • “You don't really...the main thing is, you're kind of only as good as your last thing...But it feels amazing.” – Mae (05:00)
  • Humorous speculation about recurring wildlife in Mae's yard (raccoon, skunk, possum) not caring about their fame.

• Hair Dye, Touring, and Personal Routines
  Discussion about Mae’s current hair color and DIY approach (06:34–07:46).
  Fortune talks about the physical demands of playing a golf caddy and moving houses, sharing comedic tales of walking 12,000 steps a day and furnishing new digs (08:54–14:43).

• Tig’s Life as a Temporary Single Parent
  Tig describes solo parenting while her wife, Stephanie, is away, joking about “house police” and her son Finn’s hyper-scheduled personality.

  • “My son...he loves his schedule. I feel like I've been holding down the fort pretty well. And [my therapist] said, ‘Well, it sounds like you would have no other choice with Finn in the house.’” – Tig (17:59–18:10)

2. Side Conversations & Notable Anecdotes

Timestamps: 15:46–42:00

• Chain Restaurants & Cheesecake Factory Love
  Fortune reveals plans for a real (not ironic) Cheesecake Factory outing with comics Zach Noe Towers and Taylor Tomlinson (21:43–22:49).
  Mae confesses a fondness for chain restaurants' “rigidity” and predictability (23:43).

  • “Maybe it's because I got a touch of the tism. I like the rigidity. I like knowing what to expect.” – Mae (23:45)

• Sex Positivity & Embarrassment
  Group candidly discusses BDSM purchases, filming intimate scenes (“getting railed”), and how family reacts to on-screen sex (24:20–33:02).

  • “There's something nice about, like...you're really going to town on someone, you’re doing it for their pleasure. So you're almost bottoming from the top.” – Mae (31:02)

• Celebrity Sightings & Admiration
  The trio digress into loud praise for Bette Midler and Dolly Parton, and Tig confesses never having seen a Diane Keaton film—an admission that stuns Fortune and Mae (39:48–41:03).

3. Kate Micucci’s Voicemail: Childhood Lies

Timestamps: 49:08–50:05

• Kate’s Question:
  “What is a lie that you were told when you were a kid that you believed for way too long?” - Kate Micucci (49:08)

  The hosts and Kate share their favorite “lies we believed,” mixing the poignant and the ridiculous with their trademark vulnerability and wit.

Hosts’ Childhood Lies:

• Tig Notaro

  • Believed promises of security from grown-ups and, more innocently, believed elves jumped between Christmas tree branches.
    • “I was told at Christmas time that there were elves jumping from branch to branch. And I was always...I was like, where? And they'd be like, oh, you just missed it.” – Tig (51:17)
  • Questioned the logic in the Santa/reindeer snack ritual—did reindeer actually come into the house? (51:50)
  • As a kid, believed she had once gotten stuck in the toilet and her mom had to call a plumber—later realized her mom made it up (54:06–54:18).

• Fortune Feimster

  • Was told her pacifier (“paci”) just got lost when her mom actually threw it out the window (55:04–55:43).
  • Grew up using “boom boom” as a euphemism for vagina due to parental shyness about anatomical language, leading to embarrassment when her friends (with a doctor dad) didn’t recognize the term (56:13–57:30).

• Mae Martin

  • Forbidden to believe in Santa Claus—her mom insisted it was a fun pretend, but not true. Mae became the playground killjoy, revealing the truth to classmates (52:23–52:55).
  • Family’s ongoing insistence they once drove a car under a moose—Mae is still unsure if it’s real or an elaborate lifelong troll (53:24–54:06).

Kate Micucci’s Childhood Lie:

• As a child, genuinely believed removing a mattress tag (“do not remove under penalty of law”) was a serious federal offense, thanks to the movie Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. Only realized as an adult the movie was joking (49:08, 61:49–63:42).
  • “It wasn’t until I was, like, way grown up, probably like 30, I rewatched Pee Wee’s Big Adventure...That’s just a joke. That’s a joke. I have been thinking...my whole life...” – Kate (61:49–62:02)
• Bonus story: Recalls being with Tig in Australia when a kangaroo charged at Tig, and all Kate could utter was, “Oh, cheese, Tig!” (63:42)

Notable Quotes

• “You’re only as good as number one? Is that what you’re saying?” – Tig (05:21)
• “There's something comforting about [sleeping in a sleeping bag].” – Mae (12:12)
• “My favorite thing is, like, going to see a movie...and going to Cheesecake Factory before by yourself.” – Mae (22:49)
• “I have a question. You dyed your hair brown for the show, but it’s still kind of brown.” – Fortune, ribbing Mae’s fashion (06:34)
• “I wonder if embarrassment starts to creep in around middle school...before that, you’re kind of...I don’t know.” – Mae (61:01)
• “Our listeners are...salivating to hear your embarrassing [stories].” – Tig (59:09)

Memorable Moments

• Fortune’s “boom boom” story and the confusion/embarrassment it caused:
  “And I said, boom boom. And they...all turned and were like, what? Oh my God. And I was like, your boom boom? They’re like, are you talking about a vagina?” (56:32–57:30)

• Tig’s existential answer to Kate’s question:
  “What I was told as a child that I believed way too long, I think, is—you’ll be safe. We’ll take care of you. Everything’s going to be okay. Don’t worry.” (50:14–50:41)

• Kate Micucci’s ultra-innocent belief in mattress tag law and her joy in being called “Kate McCooch”:
  “I have been thinking that it’s bad to do this my whole life, and it was just a...yeah, you’re not going to go to jail if you take a tag off a mattress.” (61:57–62:13)
  “Or as Fortune likes to call me, Kate. Kate McCooch. My coochie Kate. My coochie Kate McCooter. Cooter. I don’t. Whatever you want to call me.” (49:11–49:26)

• Discussion of BDSM gear and forgetting to hide it before the cleaning lady arrives—humorous mortification and group “girl, girl!” riffing (24:20–26:28).

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Start | End | |--------------------------------------------------|------------|------------| | Intro, Reunion & Life Update | 02:00 | 15:00 | | Chain Restaurant Banter / Cheesecake Factory | 21:43 | 23:41 | | Sex Positivity and Embarrassment Stories | 24:20 | 33:03 | | Admiring Female Icons, Diane Keaton Confession | 39:48 | 41:13 | | Kate's Question: Childhood Lies | 49:08 | 50:05 | | Hosts Answer: Elves, Santa, Moose, Boom Boom | 50:14 | 57:30 | | Kate’s Mattress Tag Story | 61:49 | 63:42 | | Kangaroo Anecdote & Farewells | 63:42 | 65:32 |

Episode Tone and Style

• Honest, unfiltered, and effortlessly funny. The group’s chemistry shines in-person, mixing playful jabs and heartfelt reflections.
• Supportive and sex-positive, with open talk about sexuality, embarrassment, and personal growth.
• Full of cultural references (Cheesecake Factory, Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, chain restaurants, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, etc.) and personal anecdotes that feel like friends catching up.

For New Listeners

This episode is a perfect representation of what makes Handsome special: irreverent, candid, and loaded with comedy—but also containing surprising emotional notes about childhood, adult awkwardness, and the lasting impact of stories we’re told (true or false). Come for the laughs about “boom booms,” stay for the honesty about insecurity and growing up.

In summary:
The hosts, plus Kate Micucci, reveal with affection and embarrassment the childhood lies they believed, reflect on their careers and lives, bond over chain restaurants, share embarrassing moments, and—above all—remind us that growing up weird is a universal experience best laughed about with good friends.