Handsome Podcast: "Pretty Little Episode #55"

Release Date: September 5, 2025
Hosts: Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, Mae Martin (though Mae is mostly absent in this episode)
Episode theme: A lighthearted conversation between Fortune and Tig, covering recent career highlights, personal anecdotes, and playful banter before diving into thoughtful listener questions about high school superlatives and storytelling advice.

Overview

This episode opens with Fortune Feimster and Tig Notaro checking in from different locations, recapping recent personal and career updates. They celebrate "Handsome" winning Podcast of the Year at Just for Laughs, and Fortune shares her adventures hosting "Jimmy Kimmel Live," including memorable run-ins with celebrities like Mariah Carey and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The main segment addresses listeners' questions about high school yearbook superlatives—what the hosts wanted (or won) back then, and what titles they’d want today. The second question explores advice for students struggling to write personal narratives, which prompts candid and practical storytelling tips.

Key Points & Segments

1. Personal Catch-Up and Recent Achievements

[00:37-09:00]

• Fortune reports from North Carolina, looking after her mom during chemo:
  • “I'm just driving her. Like you, Miss Daisy.” – Fortune ([01:16])
• Just for Laughs Win:
  • "Handsome got podcast of the year at Just for Laughs." – Fortune ([01:57])
• Fortune’s Recent Hosting Gigs:
  • Recaps guest-hosting "Jimmy Kimmel Live," including outfits ("I wore suits every night. Keeping it handsome." – Fortune, [02:31]), and her mom’s surprise on-air appearance.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger & Mariah Carey Stories:
  • Arnold was "unusually punctual" for a major star ([08:05]).
  • Fortune had a humorous, candid interview with Mariah. Mariah was predictably late, but told Fortune afterward:
    • “It was the funniest interview she's had in decades.” – Fortune ([06:00])
  • Fortune adds, “I just felt like I was living the dream of every gay man in the world.” ([04:14])
• Reflections on Hosting:
  • Tig asks about the experience:
    • "What did you enjoy the most?" – Tig ([03:13])
    • Fortune: “The monologue is the most fun… the interviews are fun, but they are a lot more to juggle…” ([09:12])
  • Discussion on the uncertain future of late night TV:
    • “With Colbert getting canceled… that feels like the beginning of some tide turning.” – Fortune ([09:51])

2. Listener Question: Yearbook Superlatives

[10:16-18:25]

What did the Handsome hosts want to win in high school, and what category would they want now?

• Tig (only made it to 9th grade):

  • “I probably deep down wanted to be voted funniest. But in a really funny twist, my best friend got that.” ([10:49])
  • “I was voted least likely.” (A callback to an old stand-up joke, [13:44])

• Fortune:

  • “I actually was voted wittiest, which is our version of funniest… I actually was voted two. I was voted wittiest and most athletic, and they told me to choose.” ([12:27])

• Updated Superlatives:

  • Tig: “Most likely to live to be a hundred.” ([14:32])
    • Shares a playful, yet touching story about her wife Stephanie wanting to “die together,” sparking a discussion about longevity and coupledom ([14:45-15:37]).
  • Fortune: “…best games” ([16:14]), referencing her love of games (“I would hope that I would win that superlative.”).
  • Jokingly, Tig: “Then I would win best dumpster tits.” ([16:31])

• Escalates to the idea of a group mud wrestling match:

  • “We should all three wrestle at once.” – Tig ([16:46])
  • “May would be topless. So would I. Oh, yeah. Dumpster tits would be topless.” – Tig ([17:15])
  • Fortune: “I will definitely have my top on. And it will be a full blown… For one second and then it's coming off.” ([17:30-17:33])

• Listener Star’s (the caller) superlatives:

  • “I won best looking, but I always wanted to be voted funniest. And in today’s yearbook, I’d love to be voted most likely to die surrounded by 101 Dalmatians.” – Star ([18:26])
  • Tig jokes: “Star, send in a photo. You can't just be dropping I'm the hottest one in my school and then not give us a peekaboo!” ([19:06])

3. Listener Question: Storytelling & Personal Narratives

[20:55-26:45]

How do you start writing personal narratives (advice for high schoolers)?

• Tig’s process:

  • “I always think about how it’s helpful, typically, to just get into it…where does the story begin?” ([21:36-21:48])
  • On writing for Andrea Gibson’s memorial: “Just get into it. Just start where it started at the beginning. And that doesn't necessarily mean start at the beginning of time of knowing the person, but this is what I want to say.” ([22:46])

• Fortune’s advice:

  • “All of my stories are based on something that happened. So I just take, like, what actually happened, and I write it out as it actually happened…then fill in the gaps with jokes or punchlines.” ([23:02-24:04])

• Tig’s example from her memoir:

  • “I started my first chapter the moment I left the hospital after my mother died...I was sent on a hell ride.” ([24:04-25:25])
  • Emphasizes you don’t have to start at the chronological beginning; you can use a striking moment as your entry point.

• Sid (the teacher/caller) replies:

  • “Don’t begin at the beginning. Just start where you have an image in your mind or the writing flows easily. And who knows, maybe the introduction will grow from there.” ([25:45])
  • “If you do answer my question, I will play it in class for my students.” ([26:05])

4. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “She [Mariah Carey] is a diva in the best ways and just, you know, so mysterious and iconic.” – Fortune ([04:10])
• “My mom got to be on the show, which was really cool. She is becoming a full blown star.” – Fortune ([03:14-03:18])
• “I would not be opposed to [hosting my own talk show]. I don't know that late night's how much of a future it has…” – Fortune ([09:42])
• “Maybe I'll bring that back.” – Tig, on her “least likely” high school joke ([13:58])
• “There are some couples that...when one dies, the other one's just like, I'm out. Yeah, this is it. And they just die a couple days apart.” – Fortune ([15:48])
• “What are we gonna do, just both have a heart attack at this on the same day?” – Tig ([15:48])
• Group mud wrestling fantasy:
  • “The three of us just wrestling is wild.” – Fortune ([16:58])
  • “May would be topless. So would I. Oh, yeah. Dumpster tits would be topless.” – Tig ([17:15])

Timestamps for Noteworthy Segments

• [01:57] – Handsome wins Podcast of the Year at Just for Laughs
• [03:13] – Fortune hosts "Jimmy Kimmel Live," mom's TV cameo, & Arnold/Mariah stories
• [06:00] – Mariah Carey says Fortune gave her “the funniest interview in decades”
• [10:16] – Listener question: Yearbook superlatives (high school and now)
• [13:44] – Tig’s “least likely” joke
• [16:14] – Fortune's ideal modern superlative ("best games")
• [18:26] – Listener Star’s answer: “Most likely to die surrounded by 101 Dalmatians”
• [21:36] – ELA teacher Sid’s narrative writing question, hosts' storytelling advice
• [24:04] – Tig’s memoir example of starting amid the action

Tone and Style

• The hosts keep their trademark witty, candid, and supportive tone throughout, sharing intimate moments alongside wild comedic riffs.
• They oscillate between heartfelt sincerity (e.g., caring for Fortune’s mom, honoring lost friends, discussing health and relationships), and playful absurdity (the extended mud wrestling riff).
• Listener interactions feel personal, with both warmth and irreverence.

Takeaways for Listeners

• On Achievements: Celebrate small and big wins (awards, career milestones, family moments).
• On Superlatives: What we value changes over time; it's OK to want playful new titles for yourself as you grow.
• On Storytelling: Start writing where the energy is; jump into the moment that matters most, not necessarily the beginning.
• On Friendship: Humor and support go hand in hand in long-term relationships—romantic or platonic.

For New Listeners

If you want to see the “Handsome” co-hosts at their best—balancing friendship, real talk, and relentless goofiness—this episode is a stellar example of their vibe. Come for the cheeky awards banter, stay for practical wisdom (and maybe a surprise mud wrestling match someday).