Handsome Podcast — Episode #58: "Pretty Little Episode"

Hosts: Mae Martin & Tig Notaro
Date: September 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this "Pretty Little Episode," Mae Martin and Tig Notaro hold down the fort without Fortune Feimster and share an intimate, funny, and occasionally profound conversation about daily routines, family influences, small personal stories, and listener questions. Topics range from skincare and quitting smoking to claustrophobic elevator rides, pop culture inherited from parents, and advice for staying single and self-focused after a breakup. As always, the tone is candid, quirky, and supportive, making listeners feel like they're hanging out with two hilarious friends.

1. Catching Up & Self-Care Chat

[01:01 - 04:29]

• Skincare & Appearance Rituals:

  • Mae quips about just using foundation (no "boy brow" or "lip taint") to record, setting a light, playful tone.
  • Tig shares her minimalist face wash and moisturizer routine, attributing her low-maintenance routine, in part, to "hydrating from the inside."
    • Quote: "I'm hydrating from the inside." — Tig Notaro [02:20]
  • Both hosts reflect on their mothers’ youthful looks:
    • Mae recounts her mom being mistaken for her sister ("We will be dining off that for weeks and months" [02:59]).
    • Tig aspires to inherit her mother’s great skin, even being complimented in a coma ("When my mother was dying... she has such great skin." — Tig Notaro [02:25])

• Smoking: Habits & Quitting:

  • Mae confesses she’s still smoking, despite having quit in her 20s and her intent to stop.
  • Tig shares her own quitting journey (making herself sick on Swisher Sweets cigars and peach beer).
    • Quote: "I quit at 25, saying I don't want to be 50, saying I wish I had quit at 25." — Tig Notaro [05:33]
  • Tig jokes about recreating her disastrous quit method for the podcast.

2. Mae’s Elevator Ordeal in New York City

[05:48 - 09:20]

• Storytelling: Mae describes getting stuck in a hotel elevator with a "Russian oligarch" and his wife; the man ignores her anxiety, fixes the elevator by pushing all the buttons, and bluntly states, "Actually, it's not scary."
  • Quote: "No hesitation, goes, actually, it's not. And stops, starts pressing the buttons, and somehow fixes it." — Mae Martin [06:39]
  • The tension is palpable, especially between the Russian couple.
    • Quote: "I felt like she was embarrassed of him when he said it's not scary because it clearly was." — Mae Martin [08:29]
  • Mae’s panic quickly disappears when the issue is resolved, but she and Tig bond over past experiences with being stuck in small spaces.
    • Quote: "If I was in there, I would have been in a complete spiral." — Tig Notaro [08:51]

3. Listener Question #1: "What did your parents get you into?"

[10:16 - 17:08]

• Listener Bea’s Question:
  Bea, the child of two moms (one named Mare), asks what Mae and Tig’s parents introduced them to.

  • Both hosts delighted by the name Mare and two-mom families.

• Mae’s Answer:

  • "Funny Girl" with Barbra Streisand—her mom insisted on classic films, and though Mae resisted, she became obsessed.
    • Quote: "I was like, funny Girl. I don't know. And then when I finally watched it... I was so obsessed with Funny Girl." — Mae Martin [11:42]

• Tig’s Answer:

  • Her mother (and grandmother) made her listen to Willie Nelson, particularly the "Redheaded Stranger" album, which she resisted as a child but grew to appreciate.
    • Quote: "I would say what my mother got me into that I wasn't necessarily into deeply as a small child was Willie Nelson." — Tig Notaro [14:17]

• Bea’s Follow-up:

  • The most significant thing her mom got her into was Alison Bechdel’s work (e.g., "Fun Home" and "Dykes to Watch Out For").
    • Brief explanation of Bechdel’s significance and works, with recommendations from Tig.

• Modern Role Reversal:
  Mae notes how their own kids are now introducing them to new things like Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, and Blink-182.

  • Quote: "Between Kendrick, Eminem and Blink182, that's what we pick up and drop Max and Finn off to." — Tig Notaro [17:39]

• Mae jokingly imitates Tom Delonge from Blink-182:

  • Quote: “[In a Tom Delonge voice] Where are you, the angel from my nightmares?” [18:13]

4. Listener Question #2: Staying Single After a Breakup

[18:22 - 23:47]

• Angela from Columbus’ Situation:
  Recently out of a 7-year relationship, Angela asks for tips on staying single and motivated to focus on herself.

• Hosts’ Advice:

  • Mae:
    • Prioritize solo activities, reading, friendly adventures, and willpower. Take yourself away from relationship temptations—“go to the woods,” she jokes.
      • Quote: "Find your single friends and go on little friend vacations. And it is just willpower, isn't it?" — Mae Martin [19:49]
  • Tig:
    • Emphasizes the importance of making deep, personal changes—those you do privately, not just performatively.
      • Quote: "Everything you have been doing that isn't working has to change for the change that you want to see." — Tig Notaro [20:25]
    • Suggests helping others as a healing way to gain perspective: volunteering, animal shelters, etc.
      • Quote: "Whatever it is. That is really, really healing and gives you a much bigger picture on life." — Tig Notaro [23:44]
    • Advises listeners not to beat themselves up over setbacks or relapses, and to take their own advice.
      • Quote: "It's really good to take your own advice. It helps me." — Tig Notaro [21:52]

5. Show Sign-off and Takeaways

[23:47 - End]

• Hosts thank listeners, encourage more questions at "speakpipe.com/handsomepod," and reiterate their enjoyment of listener participation.
  • Quote: "It's such a joy to do the questions of our listeners... I'm always so curious what our listeners have to say." — Tig Notaro [23:58]
• A genuine, warm good-bye, channeling the Handsome spirit—humorous, supportive, and inclusive.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Mae on skincare: “I just went to the gym, but I mainly went for the sauna.” [01:06]
• Tig recalling her tobacco/beer quit attempt: “I made myself so sick to my stomach… I was throwing up. It was so disgusting.” [04:58]
• On elevator panic: “That’s what my next question was going to be... what is Mae at a 10 in a 45-story stuck elevator?” — Tig [09:21]
• Mae on parental recommendations: "Anytime my mom would suggest something, I would instinctively want to hate it..." [11:10]
• Tig on true self-care: "It's the changes that you're doing privately and quietly that you're not promoting or posting or blabbing about." [20:25]
• Tig: “It's really good to take your own advice. It helps me.” [21:52]
• Mae: "You also have to... grieve that. And it's okay to be a mess for a little while." [22:54]

Key Takeaways

• Parenthood’s Ripples: The cultural tastes (films, music) of parents can quietly shape who we are—sometimes in ways we only appreciate later.
• Vulnerability is Relatable: Stories about fears (like Mae’s elevator panic) are endearing and universal, prompting laughter and real talk.
• Recovery & Solitude: Real personal change following breakups is uncomfortable, private work—progress is uneven, and being gentle with oneself is key.
• Listeners Build the Show: The format’s warmth and inclusiveness are cemented by actively incorporating listener voices, making for a collaborative community feel.

Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Skincare & routines chat | 01:01 - 04:29 | | Quitting smoking stories | 04:29 - 05:48 | | Mae’s elevator ordeal | 05:48 - 09:20 | | Listener Bea—parents’ influences | 10:16 - 17:08 | | Kids introducing art/music to parents | 17:20 - 18:22 | | Listener Angela—advice on being single/self focus | 18:22 - 23:47 | | Wrap up & messages to listeners | 23:47 - End |

Summary prepared for listeners and non-listeners alike: lighthearted, genuine, and full of the supportive camaraderie Mae and Tig are known for. If you love warm, offbeat advice and relatable tales, this episode is a delight.