Handsome Podcast – Episode #77: "Pretty Little Episode" (Feb 6, 2026)

Hosts: Tig Notaro & Fortune Feimster
Main Theme: Friendship, family celebrations, quirky roadside attractions, and navigating friendships with "tall tale tellers"

Episode Overview

This playful episode of Handsome opens with some heartfelt (and hilarious) banter between Tig and Fortune about milestone birthdays, their families, and the joys of close-knit friend groups. Listeners' questions prompt the hosts to discuss iconic roadside attractions, design their own imaginary pitstops, and share strategies for dealing with friends who can't seem to tell the truth. The tone is quintessentially Handsome: irreverent, warm, and sprinkled with personal stories.

Highlights & Key Discussion Points

1. Celebrating Moms and Family Friend Groups

• [01:21] Fortune shares: Her mom is turning 80, and they're planning a (slightly delayed) big birthday party.
• Tig jokes about crashing the party and talks about possible joint celebrations (e.g., "We could do the 26th, right in between. I would love for you to have a joint birthday party. That would be hilarious." - Tig, [02:54]).
• The "Yayas": Fortune describes her mom’s longtime friend group:
  • “[The Yayas] get together a couple times a month for lunch or whatever. They celebrate the birthdays of the month with one meal." – Fortune, [03:09]
  • The group has been friends for decades, and their children (including Fortune) are similarly connected.
• Lost Footage: Fortune reminisces about filming a Comedy Central segment with the Yayas and laments that much of the footage was cut – but Tig pushes her to try to retrieve it:
  • "This is your job right now. You've gotta reach out to Comedy Central and see if there's any way to track that footage down. ...You will be so glad you did that." – Tig, [05:05]

Notable moment:

• "Shout out Ginge. The Yayas. Fortune Feimster and the Yayas is the band name." — [06:15-06:23]

2. Question from Hope (Georgia): Designing a Roadside Attraction

[06:33] Hope asks: If you could create any roadside attraction (for charity), what would it be?

Tig's Vision:

• Giant Animal Sanctuary & Adoption Center
  • “...A huge animal sanctuary adoption place where you’re on the road, you’re exhausted….and you just pet kittens and dogs and old grandpa animals…” – Tig, [07:48]
  • Emphasis on fun, relaxation, and animal welfare (“Of course, I’m not gonna have a roadside attraction where animals are getting abused.” – Tig, [08:31])
  • Fortune jumps in with the idea that it’s essentially like a spa for animals but also a place for pet adoptions.

Fortune’s Take:

• Jokingly claims she’d have suggested a “beaver attraction” but Buc-ee’s already exists:
  • “Now that I’m a Disney beaver, I would have said I would have some kind of beaver attraction, but Bucky’s kinda cornered the market on that.” – Fortune, [09:26]
• Admits she’s really just interested in a roadside place filled with pastries, pies, and “lesbian music.” ([14:03])
  • “I don’t have anything random. I just want food. Like, I just want a bunch of pastries and pies. And then maybe some lesbian music playing, like Melissa Etheridge or something.” – Fortune, [13:56–14:14]

Buc-ee’s Debate:

Light-hearted argument about the cult status of Buc-ee’s:

• "I'm very confused about everyone... Like people's obsession with Buc-ee's. Like, I don't, I don't get it." – Tig, [10:08]
• Fortune explains the appeal: huge selection, clean bathrooms, and “they don’t allow any of those big transfer trucks.”
• Tig’s verdict: Let people enjoy it, but “quit acting like a nerd...about a gas station. I mean, get a life.” ([12:50])

Hope’s Own Roadside Attraction:

• "A giant TV with a row of giant books on top...inside you’d see weird artifacts supposedly from big movies, but totally made up. Like a gum wrapper found on the set of Scream." – Hope, [14:26–14:48]

3. Question from Andy (Houston): Dealing with a Tall-Tale-Telling Friend

[15:04] Andy asks: What do you do when a beloved friend constantly tells tall tales?

Hosts’ Perspectives:

• Tig shares: She believes people know when they exaggerate, recounts her own experience with a habitual liar who tried to impress her ([16:27–19:00]):

  • “I need clarity. You’re telling me that this, this, and this happened?” – Tig, [16:59]
  • Classic REM Backstage Lie: A guy pretended to call her from a payphone while he was “backstage” at an REM concert just to impress her.
  • The ultimate clapback she wishes she’d delivered:
    • "I should have said, 'Me too.' That is the best thing to say to a liar: just tell them you're doing the same thing." – Tig, [19:53–20:10]

• Fortune’s style:

  • Favors gentle teasing or playful skepticism rather than outright confrontation.
  • Shares an example: giving fellow host Mae a hard time when their stories didn't add up, keeping it fun and friendly ([21:27–22:13]).

• General advice:

  • If it’s lighthearted embellishment, gently poke fun or ask for “clarity.” If it gets extreme or undermines the friendship, it’s okay to consider distancing.
  • "When someone lies about everything all the time, it’s tough to have a deep friendship with that person." – Fortune, [23:08]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• [02:31] Tig: "But just when in March? Because if it lands on my birthday, maybe we could do a little combo."
• [08:31] Tig: "I'm not gonna have a roadside attraction where animals are getting abused."
• [10:08] Tig: "I'm very confused about... people's obsession with Buc-ee's. Like, I don't get it."
• [12:50] Tig: "Quit acting like a nerd... about a gas station. Get a life."
• [19:53] Tig: "What I should have said to him... I should have said, 'Me too.'"
• [23:08] Fortune: "When someone lies about everything all the time, that's... it's tough to have a deep friendship with that person."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:21–06:28]: Birthday celebrations, family stories, and the Yayas
• [06:33–14:26]: Roadside attractions (Hope’s question), animal sanctuaries, Buc-ee’s debate, and Hope’s giant TV
• [15:04–23:20]: Tall-tale friend dilemma (Andy's question), stories of liars, advice on handling chronic exaggerators
• [23:22–24:39]: Light wrap-up, show plugs, closing banter

Tone & Style

Irreverent yet affectionate, the episode blends comedic banter with surprising wisdom. Tig’s dry, deadpan delivery pairs with Fortune’s genial storytelling, making the advice feel both honest and approachable. The hosts’ chemistry and willingness to poke fun at themselves and each other is on full display.

Summary for the Uninitiated

Episode 77 is classic Handsome: two comedians riff on the quirks of family, the nostalgia of hometown friendships, and the oddities of American roadside culture, all while dispensing real talk on navigating tricky friendships. You’ll laugh at their debates about Buc-ee’s, delight in Fortune’s stories about her mom’s “Yayas,” and maybe pick up some handy ways to confront the fibbers in your life—whether or not you’ll ever have to claim you were also backstage with R.E.M.