Handsome Podcast — Pretty Little Episode #83

Hosts: Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster (Mae Martin not present in this episode)
Date: March 20, 2026
Main Theme:
This "Pretty Little Episode" is centered on playful banter between Fortune and Tig, foodie confessions, and listener questions about the secrets to long-lasting friendship and the allure of watching creative masterminds at work. The episode’s signature: classic Handsome warmth, support for listeners, and hilarious personal stories.

Overview

In this lighthearted yet thoughtful episode, Tig Notaro and Fortune Feimster riff on dessert obsessions, air fryer experiments, and the evolution of friendship, responding to listener questions that spark stories about deep relationships and creative curiosity. The absence of Mae Martin doesn’t slow them down—the conversation is lively, silly, and peppered with memorable jokes and quotable advice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Food, Treats & Living Solo

• Fortune’s Affogato Revelation (00:34–01:58)

  • Fortune describes her love for affogato (vanilla ice cream with espresso poured over it) and delight at realizing she could make it at home.
  • The segment quickly devolves into a string of puns:

    "I forgot about that." —Tig Notaro (00:40)
    "So I now am been making my own. I forgot, though." —Fortune (01:50)

  • Brief debate over the best ice cream flavors, with Fortune recommending Van Leeuwen for vegan options.

    "You should try it, though." —Fortune (02:30) "I don’t need to be yelled at." —Tig (02:28)

• Frozen Foods Confessional (03:57–06:17)

  • Fortune admits to going “buck wild” stocking up on Trader Joe’s frozen appetizers post-breakup.
  • Exchange about silly “pet names” for frozen snacks, inspired by Tig’s friend Steph:

    "Any of those names?" —Tig (05:15)
    "Hello. What's up, pig in a blanket?" —Fortune (06:09)

• Bachelor Life & Cooking Hacks

  • Fortune lists her favorites: turkey corn dogs in the air fryer, feta and caramelized onion puffs, and pigs in a blanket.

Listener Questions & Advice

1. How to Make Friendships Last (07:51–14:25)

Listener Q:
"What's your best advice for long-lasting friendship? We're trying to be 78, 96... knitting together still! For reference, we're in our 30s." — Amelia & Anna (Portland, OR)

Hosts’ Insights:

• Depth of Connection & Showing Up

  • Tig shares her view on long-term friendship:

    "After a certain age, I don't like to use the phrase best friend... I have a group of people that I've been close with since I was a child, and they are still very big in my life." (08:53)

  • She emphasizes mutual support:

    "You have to be so all in in those kind of friendships... there’s nothing better." (10:03, 11:07)

• Teasing & Humor

  • A key ingredient:

    "I always think it’s really fun to tease your friends, to tease each other, you know?" —Fortune (11:17)

• Cyclic Nature of Friendship

  • Fortune discusses friendships fading and returning, referencing the “season, reason, lifetime” idea.

    “Friendships... sometimes it comes back around. Sometimes you kind of grow apart.” (11:48)

• Being Present

  • Both agree consistency matters:

    “You just have to show up for each other…you have to water the plant.” —Fortune (13:15) “It’s so simple to say you just have to show up, but... it's really true.” —Tig (13:51)

2. Creative Processes They’d Love to Observe (14:32–22:19)

Listener Q:
"If you could be behind the scenes of some creative endeavor as an observer, what would it be and why?" — Sabrina (Winnipeg, Canada)

Hosts’ Picks:

• Tig:

  • Drawn to cooking and gardening, referencing chef/author Timothy of “Mississippi Vegan.”

    “There’s so much to gardening. There’s so much to cooking. So I would love to watch somebody.” (16:35)

  • She also enjoys watching mastery of unexpected skills (stilts, painting, fishing), marveling at expertise.

• Fortune:

  • Would love to see behind-the-scenes work in music and theater, like “Hamilton” rehearsals or Taylor Swift prepping a setlist.

    “That would be very...a cool thing to watch in on.” (20:42)

  • Describes her special experience at The French Laundry—a world-class restaurant—where chefs tailored dishes to her comedy specials.

    “They made a Chili’s triple dipper for me based on my...their version of it based on my special.” (19:12)

• Both:

  • Admire anyone at the top of their craft and muse about the creative energy required to stay excellent.

    “Anything would be so fascinating to watch someone so good at what they do.” —Tig (21:36)

Listener’s Own Answers:

• Watching Arcade Fire jam or being behind the scenes at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. (21:45–22:09)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Affogato Enlightenment

  "It finally occurred to me after all these years that I could make my own." —Fortune (01:30)

• On Bachelor Food Habits

  "I'm sitting over there like a bachelor right now." —Fortune (04:09)

• On Friendship Maintenance

  "You have to water the plant every... you can't let it be neglected." —Fortune (13:15)

• On the Joy of Teasing

  "A little teasing is fun." —Tig (11:25)

• On Creative Curiosity

  "What is better than watching anyone be incredible at what they do?" —Tig (15:15)

• On French Laundry Elusiveness

  "I have never been able to get a reservation… I've had assistants stay on it... Can't get it." —Tig (17:47, 20:22)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Fortune’s Affogato & Ice Cream Banter: 00:34–03:41
• Frozen Foods & Pet Names: 03:57–06:17
• Listener Q1 (Lasting Friendship): 07:51–14:25
• Listener Q2 (Creative Process): 14:32–22:19
• French Laundry Story: 17:33–20:36

Final Thoughts

This episode offers comfort-food-level camaraderie and relatable wisdom on friendships. Fortune and Tig keep things witty and real, blending nostalgia, culinary adventures, and gentle, actionable advice for listeners who want to keep their bonds strong—or just perfect their air-fried snacks.

For more listener participation, questions can be submitted at speakpipe.com/handsomepod.