Podcast Summary: "Handsome" – Pretty Little Episode #85

Released April 3, 2026 | Headgum
Hosts: Fortune Feimster, Mae Martin (Tig Notaro not present this episode)

Episode Overview

This week’s “Handsome” is a duo episode, featuring comedians Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin as they reconnect after busy periods on the road and on set. Their chat meanders through personal updates, glimpses of life on tour, Southern family vibes, and answers to listener questions—including reflections on earliest memories and the all-important “What would you eat with anyone, dead or alive?” The conversation, brimming with signature warmth and laid-back banter, includes visits from Fortune’s mom, Ginger, and moments of classic “Handsome” hilarity.

Opening Catch-up: Recliners, Tours & New Beginnings

[01:02–04:30]

• Setting: Fortune calls in from North Carolina, cozied up in a recliner at her mom’s house, painting the scene: “I feel so southern right now... recliners are more prevalent with our parents’ age.” (01:02, Fortune)
• Recent Projects: Fortune just wrapped filming a movie, is recovering from intense night shoots, and finally has downtime. She’s also furnishing her almost-bare house, celebrating a new dining table and, optimistically, hosting friends. “For six months, eating on the, at my couch at the coffee table.” (04:04, Fortune)
• Tour Life: Mae’s on an exhaustive comedy tour, waking up in new cities with disorienting mornings (“I just woke up. We drove all night...arrived in Detroit this morning, and you’re like, where am I?” 04:43, Mae). She recounts her quest for coffee, resulting in accidentally purchasing an elaborate dessert apple.

Seasonal Confusion & Apple Chats

[06:01–07:06]

• The duo joke about their love of apples, pies in any season, and California weather faking them out (“It’s been 97 degrees in L.A....California is crazy blazing.” 06:15, Fortune).
• Mae muses on language slips from travel exhaustion and eccentric show names she’s encountered on the road.

Secret Ninja Aspirations

[07:09–09:45]

• Mae confides in Fortune (and, humorously, “hundreds of thousands” of listeners) about her new dream: to become America’s next Ninja Warrior, inspired by watching the show on tour.
  • “I want to secretly train and not tell anyone except you and the Handsome listeners.” (08:01, Mae)
  • They discuss the surprising difficulty of obstacle courses—Fortune tells the story of a fit friend, former NFL player Jon Ryan, who barely passed two obstacles, underscoring Mae’s challenge. “He made it through like, two obstacles, and then was out.” (09:14, Fortune)
• There’s encouragement and a promise to update the pod if Mae actually trains at a Detroit ninja gym.

Listener Questions: Nostalgia & Family Flashbacks

1. Earliest Memory (Quinn from Toronto)

[10:50–19:09]

• Listener Story: Quinn recalls her eccentric artist father’s adventures with a metal detector, leading to the poignant question: “What is your earliest memory?”
• Mae’s Memories: Mae wonders if her earliest memory is fabricated due to photos, but deduces it’s her grandmother’s house: “My mom’s mom at her house...smelling like peanut butter cookies, cinnamon hearts and tobacco.” (13:24, Mae)
• Fortune’s Childhood: Fortune’s clearest early memory is traumatic—getting her toenail crushed as a kid (“I remember it was me and my mom at the house...I did not have shoes on...the steel trash can got moved and put down on my toe.” 14:25, Fortune). This leads to Ginger’s off-mic commentary, clarification of Fortune’s age, and a playful debrief about their respective emotional temperaments as children.
• Ping Ping: Mae reveals her family nickname—Ping Ping—“because I cried so much that my tears would just shoot out of my face like bullets.” (17:28, Mae)
• Deja Vu: After some banter, Mae posits, “Harvard scientists say the past, the present and the future are all happening at the same time...” (19:09, Mae) before reflecting on deja vu and memory’s mysteries.

2. Golden Girls & Dinner With Anyone (Chris from Connecticut)

[20:14–25:09]

• Listener Reference: Chris asks the iconic twist on a classic: “If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, what would you eat?” (a Rose Nylund line from The Golden Girls).
• Golden Girls Guilt: Fortune bemoans that Mae and Tig have never watched The Golden Girls (“hurts my heart so bad” 20:58, Fortune), while Mae admits her own beloved show is Buffy.
• Retreat Plans & Food Talk: Discussion veers into plans for a “wellness weekend” with Tig, with both expressing concern about vegan food as the only dining option.
  • “She should eat vegan food because she loves it, but I should also...I'll eat healthier food. But it might not be vegan.” (22:16, Fortune)
  • They daydream about meals that would spark joy—salmon, halibut, afternoon cheese and crackers (“Food is one of the few things I get constant joy from. I'll have a smoothie...but I’m also gonna need an afternoon cheese.” 22:47, Fortune)
• Answering the Question: If it’s a big deal meal with an important person, they’d want something special—filet mignon or fancy fish. Mae clarifies: “We want some salmon. Or halibut.” (23:59, Mae)
• Chris’s Own Answer: “I would eat some pan seared scallops over risotto or polenta and maybe some, like, grilled asparagus”—which leads to a funny regional debate: scallop or “scallop”? Fortune defers to Ginger as arbiter of correct pronunciation.

Notable Quotes & Playful Moments

• On Tour Exhaustion:
  • “I just woke up...arrived in Detroit this morning, and you’re just like, where am I? Where? What do I eat?” (04:43, Mae)
• Mae’s Ninja Dream:
  • “I want to secretly train and not tell anyone except you and the Handsome listeners.” (08:01, Mae)
• On Childhood Memories:
  • “My earliest memories of this morning, I can't remember anything before then.” (11:43, Fortune, joking)
  • “Ping Ping. I cried so much that my tears would just shoot out like ping ping ping.” (17:28, Mae)
• On Food Joy:
  • “Food is one of the few things I get constant joy from. I'll have a smoothie. I'll be healthier, but I’m also gonna need an afternoon cheese.” (22:47, Fortune)

Listener Interaction & Family Cameos

• Fortune’s mom, Ginger, makes cameo appearances—sharing memories, answering questions, and settling food pronunciation debates.
• The hosts encourage listeners to send voice memos to "speakpipe.com/handsomepod" for advice or questions.

Episode Close: Upcoming Shows & Travel Plans

[26:22–27:13]

• Fortune: Heading back on tour in the South and planning a European stand-up run (Stockholm, Oslo, Berlin, Dublin, London, and Copenhagen).
• Mae: Tour dates across Canada and fresh off the Junos.
• Both express heartfelt gratitude to listeners:
  • “We don’t take it for granted.” (27:13, Mae)

Timestamps – Key Segments

• Fortune’s Southern Recliner Vibes: 01:02–01:43
• Tour Life & Dessert Apple: 04:32–05:42
• Mae’s Ninja Warrior Goal: 07:09–09:45
• Listener Question—Earliest Memory: 10:50–19:09
• Golden Girls/Dream Dinner Food: 20:14–25:09
• Upcoming Shows & Farewell: 26:22–27:13

Overall Tone & Takeaways

True to “Handsome” form, the episode is breezy, candid, and chummy—full of gentle ribbing, oddball asides, and wholesome laughter. With Fortune’s family popping in and some real talk about fame, exhaustion, and the importance of both good food and good furniture, it’s the comedic equivalent of hanging out with clever, slightly-tired friends.

“Keep it pretty.”