Handsome – Pretty Little Episode #87
Host: Headgum
Date: April 17, 2026
Comedians: Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, Mae Martin
Episode Overview
In this lively installment of "Handsome," comedians Tig Notaro and Mae Martin (with quick cameos from Fortune Feimster) field heartfelt and quirky listener questions about things they’re working to unlearn and childhood comfort items. The conversation is sprinkled with vintage Mae travel stories and plenty of fun, candid banter about parenting, creativity, family quirks, and the legacy (or landfill fate) of treasured objects.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Where in the World is Mae?
Mae shares misadventures with American place names, tour stories, and a magical encounter in Boston.
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Poughkeepsie Mispronunciations:
- Mae admits to saying “Puff Kipsy” (01:04) and reveals her struggles with other city names like “Concord.”
- Quote (Mae, 01:12): “I called, like, Puff Kipsy until this morning, and someone corrected me.”
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Tour Highlights and Lowlights:
- Mae’s tour is a hit everywhere except Vegas, joking she’s the “king of kink” and voice for unexpected subcultures thanks to the podcast (01:48–02:22).
- Quote (Mae, 02:22): “It’s like Tarot readers, the BDSM community…Sometimes I just have a normal day, too, you know?”
- Tig jokes about the Vegas market: “I’m surprised about Vegas, considering there's a lot of people with kinks in Vegas.” (02:07)
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Enchanting Boston Encounter:
- Mae shares a magical run-in at an antique store with a 102-year-old woman, Patricia Bartivian, who regales her with tales from Hollywood’s golden era and spiritual insights (03:10–06:27).
- Quote (Patricia to Mae via Mae, 04:47): “The world is a spider web of energy, and you can control it.”
- Patricia’s story of Ernest Hemingway checking her breasts for authenticity is relayed with gusto; the punchline is they were indeed fake (06:00–06:25).
- Mae loves how alive and sharp Patricia is, aspiring to her vibrancy, and Tig jokes that the next customer probably hears the exact same legend (06:38–06:53).
2. Reflections on Life, Work & Rest
Mae and Tig discuss unlearning deeply rooted cultural scripts about productivity and parenting.
3. “Unlearning”—Listener Emma’s Question
An earnest and thoughtful question about what the hosts have had to unlearn leads to real reflection and a lighthearted finish.
- Emma from St. Louis asks:
- “What’s something you have had to—or are working to—unlearn?” (09:12)
- Emma’s own “tiny” unlearning: pronouncing “both” as “bolth.”
- Quote (Emma, 18:25): “Somehow I said the word B O T H with an L growing up, like, ‘Oh, I love bolth of those.’”
- She notes “the classics” of bigger work: “patriarchy, racism…” (18:25)
- Hosts joke that “bolth” will now stick (18:57–19:05).
4. Comfort Items—Listener Kate’s Question
The conversation shifts to nostalgia, old stuffed friends, and the odd fate of childhood relics.
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Kate’s question:
- “Did you have a comfort item as a child? If so, did it have a name or did you do anything interesting with it?” (19:22)
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Tig’s Monkey:
- She treasured a stuffed monkey named Zip, which her own kids now ignore (19:45–21:01).
- Quote (Tig, 19:45): “I had a monkey named Zip and I handed it down to Max and Finn, who cared nothing about Zip.”
- “This just happened…all returned to me, like, ‘We’ve grown out of this,’ and…there’s no one to give it to now…” (23:48)
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Mae’s Menagerie:
- Mae had “so many stuffed animals,” her favorite being Owl, animated by her “strange puppet maker” dad (21:05–21:27).
- Mae describes her dad’s puppet bed setup, his fantasy world, and her parents’ amicable separate bedrooms (21:46–22:23).
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Kate’s Pillow:
- Kate had a pillow named Stinky, doing things like “smell it around the clock” and “strum it like a guitar” (22:48).
5. Memorable Quotes & Moments
- Patricia’s Wisdom (Mae, 04:47):
- “The world is a spider web of energy, and you can control it.”
- Tig on Parenting:
- “It’s not the child's responsibility to teach the parent who they are. It’s the parent’s responsibility to learn who their child is.” (12:16)
- Emma’s Unlearning (18:25):
- “Somehow I said the word B O T H with an L growing up, like, ‘Oh, I love bolth of those.’”
- Mae’s Dad’s Puppet World (21:46):
- “He has a rich fantasy life and imagination. I don’t know what he gets up to because his bedroom is also his puppet studio…”
- Tig’s Nostalgia and Donation Plans (23:48):
- “I’ll start an ebay store, and I’ll sign my childhood soccer jersey and retire on that.”
6. Notable Timestamps
- 01:03: Mae’s tour and Poughkeepsie revelation
- 03:10–06:27: Boston magical antique store encounter
- 09:12: Listener Emma’s question: unlearning
- 15:02: Mae asks about teaching empathy
- 19:22: Listener Kate’s question: comfort items
- 21:46: Mae describes her dad’s puppet setup
- 22:48: Kate’s response about Stinky the pillow
Tone & Style
- Conversational, playful, honest, and warm.
- Candid personal storytelling balanced with quips and loving teases.
- Community-building connection via listener questions and childhood nostalgia.
Next Episode Promos
- Mae is performing two shows in Vegas and (jokingly) begs listeners to show up: “I’m desperate for you to be there.” (24:54)
Useful Links
Summary Takeaway
A wholesome and hilarious exploration of nostalgia, growth, letting go, and the stuff (literal and metaphorical) we carry through life, with the “Handsome” crew inviting listeners to let go and laugh with them.
