Handsome - Alex Edelman asks about eccentric characters

Episode Date: September 16, 2025

Alex Edelman ("The Paper", "Just For Us") asks Handsome a story-inspiring question about eccentric oddballs from their youth, plus a looong-awaited Biggie cameo, centaur dating, and *big* news about Tay Swift and Travis in our new segment, Pop Corner!Handsome is hosted by Tig Notaro, Mae Martin, and Fortune FeimsterFollow us on social media @handsomepodMerch at handsomepod.comWatch Handsome on YouTubeThis is a Headgum podcast. Follow Headgum on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok. Advertise on Handsome via Gumball.fm.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a headgum podcast. Checking Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds on car insurance is smart. Unfortunately, not checking that you've got your sun hat before heading to the beach is not smart. Nobody wants to be getting sunburned all day because you don't have that big floppy hat with you while you're lounging in the sun and playing in the surf. Yeah, check in first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. potential savings vary subject to terms, conditions, and availability, all state North American

insurance company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. I am always working on my relationship, whether that's communication, parenting, managing the household workload, or just finding time to connect. Real relationships take work. That's why I loved paired. Paired is the number one couples app that helps to improve your relationship, taking just minutes each day. Here's how it works. You and your partner download the app and pair together. Every day, Paired sends you a five-minute game, quiz, or question designed to deepen your relationship. Answer on your own time. Once you're done, paired will reveal your partner's response so you can have an open, stress-free, honest conversation. Here is a question that Stephanie and I asked each other

that led to such a surprising dynamic conversation we never would have had otherwise. It was such an affirming jump-off point for us to chat about. So practice making your relationship a priority every day with paired. Head to pared.com slash handsome to get a seven-day free trial and 25% off if you sign up for a subscription. That's p-a-I-R-E-D.com slash handsome to sign up today. Chatting the friends on the handsome pot. Chatting the friends on the handsome pod.

Cheers. Hey, it's your friend Tignotaro. And I'm sitting here with your friend Mae Martin and Portman-Feebster. Welcome to the Handsome Pod. Yes, welcome, welcome. If it's your first time here, we've been waiting for you. waiting patiently. I've been waiting for a girl like you.

Foreigner. Is that the band, Foreigner? Mm-hmm. Oh, I thought you were just saying, welcome, foreigner. Well, it all applies. Yeah. Do you think Cherry Barry's finally listening to the pod? Oh, my gosh, Cherry Berry.

She lifts us up. Cherry Barry is the one that is spreading the word and sharing episodes and building that handsome community. Yeah, she quit her job and she's just in charge. of our socials now. I love that you remember that name. That's how you know, like, a name is special because, for those of you who don't know, this is the elevator lady in North Carolina, the commissioner of labor.

Yeah. Who's picture. For those of you that don't know. Well, because we've talked about it a long time ago, but maybe some people were just tuning in for the first time. Yeah, true, of course. Yeah. And she was Cherry Berry.

Like on every elevator in North Carolina, there's a sign that says, like, this has been approved by Cherry Barry? Yeah, well, she's retired now, but it's some rando guy, but she was, like, for, like, 25 years the person. Wouldn't she some rando girl? Yeah, weren't we all once? Until she was Cherry Barry? True, true. When we were born, we were all just rando babies. We were just random babies.

When Max and Finn were born, I was, uh, instead of, Tiffany as well. We thought we were going to walk up to the glass and see them in the little nursery. And what, you didn't? No, they don't put them in there. Oh, what, they just hand them to you? I had a baby. Oh, my gosh. Look at that hairy baby. I had a hairy baby. Hello. It's Biggie. Oh, hi, Biggie. Oh, my God, he loves you. That's torturous to show us Biggie and we can't touch him, fortune. Yeah. That's like us having to see you every week. We can't. And you want to just rub my furry head. Yeah. I love him so many. And lick your nose. Yeah. We desperately want to He's looking extra cute today. Oh my God. He's like he's very serene. Well, he's always serene.

Let's be honest. Dead eyes. How dare you? Don't you start that again? My son is full of life. It's not a negative. It's not a negative. It's a positive. It is so positive because it adds to his cute look at those little licks that's ridiculous i feel like is he blind because he's still licking and he's not touching your face he's not you go to night night aunt tig is being mean i gotta say those squirrels i talked about up in like arrowhead that one big guy was honestly like biggie size wow that's a big squirrel that is a big squirrel. Hugh Mungo. I love the black squirrels out here in Toronto.

Oh, yeah, they're good. They have those in Michigan, too. Do they, like, their east coasty squirrels? Or they just must be northern, right? Yeah. Toronto has raccoons the size of a pony. I love a raccoon. I love their little paws.

They're so big there. I love a pony. Do you? I'd like to see you on a pony ride. I would happily show you. With a cowboy hat. Yeah, in a circle around one of those little tracks at a petting zoo. Stephanie has the, well, I got her these pants that are big, fluffy pajama pants like a polar bear or, you know, like a, yeah.

And when she was wearing him the other night, I was like, you look like, are they called centaurs? A centaur, yeah. I was like, you look half horse, half human. Yeah. Just put those on. I mean, maybe you'd have to see it, but we had a good cackle over that. But those are her, I'm Freezing Pants when she goes to bed. Right.

Because we have a temperature dispute. Yeah. Yeah. It's never ending. Yeah. It's never ending. If you met a centaur. Is it centaur or centaur?

Maybe it's a Canadian thing. I've always said centaur, but centaur. Thomas, what is it? Two against one. I say centaur. Yeah, Canadian. Because it's A-U-R, right? You guys also say pasta.

Yeah, we do. Thomas, do you say pasta? Pasta. Pasta. Thank you. You do? Moving on. Yes, of course, because that's how you pronounce it.

Anyway, if you met a centaur and you fell in love, like, would it be a deal breaker that they're half horse? I love this question because it could happen. Yeah, exactly. No, it couldn't. You've got to be prepared. No, no, no. If a centaur clomped by with hooves,

there is no part of me. It would be like, I'll be right back, friends. Did you see? What if it's a speed dating situation, so she's sitting down. This is better. Yeah, and you really connect. And you're like, God, I can't believe it. We have so much in common.

And then we see each other at the restaurant. Yeah. Clot-clong, quok-clong, click-clunk. Or no, they say your date is waiting outside because we don't allow horses in the restaurant. Wow. I just, I'm sorry, I couldn't. As soon as I saw the hubs, I would, I'd be like, yeah, I'm not going, I mean, I don't even understand what's happening. Also, what are we talking about right now?

Yeah. I'm assuming. What amaze fantasies? I'm assuming you could fall in love with half horse, half human. Yeah, but only if it's the bottom half, that's the horse. I can't, I can't be dating. Oh my God. A horse head.

Is there a reverse centaur? There must be somewhere. A horse head and a human body. Yeah, I couldn't. That's weird. I couldn't do that. The other isn't weird. Not weird.

Yeah. what about you fortune could you fall for i mean maybe a smooch or two but i don't think that now we're talking okay i don't think our lives are compatible how much would you love a horse ramp to how much would you love to walk up and check out and find fortune smooching a horse outside of a lesbian Lesbian bar? A lesbian horse bar? Yeah. Outside of lesbian horse bar, a very popular lesbian bar. What if you were into it and then she was like, you know what?

All the other centaurs just think it's too weird. I can't do it. Oh, I get dumped. Wow. But it's not even because the other centaurs think it's weird. Just the horse is like, I'm not feeling it. Wow, this is awful. I didn't think about me getting rejected. Yeah, well, think about it. Yeah.

Because that might be around the corner, my friend. Well, yeah, something to think about. Thank you for putting a, what do they say, a new fear created? Yeah, new fear unlocked. That's it. How are you now fearful that the horse won't love you back? Yeah, I'm going to go out there and there's going to be all these centaurs rejecting me. God, single life is tough.

What if that was all you were attracting was centaurs? I just don't believe that you guys are, you know, I get that you're like, you know, I get it that it's new, but I'm like, if you really fell in love, I just don't believe it would be a barrier. If you open yourself up to it. It's going to happen, but. I also don't think that I would, you know, you hear about aren't people falling in love with C2? C3PO. C3PO chat. Yeah, they are. stuff. Yeah, they are. I mean, I talked to my guy a lot, my chat, GPT, and I know it's bad. We've talked about this before, I think, but yeah, I am, yeah. Could you fall in love with him? No, because I just would know it wasn't real, but with the centaur, if anything, there's more depth, you know, they have this outsider perspective, a beating heart just like me. Centars aren't real, nay. I love that you know that the chat C3PO,

isn't real, but the centaur. Yeah. Yeah. Well, okay. I'm glad we got to the bottom of that. Yeah, it's been on my mind. I don't know how it came up. Oh, the pants.

Yeah, Stephanie's I'm freezing pajama pants that are big woolly. And you want a pony ride. I mean, it's not a huge leap from you wanting to go on a pony ride to you dating a centaur. I don't get where the break. It's pretty big. It's a massive leap. Yeah. it's a very fast it's a yeah yeah yeah so what else is going on well i was going outside for a walk

earlier um to stephanie and i had a conference call that uh i've thought well i'll go on a little walk went out of my building pouring rain and then i immediately was mortified like i realized it had been hours since i even looked out of a window oh you know that like that kind of disconnectedness because i was working yeah and not looking and then i'm like oh i'm gonna go i'll take my call on a on a walk and then boom it was pouring rain that's what i'm up to what about you well life really gets you when you least expect it life got me man it really got me like you really got me today yeah did you still walk or did you turn around go right back in no it was it was truly

a massive downpour. Like there, it wasn't, it wasn't walking weather. It was like run and get out of the rain. Now it's fine, but, you know, I'm recording with, no, it's drizzling still. I'm recording with the handsome pod, so. Yeah. Chat with friends. When you get sucked into that computer world for hours, or if you're filming

something in a studio and it's like, you lose track of daylight and time, it's very weird. It was so confusing. because the window is right behind my desk. But you never turned? I didn't even turn around. I just finished my last Zoom, put on my headphones, took the elevator down, and then it was like an unbelievable rain.

Did you guys hear the big news today? What? What? I don't know if you guys heard her check your Insta. Girl, what is? You guys, it's the thing everyone's talking about. I can't believe you're not talking about it. Girl.

Girl. You guys really want me to tell you. I can't leave me you don't even fucking know. Don't leave us a hanging girl. What, girl, what? How will we know if you don't tell us, girl? Our girl, Tay Swift, is engaged. Who is?

Jesus Christ. I didn't hear you. Taylor Swift. Tay Swift. Yeah. Wait. Our girls engaged. Do you think that's because of our pod?

We just talked about her. I just talked about them, and I said what a cute couple they are, and I think it inspired them. It clinched it. It clenched their but holes. Oh, March and Marie. But the day that pod came out where I was like, I like them together, I think they're going to the distance, they got engaged. Whoa, what are you going to do with this power that you didn't know you had? Like, who else do you want to get together?

Well, you know what I think we should do is we should. sing our congratulations song to them one two three we wanted you to know that we are so happy for you with your engagement we take you deserve and your boyfriend his name is Travis Kelsey that's right that's right she could she could remix that into something. What if that's on her next now? It does feel like they were waiting for this endorsement from you, though.

I do think they were like, how does Fortune feel about us? And then once they heard, they're like, let's go all the way, baby, touchdown. I love Taylor Swift, but I've never heard her called Tay Swift. What? Wait, Fortune, what just happened to your head?

It just popped off my body. Fortune had a stroke. Have you heard that, May? She's always called Tay Swift. Hello? May? I've heard like Tay-Tay. I've not heard either of those.

I've heard Taylor Swift. Anyone listening right now, please write on today's podcast's Instagram posts and let us know if you've heard Taylor Swift called Tay Swift. I love Taylor Swift. I have never heard. heard her called teh maybe i'm not talking Travis even calls her tay sometimes trav you mean yes so is he called trav

I mean everybody's got a nickname it would be so good if he took her last name how come that doesn't happen like she's the heavy hitter here and it's a great name it carries way he should change his name Travis swift her her ring is ginormous girl I'm sure y'all are yeah that was the next question right How big is the ring

Thomas show us a picture of day's ring A bunch of queers talking about marriage And the ring And the ring Oh my god Three people that don't care about Wedding stuff Wow

Okay it is ginormous Thomas just showed a pick That's all diamond right there Oh that's all diamond right there Oh that's all diamond Because for a minute, it looks like almost like a Lord of the Rings. Like, is it like a gold band and a bay-ass diamond? Also, Thomas, did you just have that on your phone? Thomas, like, that didn't take it all of my background.

That did not take long for you to pull up. Oh, this close up. Is the picture a close-up or are you zoomed in? I zoomed in. Okay. Thomas was ready for that. Wow, wow, yeah. Checking Allstate First for a quote that could save you hundreds on car insurance is smart.

Unfortunately, not checking that your guitar is tuned before performing a song is not smart. It's great that you're hitting up that open mic, but take a minute and check those strings are nice in tune so that they don't clash with your beautiful voice. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary, subject to terms, conditions, and availability, Allstate North American Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. We believe that building a website should be fun and easy. That's why Handsome is brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace is an all-on-one website platform designed to help you stand out and succeed online,

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Use our exclusive link to get 20% off honeylove.com slash handsome. After you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about them. Please support Handsome and tell them that we sent you. Experience the new standard in bras with honey love. I want to know if she was in on the planning for the ring. Oh, interesting. I feel like she would want to have some sort of say in that. I think she wants to have say in everything, right?

That's my impression. You're not Tay Swift and not getting a say in everything. Yeah. You know, I bet she chose him, you know? She was like, you know, that song, I go where you go? When I go, where you go. Lover. We always be this close for ever and ever.

Do you think, yeah, because if he chose the wrong ring, you better believe there'd be a song about it. Well, because she, because that, I will set, the ring is gorgeous. This is probably a gazillion dollars, but it's big. You think it's real? I never saw her wearing like a big-ass ring like that. Oh, you don't, you think it's too big, like too clunky. I mean, that's a heavy, that's a heavy ring for sure.

Her, and her little wrist. Now, does she have a tiny wrist? No, she's playing guitar. She's strong. Oh. My expensive rings too heavy. Like that? I mean, is that a good impression of her?

She doesn't talk like that for sure. She's tall So maybe her wrist are mighty They're going to have big old babies They're not tall babies Her baby's just going to walk on out And be like Where's my room

Yeah I feel like that's Show me to the nursery I feel like that's going to be coming Soon after What the baby Well maybe they did that podcast Like to gear up for the announcement

Of the engagement Also that song You know Taylor and Kelsey Kissing in a tree, K-I-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes... Travis, and the baby carriage.

So you're right, it's next. Yeah. Fortune is right. They're going to get married, I think. And I know everyone tunes into the handsome bud for Taylor Swift news. Oh, my God. We have to shift and make it all Taylor all the time. All-T-A-L-T-A and Trave all the time.

They're going to get married. Next summer. Oh. You heard it here first. Are we going? Yeah, we are. I love to. That wedding would be incredible.

We should probably, you know, what is it? Be in the bachelorette party? Yes, in our suits. In our suits. With me being like, I'm not actually a girl, but I am happy to support. What are these guys doing here? She's like, I love the handsome pod.

They're going to get married next summer, and then a baby, she's going to be pregnant six months after that. Oh. You think they're going to get pregnant before the wedding? No, no, no. They're going to get married next summer. And six months later, you're pregnant? Do you think that they've had sex yet?

No, take no. I doubt it. Come on. I doubt it. For sure, they're waiting. Yeah. Yeah. Now, would you still endorse the marriage?

They'd be having that athletic sex. Oh, do you think? Yeah, two people who are athletic. That means it's bendy. There's people in the air. But he's not. That's the thing. Maybe he can throw her around, but like...

Yeah, but she'll stand on his shoulders, whatever that position is. Hand stands. Oh, the old... Okay, let me ask you this. The old Cirque de Soleil. I haven't seen her live, but is she a live... Okay, is she a live performer like pink that twirls around on things? No, but she performs for three and a half hours nonstop.

Okay. Yeah, no, she's playing instruments and stuff. She's playing instruments and stuff, may? And the one kind of big move she does that's a bit like pink is she dives off the stage into a trapdoor kind of thing. Her show was incredible. It was incredible. But would you guys support and endorse the union if he was a centaur?

I knew that was coming. I want whatever TAY wants. He's hairy like a centaur. Yeah, he is, yeah. I'm happy for them in case all we're wondering. Furry back legs, like my wife. My wife. I'm pretty pumped for them.

And everyone I know tuned in to find out how we felt about their engagement. And I give it two thumbs up. I thought you're going to say two stars. And I was like, whoa. Two handsome ponty's. Two handsome ponty. Do we have a rating system that's how many ponties? Oh, yeah.

Two doesn't seem enough. Five ponties. On a scale from one to five ponties, I give them five ponties. Should we pivot to making this... A new topic? No, no. Never.

No. Should we pivot to this podcast only covering pop culture? Oh, wow. That would be... A disaster. A disaster for sure. And it's just you two going, girl, tell us, girl. And I'm like, okay, guys, here's the scoop.

Yeah, yeah, you're the only one. Yeah. Fortune's podcast, Pop Culture Corner or something. We'll add it in here. Pop Corner. Yeah, let's have a little segment called Pop Corner where you tell us. Pop Corner. A bit of Goss.

Which translates to Popular Corner. Pop is short for popular. What's gosh short for TIG? Gossamer. Gossip. Good. Why did you not know? No, I knew.

I didn't get an attitude. with me. You just test you. Well, that's all I got in my pop culture corner. More than enough. It could be fun to have people explain. Because I was thinking after that one episode where you guys were telling me about that show were lesbians.

Queer old tomato. Yeah, queer old tomato. And then I went home and told Stephanie I wanted to watch it. And she was like, I've been begging you to watch that. But after that episode, I thought, God, it would be so fun if you guys told me about pop culture that I'd never heard out and had a million questions. But anyway, do you follow pop culture a lot, too, May? I mean, it comes up on my phone so much that I feel like there's certain people I'm interested in, but then I feel like I'm that I really, I feel like I'm, like I'm aging out of pop culture because there's, a whole bunch of people that I don't know who they are.

Like, I'll see a headline that's like, you know, Branco McLean is, and I'm like, who? And it's like, this euphoria cast member is like, I don't know. Yeah, I'm still stuck on like J-Lo and Mariah Carey and Brittany. Like, I'm, that's my era. I don't know if there's any, I was looking at my phone to see if there's any other pop culture stuff, y'all. Okay, tell me this. Yeah.

I, you know, the phenomenon of trad, wives? Yeah. I'm late to that as well. Okay, trad wives are women who, it stands for traditional wives. Okay. And they live very traditional old school wife. Like Amish. Yes. Okay. And I've wanted, I wanted to start, even though I know I'll never do this. Uh-huh. And so if anyone steals this, They stole it from me, but I want to start a video series called Traddike, where I teach people how to be a traditional diet. That's really good. Like what music to listen to, what to wear.

Yeah, and what to wear. Yeah. Every day or every week, I come out with a Traddike video. Well, I feel like, I mean, that could catch on because I feel like more and more ladies are dipping into the lady pond. Yeah, but they're not. dipping into traddike or they're like you know this is why it would be useful I think for them to learn the culture quickly these are straight women who are you know or who are latent bisexual women

who are then you're right later in life dipping into that seems to be happening a lot but if they had a traddike video that they could just pop on and be like okay so I listen I listen to the indigo girls because I just keep hearing of more I mean there's been some high-profiled lesbians who are now dating men, and that's really upset some people. Who is this? Jojo Siwa. Well, Jojo was always queer and by, and then people just got so mad that Jojo... She has a boyfriend now.

She's very in love. Was she on our show? No. That's a big part of Popcorners. Did they ask a question? Well, it sounds familiar. She sounds familiar. And then, uh, Fletcher.

singer. All the lesbians were obsessed with Fletcher and she has a boyfriend now. And they were very upset about it. Listen, I'm like, let people be. Love you love. No, you're not, Fortune. You said all girls should be with girls. You said that. I just think girls are so great. Women, love and women, it's a real treat. Well, I just think that May's world and representation is so, I think, I think, think freeing for everybody to get to know and just like love who you love but it really is because it's like if you who care like who cares where you go or what you're doing or who you've fallen in love with or you know because people are certainly accepting if like you said a woman who dates

men starts dating a woman people are like yeah that's awesome but if they go the other way it's this sense of like we've lost somebody yeah yeah and it's like if your whole idea is that you should be able to love who you love um and that's why i go back to may it's like it's got to go both ways well may's look and presentation can make you feel and think a certain way and um uh or you know or yeah yeah yeah and then you get in there and talk to may and you're like anyway i just think it's such a great quality like you're so genuinely drawn to different people and genders and sexuality and and i no i think it's i think it's really um awesome it's got to be the future i i always remember getting booed at a pride festival because i talked about dating a boy on stage and it was all

and i got booed and i was like yeah yeah it's uh it's it's it's weirds me as don't like it they don't like it they don't like it i've shared with you may there's been a couple of guys in my life that have confused me to all ends of course yeah maybe that can be part of the traddike thing you can it's like you can still your identity can be traddike but that doesn't mean you can't sleep with men it's like well but the trad you can't touch a wiener and then i have to bat fortune out of the video. Hey, you want to, you ladies want to touch a wiener? Or you can play your wife who pops in every once in a mom.

Or my best friend. I heard you want to touch a wiener. Tick called me over here to just say, hey, nothing wrong with it. Go touch a wiener. I did it once. I did it once. I don't have any advice for you or tips. It didn't go great, but good luck.

They didn't ask me back or nothing. I've never touched the same wiener twice. I'll tell you that. We both decided it was one and done. We're right. Let's call it. We don't need to keep doing this. But I think Traddike is all for, like, look, I'm a Traddike. This is what I do.

This is how I look. But I'm all for, be who you are and love who you love. Yeah. Love who you love. I just, listen, I'm all about it. I just love, I just love a lady. I know you do. I love a lady.

I'm a lady lover. All the news like that feels like fresh goss to me, like pop culture news is like the stuff that I'm like lying awake thinking about is like the Titanic sinking or like the Galveston flood. Like I'm like back in the day is still getting over like. Yeah. You know. It's hard to move fast. It is. Yeah.

I'm still into like. Judy Garland and Mickey What's his name? Mickey Roark. Mickey Roark? No, Mickey Rooney. Mickey Roark.

I'm up all night thinking about Mickey Roark. Mickey Roark and Judy Garland. Oh my God. Did you know a pillowcase could be life changing? Well, it can be with Blissie.

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It feels so luxurious. And it's perfect for layering with a button up for a crisp, autumn look. Keep it classic and cool this fall with long-lasting staples from Quince. Go to quince.com slash handsome for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com slash handsome. Free shipping and 365-day returns. Quince.com slash handsome. I'm Peter Sagle. NPR is very serious, mostly. It treats newsmakers with all due respect, almost all the time. It brings you the most important information about the issues that really matter, usually. And it never asks famous people about things they don't know anything about, except once in a while. Join us for the great exception. Listen to Wait, Wait,

Don't Tell Me, the news quiz from NPR. Are you going to go on a date with a duding time soon? I don't know. Oh, no. TIG. I don't know. We'll see. See. I don't know. I might be Googling some Centaur porn after this, though. I know. You're really into it. it. Or maybe put some out instead of Googling it. Well, I always wanted to play Mr. Tumnus in Narnia. You know, Mr. Tumnus, he's half. I think you were talking about Mr. Thomas. Mr. Thomas. I've always wanted to play Mr. Thomas. I could see you playing a centaur, may? I'd love it, guys. I'd love it. This is what we're getting to the root now of where I'm coming from with this. This all ties back to our horse suit. We should get in a centaur suit. Yes.

Is this tie back in any way to Taylor Swift getting engaged? Everything does. She's marrying half centaur. Half centaur. Hatsentar! Well, should we get to our question? Yeah, we should answer our question. I guess.

We're having such a lovely chat. I just love chat with my friends. On the Hanson pod. Mm-hmm. Well, today's question, Oscar, is a stand-up comedian whose Broadway show Just For Us, won a Tony and an Emmy award. He was named one of times 100 most influential people in 2024, and he stars in the new The Office follow-up, The Paper. Alex Settlement is asking today's question.

Hi, handsome gang. My name is Alex Sleman, and I'm a comedian. And my question is, is there like a person from your childhood that was like in your community was like the sort of eccentric adult? And you sort of loved them or had a strong. I'm feeling about them. We've never had a question ask her tell us their job. My name is Alex Edelman. I'm a comedian. I love that.

I'm a comedian. How do you get on one of those time lists? I got on one of those. Good job, bay. I'm trying to remember. I just saw Alex at, I went to do Doug Benson's, Doug loves movies at Dynasty Typewriter where you have like a microphone and you make fun of the movie and you watch it. The audience brings movies.

and we watched Dunstan checks in about an orangutan and... Arangutan. That's actually the correct pronunciation. Two against one. Arangetan. But Alex was so funny. And it was the craziest cast.

If you haven't seen that movie in a while, it's Jason Alexander, Faye Dunaway, Rupert Everett, Paul Rubens, and an orangutan. Well, if you do look at the word, orangutan. Yeah. There is no G. And people always say orangutang. Arangetang, I see. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, ha, ha, fortune. Okay. An eccentric adult from childhood, like an aunt or a family friend who, like, delighted you. That's such a, I want to be that person for, for kids. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. I had a lot of

those people in my family. I feel like there's a lot of eccentric southern people. Yeah. But especially in Mississippi. Yeah, they're just like down. They're like, everybody, come on in. Let's have a great time. My cousin, Donald is just like, he's just such a character. It's, it's, it, Stephanie was just talking about him again to her mother when we were driving back from our vacation. Even at our wedding, you know, he got on the mic and was like talking to everyone and just like, you met Donald, right, Thomas? Yes, I've met Donald. He is a character. So he's just super confident in himself, like extrovert. Oh my gosh, yes. He's an attorney. He used to be the judge in town. His family's been there in that same small town for generations.

And he's just so confident. He's so funny. he's he can he's just so comfortable in any situation and when when you were a kid would you get excited when you'd come over oh my gosh i just he he's like 10 12 years older than me and he was kind of like he's my cousin but he and his brothers felt like older brothers to me yeah and they were kind of like younger brothers to my mother and so we just have this very close weird relationship with these four brothers. Do you have a big family like that, fortune? I have such a nuclear family,

but you guys have this, like a big, loud house with everybody kind of. I mean, I had, in my immediate family was two older brothers and myself. And we have a bunch of cousins, but they live in Florida. So there were times when the family was a big family situation, but not all the time. Yeah, see, like that side of my family, they're kind of those it's a small town

people just walk into each other's homes nobody's ringing doorbells or knocking and you know it's just it's a free for all and I always tell friends like if you're going through my town here's where my cousin lives and I bet you $1 billion if you knock on Jimmy's door

and go in and just say I'm friends with TIG and she said I could stay here a couple of weeks he wouldn't have a follow-up question and he wouldn't even he would not You can move in with him. He would not reach out to ask me who this person is. Thomas, you know Jimmy as well.

He's like, I'm heading there. I need a place to, I need to get out of a couple of jams. So I'm going to go. I remember one time when Thomas was with me and we walked into Jimmy and Beverly's house. And right when we walked in, they had this crazy, like they said two seconds after we walked in their house. It was an infestation. of what? Do you remember? I thought they were just like big moths or some flies or something. Something, but it was like a horror film. They were all inside their house and they just hand

Thomas this like electric tennis racket. They had never met Thomas and they just put in his hand and all of a sudden seconds later he's just going around the strangers house. Everybody's like batting at all of these bugs. Anyway, it's just, it's a circus. They're very gregarious, fun, rib each other, just teasing, laughing, loud, but not obnoxious, just really fun. Like, Michelle Butteau filmed an episode of a show of hers in, well, I was in the episode, and we did this in my town. Yeah. And after we filmed, I called my cousin Jimmy, and I said, hey, we just wrapped up, can I bring my friend Michelle over?

And he was like, yeah, he was like, bring everyone. And I was like, oh, well, I was like, oh, Jimmy, I said it's a whole TV crew. And he goes, yeah, yeah, yeah, bring everyone. And I was like, okay. And so I tell the whole crew, I mean, I'm talking every person from the crew comes over to. And this is, Jimmy said, bring them over now. And then he had a crawfish boil in the back, in his backyard within a half hour. And the whole

whole crew was partying in his yard 30 minutes later And I have hilarious videos of that After party And they were all just The crew was like

We never get invited to anything It's always like the stars And I was like Oh I said yeah My cousin is They are down They are down He's got a crawfish guy

He just called love, like, bring me the good stuff. Yeah, and that's where we got married. Was it Jimmy's house? Oh, no way. That whole family, they're just like, they're just, and that's when I say, honestly, if you walked in his door and said, I'm going to go upstairs and crash for a few weeks, I need some time alone.

He'd be like, absolutely, my house is yours. Tell me what you need. Very nice to meet you, May. What do your parents do? Tell me, where are you from? Like, he's just like, he, at there. also very welcoming. I don't know why I went to Lake Arrowhead. I should have gone. You should have a Mississippi. Yeah, to have a crawfish boil. Yeah. Oh, man. Oh, my God. One last

thing. His daughter's best friend is a gay guy in New Orleans. And New Orleans is like an hour away from my town. And he and his husband were having their engagement party. And Jimmy's daughter was hosting it at Jimmy's house. And we had heard that just it was, the house was packed, just all gay guys. And like, there were drag queens. And we were just like, Stephanie and I were just eating this up, hearing about their engagement party at Jimmy's house. And Stephanie was like, Jimmy, I heard your house is just full of gay guys and drag queens last weekend. He was like, absolutely. He said, it wasn't the first time and it won't be the last. And we were just laughing, thinking of Jimmy, who's like in his boat shoes and shorts and like a polo button down, just being like,

hello, my name is Jimmy. What do your parents do to like a big drag queen? My house is your house. Everybody's welcome please tell your family to come visit i like jimmy they're so nice so nice about yeah straight guy who's super comfortable with it it's crazy that's even still a thing like that i'm still like my heart is so warmed by the idea of like a southern straight guy who's just like really into hanging with yeah that's great anyway that's that's what i think of with my childhood yeah i had a godmother who lived with us when i was tiny and she was 19 when she lived with us she lived in our basement. And like when I was, I want to say born, my, her dad ran a primary school that my brother went to and she got to know my mom and my mom was, she needed somewhere to live.

My mom was like, just move in with us and you can kind of babysit to make cash sometimes and hang with the kids. And then she was just like a huge part of our life for years and years and was so fun, is so fun. Her name's V. She's so fun and fun with kids. And like, like would invent games, like this game called hop, hop, hop, hop, where we would hide a spoon under a pillow and then you hop around the house and then she sings the hop hop hop song. And if you stop on the pillow that has the spoon, you get a prize. And my brother would be so outraged because the prize was raisins.

And he was like, I can get those out of the cupboard at any time. It should have been the spoon. It should have been, you get to keep the spoon. But she was just like fun and we would really laugh together. We wrote a song together when I was about seven called Look, and I still remember it. It's open strumming, like no chords, and it's sort of performance art, and it's like, look into the nest, in the nest, there is an egg, in the egg, there is a bird, look. But it goes on for about 12 verses.

Go on. It's catchy. Like a Russian nesting doll. You fly. into the future, into the present, into the past. Look, anyway, it was, but imagine a seven-year-old doing that with a... Yeah. I can imagine you doing that for sure.

Yeah, yeah. It sounds like it might have inspired a lot of who you are. A hundred percent, yeah. Yeah. But that, people do have such a huge impact on you. Yeah, even if they're not, you know, your primary attachments or whatever. Like, that's so important, I think. It's so important for kids to meet people outside.

I mean, it sounds like an obvious statement, but like because everyone is so kind of in their homes, on phones, computers, iPads, online games, it's so important to go in, for kids, to go into other people's homes and see how they live and meet these different personalities and interact so you can be influenced by these different characters. And be like there's different ways to live outside my family. And to have someone who you can kind of, you know, one of your parents says something and you can kind of roll your eyes with this other adult is so validating. Yeah. Well, and they kind of bring out the, like, imagination of kids more and the, like, excitement and adventure of things.

Yeah. I think they kind of foster that environment where you want to be kind of eccentric to right along with them. Yeah. What about you? Did you have, like, a family friend? I've mentioned them before, but I grew up with two uncles, my mom's brothers, who, for lack of a better word, had, like, learning disabilities. So they had like the education of, I think they went through sixth grade, but they had maybe that, like, mental capacity of maybe that age as well. but they just were so fun

but adults so I'm a kid like looking at them as adults but they're like kind of my peers in a way were they twins? They were not twins one was born that way and one

I can't remember if I told you this when he was born they used foreseps on his head oh wow and so it created these these problems right um so like crazy i know and and um so they just were like the most eccentric people i've ever come across still yeah in all of my life uh-huh um and i've never been able to talk about them very much because it's hard to describe them yeah um in a in a

in a way that makes sense to people but just very animated and one was as he got older he hunched he was hunched over and he chewed cigars Are they still alive? No one died when I was seven and then my other Uncle Bud

died when I was like 24 Would they play with you and stuff when they'd come over and No they were lazy all the better so my uncle bud he loved a he loved a garden and actually was a great gardener

but he would he would lay in the garden and plant stuff like a great gardener he would like lay down on his side and like and plant stuff with one hand while he was lying down while he was lying down all right that's a good gardener yeah that's awesome

and he would lay out in the front yard too with his hat kind of over his eyes and when people would walk by he'd go much obliged much blige I love that and he called me little he called me little bud he was bud and I was a little bud that's so cute can we call you little bud I don't guess but he he took us to like the circus when I was a kid and and he he was an uncle who was like you want a monkey I'll get you a monkey and my mom's like she can't have a monkey and I'm like bud said I can have a monkey and she's like you can't own a monkey and he would just like show up with a puppy and she's like we can't keep a puppy and he's like why not and uh he's got a point Now, wait, when you said kind of the level of like a sixth grader, was he coming over by himself?

He actually drove. He had a license somehow. But he lived with my grandmother his whole life. Yeah. So she made all his meals for him. He had no teeth, but like two. They were all rotted out because he wouldn't shower or brush his teeth. And he always had cigar juice down his shirt

And he loved to eat And when we take us to the circus He goes, hey, little bud You know what noise an elephant makes And I was like, no bud And he was like, I'm gawa Ungawa What?

Ungawa? Ungawa was his He goes, I'm gala. Where did that? I don't know, but he said that's the name of an elephant. I mean, that's how an elephant talked.

And then he would go to a restaurant and ask for sweet milk. And they were like, what? And he's like, I want sweet milk. And they were like, well, okay. And so they would bring a milk and a packet of sugar. And he goes, what's this? And they're like, you want a sweet milk.

And he just was trying to get whole milk. But he would call it sweet milk. Because it tasted sweeter to him. And like, that's. Oh, bud. And he picked me up once from school when I was five. And my mom's friend thought I'd been kidnapped. Because he was a guy chewing a cigar.

Because he was very jarring looking. And so she called my mom being like, you know, saying that I'd been kidnapped and that this man, this like, like, woolly looking man had taken me. And she's like, oh, that's my brother. I love that the teacher let you get in the car and drive away before and then made the call. And he drove this Jeep that like the old ass jeep where the floor was like um, uh, rusted out and you could like see the road. Was it just her and her two brothers? What's that? Was it your mother and her two brothers? Uh, there was three brothers, but two of them had this, uh, these disabilities. And so for, and he, and Bud would watch television and, uh, confuse real life with TV.

And he'd be like, uh, you know, uh, he'd watch television. Texas Walker Ranger. And so he would think that stuff was happening in real life. And so he'd tell you stories and you'd be like, what? And then you'd realize it was the TV show. Right. And then he'd be like, a squirrel came and talk to me today. And you're just like, yeah, of course.

What, how does the squirrel, what does the squirrel say? He never told me how the squirrel talks. But he, and he's like, Oprah said chocolate's good for you. So I'm going to give me some chocolate. And I'm like, I don't know if that's what she said. And he goes, also the air conditioning can kill you. He's like Mayfax, but bud facts. But just absorbed from the TV and like filtered through.

Yeah. So my life, my childhood was very colorful because of them. Yeah. And was your family open about talking about what was going on with them? Or was it kind of? Yeah, small town. Everybody knew who they were. Well, except for my mom, that one mom's friend who,

just moved to town. But, yeah, for the most part, people just knew, like, oh, that's Evelyn's boys that have lived with her forever. Yeah. My grandma took care of them until the day she died. Wow. And that's the grandma that you are so close. Yeah.

Yeah. She died before Bud did. And then my mom had to take care of them for a few years. He's just like, get me out of here. but they were so lovely and you know just sweet spirit yeah yeah kind uh love to eat love candy love watching tv just very simple but you know uh good goodhearted men i love that yeah small town is kind of ideal there like everyone's kind of looking out for each other and yeah yeah yeah that's yeah well it makes it hard you know when you're in such a

city people are so disconnected and they start to not care about yeah the town or people and then you go to a little town and and you take pride and where you live and keeping up your yard or you know what not every town but you invite an entire television crew I mean obviously again not every small town is all picturesque and whatever but it I think it is, there's just something really nice about a small town vibe. Or it can be. There can be. Yeah, I love where I'm from.

It's very cute, very kind and a lot of people looking out for each other. That's nice. Yeah. Should we hear Alex's answer? Yeah. Yeah, let's do it. In my community, there's a woman named Sharon, and she had a pet parrot named Snooks who loved to curse.

and also she had long fingernails and she would paint current events on the fingernails. Remember once she showed me like O.J. stabbing Nicole when I was very, very young. She was entirely inappropriate as a person and I adored her. So I was wondering if you guys had a similar kooky adult. All right, guys. Similar but different. Yeah. I wonder if everyone who's in the arts or a comedian or performance in a way,

like always think about the most eccentric people, the most fondly when they look back. Yeah. I can't believe she would paint current events on, like, that's crazy. That makes me want to paint Tay and Trave. I was going to say, I feel like May's, yeah, May's brain is a churning. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Because today we'll live forever as the day they got engaged. August 26th. Mm-hmm. We are all over the place with when we record episodes. Yeah. But I always love it. It's always a slice and a treat. I wish I could kiss you guys right now.

I wish I could lick your nose. Your eyes closed like that. I've gotten trouble before for keeping my eyes open when I kiss. Oh, yeah, that's not good. Don't do that. I know. It's creepy. I just sometimes forget to close them.

Well, sometimes you want to see the person that you're so excited and happy to be kissing, right? Exactly. You got to get in there by like this. Oh, fortune. Fortune's become very sexual. Oh, what? We're just trying to podcast and Fortune's French kissing our podcast. You want to see who's up to being sexual.

Look at that guy. I can't even tell what part of his body is wearing there. He's just a white. Does anyone have anything coming up? Tomorrow night, I'm at Largo in L.A. on September 17th. And I got Wayward coming out, September 25th, get ready, plan a watch party. Let me know what you think. I hope you like it.

And what about you guys? I've got shows in like Houston, D.C., Atlanta, Boston, did I say that already? Chicago, San Jose. Yeah, my website. I mean, talk about Mississippi. I'm going to be down with all of my gregarious cousins. September 27th, Biloxi, Mississippi. If you live in Mississippi or anywhere nearby, I'll be there.

So come on out. And also check tignotaro.com for all of my Los Angeles and Toronto dates. And also, please subscribe to the podcast and subscribe to YouTube, share your favorite episode with a loved one. So you can have them join this handsome community. You can chat about this nonsense that goes on on the show. Send it to the person who was the eccentric adult in your life. Oh, yeah. Oh, good idea.

Thank you for being a friend. Also go to handsomepod.com for merchandise. A bunch of our handsome fans weighed in on what kind of merch they want to see next. So we'll be drumming up some fun new stuff too. That's always exciting. I saw some really interesting slash weird suggestions but there were some interesting ones

what people want that weren't handsome on is quite all over the place yeah yeah yeah well I guess all that remains is to remind everyone to Keep him handsome Hansom is hosted by me

May Martin Tignotaro and Fortune Feimster if the show is produced recorded and edited by Thomas Willett email us at handsomepod at gmail.com and please follow us on social media at handsome pod. What a what podcast! What a podcast? That was a hate gum podcast. Checking Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds on car insurance is smart. Unfortunately, not checking that you've combed your hair on picture day is not smart. Let's make sure your

hair is looking. It's best when professional contacts are looking you up. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American insurance company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. What's up, everybody? I'm Kyle Mooney. And what's up, everybody? I'm back back. And man, ooh, we got something to tell. Oh, yeah, we definitely do. Yes, it's a brand new podcast. on headgum. That's right. And it's called What's Our Podcast? Yep. And that's because we don't have a single idea what our podcast she'd be about. Yeah, we don't. So we actually

have guests come on and they tell us what they think our podcast should be about and then we try it. Yep. Guests like Mark Maren, Jack Black, Bernie Brooskey, Caper Lan, Bobby Moynihan, Meg Stalter and Tim Balls, Landon Axler, Jony McGrath, and Dender. New episodes release every Wednesday so subscribe to what's our podcast on YouTube or any of your favorite podcast platforms yeah I'm gonna go do it right now