Handsome - Pretty Little Episode #25

Episode Date: February 7, 2025

Tig and Fortune talk stand up comedy, what makes a house party enjoyable on today's Pretty Little Episode!Handsome is hosted by Tig Notaro, Mae Martin, and Fortune FeimsterSubmit questions to speakpipe.com/handsomepodFollow 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.

Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate First. Like you know to check you've got a cozy sweater and your comfy, soft pants on when you're settling in on the couch for a movie night. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate First for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. This content is intended for audiences in the US only. Savings vary, terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. This is a HeadGum Podcast. Pretty little episode. Hi, it's Tig Notaro. I'm sitting here with my co-host. It's me, Fortune Famouser.

Yes, we are together. We are doing a pretty little episode and I have a feeling it's going to be really pretty because old dead eyes is with us. How dare you? Biggie's right here. Luckily I have my earphones on so he can't hear you insult him like that. It is not an insult. It is the cutest face. I stand by this. I was telling Tega, I posted a video of him where he was staring into the camera and he didn't blink. His tail was wagging, but he just stared and all these people started commenting. On his dead eyes. And some people were like, she's wrong. He's adorable.

And other people were like, I can see it. Listen, this is nothing about being adorable or not. You know, people claim I'm dead inside and I'm not. Yep. I take it as adorable. Yeah. You should take take it as adorable. Yeah. You should take everything as being adorable. Okay, I will.

How are you doing Fortune? What's going on? I'm doing good. Just chilling, got back on stage at Largo last night. Nice, how was that? It was good. It's nice to be working on material again. I feel like I took a proper break. I went about seven weeks with no performing whatsoever and had not done that in forever. So I think I

needed it. How long has it been since you've taken a break like that? Pandemic. Oh, really? Okay. And so your process, do you sit down and actually type out the words? Yeah, I was gonna say seems like straight A nerd of you. The overachiever part of me. Yeah, I think of a story and I kind of talk it out loud and then I'll sit down and write it out like what I think the structure might be. And then I'll put it on its feet. I'll try to memorize

that, put it on its feet and then discover punch lines as I go. Are you somebody that runs your new material by anyone before you go on stage or you just like on lockdown? I have a friend who is very funny who I'll talk to her about like some of those stories and we'll go through like she'll be like oh that or, you know, here's a good structure for that. And then I, and then I kind of go off and running with it. How about you? What's your process? What is my process? My process is I'll go about my life and then something will happen. I'll make a note on a napkin and then I'll misplace the napkin.

And then I'll note something else and I'll just put the napkin, and then I'll note something else, and I'll just put my napkins together, and then I go on stage. I don't think anything through beforehand, but I've been curious about what that might be like to actually sit down and write out material. That's fascinating to me. Yeah, I like it just cause the writer in me

needs to have the, I need to memorize something. I need to know where I'm going. But yeah, it's helpful to talk it out in the beginning cause I don't wanna waste a lot of time. And so it's helpful having that input of like, this is good, this isn't, and then here's where this could be better. And then I go off and do with it

what I make it into what it becomes. Yeah, I haven't done standup in several weeks now. And I'm curious to get back on stage here in Toronto, or, you know, in LA, wherever, and see if I can get back into the swing again, after taking a few weeks off, but, well, cool. I look forward to hearing your new stuff. It's a work in progress. Yes, yes it is, but I'm sure it'll be a smash hit once again. We'll see. Do you have a theme? I think I've talked about it on the show.

I'm kind of interested in doing like a themed one person show, but I don't know if I... Not right now, I usually come up with that a year in, eight months in, where in the beginning it's just like, here's a bunch of fun stories, and then at some point I start trying to think, what am I trying to say? Is there a through line with all of this? Yeah. Yeah and then at some point I start coming up with what can I bring this full circle? Are there callbacks? But that that stuff all

comes much later. Yeah when you're playing around on stage. Yeah this beginning part is where I'm more clinical about it. And then I'm off doing my thing. And then you're off to the circus. Should we get started on this circus and see what the handsome little they-des and them-des and hit us Mr. Thomas. Hello handsome. My name is Tess. I live in Oregon, but I'm from British Columbia, Canada. And my question to you is,

do you guys have any pre-show rituals that you do on the day of before you perform? Like anything that helps calm you down and kind of gets you in the moment? I haven't performed yet, but I'm hoping to do some open mics in January. I'm in an improv class and I get super nervous the day that we do shows

and I feel like I can't eat or do anything. So I was wondering if you guys had any tips for kind of pre-show jitters and how you calm down and get in the moment. Anyways, thank you so much for your podcast. Makes me laugh and smile weekly. I love you guys. Love a weekly smile. That's right. Love a weekly laugh. We're here to dole them out. I don't know. I mean, I feel like, I mean, I'm inching up. I think I'm at 28 years of doing stand up and I

don't feel like I have a huge amount of nerves around it anymore. And some people think that means like, oh, you don't care about what you're doing. But that's not it at all. It's just I feel comfortable. I think that for so long, I used to show up so early and people wanted me at shows early. And then I think after I had more success, I started to feel like I think I might be calling the shots here and I'm going to show up when is most comfortable for me and that is kind of my pre-show ritual is to not show up too early because I think that that's for me where more of the nerves could start if I'm sitting there thinking too much about it whereas I like to pull up, get out of the car, walk in the back door and maybe grab my drink.

And I mean, it's within like five minutes I'm on stage. And then I finish, wrap up and head on out. So not too much going on for me. And then I finish, wrap up, and head on out. Oh, yeah. So, not too much going on for me. Yeah, I don't have any kind of ritual. Tom Papa, who I do the radio show with, was joking about how I just roll into the theaters in like 15 minutes before and go to dinner before with you know sometimes by myself or with friends and yeah just don't get very nervous. Yeah. When does Tom show up? Tom I think

is more like maybe 45 minutes to an hour before. He shows up that early? Yeah, we were talking to Gaff again. He shows up two hours before. What in the hell? Yeah. What in the hell? That is so much life gone sitting in the green room. I know. I just, you know, like I said, right now in the early stages, I'm in the memorizing stage, so there's value in sitting to memorize. But when I'm in the pocket and I know what my set is, I just roll in. And it's not that, you know, yeah, it's like 15, 20 minutes before the show starts. Because they usually start like 10 minutes late and then there's an opener.

So, yeah. But if I'm filming something, I'm more nervous and we'll go like to the gym to kind of get energy going and get a coffee and that kind of stuff. But yeah. Do you always use an opener? Cause I've kind of been heading in the direction a lot recently of not using an opener.

And then I just pull up. Five minutes later, I'm on stage, no opener. And I've been doing like an hour and a half. And I was touring also with my Hello Again. Sometimes with no opener. And you like that? Yeah, I mean, to me, it's kind of the same. Yeah. I've met so many great young or up and coming comedians on the road. I have traveled and toured with my own opener, but I also sometimes find it interesting to have locals in different cities and also to not have anyone and just walk in the door, do the show, head out. Yeah.

But yeah, we're probably not very helpful, are we? I would talk to Tom Papa and Jim Gaff again, see what they're doing. I guess so, they're more on top of it. Yeah, good luck to you Tess. Yeah. Elevating my style used to mean breaking the bank. You know the feeling, you see something you like, but the price tag makes you say, no

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Indulge in affordable luxury. Go to quince.com slash handsome for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q U I N C E dot com slash handsome to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com slash handsome. What else we got? Mr. Thomas. Hey, handsomess. This is Annie from California and I'm curious what elements, like top three

elements or however many make a house party noteworthy? Like what's going to make you rave about a house party over another one? She's come to the two biggest partiers in town. I know, we are party people. I'm always into the snacks, you know? I go right to the snack table. You and me both, kid. And if there's like really good snacks, I'm like, this party's amazing.

That's like Mr. Thomas, man. That guy can throw some snacks back. There you go. Yeah. Tig, you always have good snacks at your parties. Yeah, I guess I do. Yeah, it is nice. I mean, the bougie part of me, now that I'm older,

I do enjoy, I'm not gonna lie, when someone has a bartender, it's helpful instead of like a bunch of free for all, like is there any ginger ale anywhere? You know? Yeah, yeah. But that's just me being older and I don't know. It is nice.

Boozy. Boozy about being boozy. Boozy, boozy girl right here. But yeah, some good snacks and fun people to talk to. Even if there's nothing going on, you're just chatting. If they're fun, nice people, that makes a party. I think it's also for my taste, I cannot stand loud music at a party. I've been to so many after parties. I'm sure you have too. Just parties and after parties and the music that's blaring so loud. It's like, I so much prefer to be able to talk to people.

Yeah. I guess I'm thinking in terms of having my own party, cause whoever's at my party, I probably want to talk to them, but you know But going into a loud club or somebody else's party that's really loud, I guess the music could be a nice little barrier from people. But that's usually a moment where I think I got to head out of here. This is not my scene.

But yeah, I love good snacks, good people to talk to, and turn the music down. The other thing I can't stand is restaurants that have music blaring. I hate that too. Talk about getting older. We can't even talk. I'm like, we're here, we are here to eat, but most of us are trying to have conversations with people that catch up.

And when you can't hear, and I don't have great hearing anyway. So I'm always kind of like leaning in to people. Like, if I'm like screaming over music, it's not enjoyable. It's not enjoyable for us either, Fortune, when you're always screaming over music. I'm thinking one of the more fun house parties I've been to was it was a group of lesbians. Hello. And it was for a friend's birthday.

And Craig Robinson randomly was who has asked a question on the pod. Yeah, he was the only man at the party. And he, you know, plays piano and he's pretty much can play anything. Yeah. And he just started playing piano and all these lesbians circled around them and just started having this like karaoke, like sing along. And just he kept going from song to song. It was so much fun. That is one of the best house parties, I think, in recent memory.

That's awesome. And just all around a piano. All around the piano. So I highly recommend get you someone that plays piano. Get you a Craig. And then was it all stereotypical lesbian songs or? No, it was everything. Or was it like jingle bells and different era?

No, it was all different eras, different songs. OK. Yeah. Something something for everybody. Get you a piano and get you a Craig Robinson and get you a herd of lesbians and turn that music down so we can hear the piano. That's right. Yes. All right, well, thank you, Annie.

I hope Annie's gonna have a nice fun house party soon. Oh, I think Annie will. If I know Annie, it'll be good. And we do. Yeah, and we do. All right, well, that was a splendid time. Nice to catch up with you, Fortune, and know that you're, uh, moving forward with your, um, uh, it's so funny that when you just said, you too, bud, I just

realized I had a dream last night that Max and Finn started only calling each other bud. What a weird, what a weird dream. Yeah, I don't remember my dreams very much, but every now and then I'll remember a little chunk that makes no sense. But I don't really ever remember my dreams either, which I don't know what psychologically that means about us. Well, it might mean we are reaching some level of sleep that is or isn't good. That's all I know. I know I can't decide if I want one of those rings

that tells you if you're asleep. I'm like, will that be helpful or just now I'll know I'm not sleeping as well as I should? Yeah, I wanna get one of those. I already know I'm not sleeping as well as I should. Yeah, I wanna get one of those. I already know I'm not sleeping well, so might as well get confirmation. But I did sleep eight hours last night, which was a miracle.

That's awesome. Anyway, way to end the party conversation with sleep details. And we don't like loud music. That's right. Also, don't forget to submit your questions and answers at speakpipe.com slash handsome pod. I'm always curious to hear what people ask because sometimes there's some real interesting

ones in there, which I never saw coming. So hit us with your best shot. Or if anybody wants to submit advice, we can give you some pretty terrible advice likely. Or pretty great advice, I mean. Or great, or great. Sometimes we have some real gems. Yes, that's true. And then sometimes we talk about buttholes.

That is right. That is correct. Fortune is right. Also get your merch and your tickets to our live shows at handsomepaw.com. Check my website for shows. Uh, yeah, you can, I'll be doing, uh, working on this material at the club, at the clubs, um, so if you want to see how the sausage is made or the cauliflower is grown in TIG's instance.

Thank you, Fortune. Come see one of these club shows, very intimate and fun. And you can even tell me your own opinions about my jokes. Or if you have punch lines, I'm open. She'll take them. I'll take them. And until next time, Fortune, what do we say? Keep it pretty handsome.

Handsome is hosted by me, May Martin, Tignotaro, and Fortune Feimster. The show is produced, recorded, and edited by Thomas Ouellette. Email us at handsomepod at gmail.com, and please follow us on social media at handsomepod. What a podcast! What a podcast! That was a hate gun podcast. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like, you know, to check that your lava lamp has plenty of time to warm up and start flowing

before having people over for that groovy 70s hangout you've been planning. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. This content is intended for audiences in the US only. Savings vary, terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.