Handsome - Pretty Little Episode #47

Episode Date: July 11, 2025

Mae and Fortune talk about TV jingles that get stuck in your head, imagine life as inspiring journalists, and *transform* themselves on a funny and sweet 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.

This is a HeadGum Podcast. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate First. Like you know to check that summer construction doesn't affect your road trip route when you're planning that cross-country trek. It's always better to take a quick detour and avoid the traffic. Checking First is smart, so check Allstate First for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Savings vary subject to terms, conditions, and availability.

Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Northbrook, Illinois. Pretty Little Episode chatting with friends on the handsome pod. Pretty Little Episode. Hello, welcome to a pretty little episode of the handsome pod. I'm Mae Martin, I'm joined by. Fortune Famester. We're feeling handsome today.

Sonja, are you? Yeah. Yeah, me too actually. Yeah. Why not? Yeah. Why not? Yeah. I've got into kind of a toxic thing with my trainer, Elliot, who, because he cracks my back and he's like the only person that can do it.

And so I'm always like, can you crack my back? And it's, I don't think he likes doing it. I think it freaks him out. Yeah, I wouldn't, I don't think I would enjoy that either because I would be worried I was doing something hurtful to you. Yeah. Yeah.

But you like your back cracks? Oh. I really do. It's like I put my arms, my hands behind my head like this and then sort of pull my elbows forward and then they, the person has to be taller than me. So you could do it. Okay.

I know you don't. So you could. I would love this. And then they just kind of lift up and back. And yeah, I wonder if it's doing damage. I don't know. I don't go to like chiropractors or get, I don't get like the,

cause you hear these, I know a lot of people go and it's totally fine, but every now and then you hear a gnarly story of like something going awry. I know, and it's like, if there is that risk, why? I mean, I went for like the first time really pretty recently and the guy felt like a kind of stereotype of a rude doctor kind of.

Oh really? Yeah, he didn't even look at me really. He was like. Oh, come on now. He was like, nothing's wrong with you, it's just postural. And I was like, but you haven't touched me yet. Or I haven't told you what the problem is. That's weird. Are you a person that like cracks your knuckles and stuff? I do crack my knuckles.

I used to crack my neck, but I don't anymore. Does it really repulse you? It does not repulse me. I don't do it, but it does not repulse me. Okay, yeah. I'm more of a like fidgeter. not repulse me. I don't do it, but it does not repulse me. Okay, yeah. I'm more of a fidgeter.

I'm always kind of doing things with my fingers. I don't know how to... Some people call it stimming or whatever, but I don't know what that is. Did you ever get a fidget spinner when those were big? Mm-mm. I never really got into it, but in the writer's room, when we had the writer's room, I bought all kinds of weird little toys for people to keep me focused.

Yeah, my mom would be like, stop messing with your hands or fingers or whatever. I didn't even know I was doing it. Really? Yeah. When you act, do you ever overthink your hands? Sometimes you don't know what to do with them. When you act, do you ever overthink your hands? Sometimes you don't know what to do with them. Yeah, and the more you think about it,

the more you don't know what to do with your hands. Yeah. I'm always like, yeah, I'm always like kind of putting them in pockets or on the side of my hips. Like, yeah, it is a weird thing because you're suddenly very conscious of your body when you're on screen. Oh my god Yeah, someone goes just walk across the room and you're like, how do you walk again? Like yeah

And it feels so unnatural all of a sudden. When do we know about your show as far as the it's being completed Do you know anything? I don't know if I'm allowed to say like no not like the premiere date or anything But are you close to it being delivered? So close. And it's... Yeah, maybe by the time this comes out. No, I think it'll be all delivered by July 16th. Ooh!

Completely sound mixed, color graded, and then it comes out soon after that. You've been seeing sneak peeks. What are you thinking? Oh, I'm pumped. Yeah. Yeah. I'm really pumped and scared.

It's weird. It's really weird. But like, has it come together in a way that you hoped? Yeah, it has. It's different to what I imagined, of course, but it's, yeah, it's like a weird kind of parable or something. Because it's a thriller, it's like a weird kind of parable or something. Because it's a thriller, right? It's a thriller, but it's not like a procedural cop thriller.

It's like a weird little small town. All the characters are bizarre. Dark shit is happening. People are funny. And the gay stuff? Well, I'm in it, so. Yeah. It just goes about the gay stuff. yeah, it's about the gay stuff.

Yeah. There's lots of gay stuff with me and my wife and some of the teens and lots of, lots of straight stuff to straight stuff for the straight folks and gay folks and everything in between. There's toads in it for the toads for the toad community, animal stuff. Yeah. All right. I hope you like it.

I'm pumped, bud. That's. Animal stuff. Yeah. All right. I hope you like it. I'm pumped. I'm pumped, bud. That's a huge accomplishment. Thanks. I'll invite you guys, of course, to the premiere. I hope they have an LA one. I know they'll be a Toronto one, but yeah.

Awesome. And what about you? How are you feeling about, oh wait, I was gonna say about FUBAR being out in the world, but we're recording this before it's come out. Yeah, I mean, it's so fun to film something and you work so hard in long days and just to kind of finally have it come out to the world to see like why you disappeared for five months.

Yes. Is cool. And to show people another side of yourself and what you can do. Not that I'm a huge departure in what I'm doing, but just me shooting a gun is fun and weird and running from explosions is pretty cool. I did not think someone like me would get that kind of opportunity. So it makes me feel good that I can just

do something like that, that many people don't get the opportunity to do. It's the childhood dream. It's like, I will never become jaded about it, I think. It's too cool. Like, yeah, I was at a party the other day and then someone was... I mentioned the new Mission Impossible, which I didn't love, but I love Tom and I love Mission Impossible. And I was like, eh, but it's incredible still. Like the stunts are insane. And this person was like, all those movies are trash.

Like it's terrible. That's not entertainment. Like we're so dumb. And I was like, I wanted to say like, it takes so much work to make something. And those are objectively not terrible movies. Like the first three especially are incredible movies. Like, yeah, I get it if it's not your taste or your genre, but like, it has value.

Yeah. Once you spent months and months on set for like 17 hour days, it's hard to totally crap on a movie or a TV show. You can see where it went awry or whatever, but you know how much work went into it from so many people that you just have to appreciate it for what it is. Totally, totally. And the business is in such a bad spot right now. So many people aren't working that anything that gets made truly at the moment is a big

deal. Yeah. Yeah. I wonder if we'll ever, if you do another season of Food Bar, if we'll be in Toronto at the same time again. That'd be fun. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen with that show.

Sometimes Netflix is a two and done kind of thing. Sometimes it's three, we'll see. Well, let's get to some questions. Yes, please. Hi, handsome, this is Melissa. This question is being submitted in response to May's request for more hypotheticals in honor of Fortune's early career as a journalist

and to give Tig a chance to do her good deed for the day. No pressure. Hypothetical. If you were a successful career journalist at the largest circulation media outlet of all time and could therefore reach a vast audience with your human interest story of uplifting news and positivity, what story would you write? Huh. Oh, wow.

I think it could be anything, right? It could be like a personal story. Right. Huh. Oh wow. I think it could be anything, right? It could be like a personal story. Right, okay. Or a news story or a historical story or positive human interest. It sounds so like Pollyanna, but you know, something on looking at the glass half full and what that means and

and having that as your lens to the world. I would not mind some kind of piece on that. I've been thinking lately about that and how lucky I am even through some hard times that I've been dealing with, I naturally wake up seeing the glass half full. It is my factory setting as a human. That's a superpower, yeah. And I know that that is not the case for everybody that sometimes just waking up and feeling good is such a struggle for so many people.

So the fact that it is the factory setting for me, I'm so grateful for and how that influences my life and relationships and friendships. And I don't know, do something maybe on that of like, yeah, gratitude and like, and helping people get there. Because you're right, it's like easier said than done. And so like helping people tap into that, that's a good idea. Yeah. I would maybe, I just remember, I remember when I was in rehab and I was 18,

and there was a creative writing competition, and there were only like 10 of us in this rehab program, and part of it was helping to get your GED, like doing some high school classes and stuff and so I wrote like a short story and and one of the teachers was really supportive and like entered it in a competition and it was like in the finals of this competition but it was such a like beacon of light for me at that time like I couldn't believe it so I think I would maybe use my column to, you know,

get a troubled teen in a rehab center to write a short story or a poem, like use it as a little, a thing that like, especially yeah, teens. Yeah, for sure. I mean, they're the ones that need to hear those kinds of things. Yeah. Especially if they're struggling.

Like I would, you could submit and then you'd publish like something written by a teen or even someone in prison who's interested in creative writing who is like, yeah. Yeah, I love that. Should we hear the answer? Mm-hmm, from Melissa. I would write a story of all the very tiny acts of kindness I saw in a single day.

Someone offering to carry groceries for an older person, a genuine smile from a cashier at McDonald's, a driver who intentionally slowed down to let someone in, the guy in front of me at Starbucks who paid for a random stranger's coffee, and the lady who lives down my street out walking her foster dogs. It would just be an aggregate of the tiniest stories of a day, but hopefully it would make people smile to read it. Aw, I love that.

I like those acts of small acts of kindness if people did more of that, it would add up to big, big, big things. Yeah, I like that a lot. And I like the use of the word aggregate, which I've never used and I got a Google and I guess it means a combination of many things, but love that.

Very good. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like you know to check and make sure you're stocked up on the essentials when you go to that big box store. If you can buy 100 rolls of toilet paper in one trip, think of all the time you're saving. Checking First is smart, so check Allstate First for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate.

Savings vary, subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Should we hear another one? Hey, handsome pod. This is Leslie from Maine, and I'm curious, what jingle from a commercial from your childhood lives rent-free in your brain? your childhood lives rent free in your brain. Oh my God. I know this one. Cause we used to sing it all the time when I was in tennis. Let's hear it. My name is Coco and I swing from the tree.

I live in the jungle. I'm a monkey you see. Whenever I get hungry, I do as I please. But I'd rather have a bowl of Cocoa Krispies. Oh yeah. Co. Oh yeah.

Krispies. Oh yeah. I haven't sang that since college. I can't believe it's still in my brain. Oh my God. Did you ever hear that? I've never heard that. It's Cocoa Krispies.

And was that across America or just in your state? Yeah, I think it was national commercial. Oh yeah. I love when it breaks down at the end just to the, oh yeah. And was the monkey character really memorable too? It was like an animated character, I believe. Wow. Yeah.

Mine is shorter and it's, maybe like once a week I wake up saying it. It just goes, sleep country Canada, why buy a mattress anywhere else? Thomas is smiling. That's y'all's Canadian thing. Oh yeah, that hits. Yeah, that's hard. That's a banger. And also there was a show called Breaker High that

I used to rush home to watch with actually Ryan Gosling was in it. And the theme song went na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na

na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na one season of it. Oh yeah? Has it really stuck with you? Yeah. Yeah. It must've been just like one year that I watched it, but yeah. I think jingles are fun. There's one in LA that for years is always, they still use it. I think it's like keys, keys, keys, keys on Van Nuys. What?

It's a car play. Keys, keys, keys, keys on Van Nuys. Whoa, scary. I know there's so many more jingles that, uh, that I can just not think of. 11, 11, phone pizza, pizza. Hey, hey, hey. Is that another Canadian thing? Yeah.

Our Canadian listeners are pumped right now. And there was a guy called Russell Oliver who would buy your jewelry and sell it. But he had tons of TV ads and he'd go, I buy your jewelry. He had a sort of weird accent. I'm Russell Oliver. I'm the cash man. The cash man. Yeah, it was really strange.

Maybe he was Australian. Any of those, any of those catchy things I do think was good for the business. So, yeah, I need to bring back jingles is what I say. Also those were the days where you had like four TV channels. And so you're seeing these commercials all the time and you're listening to the radio on the way to school every day. Like, yeah, I think our ads on handsome,

we should be more empowered to improvise jingles for it. I think we'd sell more. You never know. Yeah. You're our music writer. No, but you're better at it. I don't write it. I'll just do what you tell me that you came up with.

Okay, I'll write some. Okay. I wonder if Allstate would be into it. Maybe. Let's hear Leslie's answer. I grew up in Massachusetts and there's a commercial jingle from a furniture store called Bernie and Phil's. And it goes, Bernie and Phil's quality, comfort and price.

That's nice. Oh, I like the rhyme. Thanks everyone. Love the pod. Love a rhyme. Love Leslie's commitment to that. I love, that's nice. That's nice.

Yeah, that's great. Amazing. Let's hear another one. Hi Mae, Fortune and Tig. My name is Sarah. I'm a big, big fan from over here in Australia or Australia, as we like to say. I once laughed so hard at the podcast while I was in the car that I reversed into a pole. Oh no.

So with that in mind, my car and myself are fine, by the way, in case you were wondering. But with that in mind, I want to know if you guys were Transformers, what vehicle would you turn into? Transformers, more than meets the eye. Is it robots in disguise? I don't know the rest of it. I don't know it either, but I know that, yeah. The Greatest Jingle though, it's not a commercial, but for TV will always be the Golden Girls. Can you sing it?

Oh, okay. See, Tig's not here. I welcome the singing. Thank you for being a friend. Travel down the road and back again. Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant. And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew, you would see the biggest gift would be from me.

And the card attached would say thank you for being a friend. Da da da da da da da. Yes, you crushed that. Do they have that in karaoke places? Because they should. They should. The whole crowd would go nuts. I have sang it at my show before. I had someone ask me, I'm doing a little Q and A

at the end of my live shows. And someone said, if you could remake a 90s sitcom, what would it be? And I said, the Golden Girls. And then I started singing the theme song and the entire 2,500 seat theater people started singing it with me. And it was one of the coolest moments that now I want to sing it at every show and maybe I will.

I think you should. You could just introduce it that way. You should be like, guys, I'm just singing this now. Yeah, guys, this is just part of it now. Get on board. Also, yeah, if you're going to have a big group of people gathered in one place and you know it's an option to all sing that, why would you not?

Yeah. Transformers. Oh yeah, Transformers, yeah. We got back on James. A car, are you a car? Well, you're not really a car person because you don't even drive. Not a car.

So you're not even into looking at them. Not really, I'm not into looking at them. I turn away. Some people like love the looks of a car. I don't know. No, I don't. I think if I would transform into one of those propeller hats and zoom away. Be a brrrr. Yeah. It's you in the hat just going brrrr. Yeah. You love a car.

I can see that for you. I like to drive a lot. It started young for me. I think I've told you guys this. I started driving in the cemetery when I was 12. Yes. And my grandmother would be, you know, working, planting flowers at the tombstone. And I just casually got in her giant Capri's classic and just started driving around. No one, she had no qualms about it was not like, Hey, don't do that.

She just was like, when I returned with the car, she was like, you're ready to go. I'm like, yeah. But you were by yourself in the car. Yeah, by myself. I always thought it was like, you know, lessons. Oh my God, god fortune totally by myself That's Insanity I'm saying it was the 90s. Yeah

These things but it was an open cemetery like you could see everything So I would know if there was another car in there and I would not drive by another car I would like I would have pulled over or something so I could see what I was working with. I guess I was tall for 12 but that being said, I loved a go-kart, anything with a wheel, a steering wheel, I loved it. So I don't know if I were to be a transformer,

maybe like, I like the big cars, like a Bronco, something real dyke-y like that. Yeah. Big dyke-y Bronco. I'm Googling Bronco. Or some kind of big SUV. Oh yeah.

Ford Bronco. One of those vintage ones would be cool where you pop the top. Yeah, that's a good answer. Should we hear Sarah's answer? Mm-hmm. Oh yeah, that's a good answer. Should we hear Sarah's answer? I think if I were a Transformer, I would be like a fun little Vespa. Not really sure why, but I just think it would be fun to zip around in Italy or anywhere really as a Vespa. Thanks guys. I like that. But also, let's not forget, you're trying to defeat Optimus Prime.

So you don't wanna be, I mean, the propeller hat and the Vespa are pretty useless. Yeah, you're gonna need my Bronco for sure. You need the Bronco, yeah. And I don't want a convertible because my curls, you know? I don't wanna mess up my curls. Right, right. Yeah, you got a cute, most pristine.

For sure. Well, that was a joy. It was, absolutely. I'm gonna have all those jingles stuck in my head now and thank you for being a friend. Yeah. You got anything coming up? I got nothing coming up. I'm just chilling this summer.

I hope everyone else is chilling as well. I'm trying to spend time off my phone. And, um, but if you do feel like sitting in front of a screen, you can always watch one of my specials or feel good or something. And I'll be back during live shows soon. What about you? Um, I'm in Edmonton in July, uh, for the great outdoors comedy festival with Mattelane. And then starting September, I'm doing a bunch of in July for the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival with Mateo Lane. And then starting September, I'm doing a bunch of stuff. San Antonio, Houston, Norfolk and Richmond and DC, Portland, Maine, all these places.

Boston. It's going to be a busy fall. You should check out a song called Portland, Maine by Donovan Woods. Really beautiful song. Portland, Maine. I don't know what it's really good. I don't remember any of the other lyrics. I'll pick it up.

Yeah. How do you like your eggs in the morning? Shouting morning in the morning. Morning. Yeah, but also keep sending your questions and your hypotheticals to speakpipe.com slash handsome pod we love hearing them and I'd like to hear some advice questions, too

Oh, we have pretty good advice So I think if you guys are in need of any sort of help with anything, let us know. Yes Situations in your life. I also when I said fuck there. I suddenly was like, oh god, why did I say that? And then I remembered I'm an adult and I can say it and right you're not getting in trouble here, bud. Yeah Little cowboy you're good. Yeah All right, I guess all there remains is for everyone to please remember at all times to keep it pretty handsome Handsome is hosted by me may Martin Tign Tig Notaro, 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. That was a hategum podcast. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate First. Like you know to check that your belt matches your outfit. For example, if you're wearing a rainbow outfit that has all the colors in it, you want to make sure you're wearing a rainbow belt so it doesn't clash. Checking First is smart, so check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds.

You're in good hands with Allstate. Savings vary subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.