OUR RATING:
There’s no shortage of comedians interviewing other comedians about being comedians on their own podcasts. Trust me, I know more of them than you could possibly imagine. And that’s exactly why “Handsome” somehow manages to rise above most of them through a combination of bone-dry comedic deliver that could dehydrate the Great Lakes.
The podcast’s premise is deceptively simple: Tig and co-hosts Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin talks to people she finds “handsome”, a term she applies to anyone possessing qualities she admires, not just conventionally attractive folks who could model for cologne ads. This loose framework allows her to bring on guests ranging from comedy royalty to that random person she met at a party one time who said something mildly amusing. The real charm, however, lies in Tig’s remarkable ability to inject a huge amount of fun, like when she spent fifteen minutes discussing the proper technique for folding fitted sheets with Sarah Paulson, turning domestic drudgery into comedic gold.
The episode featuring Conan O’Brien is a textbook example of how to do awkward pauses and deadpan delivery, with the two comedy veterans engaging in what can only be described as competitive understatement. At one point, they discussed their mutual disdain for unnecessary small talk, while ironically engaging in exactly that for nearly twenty minutes.
Another standout episode featured Jenny Slate, where what began as a conversation about childhood pets somehow morphed into an impromptu therapy session about impostor syndrome. Tig’s interviewing style, which consists mainly of saying almost nothing and letting her guests fill the silence, worked brilliantly here, as Jenny spiraled from “my hamster liked to sleep in my sock drawer” to “do any of us really deserve success?” in record time.
The David Sedaris episode also deserves special mention, if only for the moment when these two masters of dry humor attempted to outdo each other with increasingly mundane observations about airport terminals. By the end, listeners found themselves inexplicably invested in whether the Hudson News at Terminal C would restock their favorite brand of breath mints.
Perhaps the most “handsome” aspect of the podcast is Tig’s refusal to pander to podcast conventions. There are no formulaic questions, no “tell us about your new project” moments, and definitely no manufactured enthusiasm. Instead, listeners get conversations that meander like a drunk tourist in Venice, somehow always lost but still having a great time. The result is authentic, even when the topics couldn’t possibly be less consequential.
Of course, not every episode hits the mark. Some conversations drift so far into the realm of inside jokes and obscure references that listeners might wonder if they’ve accidentally stumbled into a private conversation. And occasionally, Tig’s minimalist approach to steering discussions results in moments where even the most devoted fans might check their phones to see if the audio has secretly stopped working during particularly lengthy silences.
At the end of the day, “Handsome” is worth listening to because it generates the rare feeling that nobody involved is trying too hard. In a media echochamber where every personality is cranked up to eleven, Tig confidently operates at about a three and a half, and it’s strangely and wonderfully different. “Handsome” excels not despite its low-key approach but because of it, offering a guide on how being persistently, stubbornly yourself can be more entertaining than any number of forced viral moments..
If you’re looking for high-energy interviews or deep dives into the craft of comedy, look elsewhere. But if you want to feel like you’re sitting in Tig Notaro’s living room while she casually chats with her friends and occasionally forgets she’s recording a podcast at all, “Handsome” delivers in spades.
Where to listen to Handsome
Episodes.fm | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts | Castro
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