The Daily Stream: Fortune Feimster: Good Fortune Proves There's No Sophomore Slump For This Hilarious 'Dainty Lady'
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Special: "Fortune Feimster: Good Fortune"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: Earlier this year I praised Fortune Feimster's debut comedy special "Sweet & Salty" as "your happy escape from the Hell we're living in." Considering today marks the Midterm elections in the United States, her sophomore special couldn't have arrived at a better time. While "Sweet & Salty" centered heavily on her awkward childhood as a budding lesbian in North Carolina, complete with gut-busting stories about Hooters being a family restaurant and eating too many nachos at a swim meet, her latest, "Good Fortune," sees the comedian sharing hilarious personal anecdotes about her living her best life as an adult. Her comedy career is going great! She got married! She has the cutest dang dog I've ever seen! She kind of, sort of met Jason Momoa! Feimster has plenty of good fortune to share, and fortunately, her adventures in happiness are still as funny as ever.
Why it's essential viewing
Much of "Sweet & Salty" served as an introduction to lesbian culture for the audience, as many of the stories centered on Fortune Feimster coming to terms with her own lesbianism herself. Now, as one of the most easily identifiable lesbians in the entertainment industry, "Good Fortune" starts off by dispelling the assumption that Feimster is a butch, just because of her appearance. She talks about believing that she was sure that as a lesbian, she was going to be just fine enduring the pandemic-required quarantine, but ended up getting nothing accomplished outside of watching documentaries about old people falling in love while her partner Jax did all of the home repairs.
"I am not butch, which is shocking, I know, 'cause I have these broad shoulders and my favorite color is plaid," she jokes. "But this [gestures to her appearance] is a preview for a whole different movie than what you think you're about to watch." We're not even three minutes into the set and I'm already cackling my face off. Maybe it's because as a fellow fat lesbian, I am acutely aware of how often people assume I'm a rough-and-tumble butch due to my size. I recognize that this joke won't land as personally with most viewers, but the beauty of Fortune Feimster is that her comedic delivery comes with a welcoming aura that makes even the most niche references feel relatable. There's definitely an added layer of appreciation for the lesbian community most intimately aware of how these socializations impact our day-to-day life, but anyone who has at least heard of a Home Depot will have plenty to laugh about.
Happiness loves company
This isn't to shade any other comedians, but part of the enjoyment of Fortune Feimster's stand-up comedy comes from her infectious joy. I like to think that we're finally graduating away from the "I hate my wife HAHAHAHA" style of boomer humor that dominated comedy for ... way too long, and Feimster's comedy is ushering in a new era. That isn't to say that Feimster's stories are painfully sweet, sanitized, or unrealistically optimistic, but rather, Feimster relates to the audience by reminding them that there's always a good laugh to be had no matter the circumstances. I watched "Good Fortunate" on a particularly dreadful day, but hearing her wax poetic about the pleasure of a quality (and possibly illegal) butt massage from a parlor helped wash the blues right away, at least for the duration of her special.
The heart of Feimster's special centers on her relationship with her partner, Jax, and the insecurities she feels trying to be the partner she deserves. "Before me, she dated nothing but butch women, and I'm talking BUTCH," she jokes. "I'm talking cops, truckers, and bouncers. Oh my!" There's a sweet vulnerability to her confessing how worried she was Jax would have an issue with her "Who wants a hug?" energy, because it's so clearly coming from a place of "I love this woman so much I want to barf." In the strongest part of the special, Feimster talks about the lengths she went through to prepare the perfect proposal, only for everything to go as wrong as humanly possible. We can't help but laugh at her description of the "It'll Do" hotel package because we know that melted chocolate strawberries and a room filled with chastity rose petals won't stop the love she has for her partner.
Always look on the bright side
As a public figure, Fortune Feimster is no stranger to public criticism and discusses the response to her and Jax's marriage announcement in People Magazine. Sure, plenty were overjoyed and ready to celebrate the new brides, but then there were people like some troll named "Gary" on Instagram, who sent the hate message "How long have you and your wife been mentally ill, taco-licking lesbians who should be put in Alcatraz?" I'm not going to spoil it for you, but Feimster finds a way to spin the situation into a positive even in the face of such absurdly phrased hatred. Over the course of an hour, Feimster shares plenty of stories about less-than-stellar experiences, like getting "iced" (yes, as in Smirnoff Ice) at a comedy show in Des Moines, Iowa, but is elated to share with the audience how much better it is to laugh it all off than to let the negativity consume her.
I'll be honest, the last few years have made me really, really cynical and I have to actively choose to find the bright side every day. However, thanks to "Good Fortune," remembering to let myself laugh is much easier. Sure, there aren't any stand-out bits that people will be quoting for years to come, but that's not what "Good Fortune" is trying to do. This is a stand-up special about not sweating the small stuff, appreciating the things that matter, and radically choosing happiness when everything in the world is giving you a reason to be bitter. Make sure to stay for the end credits, you'll know it when you see it.