Podcast Summary

Podcast: First Date with Lauren Compton
Episode: Lucas Zelnick: How To Get Back With Your Ex
Date: December 13, 2025
Guest: Lucas Zelnick (Comedian)
Host: Lauren Compton
Studio: YMH Studios

Overview

In this episode, comedian and viral content creator Lauren Compton invites fellow comedian Lucas Zelnick onto "First Date" for a playful, probing conversation about dating, relationships, and personal quirks. The core theme centers on figuring out if Lucas is “dateable,” how he navigates relationships—including getting back together with his ex—and uncovering both red flags and green flags in his personality. Expect a mix of candid admissions, sharp wit, vulnerable stories, and plenty of laughs as Lauren and Lucas dig into relationship histories, intimacy, personal habits, and the real, messy work of love.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Relationship History & Tattoo Symbolism

• Lucas’s Relationship Timeline

  • Currently in a two-year relationship; they previously dated for three months, broke up for eight, then reunited.
  • They got matching tattoos ("two people on a beach") very early on, broke up, and ultimately found their way back to each other.
    • “Originally it was, and then it wasn’t, and now it is again. You know what I mean?” — Lucas (01:19)

• Matching Tattoos as Gesture

  • Lucas views matching tattoos as a romantic but impulsive symbol of commitment.
    • “I think getting a matching tattoo is pretty romantic. That was like a real... I’m willing to lock this down and I will show you that by getting a tattoo on my skin.” — Lucas (42:16)

• Both agree tattoo stories are always a bit impulsive or emotionally driven.

2. Getting Back With an Ex

• Breakup and Rekindling

  • Lucas describes the dynamic of breaking up and getting back together. His girlfriend was persistent during their break, reaching out about trivial things.
    • “She texted me like, five times in the eight months... always some like... reason she didn’t really need to reach out.” — Lucas (15:20)
  • He dated others during their split: “Yes. [I dated someone else]” (14:50).

• Why Getting Back Was Hot

  • The taboo and emotional baggage ironically made reuniting sexually and emotionally intense.
    • “When I fucked my ex for the first time after our breakup, that was hot. That was hot.” — Lucas (38:48)

• Challenges of Returning

  • He reflects honestly on the rocky transition (“my anger about the last relationship started coming out towards her” (39:52)) and emphasizes needing to process feelings to successfully rekindle.

3. Relationship Red Flags & Green Flags

• Lucas’s Self-Confessed Red Flag

  • Tends toward “problem-solving mode” rather than emotional validation
    • “I probably am not... I don’t show empathy. I feel empathy, but I don’t show it.” — Lucas (17:07)
  • Admits this can be tough for partners seeking emotional comfort.

• Pet Peeves

  • Doesn’t like partners who are constantly upset or unable to give him independence (“I need some time to do me stuff” (19:00)).

• Attributes in Relationships

  • Values open communication, not keeping score, and consistent intimacy for relationship health:
    • “You definitely have to be fucking...and finding each other hot and like, telling each other that... Also, not keeping score.” — Lucas (40:25)

4. Candid Talk on Intimacy & Sex

• Views on Sex

  • Lucas is confident and flexible (“The sex we have is, like, really good. I can do it in any set of circumstances.” (19:59))
  • Music during sex feels cheesy unless incidental.
  • Has had risky sex (e.g., “bathroom at my friend’s wedding... and I was also on mushrooms” (20:26)).
  • Discusses “post-nut guilt/clarity” for men and contrasts it with women’s post-coital contentment.

• Lauren’s Own Experiences

  • She shares her “revenge sex” phase after her ex cheated, describing a rapid spree of hookups: “I had a stint... where I, like, banged out 10 guys, but those don’t count.” (32:40)
  • Opens up about being loyal in relationships and her sexual history with some famous partners.

• Double Standards & Taboo

  • Lucas muses on how male sexual promiscuity isn’t as “taboo," so it's less thrilling or emotionally complicated for men compared to women.

5. First Date Preferences, Social Dynamics, and Lifestyle

• Preferred Dates

  • Favors dive bars for their low-stakes atmosphere and to avoid projecting extravagance.
    • “I started to do dive bars. Cause I was like, I’m never gonna be at risk of making too luxury of an experience out of something that’s supposed to be casual.” (09:53)

• First Date Behavior

  • Admits he’s more agreeable and less honest on a real first date; “I’ve been honest with you this whole time, and that is not usually what I would bring to a first date” (07:47).

• Jealousy

  • Doesn’t get jealous easily, but has been cheated on.

• Living Arrangements

  • Cohabits with his girlfriend in NYC; his parents and hers (in England) have met.

6. Personal Quirks & Revelations

• Hidden Talents:

  • Lucas was a sponsored teen skier, skilled but hampered by increasing fear as he grew older (24:03).

• Education:

  • Attended Stanford and Williams, MBA before pursuing comedy; his academic background has little bearing on his comedy career.
    • “Being a comedian is kind of like running your own business a little. But like, no, nothing, like, specific I haven’t used.” (25:39)

• Comedy’s Origin Story

  • Began stand-up comedy because the adrenaline helped relieve his constipation:
    • “I started doing stand up because I was constipated and I couldn’t shit. And it was the only thing that scared me enough to shit.” — Lucas (27:09)

7. Religion, Identity, and Family Expectations

• Beliefs
  • Lucas: Not an astrology guy. “I’m not so cocky as to say I don’t [believe in God]... God’s like a convenient word for the unknowing of what’s up” (12:41).
  • Lauren: Believes in God, doesn’t go to church.
• Jewish Upbringing
  • Lucas reflects on feeling “like a Jew” more as an adult outside New York, and jokes about stereotypes.
• Girlfriend’s Conversion
  • His British girlfriend may convert for his family, though it’s more for his parents’ desires (30:22).

8. Notable Lighthearted & Candid Moments

• Both joke warmly about bodily functions before shows—Lucas with pre-set poops, Lauren with air-pees (27:19–28:41).
• Jokes about yoga pants, creeps online, and “post-nut clarity” (22:38–23:36).
• Lighthearted talk about Lauren’s tattoo (a kiss on her butt) and her time at Hooters (43:28–45:23).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Match Tattoos
  • “That was like a real... I’m willing to lock this down and I will show you that by getting a tattoo on my skin.” — Lucas (42:18)
• On Emotional Honesty
  • “I probably am not... I don’t show empathy. I feel empathy, but I don’t show it.” — Lucas (17:07)
• On the Taboo of Returning to an Ex
  • “When I fucked my ex for the first time after our breakup, that was hot. That was hot.” — Lucas (38:48)
• On Comedy and Bodily Functions
  • “I started doing stand up because I was constipated and I couldn’t shit. And it was the only thing that scared me enough to shit.” — Lucas (27:09)
• On Ending a Relationship and Starting Stand-Up
  • Lauren: “That’s when I started stand up... Total midlife crisis.” (36:32)
• On Keeping a Relationship Happy
  • “You definitely have to be fucking... and finding each other hot and like, telling each other that... Also, not keeping score.” — Lucas (40:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:41–03:30 — Lucas’s Relationship History: Tattoos, Breakup Cycle, “The One?”
• 08:00–10:00 — First Date Strategy: Agreeability, Dive Bars vs. Fine Dining
• 14:43–16:24 — On Getting Back with an Ex, Communication Patterns
• 17:06–18:10 — On Empathy as a Red Flag
• 19:00–19:52 — On Independence in Relationships
• 20:26–22:00 — Candid Talk About Sex: Risky Places, “Post-Nut Clarity”
• 27:09–28:41 — Comedy Out of Constipation: How Lucas Started Stand-Up
• 32:40–36:00 — Lauren’s Revenge Sex Era and Reflections on Cheating
• 39:52–41:01 — Working Through Old Relationship Baggage After a Reconciliation
• 40:25–41:42 — Advice for Happy Relationships: “No Keeping Score”
• 42:16–43:07 — Most Romantic Gesture: Matching Tattoos
• 44:43–45:23 — Lauren’s Early Jobs: Target, Hooters, Early Tattoo Story

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The conversation is candid, irreverent, and self-aware—both Lauren and Lucas drop their guard, sharing honest anecdotes about sex, relationships, and personal quirks with plenty of levity. The episode offers a refreshingly real glimpse into the often awkward, vulnerable side of modern dating and love, as experienced by two people who approach life—and comedy—with integrity and wit.

If you want to understand the comedic mind, the complications of rekindled romances, and the importance of not taking yourself too seriously in life or relationships, this episode hits the spot.