Are You Rich?! ft. Lukas Zelnick - CHIT CHAT WEDNESDAY

Summary

The JTrain Podcast

Episode: Are You Rich?! ft. Lukas Zelnick — CHIT CHAT WEDNESDAY
Host: Jared Freid
Guest: Lukas Zelnick
Date: December 24, 2025

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Overview

This "Chit Chat Wednesday" episode features comedian and crowd work specialist Lukas Zelnick in a lively, self-aware discussion about class, privilege, and comedy. Jared and Lukas riff on Lukas’s “rich kid” persona, examine the challenges of honest self-presentation on stage, and debate the unique risks and advantages of coming from privilege in stand-up. Things get especially playful during a lightning round game, “How Rich Are You?” that humorously tests Lukas’s elite bona fides.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Podcast Dynamic and Guest Introduction

• Jared jokes about the guest-friend-expert Venn diagram and their limited personal history:
  “Today I have two of the three. Comedian expert in the art of crowd work, and we've only met in passing, so to call him a friend would be absolutely insane at this point.” (00:24)
• The pair immediately click, showing the chemistry of two self-aware New Yorkers from slightly different comedic life stages.

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2. New Living Spaces and Relationships

• Lukas discusses moving into a Soho loft with his girlfriend.
  Notable Quotes:
  • Lukas: “This was once a... factory machine room… It’s industrial in nature.” (03:30)
  • Jared: “Is that part of the pitch? ‘All the people that worked here loved it, haunted souls in the building.’” (04:08)
• The “living together in NYC” trope vs. the rest of the country:
  • Jared: “Moving in, in the Midwest is like, we are totally engaged, it is OVER... New York City move in is: leases up, we were living together anyways.” (05:15)
• Differences in relationship seriousness between NYC and the rest of the U.S.

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3. Upbringing & Class in Comedy

• Lukas owns his identity as a “fancy Jew” who grew up in NYC, contrasting themselves with the suburban Jewish stereotype.
• Private school anecdotes:
  • Lukas: “If you got a good enough part in the play, you would get a girlfriend… I was [in] ‘Into the Woods’... tangential but sexual, and that was good.” (06:35–07:09)

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4. The “Rich Kid” Persona: Benefits & Pitfalls

• Jared shares how he first heard of Lukas—noting a date described Lukas as “a rich kid from the Upper West Side who doesn't seem to care that he’s rich and kind of owns it.” (08:38–09:05)

• Lukas agrees, acknowledging it has become part of his brand and that he just leans into it.

• The challenge of broaching privilege on stage:

  • Jared: “Being rich is a hard thing to admit to... there’s always someone richer. So to go on stage and say, ‘I have money’–that’s a little embarrassing.” (09:12)
  • (Transition to Rocket Money ad, then back to content.)

• Dealing with Judgment in Comedy:

  • Lukas: “People hate that someone has money… especially not in comedy or at a place like the Cellar.” (12:29)

• Both discuss how their backgrounds made comedy a countercultural move, even with a safety net.

  • Lukas attended Williams College and Stanford for grad school. (13:23)

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5. Privilege, Insecurity, and Owning the Narrative

• Lukas’s insecurity about being perceived as untalented and bankrolled:
  • “My biggest fear was that I was going to look like some kid whose dad was paying his bills... So my approach is, if there’s a thing I’m insecure about, I might as well just name it and get ahead of it…” (15:12)
• Jared ties this into a broader trend in comedy toward specificity and honesty:
  • “There’s a hole in the market for it... If everyone talks about trauma, it’s not that interesting.” (16:27)

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6. Specificity, Comedy Trends, and Social Class in Art

• Discussion of authenticity in modern comedy:
  • Lukas: “I think I feel very lucky... art has gotten a little more honest and specific in the last, like, 20 years... Instead of, like, trying to be 50% relatable to everybody.” (17:49)
• Jared’s observations of the shift from “relatable to all” to “specifically relatable” comedy.

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7. Crowd Work & Social Media

• Jared asks if crowd work clips are a way of publicly working through material while avoiding oversharing before ready.
• Lukas confirms:
  • “When I started, kind of, the crowd work stuff started happening, I was really bad at stand up... I just felt very comfortable doing [crowd work] immediately.” (20:13)
  • He uses crowd work as “juice” for social media while privately refining his long-form act.

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8. Comedy Career Strategies & Goals

• Both discuss the timing, strategy, and pressure behind releasing a comedy special:
  • Lukas: “I am sort of, like, waiting for [my act] to plateau a little bit so that I don’t go out, try and sell a thing… and by the time it comes out, I’m like, this isn’t that good.” (24:11)
  • Jared: “When an act feels you, that’s when you love doing it…” (24:35)
• Importance of career milestones for both professional pride and familial recognition:
  • Jared: “The Netflix thing was, like, my friends thinking I was a real thing…” (26:27)
  • Lukas: “It’s gotta feel amazing telling some parent at a cocktail party… ‘Yeah, I have a Netflix special. What’d your son do? Fentanyl.’” (27:17)

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9. Game: “How Rich Are You?” (28:14–32:34)

• Rapid-fire questions determine just how “rich” Lukas is:
  • Have you eaten at Arby’s? “No.”
  • Do you own a tux? “Yes.”
  • Ever carried chairs to the beach? “No, dude.”
  • Allowance in college? “Yeah… it just went to booze at Stanford.”
  • Family employees: Had both a live-in nanny and a cleaning woman.
  • Brother’s occupation? “He’s the CEO of a late-stage startup. He’s also a custom watchmaker.”
  • Jared, laughing: “You might be a billionaire, dude. This is crazy.” (29:58)
• Memorable moment:
  Jared: “Your reputation precedes you. It’s absolutely true. You’re rich.” (33:20)

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Notable Quotes

• Jared (on NYC moving in together):
  “New York City move in is like, leases up, we were living together anyways, and it’s like we’re together. I’m not trying to, like, lessen the relationship, but it isn’t as big a deal.” (05:17)

• Lukas (on honesty in comedy):
  “If there’s a thing I’m insecure about, I might as well just name it and get ahead of it, right? So that I can feel like I’m being honest up there.” (15:20)

• Jared (on privilege in comedy):
  “There’s a hole in the market for it... If everyone talks about trauma, it’s not that interesting.” (16:27)

• Lukas (on modern comedy/audience segmentation):
  “Art has gotten a little more honest and specific in the last 20 years... I’ll find a little audience of people that really understand that experience and relate to it extra. Instead of trying to be 50% relatable to everybody.” (17:49)

• Game highlight:
  Jared: “Have you ever carried chairs to the beach?”
  Lukas: “No, dude.”
  Jared: “You might be fucking a billionaire, dude. This is crazy.” (29:56)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00–01:18] — Chit Chat Wednesday intro & rapport building
• [03:30–04:36] — Living in a Soho loft & NYC luxury apartment tropes
• [05:15–05:51] — NYC relationship milestones vs. the Midwest
• [08:38–09:05] — The “rich kid” reputation and how Lukas owns it
• [15:12–16:27] — Embracing and naming insecurity as an onstage asset
• [17:49–18:37] — Trends: specific, honest, niche comedy
• [20:09–21:52] — Why crowd work & digital content strategy
• [24:11–26:27] — Timing the release of your special; the prestige of Netflix; milestones
• [28:14–32:34] — GAME: “How Rich Are You?”
• [32:23–32:37] — Older brother’s career: CEO and watchmaker
• [33:20] — Affirmation of Lukas’s “rich kid” legacy

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Episode Tone

Warm, candid, and loaded with dry wit. Both comedians are self-deprecating, quick to play off Jewish, NYC, and privileged-kid tropes without defensiveness. The episode balances sincerity about class and achievement with a mutual appreciation for the absurdities and anxieties of privilege—never letting things get too heavy.

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Useful for Listeners Who…

• Are curious about comedy’s insider culture and career paths.
• Wonder how comics with privilege “own it” onstage.
• Like honest conversations about social class, without self-seriousness.
• Enjoy fast, funny banter about NYC, dating, and family dynamics.
• Want to know why “rich kid” comics might be the next unexplored frontier in stand-up.

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Follow Lukas Zelnick: lucaszelnick.com, @lucaszelnick
Host: @jaredfreid

Transcript

[A]

Chit Chat Wednesday for you to listen to. I have a guess who will be your new boo. You're gonna love them, too. Chit Chat Wednesday. I hope you're having a good day today. I hope it's gonna be a perfect week, too. I hope you have a nice poo. It's a ch Chat Wednesday too. Hello and welcome to the J Train podcast. This is J Train Jared Freed coming live from Delray Beach, Florida. That's right, every Wednesday is a Chit Chat Wednesday where I sit with a comedian, a friend, an expert. Today I have two of the three. Comedian expert in the art of crowd work, and we've only met in passing, so to call him a friend would be absolutely insane at this point. But I'm very excited to have him on. Lucas, Zelda, thank you for coming on the show.

[B]

Thank you for having me. I was wondering which two of the three you were going to say, because I was like, we're not exactly friends, but it's a pleasure to be here.

[A]

Yeah, man.

[B]

We're not friends.

[A]

What's that?

[B]

I said we're not not friends. We're not. We have nothing against each other.

[A]

We're not not friends. That is the. That's the key here. That's how you get on a podcast. You go on. You know, I guess the best podcast would be Best Friends. And Hated Rivals is a more entertaining podcast from the get go because you know each other so well that you can, like, finish each other's sentences. But then also we're waiting for this big battle of two people who hate each other.

[B]

But this is.

[A]

This is a good start. Maybe we go one way or the other.

[B]

You never know. Yeah. Yeah. I guess no one's, like, dying to hear a conversation between two guys who are indifferent towards each other. But, like, it's. We don't have to feel indifferent.

[A]

Right? We could. We can. Well, you can have a p. I have opinions. I'm sure you do too.

[B]

Hold on.

[A]

Before we start, do you have headphones? I'm. You're coming in late with me, and it might be because of the feedback. I'm getting some feedback. Where are you? A bus station?

[B]

Dude, this is my house. It's nice, I promise.

[A]

Where I. You cut out. The beginning of your sentence is cut out every single time. And I think it's because of the. The feedback. But see if you can make your. Your speaker, the AirPods, your mic, the computer.

[B]

Okay. Mike is the computer. Speaker is the AirPods. How does it sound? All right.

[A]

You sound good. Give me a One.

[B]

You sound great to me.

[A]

Thank you. Give me a 1, 2, 3.

[B]

1, 2, 3. That's better.

[A]

You're coming in quicker instead of the. The feedback. In the beginning, it was like, no noise, and then I'd see your lips move, and then. Oh, all right, you're good now. All right, ready?

[B]

Still happening. Okay.

[A]

You sound. Where are you coming from?

[B]

I'm in my apartment.

[A]

This is your apartment?

[B]

But it's a new place. I just moved in.

[A]

It feels very new. It feels airy, like. It feels like there's an industrial fan in the background. That is.

[B]

It's. It's industrial in nature.

[A]

Where did you move?

[B]

Soho.

[A]

I was gonna say that's a Soho wall behind you. I could feel soho.

[B]

It's a Soho. It's a soho loft. This was once a. This was once a. A machine. A factory machine room.

[A]

Is that part of the pitch? When they bring you around, they're like. They do. They say that to you as you're walking around?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

They.

[B]

They. They lay it on you. Pretty. They're like, oh, this was it. And it's never like a factory for something bad either. They always tell you it's like a sugar factory. Right, right, right.

[A]

Made candy for kids that were never displaced by the war. And that's it. Never the enemy.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. All the people that worked here loved it.

[A]

Right? Everyone loved it.

[B]

Haunted souls in the building.

[A]

Yeah. The hours were great. They got really good. Vacation PTO. Yeah.

[B]

This was the first factory in the 1920s to offer PTO to all employees.

[A]

It's crazy. They were just so good to them. And then, you know, free health care. They. They said, you get. We're gonna give you idental. And the health care. The whole thing. They give them the good health care.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, no. Nothing bad ever happened in this place that's now my house.

[A]

Roommate, Girlfriend. What's the deal?

[B]

Girlfriend.

[A]

Living together.

[B]

Living together.

[A]

You sound ecstatic about this. What?

[B]

You know what? We've. We moved in together in the last place, and then I've been on the road for a while, and this place was like an upgrade, and. And we just moved in, and I'm a bit neurotic about the place, and she's a bit messy.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

But it's not a reflection of our relationship, but she's a bit. She. She can be a little tough to live with.

[A]

Okay. So this is. I mean, would you call this a New York City relationship? Move in more than, like. Like, moving in the. In the Midwest is like. We are Totally engaged. It is over. Bring in the homemade snacks with crescent rolls. New York City move in is like, leases up, leases up. We were living together anyways, and it's like we're together. I'm not trying to, like, lessen the relationship, but it isn't as big a deal.

[B]

No, no, this is a. This is a. We love each other.

[A]

How old?

[B]

There are no financial motivations here. I just turned 30.

[A]

Just turned 30. How old is she?

[B]

She's 28.

[A]

So this is appropriate.

[B]

She's inappropriately young.

[A]

Yeah, she's 21. Just graduated NYU. We are in love. Like, you know, I'm trying to get a feel for you. I knew we would get along. I think this is going well so far. Jewish, New York City kid. Different than Jewish suburb. Suburban kid.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm. I'm, you know, I'm a fancy Jew.

[A]

Yeah, well, you grew up quicker. You. You probably had a girlfriend when you were nine, walking into Starbucks, reading the Wall Street Journal.

[B]

Our big thing was we. I went to an all boys middle school, and then we had this school play with the all girls school. And then if you were. If you got a good enough part in the play, you would get a girlfriend. Wow.

[A]

So what was your part?

[B]

I got like the. I got a decent enough part that I got a girlfriend. I was the. It was. It was into the woods, and I was like the. I wasn't like the main guy. Yeah, but I was like the. The Prince or something. I was something that was like, tangential but sexual, and that was good.

[A]

Into the woods feels like a private school play. Like most private, you know, public schools, you do Snow White, you know, private school, you do into the Woods. Like, you do the sexy version.

[B]

You do look. Yeah. Like an ironic take on all of.

[A]

The wicked at the private school. You know, Yellow Brick Road at my high school. And we're all singing the, you know, the. The Munchkin Guild. I'm in. I'm one of the munchkins.

[B]

Yeah. Some, like, needle dick playwright was like an alumnus of our private school, so we had to do his plays.

[A]

So you have this. So the crowd work stuff you're doing. I mean, but, like, I. The way I knew you was. He's in the Cellar. I've seen him do sets. He does really well. Very funny. Like, it was all good stuff. And then I get a. I was dating someone and they go, have you heard of this kid, Lucas Zelnick? And I go, I've seen him at the Cellar. He seems very funny. Seems like a Nice guy, like all like normal. I, you know, we live in the key of me and I'm the star of my movie. Yeah, I see that side character every now and again. And they go, this is their description of you, which I know can be horrifying to hear, but I don't think.

[B]

Is this a girlfriend or a date?

[A]

This was. We'd been on a few dates and, and we were talking, so I would say somewhere. It was on the, on the, on the edge of girlfriend land. Okay, so we're talking about comedy. She says, this is her description of you, which I know will be horrifying to hear, but I think you'll understand it. She goes, have you heard of Lucas Zelda? He's this rich kid from the Upper west side who doesn't care, doesn't seem to care that he's rich and kind of owns it.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that would be, that would be accurate.

[A]

And then I go to your page to like check you out and you're pinned. Thing is a promo for your tour where literally these two they thems are looking at you going, so you're the rich kid who's owning it. And so this has become a brand. How do you. A tough needle to thread. Or has it not been tough? You don't seem like you've had an issue with. I mean, have you run it? You start comedy. I know I start comedy. Listen, being rich is a hard thing to admit to because to you, I'm sure. And this is the same for good looking and rich. There's always someone better looking. There's always someone richer. So to go on stage and say, I have money, you kind of have to. I would assume that's a little embarrassing because like, maybe your dad hears that and he's like, you think we have money? Go fuck yourself. You know, there's someone with more money like we, you know, we. Or you guys are that rich or you've rich or you are wealthy enough to get out of the. The. Because I grew up very. Okay, but even to say that if I heard my. My dad's ears would burn. I know that he would go. And that's not something I would like, you know, even go into, you know. So like you're either so rich that it is a big joke to you and everyone else, like, oh yeah, that's Lucas the rich guy. Or you're. You really have a good way of staying out of feeling, you know, self conscious about. Can be easy to lose track of your finances, keep an eye on your spending patterns with Rocket Money. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Rocket Money tracks your online subscriptions. The user friendly dashboard gives you the ability to cancel with a few taps and saving you time avoiding unexpected charges. I'm going to tell you right now, I love that Rocket Money is a part of this podcast because it helps you. It can help you with something you didn't even know you need help with. And I know finances are one of those things that we just don't even bring up because it's embarrassing how little we know about our own. We want to feel like we have a handle on things and then someone talks about how they handle their money and we go, oh yeah, yeah, I'm doing the same thing. And it gets a little, it just becomes this like self conscious thing. I think Rocket Money is a really easy step to make sure that you know what's going on because right now you're going, I think I, I think I know everything I'm subscribed to. Wouldn't you like to know if it's. If you, if, if you use Rocket Money and you find out everything's good, that's peace of mind. If you use Rocket Money and you find out, wow, I'm not using all these subscriptions now. You've made money, so I think it can help you. And I just love a sponsor that helps listeners and helps this show all at the same time. So don't just keep wishing you had more money, do something about it. This is the equivalent, this could be the equivalent of finding $20 in your jacket pocket. Let Rocket on a monthly basis too. Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. [e-mail] J train that's RocketMoney.com Jtrain Rocket Money.com J train.

[B]

No, I think the part I think about is just that people hate that someone has money. Don't you think? Like, sure, that's not like a likable quality. No one's like, oh, I want like a friend who's especially not in comedy or at a place like the seller. I think like the assumption is if a kid talk is rich and talks about it, he's somehow there, not on his own merit or something like that.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I've never thought about it in terms of like, I mean they're definitely richer people than us, but I've never, I guess we probably are rich enough that. What's that?

[A]

You cut out a little bit I.

[B]

Guess we are probably rich enough that it doesn't feel like there's that many people that are richer than us. There are, but, like, there's. There's not like that many.

[A]

Right. And I guess in comedy, you're not going to. You know, mostly people who come from a private school come from, you know, go to, you know, you know, go to a nice university. They. Where'd you go to school?

[B]

I went to. I went to undergrad and graduate school, but I went to Williams College and then Stanford.

[A]

Right. So people who go to those schools would go, why would you do that to yourself? You know, there's an easier path. You can go get a job at wherever, whatever, and, you know, make money right out of the bat and know the right people, like, they would say, why would you do comedy? So, like, in comedy, to find someone who is Stanford Williams college person, like, it would be, like, weird. And usually they work at SNL and they're a writer because those are kind of rich kid comedy jobs. Not stand up.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I. I honestly. Well, didn't you feel the. I mean, you feel like you come from a background where, like, stand up would have been a big risk? Stand up could be a big risk. It's like, if you have no safety net, it's a massive risk. But also if you have a safety net, it's kind of a massive risk because I had a job that paid well. So to go do standup, it was like, I could have just lived a nice life as is.

[A]

So both.

[B]

Both feel like a risk.

[A]

And if you try standup and you go, I don't want to do it anymore. You kind of have to start over when all your friends are very comfortable and you really have no community at that point, you don't have the standup community. I mean, these are things. These are problems no one would cry for. But that's not really what we're asking for. We're just saying that it's difficult from all ends, like, you know, to go into such a profession.

[B]

I also think I. My insecurity was, like, I come from New York City. All these kids are spoiled kids. Their parents are all rich. Like, it wasn't just me. Where I come from, everyone was. It wasn't that we were rich. It was that everyone else was poor. But the. The stereotype was, like, all these, like, douchebag rich kids, it's all their parents. They were important people. They never wanted to work, to be important. So they all, like, named themselves fancy things. It's like the Stereotype of like the rich kid movie producer. So it's like kids are movie producers or they like run a business, but it's not really a business, right? All this other shit. So when I was starting stand up, I knew I was bad just because I knew, I knew what I thought funny was and I knew I wasn't that, like, I would watch myself back and I'd just be like, that's not what I'm going for. But you're scared and whatever, you don't know how to do it. So my biggest fear was that I was going to look like some kid whose dad was paying his bills, who had no talent whatsoever, right? And then I guess maybe that insecurity, it was sort of like the way I approach standup is I'm like, if there's a thing I'm thinking or that I'm insecure about, I might as well just name it and get ahead of it, right? So that I can feel like I'm being honest up there. So maybe that's why I talk about it as much, is that I don't want to be the kid who like, is like, oh, I'm such a great comic and I'm doing this and that and everyone's like, you know, that's like a fucking New York City rich kid whose dad is CEO. So instead I prefer to be the guy who's like, I'm a New York City rich kid whose dad is a CEO and here's some other things about me. And then no one can like secretly talk shit, right?

[A]

I, you know, it's interesting because it's like, you know, as you're even explaining it, there's a hole in the market for it. Like, like, if you think of it as a market, you know, everyone can't talk about their like sad trauma filled past like that. If everyone talks about that and it's not that interesting. I mean, and, and people don't see that. Like, I remember, like I did a whole special about going on vacation with my parents and I remember thinking, like, I'm going on vacation with my parents and talking about that on stage. And like, I know people go on vacation with their parents, but no one in my circles in comedy is going to make me feel comfortable about talking about this vacation I had with my parents as an adult. Like, but that's probably the thing you should be talking about if you're different than the people in your circle in comedy, you know, Like, I mean, I remember being in an open mic and I saw this girl, she was talking about how hard and, you know, all her traumas. And then she talked about how she took an Uber to the open mic. And I'm like, you just outed yourself. Like. Like. Like, life isn't that hard. You know, you're. You're doing okay. You took an Uber. Some. You know, someone paid for the Uber. There's people here who walked here from their barista job.

[B]

You know, I was insecure when I was starting comedy, because when I. I'm sure this was even more true of when you started. I assume you started well before me, but, like, when I was starting, I just thought, like, are you. Can you even be a comedian if you're not, like, a depressed dirt bag? I hated that. Like, like, all right, yeah. And I saw that, and it just felt so untrue to me that I had a big insecurity of, like, well, what can I say up there that's honest that people want to see? But I think it was. I mean, I think I feel very lucky in terms of the timing of. Honestly, all art. It's like, art, I feel, has gotten a little more honest and specific in the last, like, 20 years. It's been the transition from just, like, being a general thing that everyone can consume to just being, like, here's everything about me specifically, and I'll find a little audience of people that really understand that experience and relate to it extra. Instead of, like, trying to be, you know, 50% relatable to everybody.

[A]

No, I hear you. It's. I was thinking about this, like, before we taped, because I was like, man, I'm wondering, you know, timing. How does that play into it? I wonder if I did the jokes now. Like. Like, I would go to the creek in the cave, which was, like, known at the time as, like, where you went for an open mic. And I was like, there is not. I feel very much like I crashed the party. I was like, I. I. You know, and I'm not upset with my parents. I'm not upset with my life. I'm not upset with my childhood. I liked, you know, high school, and I'm like, none of this is going to be relatable at this open mic. And now I see stuff online from people who are younger, like, putting it out there, and they're like, you know, I'm seeing this version of them. Like, oh, that's, like, good for them. You know, I. I kind of have, like, an. I have an envy to it. Like, I remember. And. And I was thinking. I was like, is that why you put out so much crowd work. Because I remember when I started, I was like, well, I can't put out this standup feeling very similar to you. I'm like, I'm not ready to, like, you know, do a show for my friends more than, you know, like, I'm not going to, like, hit up people. Like, I need to do this other thing. But I do know the Internet is necessary to what I need to do. So I started doing, like, podcasts and articles and lists and putting out jokes about other people in a way where I didn't have to be personal. Is that the reason for crowd work? You're like, I can put this out there while I get better. Or is it like, you just saw it working?

[B]

It started that way. It started when I started kind of the crab work stuff started happening. I was really bad at stand up, and I just. None of my jokes reflected my tone, but was something I felt very comfortable doing immediately. So the first time, like, when I wanted to do stand up, my dream was kind of the way I saw Dave Chappelle do it, where he seems to just be talking. And then you learn, like, how realistic is that? For some people, it is, for some it isn't. But when I was doing crowd work, that's how I felt. I was like, oh, I'm being funny and I'm just talking. So that's why I started putting it out. And then over time, obviously, I had to be working on stand up. I was doing the road. And as anyone who's ever done the road knows, like, if you're doing an hour, you simply need to have an act that people enjoy for at least for 40 minutes. So now then I put out, like, I put out 10 with Don't Tell and 10 with Comedy Central of material that I thought was, like, decent. But the reason why I juice my page now with all crowd work is basically because I want to keep working on my act. It's not like I'm. I'm not really turning over an hour every year. I'm more like, I'm now on my second hour. The first one I just fully threw out. I mean, I put some of it out with Don't Tell on Comedy Central, but I just didn't think it was good enough to put out as a thing. And then last year, I started on an hour that I'm still working on that I don't. I just don't know yet if it will be good enough to do as a special. I feel still a little young to do a special, but I also don't really want to put it out, but.

[A]

This is the beauty of, you know, 20, 25 is. And you know, you're. Either the way you're doing it is smart, because if you're not in a rush, if you can do things when you feel good about them, it's going to be the better play. Like, I mean, like, look it, yeah, you. You're touring and doing well, and you had a PR person reach out to me. When I have a PR person reach out to me, I go, okay, this is someone who's either has money or investing their money, you know, because that's going to cost, you know that the PR people cost money. So that's how you ended up here. So I have been reached out to by PR people in the past where I'm like, oh, this is like, what.

[B]

If I just denied that on. On the pod?

[A]

I would say, sounds good. Can you cut that out? Cut that out. I've had.

[B]

Not fucking true.

[A]

Right?

[B]

I've hired them, called me for this.

[A]

Right. I begged you. I was like, please, I need a TikTok following. It's not working for me there. Please, God. I. Well, the pr. Because I. I've had PR people reach out to me in the past for other people, and I'm like, oh, it's like almost this, like. So that's how they do it, you know, like, because, you know, you know, some people you're like, because the PR game, you have to invest, but you're investing money in it. You're going, okay. And I, you know, I can get people to come to my shows. I can have this PR person work on my behalf. And I'm also going to wait on the special. Like, I think that takes like a. That's like a very specific way to think of things. Like, that's. It's probably the best way you could think of things.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I. Here's how I feel about putting out like a special, and I'm honestly curious what you think. But part of me is. I'm like, okay, first I want to look at, like, when do people typically put out specials in their careers? I've been doing stand up six years. I have material that I feel is really strong. Like, material that I'm really proud of. I also have moments in when I do longer sets where I'm like, that feels it could be strengthened. And moreover, when I sit here today doing an hour and look at what I was doing last year, I feel what I'm doing this year is meaningfully better.

[A]

Right?

[B]

And I am sort of like, waiting for that to plateau a little bit so that I don't go out, try and sell a thing, which at this point, like, that's probably the path I'd go. I'd probably rather try and sell something than go the YouTube route. Right. And then all of a sudden, you know, I've, I've put all my eggs into this basket, and I call in every favor and I make every introduction and ask to go on their podcast and promote it. And by the time it comes out, I'm like, this isn't that good.

[A]

Listen, I've been in that position. I, I, I had a special that came out, and I was, while I was touring, an act that felt more me. Like, what you're saying is something that I've dealt with. And it's like when an act feels you, that's when you love doing it, when you're doing just to me, you know, I, not to the special I had come out, I was, I was proud of those jokes. That was something that I was feeling in that moment of my life. But it wasn't like I wasn't like, this is my hour that I've cultivated and chipped away at. Then I was, while I was doing on the road, this special that I like was like, this is the one that I feel like it can be the one. This is the sir, you know, the thing. But I don't know, you can't really pick and choose, you know, it's tough to say, like, when you get those opportunities, you're gonna have to take them, you know? Yeah, but, yeah, that's the beauty of what you're talking about, though. You're making money. You're, you're being, you are a comedian. You know, I heard a Kyle Kanane quote where it's like, the prize is to be able to do stand up, you know, And I believe in that. So, like, when you're doing it and you're working at it, you're like, I'm, this is it. This is all I wanted. I don't know what your goals are, but, like, for me, I was like, this is all I wanted. But you also have to keep it growing, to keep it level. Weirdly, like, to keep people coming back, you have to keep pursuing. You can't really lie back. That's why it's so exhausting. That's why after Stanford, people go into law because they go, I'll get the partner and I'll sit in my chair and let other people do the fucking work.

[B]

Yeah, totally. No, it's. It's still. No, I know. Well, that's the thing is, like, it's still growing, and I don't know, the Netflix special is, like, cool to me. Like, that's right.

[A]

No, it's a.

[B]

And that's. That's probably a moment you call the parents, and then the parents. Friends are like. And then all of a sudden, people can. Like, they can.

[A]

Tonight show wasn't going to make me famous, but it was a very important thing for my parents, like, their friends. It became a thing. And I, I. If you're close with your parents, like, I am. Like, that was important to me. The Netflix thing was, like, my friends thinking I was a real thing, you know, like, and. And general people, you know, that person who goes, what do you do for a living? And then you go, I'm a comedian. They go, well, where can I. You know, they're a real piece of. They're like, where can I find your stuff? The minute you say Netflix, they, like, shrink into a little ball and you're like, take that, you piece of. Like, you feel the. The. You know, the power flow through your veins. It's like the best feel. Feel like in the world. You. It's literally like you chopped off their head in medieval times. So, like, I can't tell someone, wait on the Netflix opportunity. Because I'm like, no, everyone should feel that power as a comedian.

[B]

No, it's gotta feel amazing telling some parent at a cocktail party, oh, you're like, yeah, I have a Netflix special. And what'd your son do?

[A]

Right?

[B]

Fentanyl. You? You.

[A]

All right, let's play again. Are you ready for a game? Oh, I'm sorry. I interrupted.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, please. No, no, no, no. It was nothing important.

[A]

Okay, I'm going to play a game with you. This was based on. What did you eat for dinner last night?

[B]

I had Mediterranean food.

[A]

I know, I know. You play it safe because you're 30 and Gen Z. You can say Israeli food on this podcast. You don't have to hide from that. It was two Jews talking. You can say.

[B]

You can say Palestinian food.

[A]

Oh, shit. Oh, my God. This is. Things have really changed. All right, ready? Let's play a game called How Rich are you? Okay. Okay. Have you eaten it at Arby's?

[B]

No.

[A]

That's pretty rich, man. Okay. Do you own it and on the.

[B]

Road, I. I'll do, like, a brand name. Like, I'll do, like, McDonald's or something.

[A]

I mean, Arby's is a brand. Don't Insult Arby's. You don't have to insult Arby's.

[B]

I'm insulting.

[A]

Have one curly FR. From Arby's, you'll change your tune. Okay. One curly fry with a. A roast beef sandwich. You'll. You'll think twice about what you just said. Okay. All right. Do you own a tux?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That's rich, man. Were you. Were you ever told growing up. Hold on.

[B]

I got to.

[A]

Were you ever told growing up that you could make it one of your Hanukkah gifts? No. So you got. I want it. I got it. Well, any time of year I got no.

[B]

Or yes. But never.

[A]

Never make. Yeah. Never.

[B]

It was never pushed out to. To an event.

[A]

H. Has your mom ever referred to the cleaning lady as the girl? No. No.

[B]

She's. She's like. She's like. They're like rich liberals, you know?

[A]

Right. So they were gonna. They were gonna say first name basis or maybe call her, you know, ma'. Am. Was. Was she a living nanny or a cleaning woman?

[B]

We had both.

[A]

Both. That's rich, man. Dude, you're not even telling people how rich you are. Have you ever carried chairs to the beach?

[B]

No, dude.

[A]

That's the. You might be fucking a billionaire, dude. This is crazy. What is mignonette sauce.

[B]

That goes in an oyster?

[A]

You're fucking rich, man. You're. You're batting a thousand right now. Is it. The Hamptons are out.

[B]

Reading.

[A]

What.

[B]

What you want me to say off of this? And I'm. I'm aware of the fact that I can get these correct.

[A]

I.

[B]

But that might be part of the game.

[A]

What's that? You cut out.

[B]

I said, I'm aware of the fact that I can get these correct, but that might, in fact, be part of the game.

[A]

That is. I mean, that's the whole game. If you. If you had no awareness of getting these right, then, you know, we wouldn't even be playing. Is it the Hamptons or out East? I don't go there.

[B]

So it's the Hamptons.

[A]

Okay. We've fallen off a little bit. Have. Have you ever had an allowance?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. That's not rich. That's actually. That's actually against character on this one.

[B]

Wait till you see what it was.

[A]

What was it? What'd you get it for? What did you have to. In college? You had a college allowance. That's rich. That's. That's different. Rich.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, it was. It was. It was a lot for I. It just went to booze at Stanford.

[A]

That was graduate school, so at Williams I mean, at Williams, 20 bucks a week can get you a far. Get you a long way.

[B]

Yeah, Williams. It was quite a bit more than that, too. I lived. I lived large at Williams.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I had an older brother that was very focused on squeezing money out of my parents, and he negotiated a crazy college allowance that I was then the beneficiary of.

[A]

See, the older brother thing helps everything because he paves the way. I mean, this is a lot like talking about being rich in comedy. I was the pioneer, and you are, you know, a settler on my land that I plowed through. I was able to lead the way.

[B]

I'm standing on your shoulders.

[A]

You're. You're welcome. Okay, so I mean, your brother, what does he do?

[B]

He's the CEO of a late stage startup.

[A]

That's the richest thing. I mean, you just won the game. That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.

[B]

So he's also a custom watchmaker.

[A]

That. I mean, is he on the tick? He must be on Tik Tok. How do you do it must be an easy job to be a CEO if you can also make watches in your free time. Literally, like the most painstaking process ever.

[B]

He's. He's. Yeah. I don't know how he does the watch thing, but he's built his watch business pretty high up. Like his. He made the watch for the Brad Pitt F1 movie.

[A]

Oh, my God. That's a huge deal.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Especially cars and watches. For some reason, they're very much married to one another.

[B]

Yeah, he's a car and watch guy.

[A]

I gotta ask him. Does he know this thing called Mr. Eat well? I keep getting watches, watches from this guy, Mr. Eat well, and I want to know if it's any good or not. Can you ask him for me?

[B]

Yeah, I will ask him.

[A]

Please ask him for that. Okay. Well, Lucas Zelnick, your reputation precedes you. It's absolutely true. You're rich. Thank you for coming on the J Train podcast.

[B]

Thanks for having me. I'll. I'll see you around the seller soon, I hope.

[A]

Absolutely. Everyone go follow Lucas. He's on tour. Lucas zelnick.com for tickets. He's all over the country at Lucas Zelnick on all the platforms. I'm Jared Freed. It's a chitchat Wednesday, back next week. Boom.