The JTrain Podcast: "The Art of Talking Sh*t" with Jay Jurden

Chit Chat Wednesday – November 19, 2025
Host: Jared Freid
Guest: Jay Jurden (Comedian, Hulu special "Yes, Ma'am")

Episode Overview

This episode of the JTrain Podcast features comedian Jay Jurden for "Chit Chat Wednesday." Jay, with a new Hulu comedy special "Yes, Ma’am," joins Jared Freid for an energetic, joke-filled discussion on the comedy grind, the evolution of stand-up, the art of talking sh*t, and expanding on viral social media moments. The pair also riff on crowd work trends, AI booties, and play games that showcase Jay’s signature sharp wit.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Craft of Stand-Up and Comedy Specials

• High Standards in Comedy:

  • Jared and Jay discuss how a comedy special should be "joke-dense" and not simply a formality, reflecting years of hard work and evolution.
    • "I think a special shouldn't be a formality. It should be an honor... a culmination. For me, it was kind of a send off and a celebration of these jokes I’ve been working on for close to three years." – Jay (02:10)
  • Both comedians value respecting the audience and ensuring each performance is worth both the ticket price and their time.
    • "There’s a respect and a reverence I have for people who go to work, come home from work, and decide they want to go watch us work with the money they made from work." – Jay (03:31)

• Comedy’s Current Landscape:

  • They critique current trends where comedians pad out specials or focus excessively on crowd work for social clips, expressing pride in crafting curated material.

2. The Ethics & Evolution of Crowd Work

• Performers’ Responsibility:

  • Jay calls out comedians who overuse crowd interaction, stating that if a comic uses an audience member for more than ten minutes, "you gotta pay them something" since the comic will profit off the subsequent online content.
    • “After a certain amount of interaction... past 10 minutes, I feel like you gotta pay them something. You got to cover their drinks, you got to pay for the Uber… you’re gonna make money from the YouTube clip.” – Jay (06:16)

• Quality Over Gimmicks:

  • Both agree crowd work should serve the act, not be a commercial for future ticket sales:
    • "If someone's watching or listening… and you're at a show where half of it is spent asking, 'Where are you from? What do you do?'... you are now at a commercial taping to try and make that comedian money for their next show." – Jared (05:22)

3. Turning Social Media Moments Into Bit

• Game: Expand On That (13:41 – 31:00)

  • Jay provides behind-the-scenes context and riffs on his own popular tweets.
  • "Being queer means you get the most disgusting videos from the sweetest guys."
    • Jay explains how even the most wholesome acquaintances send explicit congratulatory messages—“butts and boners”—as a celebration of professional milestones.
    • "All the feudal lords come to me on my birthday, and they bring their best ass or their best dick." – Jay (19:41)

• Comedian Vulnerability:

  • Discussion of post-special anxiety: Jared shares that instead of explicit content, he half-dreads receiving texts from exes merely reminded of his persona by his new special.
    • "I curled up a little bit expecting a blowback text from an ex... because I was like, I'm on a platform and they're reminded of me." – Jared (19:48)

4. AI, Booties, and Resource Priorities

• Game: Expand On That—AI Booty (27:04 – 29:23)
  • Jay explains the eco-absurdity of using precious water resources to generate synthetic AI butts when the world is already well-supplied:
    • "There’s absolutely too much real ass out there on God’s green earth to be using water to make AI booty." – Jay (27:04)
    • "Not only that, the number of asses is growing at a pretty steady rate... If we run out of water, the ass won't even be clean." – Jay (28:56)
  • Jared praise’s Jay’s ability to connect real-world implications with absurdity, calling it "the most poignant thing that's ever been said on a podcast" (29:23).

5. Community, Heritage, and Respect in Comedy

• Cultural Representation:

  • Jay and Jared reflect on how comedy has been a vital outlet for marginalized communities, especially Jewish and Black entertainers.
    • "The hardest audiences are your own people, the people that look like your family." – Jared (24:07)
    • "It would be disrespectful to this thing that has changed my life... if I just kind of did it shitty and still wanting all this praise." – Jay (23:26)

• Comedy’s Role in Society:

  • The hosts consider the impact of comedy in news consumption and political discourse, noting the fine line comedians should walk between access and integrity.
    • "If comedy is the only way people get the news... then guess what? Conversely, if you're doing a podcast and you say, 'Oh, the Epstein files are so important,' and then J.D. Vance calls you up and says, 'No, they're not,' and then you say, 'No, they're not,' I think that's bullshit." – Jay (25:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Comedy Standards:

  • “A special shouldn’t be a formality. It should be an honor.” – Jay (02:10)

• On Crowd Work Monetization:

  • "After a certain amount of interaction... you gotta pay them something." – Jay (06:16)

• On Queer DMs:

  • “All the feudal lords come to me on my birthday, and they bring their best ass or their best dick.” – Jay (19:41)

• On AI and Real Resources:

  • “There's absolutely too much real ass out there on God’s green earth to be using water to make AI booty.” – Jay (27:04)

• On Comedy & Community Heritage:

  • “Part of the reason we both understand the history, the lineage, the importance and the power of comedy is because black people and Jewish people, it was some of the only entertainment avenues they had.” – Jay (23:26)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00–10:00]: Introduction, Jay’s special, comedy work ethic, pride in material
• [10:06–11:14]: Jay's writing process, modular set structure, touring and road work
• [13:21–19:22]: "Expand On That" game – Turning tweets into live stories, queer digital culture
• [27:04–29:23]: "Expand On That" – AI imagery, water usage, and the abundance of real assets
• [31:28–36:07]: "Talk Sh*t or Get Bit" game – Riffing on pop culture (Kim Kardashian, sunless days, Thanksgiving)

Engaging Games & Final Thoughts

• "Expand On That":

  • Jay extemporizes on his own tweets with live anecdotes, peeking behind the comedy-writing curtain.

• "Talk Sh*t or Get Bit":

  • Jay lets loose with critical wit on topical subjects—Kim Kardashian as a lawyer, short winter days, and Thanksgiving food.

Call to Action

• Jay Jurden’s Special "Yes, Ma’am" is out now on Hulu.
  • "The first month matters. Don’t put this off.... This is a free show you’re getting right now, you just heard the most poignant thing that’s ever been said on a podcast about asses and water and AI... so you owe some money and your money is your click." – Jared (30:12)

Follow Jay Jurden (@jayjurden)

• See him on the road – new hour, fresh jokes
• Catch "Yes, Ma’am" on Hulu

Closing Words

Jay and Jared close the episode with mutual appreciation, a blend of comic camaraderie, and a nudge to watch, laugh, and support stand-up that respects both the craft and its audience.
“You exemplify your ideals... your comedy is good and you know it’s good and you present it as such.” – Jay to Jared (22:24)