Mommy Issues with Lucas Zelnick

I say it in the episode too, but the community of listeners here at Mommy Issues is one of my favorite parts of podcasting. And that’s why I saved my first reaction to the recent firestorm of criticism for a viral clip I put out for this episode specifically.

I discuss why I thought it was important to publish the interaction at my show in San Francisco and what surprised me about the reaction from fans and people who didn’t see it my way. I hope to have a healthy discussion in the comments, even if you don’t agree with me or my mom. Thank You for listening and supporting me.

TIMESTAMPS

00:05 - Lucas Addresses the Backlash to Viral Clip

02:45 - The Two Groups Lucas Heard From

06:20 - Why Lucas Ultimately Decided to Put Out the Clip

08:00 - Lucas’s Feels Alienated By Members of His Community

11:45 - Wendy’s Emotional Reaction to Viral Clip

23:17 - Wendy Responds to Lucas’s Critics

25:15 - Podcast Criticizes Lucas

33:10 - Lucas Opens Up About Feeling Rejected By His Community

39:10 - Lucas’s first Traumatic Antisemitic Interaction

Getting back with an ex is something I know a little bit about. So I give advice to a listener who is contemplating doing exactly what I did. But first, my mom and I ask our producer how the advice we gave him a few episodes back (link below) is working for him and set him straight on a BIG misconception. We also delve into a nuanced take on the Cornell University case, forget how it came up and ultimately help out that listener with some advice on his ex situation. TIMESTAMPS00:45 Wendy Looks Skinny02:10 Christos Update on Relationship with Mom12:42 Insecurity19:27 Cornell Case Analysis28:25 Planning Lucas’s Wedding32:05 Get Back With Ex? LISTENER ADVICE33:42 Lucas Speaks Experience47:38 Everyone is Proud of Each Other

How much pressure should parents put on their kids to succeed? And when should they step back and let them find their own path?

On today's episode, Lucas and Wendy discuss parenting, career expectations, and Lucas's decision to pursue stand-up comedy instead of a traditional corporate career. Wendy reflects on her husband's parenting style, while Lucas reveals how his fear of failure nearly kept him from following his passion.

Things take a turn when Lucas revisits his disastrous early comedy performances, recalls a drunken night that ended with an ambulance, and uncovers a bizarre Facebook exchange from 2015 about cultural appropriation.

Plus, an airport interrogation in Scandinavia and a few childhood confessions Wendy wishes she'd never heard.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Fajitas Madness

02:11 - Letting Your Children Find Their Way

10:43 - How Lucas's Dad Approached His Son's Grades

16:23 - How Do Parents Measure Success?

24:10 - Lucas's 'Bringer Shows' at Caroline's

27:28 - Start of Getting in Trouble in Norway Story

29:18 - Lucas's Club Story

36:55 - The Fajita Story

44:15 - End of Lucas's Norway Story

Like, Subscribe and let us know how involved you think parents should be in the career choices of their children in the comments. #MommyIssues

Do men actually shower together? This week on Mommy Issues, Lucas and his mom Wendy tackle a college shower mystery, relationship boundaries, cheating, and whether it's better to know when someone is talking behind your back.

Lucas battles the flu, recounts a bizarre wedding, and opens up about his thoughts on death, while Wendy shares her outrage over the news and her very strong opinions on job interview etiquette. Plus, the mother-son duo gives dating advice to a listener considering asking out a coworker, debates the Macklemore and Ed Sheeran controversy, and discusses Lucas's upcoming international comedy tour.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Do Men Shower Together?

01:18 - Lucas is Sick

04:08 - Bizarre Wedding

06:00 - Wendy Isn't at Liberty to Discuss Weekend

08:00 - Lucas Has Been Thinking about De*th

12:18 - The Meisner Technique

14:23 - Bring Iced Coffee to an Interview?

16:06 - Advice For a High School Sophomore

16:50 - Do Men Shower with Other Men

19:50 - The News Outrages Wendy

21:00 - Lucas's Weddings is Going to Be HUUUGE Event

24:00 - Do You Want to Know if You're Being Cheated On?

26:00 - Do You Want to Know if You're Being Talked About

28:36 - Should A Listener Ask out a Co-Worker?

31:40 - Sorry Syracuse

41:40 - Lucas's Five Statements on Macklemore Ed Sheeran

44:00 - Lucas's Tour Announcement

Tour Dates & City Requests: https://www.lucaszelnick.com/

Follow Lucas: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucaszelnick

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lucaszelnick

Lucas Zelnick is a stand-up comedian who has been featured on Comedy Central, Don't Tell Comedy, and as a member of the 2026 Netflix Shortlist class. Lucas has appeared in feature films Regulars, Fade to Black, Offsite, and Hulu's Pizza Movie. As a touring comedian, he has sold over 100,000 tickets and accumulated over 2 million followers across social media. For no reason at all, he also holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Lucas and Wendy get personal in this episode of Mommy Issues, opening up about family, grief, Wendy's recent breast cancer diagnosis, and the very different ways they handle privacy. They also get into a heated debate about language, comedy, and "old woke vs. new woke," before revealing there's a Zelnick family secret they still can't share.

Plus, Lucas and Wendy answer a listener's relationship dilemma: after 14 years together and two kids, how do you know when it's time to leave a relationship—or whether it's worth fighting for?

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Imminent Threat

02:00 - Sorting Bubby's Things

06:00 - Keep Lucas Safe

07:30 - Lucas's Prized Possession

08:50 - A Health Reveal

12:30 - A Controversial Word That Hits Home

25:19 - Old Woke vs. New Woke

29:50 - Wendy Pitches Lucas Bits?

32:20 - How Wendy Told Lucas About Her Diagnosis

37:40 - A Zelnick Family Secret May Be Revealed

39:00 - A Listener Comment Is Appreciated

41:52 - Should i Get Divorced? - Listener Advice Segment

Mommy Issues is a mother-son advice podcast where comedian Lucas Zelnick and his mom, Wendy, tackle relationships, family, culture, and the messy problems listeners bring their way. With two generations and very different perspectives, they mix candid advice, sharp humor, and personal stories to figure out who actually knows best.

Lucas is ENGAGED—and almost every surprise he planned for the proposal fell apart.

This week on Mommy Issues, Lucas tells his mom how he popped the question, the meaning behind the ring, and why announcing his engagement cost him 2,000 Instagram followers. They also get into feeling ready for marriage, hitting one million followers, and a late-night food delivery that brought Lucas face-to-face with his biggest fear. Wendy keeps the vocabulary corrections coming, while listener updates take them from a heartfelt breakup follow-up to a very unexpected development with a listener seeing a man 25 years older than her.

Plus: nipple piercings, tattoo debates, and conversations you probably wouldn't want to have with your mother.

Subscribe for more Mommy Issues with Lucas and Wendy, and let us know in the comments: Did your proposal go according to plan?

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Listener Has Piercing Remorse

01:48 - Lucas is Engaged! How He Popped the Question

09:26 - Oscillate or Vasillate?

15:41 - Invoking or Evoking?

18:21 - Lucas Has Over 1 MILLION IG Followers

19:51 - Don't Leave Food in the Woods Story

26:04 - The Zelnick Family Hero

27:46 - Shoutout to the Listeners and a Few Old Friends

35:20 - We Will Take Your Advice Questions Seriously

36:09 - Should Listener Remove New Piercings?

43:27 - Have You Seen Cops?

49:20 - Wendy Reveals Something Very Important

This week on Mommy Issues, we help a listener struggling to talk to her dad about an abusive relationship.

But first, we cover Lucas's upcoming tour and how he's handling his writer's block. Next, we get into nepo babies and the difference between Stella Lefty and Rebecca Black. Wendy gives us the scoop on Canadian tariffs, Lucas tells us about a corporate gig and ending up at a White Reggae concert.

Lucas and Wendy return to their listener's situation with some honest mother-and-son advice.

If you have a problem you'd like Lucas and Wendy to discuss, drop it in the comments or send a voice note to @lucaszelnick on IG

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Listener Asks for Advice

01:38 – Lucas Is Going on Tour

01:59 – The Inner Sanctum Unites in Hawaii

03:16 – Lucas Has Writer's Block

05:00 – RIP David Bell

07:30 – Wendy Has the Scoop on Canadian Tariffs

10:00 – Is Stella Lefty a Nepo Baby?

12:00 – Rebecca Black

16:20 – Lucas Admires Jordan Jensen

18:45 – Lucas's Corporate Gig—Shoutout to Intuit

19:35 – White Reggae Concert

20:45 – Bakersfield Stinks

22:35 – Lucas's Solo Dinner—Shoutout to Kam Patterson

24:00 – GTA VI Leaks

29:19 – Advice for the Listener

#MommyIssues #LucasZelnick #RelationshipAdvice

Tour Dates & City Requests: https://www.lucaszelnick.com/

Follow Lucas:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucaszelnick

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lucaszelnick

Lucas Zelnick is a stand-up comedian who has been featured on Comedy Central, Don't Tell Comedy, and as a member of the 2026 Netflix Shortlist class. Lucas has appeared in feature films Regulars, Fade to Black, Offsite, and Hulu's Pizza Movie. As a touring comedian, he has sold over 100,000 tickets and accumulated over 2 million followers across social media. For no reason at all, he also holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Today's advice goes out to someone whose pain you can hear in her voice. We tell a listener how to go about being blindsided by the end of her 2+ year relationship. We also touch on topics like the worst way to pass, how I dealt with my first and worst heartache and whether men or women move on quicker after a relationship ends. Oh yeah, my sister calls in at the end too, so stick around for it.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Two Year Relationship Ends

01:42 - Is Drowning the Worst Way To Go?

05:40 - What Wendy Has Learned About Lucas

07:00 - What is Ego Death?

11:35 - Advice Question: Broken Heart

13:20 - Wendy's Verdict

15:00 - Lucas's Informed Take

20:30 - Barstool Smokeshows

24:10 - Light at End of the Breakup Tunnel

28:25 - Final Advice for Breakups

34:00 - Do Men or Women Move On Quicker?

35:30 - Never Getting Over Your First Love

39:55 - Lucas's Sister Calls in

Today, we run the gamut on Mommy Issues. It's a marathon recording today because we're going on vacation! Mom is going on safari so we talk about the conflict in Rwanda, whether zoos are bad and if direwolves are real. We give advice to a listener who is seeing a man 25 years older than her so we had to follow-up with her and IT GETS WILD! Tune in to this one until the end.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Hilarious Caller

01:25 - Wendy's Going on Safari

02:45 - Hotel Rwanda

04:50 - Are Zoos Bad?

06:30 - Are Coyotes a Pack Animal?

11:00 - Lucas Appreciates His Fans

13:10 - Listener Advice: Can a 25 Year Age Gap Work?

15:40 - Wendy's Verdict

20:27 - Will the Listener Respond to Lucas's Follow-Up?

26:07 - Is There Such a Thing as A Soulmate?

28:20 - Lucas is Getting Married?

34:10 - 89 Year-Old Asks for Divorce

35:25 - Eye-Opening Experience

37:27 - Only Reason to Get Married

47:58 - First Ever Listener Follow-Up and it's a Doozy

Not everybody has the same type of relationship that I have with my mother. My mom thinks we're able to communicate they way we do because I don't have a filter but I'm a firm believer that the more transparency , the closer it brings us together in the relationship. In this episode, we took a slightly different direction where instead of responding to a caller's question, we decided to help answer some questions from our producer, Christos, and offer our advice on how to improve his line of communication with his mother in hopes of strengthening their relationship.

When I was a kid, I always remember the doctor asking me at my physical if I listened to music. It was my understanding that the doctor always asked me this question as a way to check in on my mental health. It makes sense because the type of music I listen to in different scenarios often reflects how I'm feeling mentally. I'll listen to rap when I'm in a good mood and indie rock when I'm touring and everything is sad and there's a tumbleweed and I'm more in that vibe. I also really enjoy making my mom playlists and listening to the music she grew up on. My mom and I will share our music recommendations with all of you upon request from this episode's caller along with our advice on curating the perfect playlist. I'll also have a special guest caller share with us a traumatic Orthodox experience that caused her to stop listening to Britney Spears. Also, I'll discuss my latest show in Halifax and performing on SNL's Cam Patterson's stand up show.Also, I'll discuss my latest show in Halifax and performing on SNL's Cam Patterson's stand up show.

How close should a family be? Every family is different but it's the big question centered around this particular caller's situation. She's in a situation where she's living with her parents again with her two kids after going through a divorce. She's open to spending more time with her family but she's always had a very weird and argumentative relationship with her family. Sharing from personal experiences, my mom and I will try to offer the best advice we can offer. We also address another caller's concerns about a single male's intentions when entering a predominantly female space like a women's clothing store or a yoga pilates class. Is it dangerous or just creepy?

I posted on my IG Story for my followers for anyone seeking advice on dealing with grief over the loss of a loved one. Especially after going through my recent experience with the loss of my Bubby who was 99 years old. This particular caller, who's grandfather is dealing with stage four cancer, hasn't started her grieving process yet but acknowledges this is the end for her grandfather. My mom and I used our latest experience to try and provide guidance for handling this type of situation.

It's not the point of the podcast for you to sound like me and me to sound like me. On this episode, we want to take a moment to remind everyone what this podcast is all about. My mom is gonna have some takes that are not going to sound good. That is the purpose of this podcast. She's one generation above me. So if you can try to withhold your judgment for either one of us, because I would just challenge you, take your parent and put them on a podcast for 12 episodes and see how they would do. We also touch upon a lighter topic in this episode: preparing yourself for death.

Thank God (and dad) that I didn't have to go to Jewish day school but I still had to go to Hebrew School even though I was always hungry and they didn't like it when I tried to sneak in an egg and cheese sandwich. So I had to find the parts of Judaism I liked on my own terms. So what if you're a practicing Mormon who's family is still in the Mormon Church but your husband and his family left the Mormon Church and you're not sure which direction to raise your kid? A Jewish son and Jewish mother weigh in on this Mormon/Agnostic pickle.

If you're a man over 50 listening to this podcast (and you're not), she doesn't want to f*** you. On this episode of Mommy Issues, we have two people seeking our advice on addressing family secrets involving their dads. The first one is heavier situation regarding a pretty serious allegation that happened in one of the dad's past lives. The second one involves a dad's secret relationship that's taken a pretty embarrassing turn and his inability to really understand the f***ed up gravity of his current situation. How do you initiate these conversations? Should they even be addressed? How do you reckon with your dad in both these scenarios? Wendy and I do our best to offer some sound advice.

For context, this caller has a voice that could get anyone pregnant. On this episode of Mommy Issues, our caller finds himself in a real pickle after getting his neighbor pregnant. While he knows it's her choice, he's worried about her changing her mind about having an abortion and is willing to be as supportive as he can but doesn't want to be a part of this kid's life. He could really use our advice. Also, I debate my mom on who's a bigger f*** up.

To close out Pride Month and celebrate my mom's birthday, today is Gay Day on the pod. We've talked about it. We've teased it. You knew it was coming. And today is the day. Everything's gay today. With that said, we help an openly queer man from Arkansas decide if it's worth burning bridges with his high school friend group to hook up with one of their friends who is bi but has a girlfriend and is part of their friend group before he heads off to college. Chances are he's probably never going back to Arkansas after college and now's his chance for him finally read his poetry he wrote to this bi man he fell for. But is it still worth it to destroy a whole friend group?

Family secrets are just a crazy thing in general. People will take that sh*t to the grave with them. But what happens if you find out that your uncle had a son with down syndrome that he gave up for adoption and your dad made you promise not to reveal to his three other sons/your cousins about this brother they never knew about until all your uncles are dead. Even though the woman who adopted the son with down syndrome is dying and wants him to know who his biological father is. Is it fair to keep that secret from your cousins or is it better to keep it a secret to prevent a potential family unraveling? Having a sister with special needs and a grandmother with her own family secrets, my mom and I have a lot of thoughts and advice to share on this episode of Mommy Issues.

Can I just say, secretly learning about Nazis makes you look like more of a Nazi than just learning about it. A woman with autism calls in to confess she has an obsession with studying about the Nazis but doesn't want people to assume she's a Nazi any time she brings up her obsession in conversation. Who better to offer advice on this than a Jewish comedian and his Jewish mother?