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Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

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Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert.

Armchair Anonymous: Valentine's Day Disaster

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 130 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 58:59

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a Valentine’s Day disaster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charles Duhigg (on being a supercommunicator)

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 150 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 02:07:56

Charles Duhigg (Supercommunicators, The Power of Habit) is a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and best-selling author. Charles joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the difference in culture at the LA Times and New York Times, the benefits of bettering your communication, and how well humans can detect inauthenticity. Charles and Dax talk about how our brains latch on to vulnerability, the three types of conversations, and the importance of matching them. Charles explains that successful conversations are ones where you understand one another at the end, how laughter shows your willingness to connect, and how to loop for understanding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Synced: The Recital

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 150 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 58:46

In this episode of Synced, Monica and Liz perform their 'hot girl hobby' challenges, they discuss misplaced anger on the internet, and question if taking a pen is considered stealing. They answer listener questions on whether one should buy gifts for others when it's not reciprocated and how to help a friend who unknowingly struggles with how to apply makeup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Flightless Bird: Donuts

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 130 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 45:13

This week on Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to understand why Americans guzzle down over 10 billion donuts every year. He sets off with his friends Andrew and Lauren to sample some Californian donuts, before meeting up with Emily Taing. Tang is behind Pink Box Stories (@pinkboxstories) on Instagram and educates David about the origins of the donut’s famous pink boxes, and the importance of America’s mom-and-pop donuts stores. David then sets his sights on the big East Coast chain - Dunkin’ - meeting with their president Scott Murphy, and one of their franchisees Sue Andrade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jason Bateman Returns Again

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 190 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 02:14:23

Jason Bateman (SmartLess, Ozark, Arrested Development) is an actor, director, producer, and podcaster. Jason joins the Armchair Expert to revisit the wiping debate, reveal he’s a Capricorn, and explore why he distances himself from his intellect. Jason and Dax discuss how much they enjoy being with someone who’s the opposite of them, their shared fear of becoming empty nesters, and the two have a sneeze-off. Jason talks about how seriously he takes the responsibility of leadership, how SmartLess handles three big personalities hosting the show, and how his bare feet will never touch a hotel room. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Armchair Anonymous: Piercing & Tattoos

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 410 views
  • 5 months ago
  • 59:36

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy piercing or tattooing incident. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yearbook: The Driver

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 340 views
  • 5 months ago
  • 30:46

Who was driving the car when Chad’s best friend died? What really happened the night when a student was killed in front of Blake High? Chad goes looking for answers to the questions he’s buried for 20 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yearbook: The Perfect School

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 470 views
  • 5 months ago
  • 30:10

Chad’s junior year at Blake High School started off like pure magic. Blake was one of those perfect suburban high schools you see on TV and Chad was finally coming into his own. Then a tragedy struck that rocked the school and changed Chad's life forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Yearbook

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 340 views
  • 5 months ago
  • 44:53

In the inaugural episode of Yearbook, Dax and Monica sit down with Chad Sanders and they discuss season 1 of Armchair Umbrella's new anthology series. They talk about the working process, the reason they wanted to make the show, and the discomfort that accompanies quaking what you believe to be a solid foundation of identity. They prep the audience for what is to come in the following 7 episodes including self-exploration, death, sex, love, and redemption.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lamorne Morris

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 3.3K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 01:25:41

Lamorne Morris (New Girl, Woke, Unwanted) is an actor, comedian and podcaster. Lamorne joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up on the southside of Chicago, how he knew he wanted to get into comedy at a young age and his relationship with his father. Lamorne and Dax discuss systemic racism, the time he got handcuffed after trying to stop a fight, and the conflicting nature of playing a police officer on tv while also confronting what’s going on in real life. Lamorne talks about auditioning for New Girl 15 times before he finally got the role, his new scripted podcast Unwanted, and Dax opens up about a deep insecurity.

Walter Isaacson

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 2K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 01:14:51

Walter Isaacson is an American author, journalist, and professor. Walter joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his work as a biographer, that it’s important to remember that all people are human, and how much more inspiring they are when you realize that. Walter explains the three great innovation revolutions of modern times, how transformative Jennifer Doudna’s gene editing work is, and how she used her knowledge of CRISPR to help with the fight against covid. Dax and Walter discuss the dilemma of editing out certain negative traits and the effects it can have on shaping a person and the importance of trying to maximize the Utopia of gene editing while minimizing the many unforeseen issues that will arise.

Rachel Bilson

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 2.7K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 01:36:01

Rachel Bilson (The O.C., Hart of Dixie, Jumper) is an actress and podcast host. Rachel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss getting her role on The O.C. at twenty-one years old and how being a fourth-generation actor helped keep her grounded. Rachel and Dax discuss Rachel’s tantric sex expert mother, how to talk to your kids about sex, and how poorly certain things they used to watch have aged. Rachel tells us about her new podcast, the time someone broke into her house and took a poop in her bathroom, and Rachel & Monica bond over the Bachelor.

Sam Pollard

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 1.7K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 59:32

Sam Pollard is an Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated director and producer. Sam joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in Harlem in the 50s, his path into becoming a film editor, and working with Spike Lee. Sam talks about his new film MLK/FBI: the red scare, non-monogamous activity, and racism.

Susan Liautaud

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 2.3K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 02:00:06

Dr. Susan Liautaud (The Power of Ethics) is an author, teacher of ethics at Stanford University, and founder of Susan Liautaud & Associates Limited. Susan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss ethics: the six forces present in all ethical dilemmas, why we can’t look at things in a binary manner, and how we’re only as ethical as our last decision. Susan explains that there’s no place for blame, shame or guilt in ethics, what incentive people have to make ethical decisions, and the need to make ethics accessible to everyone. Dax & Susan discuss the need to think about the consequences that could happen, not just the consequences that will happen and in the fact check, we have a visit from the man whose simulation we are all living in.

Race to 270: Septoplasty and 2X Neck Girth

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 2K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 46:13

We check in three months later with both contestants: Aaron has a girlfriend, septoplasty, lasik and colonoscopy while Charlie’s arms are back to looking huge. Dax & Monica present them with trophies and a framed photo of the baby in the white dress. 

Robin Thicke

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 2.4K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 01:31:43

Robin Thicke is a singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, musician and actor. Robin joins the Armchair Expert to discuss losing his home to the Malibu fires, his time on set of Growing Pains with his dad, and getting his first recording contract at 16 years old. Robin opens up about losing himself after the death of his father, how he was still searching for his dad’s attention and approval, and how important focusing on balance in his life is. Robin discusses what he learned from the commercial flop of his first album and how his partnership with Pharrell started.

Ethan Kross

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 2.5K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 01:38:09

Ethan Kross (Chatter) is an experimental psychologist, neuroscientist and writer, who specializes in emotion regulation. Ethan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the usefulness of your inner voice and how to harness it. Ethan explains how important context is when triggering emotions, how negative emotions are just as vital as positive ones, and the ways language can shape our emotional experiences. Ethan discusses how having the ability to feel the way we want all the time could be problematic and tips on how to be in the past and the future without being sucked in the chatter. In the fact check, Dax & Monica discuss the Royals.

Race to 270: Peyronies & Sleeping Aids

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 2K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 36:47

Aaron looks great in a beard, Monica tells Charlie that his arms look smaller, and Dax reminisces about a time when he thought he’d never be able to have sex again.

Ben Schwartz

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 2.6K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 01:30:57

Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation, House of Lies, Middleditch and Schwartz) is an actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. Ben joins the armchair expert to discuss starting off in improv comedy, how Eugene Cordero is the funniest person in the world, and dancing with Dax at a pajama birthday party. Ben recounts working as a camp janitor as a minor, the importance of separating his self-worth from the work he does, and his experience going on the Letterman show. Monica divulges her attraction to Ben and the lengths she would go to be near him at his shows and Dax tells him how special his hair thickness is.

Bill Gates Book Talk

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • 1.7K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 01:00:12

Dax and Monica host a conversation with Bill Gates about his new book, How To Avoid A Climate Disaster, for the Chicago Humanities Festival.