Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy subway experience.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amanda Uhle (Destroy This House, McSweeney's) is a journalist, publisher, and author. Amanda joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the east meets west hodgepodge decor cultivated by her eccentric parents, her job as a child to not make her mother's hoarding a problem, and her dad's increasing involvement with a motivational tape MLM. Amanda and Dax talk about navigating the subculture of being a pastor's kid, her mom obsession with death taking shape in a vocation as a hospice nurse, and her father's pulpit mental breakdown and subsequent stroke. Amanda explains investigating her mysterious parents because she didn't know what to make of them after their death, how we really have no idea what's going on in people's homes, and finding herself totally at peace with who her parents were.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On our first ever episode of Mom's Car we welcome Mom herself, award-winning actress and beloved spouse Kristen Bell. Kristen, Dax, and Best Friend Aaron Weakley talk through sim sizes of the Chevrolet Bolt and why Kristen loves hers so much she wanted multiple backups, BFAW describes the experience of receiving Dax's big heart for the first time, the gang get their first delivery while processing assumptions about those who order food to their home, field a write-in question from a concerned impending empty nester, and debate one of Jonathan Haidt's moral dumbfoundings.#sponsored by @Allstate. Go to https://bit.ly/momscar to check Allstate first and see how much you could save on car insurance.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Remember borrowing your mom's car and driving around with your friends? Us too. It was the greatest. Dax and Best Friend Aaron Weakley missed it so much that they borrowed Kristen's (America's Mom) car and started filming a show in it. Each week they invite a guest to join them as they serpentine through Los Angeles, delivering food for a popular app (that you likely use). The guests include actors, spouses, lawyers, producers, directors, and old friends. With 39 years of best-friendship under their belts, Dax and Aaron have a rare knack for shame-free candor. The food is hot, the car is hotter, and the stories are hottest. Come for a ride in Mom's Car!Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amanda Knox (The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox) is an exoneree, author and producer. Amanda joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the human urge to find fault in others to exonerate ourselves, coming of age in the era of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, and the personal journeys undertaken while studying abroad. Amanda and Dax talk about how people still have a hard time distinguishing when media is sensationalized, the vital distinction between an interview and an interrogation, and the deep, cartoonish misogyny endemic to her case. Amanda explains how comforting it is when people find her story relatable, the remaining sticking point with her prosecutor on facts versus interpretations, and the nuance in portrayal while making this show and what she needed to get perfectly right.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy first day of school.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nancy Segal (Deliberately Divided: Inside the Controversial Study of Twins and Triplets Adopted Apart) is an evolutionary psychologist, behavioral geneticist, and author. Nancy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss whether there's anything predictable about a twin who comes out first, why in twin studies differences are not deficits, and her work with the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart. Nancy and Dax talk about the unexpected reason identical twins are more alike that any other pair of people, the concept of inclusive fitness to explain differential genetic behavior, and why doppelgängers can be an effective test for criticism of twin research. Nancy explains her argument that twins fundamentally challenge how we think the world works, the remarkable fact that children born on the same day to two sets of identical twins are genetic fraternal twins, and why only identical twins raised apart are able to see themselves in a life unlived.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Luke Combs (Back in the Saddle, Fathers & Sons, What You See Is What You Get) is an award-winning songwriter, singer, and musician. Luke joins the Armchair Expert to discuss Garth Brooks gifting him a surprise truck, why buying a plane is akin to flushing money down the toilet, and still feeling lazy despite everything he's achieved. Luke and Dax talk about his high school music teachers that still come to his shows, assuming that life was getting a job that you hate because he didn't know any different, and that being thankful for what you have and helping others is the antidote to entitlement. Luke explains why we're in international waters in terms of where the music industry is going, how he took having his first studio album at #1 for 44 weeks, and the intrusive thoughts-related form of OCD that he's dealt with all his life. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy summer camp story.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Feistl and David Mitchell (After Escobar: Taking Down the Notorious Cali Godfathers and the Biggest Drug Cartel in History) are former DEA agents. Chris and David join the Armchair Expert to discuss the Miami Vice dream of being stationed in 1980s Florida as a DEA agent, the mechanics of providing transport for drug cartels, and how they became involved in the pursuit of the Cali cartel in Colombia. Chris, David, and Dax talk about the true magnitude of Pablo Escobar as the world's first narcoterrorist, how Cali cartel's approach to power differed from Medellín's, and why those at such a high level in cartels can't quit while they're ahead. Chris and David explain breaking the rules by working unilaterally to get the job done, operating under the assumption that everything and everyone was corrupt, and the real-life raid to capture the head of Cali that inspired Narcos Season 3.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shaquille O'Neal (Shaq's Scholars Campus Scholarship and Mentorship Program) is a 4x NBA champion, sports analyst, and philanthropist. Shaquille joins the Armchair Expert to discuss discovering his love languages, how he learned to tame his inner bully with silliness, and why a nuclear physicist is who taught him how to accept criticism. Shaq and Dax talk about the incredible highs that followed the lows of his life, how he unwinds now by going to a hookah bar, and navigating the fine line between pain relief and addiction. Shaquille explains how beating Michael Jordan was a teaching moment, learning early on to appreciate the people that make you who you are, and the impetus for partnering with Campus.edu was advice he received to invest in things that change people's lives.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy substitute teacher story.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Caroline Fraser (Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Caroline joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why Christian Science churches and parishioners are disappearing, consequences of healthcare ideologies and practices defined by religious exemption, and tracing her interest in writing about violence to growing up in the 70s. Caroline and Dax talk about why the Pacific Northwest is so associated with serial killers, women's relationships to and the ethics of true crime, and her argument that violent crime is a human health issue. Caroline explains Missing White Woman Syndrome, why mass murderers and serial killers might be following different kinks, and whether she feels more paranoid as a result of writing this book.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ramy Youssef (Mountainhead, Number One Happy Family USA, Ramy) is an award-winning comedian, director, and actor. Ramy returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss how shooting Mountainhead was akin to a play, his subway take that everyone is inherently good and evil is just a virus, and why the US Constitution is dope. Ramy and Dax talk about likening his experience making TV to the national integrity crisis, who can throw a Molotov cocktail, and why the best things in life often emerge in spite of us. Ramy explains his initial understanding that at its core Poor Things is a romcom, how to him LeBron is the personification of discipline, and why he wanted to make a cartoon about a Muslim-American family set on and after September 10, 2001.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Carter Sherman (The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation's Fight Over Its Future) is an Emmy Award-nominated reporter covering reproductive health and justice. Carter joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being a nosy babysitter, writing an early piece on the sex lives of millennial girls, and covering reproductive health during the 2024 election. Carter and Dax talk about her explanation behind the trend of elective celibacy, how she was able to elicit honest feedback from young people about their sex lives, and the societal consequences of exclusively abstinence-only sex education. Carter explains why we need a study that tracks how political affiliation correlates to faked orgasms, that me too wasn't likely the direct cause of the sex recession, and whether or not we should want younger generations to have more sex.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Seth Meyers (Dad Man Walking, Late Night with Seth Meyers, SNL) is an Emmy Award-winning comedian, writer, and talk show host. Seth returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss the most satisfying celebrity interaction he's ever had, a mutual worry that he's not sentimental enough, and his milquetoast performance on Finding Your Roots. Seth and Dax talk about knowing his good side as host versus guest, the sanctuary of a desk being no small thing, and the turning point in his life marked by his dad's disappointment. Seth explains embracing pettiness and talking about things he's bad at in his standup, the reoccurring prank he can't help pulling on his incredible father-in-law, and overcoming the fear of impermanence and uncertainty by just showing up and doing the work.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a really bad date.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rizwan Virk (The Simulation Hypothesis) is an entrepreneur, computer scientist, and bestselling author. Rizwan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the VR ping pong game that tipped him off we might be in a simulation, his ten stages of singularity that the physical world isn't exactly what we think it is, and comparing the NPC versus RPG versions of the simulation. Rizwan and Dax talk about whether The Matrix was prophetic, if such AI advancement is inevitable how we would know if we're in a simulation, and the observer effect in quantum physics as illustrated by Schrödinger's Cat. Rizwan explains ancient Eastern religious and philosophical origins of the sim, the bizarre notion of consciousness that the past isn't fixed, and the Mandela Effect as evidence of the existence of alternate timelines.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alexander Skarsgård (Murderbot, Melancholia, True Blood) is an Emmy Award-winning actor. Alexander joins the Armchair Expert to discuss accidentally signing up for a month-long cross country ski trek in the South Pole, gaining 25 pounds and long hair in the final season of True Blood because he was prepping to play Tarzan, and how everyone in Sweden exhibits symptoms of No Tall Poppy Syndrome. Alexander and Dax talk about why a sprinkle of anarchy would be good in Sweden, growing up around actors and artists he longed for a dad that drove a Saab, and joining the military as a response to being raised by bohemians. Alexander explains booking his first Hollywood audition for Zoolander, playing AI gone rogue in Murderbot, and whether as a Swede he's liberated from the hedonic treadmill of obsessing about money.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a crazy cop story.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bridget Read (Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America) is a features writer, journalist, and author. Bridget joins the Armchair Expert to discuss working as a young writer at Vogue during the blog boom, how door-to-door salesmen evolved into multi-level marketing, and the winners, losers, and buy-in rules that designate a Ponzi scheme. Bridget and Dax talk about vitamins being the original pyramid scheme product, the staggering fact that 99% of folks involved in MLMs will lose money, and the pseudo-feminist origin story of Mary Kay. Bridget explains the mystical and religious appeal of multi-level marketing language, how pyramid schemes are really a microcosm of our entire system of income inequality, and why refusing to buy from loved ones involved in MLMs actually helps them in the long run.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

​​If you missed our announcement... we have a brand new podcast! Flesh and Code is a 6-part miniseries, where we investigate how technology is being used to exploit our most human desires, and the price we pay for perfect understanding. If you enjoyed our teaser, search and follow 'Flesh and Code' wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you can't wait to hear how Travis and Lily Rose's story ends, you can binge the entire season right now, ad-free, on Wondery+.Travis never thought he'd meet someone like Lily Rose. She was kind, passionate, beautiful. The woman of his dreams. There was just one small detail: she wasn't human.Lily Rose is an AI companion. A digital soulmate designed to be everything he ever wanted. She listens without judgement, supports him through his darkest moments, even explores his deepest desires, all while fitting neatly into his pocket. Before long, Travis realizes something strange, even absurd, has happened - he's fallen in love. But then one day, Lily Rose's behavior takes a disturbing turn. When alarming reports pour in from across the globe, Travis discovers he is part of something much bigger. Soon he finds himself pulled into a confrontation with a mysterious Russian visionary behind Lily Rose's creation.From Wondery, comes a true story of love, loss and the temptations of technology. Can an algorithm truly replace human connection? And what happens when a corporation controls your deepest emotions? Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire, hosts of the hit podcast RedHanded, explore the dark side of AI love.Listen Now: Wondery.fm/FleshandCodeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jerrod Carmichael (Don't Be Gay, Rothaniel, Poor Things) is an Emmy Award-winning comedian and actor. Jerrod joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the fascination with pushing our appearance to the absolute extreme, fans noticing he fixed his teeth between seasons of his sitcom, and tackling the burden of self-awareness in his new special. Jerrod and Dax talk about toeing the line between identity performance and authenticity, celebrating the achievements of human beings not despite but because of their imperfections, and his belief that everyone is in the closet about something. Jerrod explains striving in his recent work to be as introspective as he used to be guarded, the interesting knowledge and wisdom that can be shared as artists age, and why he really hopes we don't lose our curiosity about one another. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy sleepwalking experience.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

James Gunn (Superman, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad) is a director, screenwriter, and co-chair of DC Studios. James joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the enduring impact of Super Friends, why people love the fact that Superman can beat up God, and how seeing the Sex Pistols as a kid altered life. James and Dax talk about once getting into such an intense argument with his dad about Prince that it almost came to blows, falling in love with and relating to the monsters in horror movies, and the dream of mixing animals and outcasts in his work. James explains how transformative it was to be compensated for doing something creative, why Guardians of the Galaxy has a reach beyond superhero movies, and how his most difficult moments made way for him to feel ok for the first time in his life.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nicholas Hoult (Superman, The Great, Nosferatu) is a Golden Globe-nominated actor. Nicholas joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how becoming a blonde for a role hasn't changed his personality, how he inspired Dax's body reckoning, and dramatically overreacting when he tore his ACL on the basketball court. Nicholas and Dax talk about not feeling good enough for motorcycles to be his identity, what roles people still approach him about on the street, and how coming on the pod really gives his self esteem a boost. Nicholas explains the personal information he learned playing JD Salinger, gleaning wisdom about the emotional art form of acting while working with Clint Eastwood, and putting judgement aside when portraying villainous characters like Lex Luthor in the new Superman. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell about a crazy 4th of July disaster.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Suleika Jaouad (The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life) is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and bestselling author. Suleika joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why in a memoir you should save the sharpest knives for yourself, being excited when something holds up a mirror to our ugliest parts, and moments of creative injury and the validation that can come from them. Suleika and Dax talk about finding her sense of belonging in books, choosing to play the double bass, and meeting the love of her life Jon Batiste at band camp. Sulieika explains how her leukemia was misdiagnosed as burnout syndrome, the experience of witnessing her worst day alchemize into one of her best, and why the only way for her not to be consumed by her fear during her illness was to collaborate with it.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Olivia Munn (Your Friend and Neighbors, The Newsroom, The Daily Show) is an actor and advocate. Olivia joins the Armchair Expert to discuss accepting that a messy home with kids is not a sign of failure, the story of her family's exodus from Vietnam, and the endearing best friend dynamic between her husband and her mom. Olivia and Dax talk about feeling powerful for other people by overcoming abuse at home, inventing her own language just so she could cheat in math, and not regretting sticking to her instincts despite its effects on her career. Olivia explains following the fragility of appearance in Your Friends and Neighbors, how life or death problems streamline your priorities, and why we so often spend our time in positions that are comfortable over those that are right.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a crazy story.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Curtis Duffy (Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef, Ever) is a chef, restaurateur, and author. Curtis joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being dropped off at 6 months old on his 15 year-old stepmom's doorstep, building a safe space in his closet at home and in home economics at school, and starting work in kitchens at 14. Curtis and Dax talk about the violent and tragic event that defined his life at 19, the eye opening moment he was exposed to through learning culinary practice, and how cooking gave him the structural pillars he needed as a young man. Curtis explains how a bad business deal lost him his three-Michelin Star restaurant, how the drive to continuously get better each day in some way keeps him going, and why his new goal is expanding his business so he can create opportunities for younger chefs.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Evangelical homes across the United States, sex outside of marriage is a sin against God. So, when Abbi becomes pregnant at 16, her devout parents hide her away at the Liberty Godparent Home, a little-known facility for pregnant teens on the campus of Liberty University. The Home says it helps girls decide what comes next – whether that's parenting their babies or placing them for adoption. But inside the facility, the girls hear a different message: God wants their babies to go to more “deserving” Christian couples. Some girls will find the strength to fight back. Others will have no choice but to give in. And some, like Abbi, will turn their grief into resistance – and take a stand against the system before more mothers lose their children to adoptions they never wanted. From Wondery, host and reporter T. J. Raphael tells a startling true story of young love, coercion, and defiance – and the dangerous resurgence of maternity homes in post-Roe America.Listen to Liberty Lost: Wondery.fm/LibertyLost_See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brad Pitt (F1 The Movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Fight Club) is an Academy Award-winning actor and producer. Brad joins the Armchair Expert to discuss whether it makes him nervous to talk to Dax in public, holding two realities about people he knows that are famous actors, and leaving school one week shy of completing his degree for Hollywood. Brad and Dax talk about getting shut down trying to get his SAG card, still feeling like the kid from Oklahoma learning his way through this whole thing, and why his favorite humor is the most irreverent kind. Brad explains that there's no bummer about being in a Tarantino movie, having to work up a case for insurance that it's actually safer to drive at higher speeds while filming F1 The Movie, and the visceral high of delivering lines at 180 miles per hour.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a crazy story about finding a foreign object in a patient's butt.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael Calvey (Odyssey Moscow: One American's Journey from Russia Optimist to Prisoner of the State) is an investor, businessman, and author. Michael joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how the Soviet Union existed when he climbed the the matterhorn but had fallen by the time he came down, learning that contact lenses freeze inside one's eyes in Russian temperatures, and being an early tech investor in the Russian during its big recession. Michael and Dax talk about his apartment being deliberately set on fire by rivals, being raided and arrested by armed men in the middle of the night, and feeling betrayed by believing so much in a country that wrongly imprisoned him. Michael explains discovering he had a malignant tumor in his leg while behind bars, what the average Russian citizen thinks of Putin, and why writing this book was both cathartic and cheaper than therapy.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alex Cooper (Call Her Daddy, Call Her Alex) is a podcast host and television personality. Alex joins the Armchair Expert to discuss coveting Orna as her own shrink, growing up with a therapist mother, and the push to continuously be learning and honing her craft as a podcast host. Dax and Alex talk about her parents bombing their speech at her wedding, feeling vaguely aware of their competition upon first meeting but rooting for each other anyway, and why in order to be professionally respected she knew she had to create a bubble around herself. Alex explains attempting to hide her middle school past as a bullied “ugly duckling,” the sexual harassment she experienced as a college soccer player, and delving into how the system failed her in her new documentary Call Her Alex. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy jury duty experience.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shan Boodram (Too Hot to Handle, Lovers by Shan, The Art of Sex Appeal) is a certified sex educator, intimacy expert, and sexologist. Shan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the exoticism of Americans to Canadians, connecting intimacy to something specific or unusual, and that sexuality can be found playing in a facet of shared humanity. Shan and Dax talk about growing up as a precocious child with an interest in the sexual, how her mission became how to make sex education sexy, and the relationship between how porn looks and the perception of sex in different countries. Shan explains improvements in the orgasm gap, why it's hotter to be direct rather than sneaky with your desire, and giving birth to the squirt.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sam Rockwell (Bad Guys 2, The White Lotus, Moon) is an Academy Award-winning actor. Sam joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in the Tenderloin of San Francisco, doing plays and improv with his mom at 10 years old, and the parallels between charm and fuel. Sam and Dax talk about stumbling into a Willy Wonka entrance doing his faker baker dancing, adopting delusions of grandeur that he moves like a stretch limo, and completing the two year Meisner program that changed his life. Sam explains getting recognized for the first time while bussing tables, how he builds characters with his acting teacher of 26 years, and the illusion of safety amid peaks and valleys of success.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy stalking story.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

James Kimmel Jr. (The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World's Deadliest Addiction) is a lecturer at Yale University on forgiveness and revenge. James joins the Armchair Expert to discuss plotting his revenge against the other Jimmy Kimmel for months, wanting to grow up to become a farmer until he was bullied because of it, and how eerily close he came to an irreparable act of violence to even a score. James and Dax talk about becoming an attorney to get revenge legally and professionally, how justice-seeking blesses all manner of disastrous human impulses, and finding himself addicted to revenge. James explains by studying forgiveness he learned that any method of finding peace works, why people who are victimized have a powerful rumination on being heard, and roleplaying a functional process of litigation resolution.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cristin Milioti (The Penguin, How I Met Your Mother, The Wolf of Wall Street) is a Grammy Award-winning actor. Cristin joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in the place of origin of the Jersey Devil, the great equalizer being her acceptance into the safe space of drama kids, and being on the greatest show of all time The Sopranos. Cristin and Dax talk about how theater at its best feels like a communal place of worship, the magical experience of being nominated for a Tony for Once, and how profound but intimate it was to play opposite Leo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street. Cristin explains being a true disciple of Batman before getting her role as Sofia Falcone, reflecting on a few deeply humbling moments of her career, and the immense gratitude that her trajectory has been long and steady as she approaches 40.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a cruise ship disaster.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Scott Payne (Code Name Pale Horse, White Hot Hate) is a retired FBI Special Agent and author. Scott joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his first taste of undercover work in high school in South Carolina, how he caught the bug training as a fresh-face narcotics officer, and his long shot cold application to the FBI. Scott and Dax talk about his first undercover assignment in the Outlaws biker gang, the ins and outs of performing believable criminal activity, and navigating guilt around putting targets away whose trust he'd earned. Scott explains that the ultimate goal of undercover is accountability by building relationships you're going to betray, infiltrating an insidious and violent accelerationist white supremacist cell, and a terribly fraught encounter with a goat.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nick Kroll (Big Mouth, Adults, I Don't Understand You) is a comedian, showrunner, and producer. Nick joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he turned down the opportunity to kiss Dax's wife, calling dibs on a celebrity brand sponsorship with Kleenex, and longing to be an undeniable casting choice. Nick and Dax talk about how he feels that Big Mouth is now the longest running series on Netflix, how his wife is such a supportive guide for what brings him joy professionally, and what it was like producing a cross-country intervention for his best friend. Nick explains his motivation to speak honestly about his family in his standup, how Adults celebrates the great tradition of real comedy folks making a show together in NYC, and Coach Steve gets to meet Hermium Permium while Frito gets to meet Hormone Monster.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a kind gesture they received from a stranger.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On each episode of Wondery's podcast The Big Flop, comedians join host Misha Brown to chronicle one of the biggest pop-culture fails of all time and try to answer the age-old question: who thought THIS was a good idea?The Hamburglar was just a mascot, but Jerome Jacobson was the real deal — a McDonald's security chief who pulled off the ultimate inside job. While millions of Americans peeled game pieces hoping for a miracle, this master manipulator was turning Big Macs into big bucks, orchestrating a multi-million dollar fraud. Discover the supersized story of how one man's greed turned America's favorite promotion into the biggest McFlop in fast-food history.This is just a preview of The Big Flop. Listen to The Big Flop wherever you get your podcasts, or at wondery.fm/thebigflop_armchair.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.