Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Armchair Umbrella
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.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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 9, 2022 • 1h 38min
Ed Yong (on animal senses)
Ed Yong (An Immerse World, I Contain Multitudes) is a science journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner. Ed joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he became a science writer, how his coverage of the pandemic was different than other reporting, and how biomimicry has advanced our technology. Ed and Dax talk about how some animals can sense magnetic fields, how evolution is about diversity not superiority, and how senses can often work together instead of being compartmentalized. Ed explains how we need imagination to understand how animals experience the world, what "party tricks" some animals can do, and how there is a whole other dimension of color in the natural world that humans can't see.
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Jun 6, 2022 • 1h 37min
Zazie Beetz
Zazie Beetz (Atlanta, Deadpool 2, Joker) is an actor. Zazie joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her name and how everyone pronounces it incorrectly, growing up in a pro-nudity culture in East Germany, and her communist grandparents. Zazie explains what it was like going from Germany to Washington Heights, how connected she feels to anyone of mixed heritage, and why she feels intentions are so important. Zazie opens up about her fear of losing people, the physical response she has to anxiety, and how she feels the need to take care of her character in Atlanta.
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Jun 3, 2022 • 39min
Armchair Anonymous: Forbidden Love
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about being in love with someone they aren't supposed to be in love with.
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Jun 2, 2022 • 2h 12min
Susan Cain (on the power of introverts and bittersweetness)
Susan Cain (Quiet, Bittersweet) is an author and lecturer. Susan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the power of introverts, the different ways people collaborate, and how melancholy can lead to creativity. Susan and Dax talk about what the differences between introversion and shyness are, how humans react to other humans in distress, and what happens at a longevity convention. Susan explains what her new personality test tells you, how the modern world incentivizes extroversion, and how introverts are often incorrectly passed over for leadership positions.
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May 30, 2022 • 2h 4min
LIVE: Ike Barinholtz
Armchair Expert Live from Los Angeles at the Wiltern. May 2nd, 2022. Ike Barinholtz (The Afterparty, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) is an actor, comedian, and producer. Ike joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how much he knows about the JFK conspiracy, what his experience shooting a movie with Nick Cage was like, and the results of his recent colonoscopy. Ike and Dax talk about what they love to order from Dairy Queen, what words really bother them, and how they both have an Abercrombie connection. Ike explains what baseball commissioners actually do and what phone technology was like before the internet.Special Musical Guest: Local Natives.
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May 26, 2022 • 1h 37min
Ray Dalio (investor and hedge fund manager)
Ray Dalio (Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order) is a global macro-investor and author. Ray joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how the world's economy is driven by debt, how investors can study history to try to predict financial outcomes, and how new world orders can shape the rules for the rest of humanity. Ray and Dax talk about what equal opportunity actually looks like, how education is affecting the future of the economy, and how compromise is the key to creating a system that works for everyone. Ray explains the different types of wars, how ideologies now rule in the public space, and how meditation has helped him with painful experiences in his life.
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May 23, 2022 • 1h 58min
Jerrod Carmichael
Jerrod Carmichael (On the Count of Three, Rothaniel) is a comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Jerrod joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his new stand-up special, what growing up in a hyper-masculine community was like, and what his style of comedy is. Jerrod and Dax talk about how growing up poor gave them a unique perspective, what certain southern sayings mean, and how they both are terrified of being a victim. Jerrod explains how shoes were a status symbol in his neighborhood, why he prefers Michael Jackson over Prince, and what he would do if he bought a T-Rex skull.
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May 19, 2022 • 1h 46min
Lord & Miller (filmmaking duo)
Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Lego Movie, The Last Man on Earth, The Afterparty) are writers, producers, and directors. Lord and Miller join the Armchair Expert to discuss how they started working together after attending the same college, what their experience was producing feature films versus television shows, and how they learned to take real-time feedback from each other. Phil, Chris, and Dax talk about who their comedy influences are, how difficult it is to produce an animated film, and what it takes to keep actors confident in the direction of the project. Lord and Miller explain how they started studying really positive people, how they think they shoot the worst sex scenes, and that they prefer to see people in harmony instead of conflict.
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May 16, 2022 • 1h 52min
Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly)
Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly) is a rapper, musician, and actor. Colson joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being vulnerable in a hyper-masculine society, how he moved around a lot growing up, and how he deals with some of the negative public feedback. Colson and Dax talk about how they built up their self-confidence over their careers, how they often would gossip about people they idolize, and what it's like to direct a film you are starring in. Colson explains how he got hit by a double-decker bus in the UK, how he got Dennis Rodman to be in his film, and how he once picked up his aunt from her job in his tour bus.
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May 12, 2022 • 1h 28min
Cathy O'Neil (data scientist on shame)
Cathy O'Neil (The Shame Machine: Who Profits in the New Age of Humiliation) is a mathematician, data scientist, and author. Cathy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how shaming is used as a tool of oppression, how companies profit from shaming people publicly, and how social media conditions us to shame. Cathy and Dax discuss Race to 270, what punching-up shaming is, and how most people are in denial of their own shame. Cathy explains what the four stages of shame are, when shame can be used appropriately, and the ways in which we can challenge our own shaming.
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