Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard

Day 7. Dax gives the Armcherries a personal update. Recorded on September 21, 2020. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Farrier is a New Zealand investigative journalist known for his documentary Tickled and documentary series Dark Tourist. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss all things conspiracy theories, from QAnon to Wayfairgate to Flat Earthers. The two discuss how these conspiracies happen, what makes people susceptible to them, and how to have constructive discussions with their believers. Dax confesses how sad he is that he can't hang out with David every day. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sara Bareilles is a Grammy Award-winner and Tony and EmmyAward-nominated singer, songwriter, actress and author. Sara chats with the Armchair Expert about her awkwardness as a kid and how she found her place in community theater. Dax geeks out about the two attending UCLA at the same time and Sara tells him how she wasted a year of school credits abroad. She discusses her obscure overshares on stage, the bipolar lifestyle of musicians on the road, and how she feels a little like a superhero because she had covid already. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Leah Plunkett is a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and an associate professor at the University of New Hampshire School of Law. She is the author of the book, Sharenthood: Why We Should Think Before We Talk about Our Kids Online. Leah chats with the Armchair Expert about the pitfalls of sharing kids' data on social media, the ways in which tech companiescommodify human data and how she implementsrestrictions in her own house. Dax wonders how to balance the positive and negativesides of tech and Leah talks about using improv in teachinglaw. The two talk about possiblesolutions moving forward and Leah teaches Dax and Monica a new word. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Keith Urban is a four-time Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer. Keith chats with the Armchair Expert about adjusting to Nashville from Australia, why he couldn't get signed to a record deal and his unique meld of sounds. Dax wonders why songs by Australian singers often sound American and Keith talks about wanting approval from his father. They talk about Keith's time on American Idol, having many years of professional struggle before success and how he found sobriety after marriage. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

BONUS EPISODE with Susan Burton, the founder and executive director of A New Way of Life, a non-profit that provides sober housing and other support to formerly incarcerated women. Susan chats with the Armchair Expert about her heartbreaking story – battling addiction, losing her son, and her time spent within the prison system. Dax and Susan discuss the control that prisons seek and how often prisoners are survivors of trauma. Susan talks about her road to recovery and how it introduced her to the concept of service. She discusses her journey to becoming a resource for women coming out of prison and all of the amazing work A New Way of Life is currently doing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tom Brady is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. Tom joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his journey to healthy dieting, valuing skills that often get undervalued and starting football in high school. Dax asks what it was like to leave the Patriots after such a long career and Tom talks about having a chip on his shoulder. The two discuss Tom's approach to bettering himself and the identity shift he will inevitably experience post-retirement. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad, Ted) isan American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, comedian, and singer. Seth chats with the armchair expert about how he first found animation, luck vs. effort and how he handles criticism. Dax brings up a lingering insecurity about Family Guy and Seth talks about the first time he drew a nude in college. The two talk about the future of animation, Seth's involvement in philanthropy and Dax is disappointed they haven't read any of the same books. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lenore Skenazy is the president of Let Grow, a non-profit promoting childhood independence and resilience, and the founder of the Free-Range Kids movement. Lenore discusses the generational differences in growing up, how unrealistic the current standards are for being a good parent, and the importance of play. Dax asks Lenore to dispel the myth of common childhood dangers and Lenore explains the negative notion of the phrase "stranger danger." The two discuss frequency distortion, how resilient kids are, and Lenore unveils her husband's crow box. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jason Bateman (Ozark, Arrested Development, Silver Spoons) is an American actor, director, producer and returning guest of Armchair Expert. Jason discusses his new podcast Smartless, his fears about coming across as overly opinionated and how much he's willing to divulge on it. Dax owns his own insecurities and asks why they don't hang out more, while Jason admits that he needs to work on his rest face. In the fact check, Dax and Monica go through and answer the Proust character questionnaire. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nadia Bolz-Weber is an author, Lutheran minister and public theologian. Nadia chats with the Armchair Expert to have a discussion on one of life's most challenging topics: religion. Nadia discusses the evolution of her faith, the beauty of grace and unconventional tradition. Dax wonders how she, as a femininst, can reconcile the lack of females in the church and Nadia talks about the danger of promise rings. The two talk about sobriety, community vs. faith and whether Jesus is the son of God. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy, Old School, Catch Me If You Can) is an American actress, director, and producer. Ellen chats with the Armchair Expert about growing up in blue collar Boston, her relationship with women and proving her worth. Dax asks about the impact of losing her mother at age 4 and Ellen talks about a few iconic movies she was cut out of. The two talk about Ellen's public salary negotiations and the pros and cons of being on a show for 17 seasons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bill Gates is an American entrepreneur, software developer, investor, and philanthropist. Bill chats with the Armchair Expert about being fascinated by advancements in history, balancing work/marriage/fatherhood and his eternal optimism. Dax wonders if it's possible to be simultaneously sweet and demanding and Bill talks about his love of the movie, Spy Game. The two talk about the critical role of vaccinations, whether tech entrepreneurs deserve to be questioned by the government and their mutual love of Diet Coke. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sean Penn (Milk, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, I Am Sam, Into the Wild) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, author and humanitarian. Sean chats with the Armchair Expert about recognizing limitations, the freedom he finds in writing books and the impact of cancel culture. Dax wonders what drove Sean toward humanitarian work and Sean talks about the human desire for wanderlust. The two talk about the point at which assets become embarrassments, their mutual love of Bukowski and Sean's disapproval of insincerity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

BONUS EPISODE with Michael Tubbs (the 79th and current mayor of Stockton, CA) is the second installment in a monthly series on dissecting the Black experience in America. Michael chats with the Armchair Expert about becoming the youngest mayor in Stockton's history and the programs he developed to reduce gun violence and homicides in Stockton. He discusses the impact of his father's imprisonment on his life and his realization that while people have the freedom to make choices, those choices are often contextualized by an environment in which they have no control. Dax then argues with Mayor Tubbs about universal basic income and Michael explains how an income floor can allow for people to take a risk and bet on themselves. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Atul Gawande is an American surgeon, writer, and public health researcher. He practices general and endocrine surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dax and Atul discuss the personalities of surgeons and the use of checklists to remedy the complexity of their responsibilities. Dax tells a scary hospice story and the two discuss how you determine your priorities as you reach the later stages of life. In the fact check, Monica & Dax discuss training crows to do complex tasks. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Colin Jost (SNL) is an American comedian, actor and writer. Colin chats with the Armchair Expert about how he got into comedy, his approach to managing and he talks us through some of his favorite sightseeing castles. Dax wonders if his experience at Harvard was like Hogwarts and Colin shares one of his many poop stories. The two talk about Colin's contribution to the Dave Chappelle Mark Twain Awards ceremony, he speculates on why he's so private and he talks about how he views the world as an observer rather than a participant. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brad Edwardsis a nationally recognized Board Certified Civil Trial attorney who specializes in providing civil representation for children, victims of sexual abuse, and victims of violent crimes. He is most notable for representing over 50 girls in the Jeffrey Epstein case. Brad joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the details of the Jeffrey Epstein case, the ways in which he manipulated his victims and he recalls the times he spent with Jeffrey one-on-one. Dax asks Brad about his opinion on Epstein's death and Brad talks about the hurdles of this case. The two talk about the ways income inequality played a role in the power dynamic, Ghislaine Maxwell's involvement, and his book, Relentless Pursuit: My Fight For The Victims of Jeffrey Epstein. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton, Smash, Central Park) is an American Broadway, TV, Film actor and singer. Leslie chats with the Armchair Expert about his acting approach in Hamilton, achieving his singular goal of being in RENT on Broadway and struggling with the concept of being the "token". Dax asks about the unique dynamic of being married to a fellow actress and Leslie confesses about his time as a grocery store employee. The two talk about cancel culture, Leslie talks about his commitment to salary parity and Monica and Dax have a disgusting/interesting debate in the fact check. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Angela Duckworth is an American academic, psychologist, MacArthur Genius grant winner and the co-host of the podcast No Stupid Questions. She is the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studies grit and self-control. Angela chats with the Armchair Expert about the components of grit, her inclination to study achievement and the amorphous quality to intelligence. Dax talks about fulfillment vs. success and Angela talks about the imperative of intentional role modeling. The two discuss objectivism in The Fountainhead, the detriment of comparison and Angela evaluates Dax and Monica's grit. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.