Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard

Jennifer Ackerman (What an Owl Knows, The Genius of Birds, The Bird Way) award-winning science writer, speaker, and the New York Times bestselling author. Jennifer joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why people like to work with large birds, how owls hunt, and how polarizing owls are across cultures. Jennifer and Dax talk about how owls have been a source of artistic inspiration, how not all owls are nocturnal, and what we can learn from the silent flight of owls for technological advances. Jennifer explains how some owl babies can mimic sounds to protect themselves, that some owls live in colonies, and the benefits of owls to farmers. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Idiocracy, The Expendables) is an actor, television host, and author. Terry joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his inspiration for President Camacho, what growing up in an ultra religious household was like, and how his relationships changed after fame. Terry and Dax talk about how serious car culture is in America, what affects drugs have had on blue collar communities, and their worst auditions. Terry explains how he overcame an addiction to pornography, what his fitness philosophy is, and what he thinks having privilege means. 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 time they made the news. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jake Tapper (All the Demons are Here, The Devil May Dance) is a journalist, news anchor, and author. Jake joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his thoughts on Evel Knievel, what going to summer camps as a kid was like, and how he originally wanted to be a cartoonist. Jake and Dax talk about his path to journalism, what lessons can be learned from failing, and the difficulties in being a political centrist. Jake explains why he loves thrillers, how he does research for his own novels, and the biggest movie he's ever been in. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Elizabeth Banks (Cocaine Bear, The Beanie Bubble) is an actor, producer, and director. Elizabeth returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss her feelings about using AI in film, what her experience doing a USO tour was like, and her approach as a director. Elizabeth and Dax explain the party game Empire, their thoughts on the Beanie Babies phenomenon, and if they would ever want to go back to college. Elizabeth explains her obsession with her kids' futures, how she views open romantic relationships, and why she loves when people compliment each other. 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 prank gone wrong. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Theise (Notes on Complexity) is a diagnostic pathologist, stem cell biologist, and complexity theorist. Neil joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the principles of complexity theory, the way it works at different levels of scale, and how it differs from chaos theory. Neil and Dax talk about emergent self-organization, how randomness encourages change, and negative feedback loops. Neil explains the importance of your microbiome, how the universe is an endless unfolding range of possibilities, and how he learned to fear a lot less. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael Shannon (George and Tammy, Nocturnal Animals, Boardwalk Empire) is an Academy Award-nominated actor. Michael joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what he thinks about non-alcoholic beers, how theater became a refuge for him, and what shooting a movie in a real prison was like. Michael and Dax talk about who their favorite jazz musicians are, the dynamics of having a stepdad, and how they approach taking on different roles in movies. Michael discusses being fired from an acting job, how he feels about country music, and his experience raising daughters. 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 their craziest fraternity/sorority stories. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Valerie Fridland (Like, Literally, Dude) is a professor, sociolinguist, and author. Valerie joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why people dislike the word "moist" so much, how accents are a part of social identity, and where modern English developed from. Valerie and Dax talk about what language prescriptivism is, the issues people have with the use of "like," and how discourse markers in language are used. Valerie explains what linguistic tricks people use to fit in with popular culture, what it means when words go through semantic bleaching, and what the original meaning of the word "dude" was. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Minka Kelly (Tell Me Everything, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood) is an actress, model, and New York Times Bestselling author. Minka joins the Armchair Expert to discuss confronting her childhood, her complicated relationship with her mother, and not wanting to sensationalize trauma. Minka and Dax talk about the collateral beauty of growing up the way they did, what it's like to love someone that is the source of your pain, and becoming a master at disassociation. Minka explains her own relationship with addiction, how she found her confidence on the set of Parenthood, and the time she had to saw a man's foot off. 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 time they stood up to bully. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Peter Singer (Animal Liberation Now, The Life You Can Save) is a philosopher, professor, and author. Peter joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what the concept of moral relativism is, how philosophy relates to rationality, and what the difference is between being a consequentialist versus a utilitarian. Peter and Dax talk about why ethically raising animals for food is uncommon, whether animals actually feel suffering, and what harm is done to the environment by raising animals on a commercial level. Peter explains why he started doing studies on effective altruism, how people can know if their charitable donations are actually helping people, and why he is drawn to asking questions about controversial ideas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kelly Clarkson (Chemistry, The Kelly Clarkson Show) is a Grammy award-winning singer, author, and talk show host. Kelly joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why she prefers having a small ranch in Montana over a big house in Tennessee, what she thinks about being a rule follower, and how having kids changed her perspective on her own childhood. Kelly and Dax talk about their relationship with coming from reality television, what it was like working with Snoop Dogg, and realize they are opposites. Kelly explains why constantly craving for more doesn't lead to a happy life, the importance of being authentic to yourself, and her journey to hosting a talk show. 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 an unexpected orgasm. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Paul (Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court) is a 12x NBA All-Star, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, and author. Chris joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in the Bible Belt, how much he values the relationship between his parents and his kids, and the need for reciprocal relationships. Chris talks about what he learned from working at his grandfather's service station, his experience when his grandfather was tragically killed, and why he was not allowed to go to the murder trial. Chris explains the work he's doing with Club 61, how he decided to honor his grandfather on the court, and the importance of his male friendships. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Robert Downey Jr. (Downey's Dream Cars, Sr., Iron Man) is an actor and producer. Robert joins the Armchair Expert to discuss their journey to becoming soulmates, how important it is to have deep meaningful relationships, and what acting process works best for him. Robert and Dax talk about what it's like to have an addictive personality, finding closure with their fathers, and whether life is a joke or tragedy. Robert explains what prison was like, why he wanted to modernize his car collection, and what the two most significant projects he's been involved in were. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Prophet Ezekiel Profit is the original founder of Meaningful Existence, a spiritual community, recently bought by actor Jonah Hill who has disrespectfully repurposed it into a "mental health" endeavor. We discuss Prophet's harrowing and ever-evolving origin story including his birth from a 1x1 square mom, how he found his calling via a Rueben sandwich at Jerry's Deli, and we touch on his critical role in inventing the Queen's brail.We talk about the scandal that ultimately led to the demise of his spiritual community (involving the late Bernie Madoff) and we deep dive into his core philosophy that money can buy happiness. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Megan Phelps-Roper (The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling, Unfollow) is a journalist, author, and podcaster. Megan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what it was like to leave the Westboro Baptist Church community, her views on organizations who use shame to control people, and what power people can have in asking questions. Megan and Dax talk about why having compassion for people who are different from you is important, being taught to question everything no matter the cost, and why freedom of speech is such a controversial topic. Megan explains how she was argued out of her belief system, why she agreed to be apart of a podcast about J.K. Rowling, and why having dissenting opinions is the key to a successful pluralistic society. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Natalie Portman (Angel City, Black Swan, Thor) is an Academy Award-winning actress, director, and co-founder of Angel City FC. Natalie returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss what she's currently consuming, the broadening access of content, and to hear about Monica's Paris masseuse story. Natalie and Dax talk about the starkness of the pay discrepancy in sports between men and women, the socialized gender differences in sports, and the importance of having female athletes to idolize. Natalie explainsthe focus on experience at the Angel City Stadium, how her soccer team is being used as a proof of concept for other teams, and her insistence to experience real things in life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.