Episodes

Jonathan Abrams (The Come Up) is an author and journalist. Jonathan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he wanted to write an oral history of hip-hop, how he became a sports writer, and who some of his all-time favorite rap artists are. Jonathan and Dax talk about which artists shaped the hip-hop landscape, what the different geographic pockets of the industry are, and how sampling influenced the progression of the genre. Jonathan explains the east vs west coast wars, why masculinity is so ...

Kevin Bacon (They/Them, City on a Hill, Footloose) is an actor. Kevin joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he thinks Footloose had so much success, what being cool means to him, and why he decided to make the move to television. Kevin and Dax talk about what it's like to do all those interviews to promote movies, why they embraced doing commercials, and how they view playing the role of an unlikeable character. Kevin explains how he views himself in the zeitgeist of American pop culture, wha...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they were caught masturbating in an inappropriate place. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Saul Kassin (Duped: Why Innocent People Confess) is a professor and psychologist. Saul joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why some people give false confessions in criminal investigations, what tactics law enforcement use in interrogations, and how the language of memory and inference differ. Saul and Dax talk about why some investigators object to recording the questioning of suspects, why some people offer confessions in high-profile cases, and what the optics of silence often says to the pu...

Jennette McCurdy (I'm Glad My Mom Died, iCarly) is a writer, director, and actress. Jennette joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what doing Dialectical Behavior Therapy has done for her mental health, how her relationship with her mother motivated the subject matter of her new book, and what being a love addict means. Jennette and Dax talk about why some people develop eating disorders, whether they like to cry or not, and why they seek approval from other people. Jennette explains what it was ...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they fought a wild animal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jared Diamond is an author, geographer, historian, and ornithologist. Jared joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what his thoughts are on the future state of the world, what motivated him to write books about human societies, and what factors contribute to the rise and fall of civilizations. Jared and Dax talk about why European societies were driven to compete with each other, why some people are obsessed with the "end of days" concept, and what it means to be considered a polymath. Jared expla...

Ice-T (Power, Law and Order: SVU, Split Decision) is a rapper, actor, and producer. Ice-T joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the message of his new book, how he got introduced to the rap industry, and how hip hop changed the world. Ice-T and Dax talk about how crime can be a form of addiction, what their experiences with street fighting are, and how growing up in a tough environment shaped them. Ice-T explains why he joined the Army after high school, why he never liked doing drugs, and why he...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time that they pooped their pants on a date. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Will MacAskill (What We Owe the Future) is a professor at Oxford and philosopher. Will joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how our moralities are affected by global ideologies, how fair trade works, and what effect artificial intelligence will have on our future. Will and Dax talk about the fundamentals of effective altruism, how people can figure out who to donate their money to, and what their opinions are on longtermism as it relates to preserving human life. Will explains why he took his ex...

Lili Reinhart (Riverdale, Look Both Ways) is an actress and producer. Lili joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her struggle with social anxiety, why she started writing poetry, and how she defines fame. Lili and Dax talk about their relationship with body dysmorphia, their OCD tendencies, and being pessimistic by nature. Lili explains what she would have wanted to be if not an actor, the reason she finished high school online, and why she likes gory horror movies. See Privacy Policy at https://...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time that they saved someone's life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jamie Fiore Higgins (Bully Market: My Story of Money and Misogyny at Goldman Sachs) is a former finance executive and author. Jamie joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her experience being a managing director at Goldman Sachs, why she feels she was a perfect fit for the job, and how she dealt with the toxic culture of the business. Jamie and Dax talk about how stressful work environments can lead to drug addiction, how family life is often sacrificed to one's ambitious goals, and how making mor...

Tom Hanks (Pinocchio, Forrest Gump, Cast Away) is an actor and filmmaker. Tom joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what his approach was playing a beloved Disney character, what he loves most about making movies, and how he tries to remember everyone he meets. Tom and Dax talk about the effect Tom's films have had on pop culture, what working with Robert Zemeckis is like, and what it's like to see your own billboards. Tom explains how he used to tell time by what was on television, how amazed he...

Erin Kimmerle (We Carry Their Bones) is a forensic anthropologist and author. Erin joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what we can learn by studying the bones of the deceased, her work investigating possible war crimes, and how she got involved in excavating mass burial grounds. Erin and Dax talk about what happened to the kids who were incarcerated at the Dozier School, the difficulties she had determining their causes of death, and how those who survived dealt with the trauma. Erin explains h...

Neil Patrick Harris (Uncoupled, How I Met Your Mother, Doogie Howser) is an Emmy and Tony-award-winning actor, singer, writer and producer. Neil joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the escape hedge maze he's building in his backyard, his time as the President of the Magic Castle, and how Doogie Howser created imposter syndrome in him. Neil talks about his desire to build things out of wood, how his biggest fear is inadvertently making someone feel bad, and how much he struggles with bandwidth. ...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about the most awkward moment they were interrupted. mid-coitus. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

George Monbiot (Regenesis, The Guardian) is a climate activist and author. George joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what the restoration story narrative is, how obsessed he is with the idea of high luxury in public spaces, and how we can achieve low-impact high-productive farming. George and Dax talk about the differences between simple and complex systems, how technology and politics have to work together to achieve solutions, and what the concept of Neo-Liberalism is. George explains the im...

Zoey Deutch (Not Okay, Buffaloed, Zombieland) is an actor. Zoey joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what it was like growing up on movie sets, how she is obsessed with other people's drinking habits, and how she feels about the idea of public shaming. Zoey and Dax talk about who their favorite Formula 1 drivers are, what actors they love right now, and doing things that embarrass them. Zoey explains why she has so many names, how she was bullied in school, and how much she loves playing unlikea...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us the craziest thing they've ever witnessed at a wedding. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Woo-Kyoung Ahn (Thinking 101) is a psychologist and professor of Psychology at Yale University. Dr. Ahn joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how human thinking has evolved over time, how traumatic events can be measured, and what the concept of causal attribution means. Dr. Ahn and Dax talk about the different ways humans confirm their own bias, how people speak differently to their out-groups than their in-groups, and how we rationalize getting cut off in traffic. Dr. Ahn explains what the ...

Ben Stiller (Severance, Meet the Parents, Tropic Thunder) is an actor, producer, and director. Ben joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what his experience was directing the first season of Severance, what working through the pandemic was like, and how much he enjoys watching dramas. Ben and Dax talk about what movies shaped their childhoods, who they think the funniest comedians are, and how important good scriptwriting is for successful shows. Ben explains how much he misses acting in movies, ...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their untimely, unauthorized evacuation in their pants while on the job or at work. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Lieberman (Mindreader, You Can Read Anyone) is an author and psychotherapist. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his research into the psychology of the human ego, the art of reading a bluff, and the importance of respect in any relationship. David and Dax talk about the differences between sociopaths and narcissists, who they most admire, and what it really means when people speak negatively about others. David explains how to tell if someone is genuinely interested in you, how he...