Bert Kreischer (Lucky, Bertcast, 2 Bears 1 Cave) is a standup comedian, television host, and podcaster. Bert joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the fact that he would have thrived in a content house, how his discontinued flip-flops showed him the power of diversifying his talent, and why learning how to edit videos put him in the driver's seat of his career. Bert and Dax talk about why Florida and Australia are the closest cousins in the world, the truth being that he’s extremely sensitive, and when he started the tradition of pooling tips at his live shows to change one staff person’s day. Bert explains his father’s brutal approach to giving him the humility he needed that actually worked, the origin story of his topless standup performances, and how he had to take a break to find the smile in his joke again in his new special Lucky.

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Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us something they still haven’t confessed to their parents.

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Rebecca Lemov (The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-Persuasion) is a historian of science, author, and associate professor at Harvard. Rebecca joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the meet cute with her husband at the cafe where she was struggling to write her dissertation, how she fell under a romantic spell with anthropology as well as opioids, and the relationship between addiction and brainwashing. Rebecca and Dax talk about how Patty Hearst used brainwashing as a defense for her actions, why it's such an effective mind control tactic to strip someone of their name, and how Korean War soldiers’ health and wellness bounce back after trauma hid evidence of their suffering. Rebecca explains the normalization of brutal torture training of troops, that cult leaders intuitively act out a guidebook of hierarchical dynamics of desire and power, and Facebook’s experiment on emotional contagion as an example of soft brainwashing.

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Dove Cameron (Too Much, Descendants, Liv and Maddie) is an Emmy Award-winning actor and singer. Dove joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the origins of bloomers, realizing she was a stimulus addict at a very young age, and her fear of offending the gooey duck community. Dove and Dax talk about spending her formative years in India for months at a time, her first music gig singing in the children’s ghost choir for Ryan Gosling’s Halloween band, and recognizing as early as she can remember that her parents were meant to split. Dove explains not knowing she was an introvert until she was thrust into the public eye, growing up on TV while processing her father’s death, and how helpful it would be if we all demystified our mental health.

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Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their meet cute.

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.

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Herman Pontzer (Adaptable: How Your Unique Body Works and Why Our Biology Unites Us) is an evolutionary anthropologist, author, and associate professor at Duke University. Herman joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up at the end of a dirt road in a house his dad built, unpacking the dark history of anthropometry, and the ewok chapter of human evolution. Herman and Dax talk about why the brain is the most expensive organ in the body, how the first full human skeleton found being named after a Beatles song, and why people burn more calories being anxious. Herman explains the hockey stick inflection point of intelligence when we began hunting and gathering, why research on early humans debunks the paleo diet, and the story of the guy that accidentally killed the world's oldest living organism.

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Eiza González (Ash, Baby Driver, 3 Body Problem) is an actor and singer. Eiza joins the Armchair Expert to discuss whether there is human DNA in hotdogs, how she wanted braces because all the cool girls had them, and being a patriotic Mexican. Eiza and Dax talk about her father’s priority always being for her to learn as many languages as possible, why her dad passing away suddenly influenced her to pursue acting full time, and experiencing insecurity when she started working in America. Eiza explains why she rides so hard for those who first gave her a shot, seeing her new “Substance-in-space” horror film Ash in theaters, and how she learned the lesson that really horrific things can give way to the most beautiful, life-changing opportunities.

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.

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Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they fought a wild animal.

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.