Podcasts have exploded in recent years, and for good reason. When done well, they can be the perfect way to pass time on a long drive, a hike, or to just unwind. Dax Shepard premiered his podcast titled Armchair Expert early in 2018 and to date, has recorded over 270 episodes. In them, he interviews well-known actors, athletes and musicians, but also politicians, authors and journalists to discuss their stories, and most importantly the challenges and setbacks that ultimately led to their growth and success. Shepard has proven to be skilled at garnering honest conversations, aided by his ability to be self-deprecating, but also forthcoming in speaking about his own obstacles.
Monica Padman, affectionately referred to as Miniature Mouse, joins Shepard, helps keeps things centered, and fact checks the conversation at the end of each episode. They have a great energy together that especially shines during the intros and the fact checks where they banter back and forth and joke with each other as genuine friends do.
Shepard has talked about his admiration for Howard Stern as an interviewer, and while they both are great at getting people to be vulnerable and share more than they might in other circumstances, their methods are very different. Stern is known for directly asking shocking questions, while Shepard allows the person he’s interviewing to grow comfortable, and then casually brings up his own insecurities and preconceived notions about a topic, which allows his guest to feel more confident in chiming in with their own experience. He’s less interested in a juicy soundbite than he is delivering a conversation his listeners can take something away from. He correctly says that it’s hard for others to identify with some of the incredible highpoints that a guest may have had, but everyone can find common ground in the mistakes and heartbreaks.
While the podcast is certainly set up to talk about, “the messiness of being human,” it also wants to satisfy listeners who are fans of a particular celebrity by touching on the career trajectory of the guest, and talking through some of the most interesting highlights. In instances when Shepard is a legitimate fan of someone, as he was with Natalie Portman and her film Closer, or a topic is in his wheelhouse, like Travis Pastrana and motorsports, he has more targeted questions for his own benefit which is entertaining in its own way. Everyone wants to have a conversation with someone they have an interest in, and ask questions about topics they have always wanted to dig into, so it’s fun to hear him get worked up doing exactly that.
2020 has made many people change their plans, and it was no different for Armchair Expect, as they softened their stance on solely conducting in-person interviews, which allowed for a wave of new people agreeing to do the show. While you may be most interested in Hollywood stars, or professional athletes, you’ll find yourself fully engaged listening to experts on other topics you never thought you would have a curiosity for. Long-form interviews when done in an entertaining fashion like this, can be captivating and immensely educational. This year Shepard and Padman have talked to some huge names including everyone from Sanjay Gupta and Bill Gates to Sean Penn and Matthew McConaughey, but the most powerful episode was unconventional.
Shepard has always been forthcoming in talking about his sobriety, but at the same time has never shied away from asking other people about their party lifestyles, or from telling stories from before the choice he made 16 years ago to get sober. In an episode entitled Day 7, he and Padman recorded a conversation alone in which he disclosed that he had been struggling with misuse of pain medication following some recent motorcycle injuries that he had sustained.
He decided that he wanted to come forward with this information despite fears over what it could mean for his identity, sponsorship for the podcast, and a host of other insecurities. This wasn’t an instance where his behavior had become erratic on a talk show, or he had been arrested. Nobody outside of his close circle of friends and family knew that he was struggling, and it was nobody else’s business to know, but yet he felt like he wanted to be honest with Armcherries, as fans of the podcast are called, especially those that he knows have been inspired by his story to try sobriety themselves. The whole episode feels unfiltered and full of raw emotion, and you can certainly tell how much weight was lifted off of his shoulders in talking about it, as well as how lucky he feels to have the support of those around him, including Padman.
That reveal was just another challenge that he’s had to face, and he was admittedly much better equipped to do so at this point in his life. It seemed to have no impact on the podcast, as they continued to churn out episodes weekly, and the show has continued to improve as its matured into what it is today. It’s thrilling to hear someone discover a new passion in life, and it’s especially gratifying when they are actually good at it. Armchair Expert is a passion that Shepard and Padman should have a lot of success continuing to pursue, and it will be fun for their listeners as well.
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard is Available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.
