David Farrier exposes Monica and Dax to a new conspiracy theory each month. Today’s episode: Simulation Theory

Kwame Onwuachi is a James Beard award-winning chef and author. Kwame joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his experience as a contestant and judge on Top Chef, writing his first book, and cooking for Obama, Oprah, and Dave Chappelle. Kwame and Dax talk about their shared experience growing up in a single-mother household and how as a kid, Kwame was sent to Nigeria for two years to live with his Grandpa. Kwame explains that opening his own restaurants has taught him how to be a better leader and that he's not the best Spades partner if you want to win.

Kelly Osbourne is an English television personality, actress, singer, model, and fashion designer. Kelly joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how her reality show changed her life, her history with addiction, and how Dax used to attend meetings at her house. Kelly discusses becoming ruthless after having her heart broken, what it was like always having a camera around, and how she can’t watch the Britney documentary. Kelly and Dax discuss the fellowship of the AA program, relapsing when she was her happiest, and how they’re both most vulnerable when things are great.

Alexi Pappas is a Greek-American Olympic runner, filmmaker, actor, and writer. Her debut memoir-in-essays, Bravey was published in January 2021. Alexi joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her experience competing at the Rio Olympics, getting into running later in life, and the impact her father had in her life after her mom passed away. Alexi and Dax discuss post-Olympic situational depression, treating mental health the same as physical health, and striving to achieve as many goals in life as possible. Alexi talks about being into improv comedy at Dartmouth, why she wanted to produce books and film, and her future in the arts and performing space.

William Jackson Harper (The Good Place, Midsommar, Dark Waters) is an Emmy-nominated actor and playwright. William joins the Armchair Expert to discuss feeling like an outsider growing up in a Dallas suburb, not being good at anything as a kid except acting, and his father passing away at a young age. William and Dax discuss him moving to New York to pursue a Broadway career, how he never felt like the television and film world would accept him, and his many bad haircuts over the years. William explains how he almost quit acting and how his experience on The Good Place changed his life.

Dorothy Brown is an author and law professor at Emory University. Dorothy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her new book “The Whiteness of Wealth” and how race relates to taxes and wealth inequality. Dorothy and Dax discuss the problems with the current tax system and solutions to the systemic racism of tax law. Dorothy explains the differences in married couples filing for taxes, homeownership value, and how wages are invested among white and black communities.

Andrew Yang is an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, non-profit leader, and currently running for Mayor of New York City. Andrew joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up as a first generation Asian American in the 80’s, being an older dad to young kids, and running for mayor of New York City. Andrew and Dax discuss universal basic income and how artificial intelligence technology is threatening American jobs. Andrew explains the concept of human-centered capitalism, his ideas about value-added tax for the economy, and reflects on the recent hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Macklemore is Grammy Award-winning rapper and songwriter. Macklemore joins the Armchair Expert to talk about growing up in a progressive neighborhood in Seattle, falling in love with music when he heard the Beverly Hills Cops soundtrack, and why he chose East Coast Rap over West Coast Rap. Dax and Macklemore open up about their journeys with sobriety and Mackelmore explains how fame fueled his addictions. Macklemore discusses the relationship between artistic ability and narcissism, his new line of golf clothing, and being a white artist in the hip hop space.

Michael Moss is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter. Michael joins the Armchair Expert to discuss food addiction, the invention of processed food, and what government oversight of the food industry would look like. Michael and Dax discuss free will when it comes to diet, how big food companies use marketing tactics to influence our choices, and that obesity is a crude measure of health. Michael explains the phenomena of dieting and how income inequality affects people’s access to healthy food. 

Hank Azaria (The Simpsons, Brockmire, The Birdcage) is an Emmy-award winning actor and comedian. Hank joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his addiction and recovery, being mistaken as someone in the upholstery business, and the controversy around his Simpson’s character. Hank and Dax discuss getting in touch with your emotions to help with conflict resolution and how addiction is really just an obsession. Hank talks about his perspective on white privilege, how he’s learned to smile more when meeting people, and that he can’t believe more baseball announcers haven’t been canceled.

David Farrier exposes Monica and Dax to a new conspiracy theory each month. Today’s episode: Cannibalism.

Daniel Goleman, PhD is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-nominated author and science journalist. Daniel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the differences between cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and empathic concern, and that emotional intelligence starts with being aware and able to name your feelings. Daniel explains the importance of cognitive control, that the same circuitry that helps you focus also calms you down, and the impact your emotional intelligence has on your health. Daniel discusses the flawed understanding of emotion vs logic, that the brain is designed to learn from life when it comes to emotional intelligence, and the science behind how your brain communicates emotions with another person.

Lamorne Morris (New Girl, Woke, Unwanted) is an actor, comedian and podcaster. Lamorne joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up on the southside of Chicago, how he knew he wanted to get into comedy at a young age and his relationship with his father. Lamorne and Dax discuss systemic racism, the time he got handcuffed after trying to stop a fight, and the conflicting nature of playing a police officer on tv while also confronting what’s going on in real life. Lamorne talks about auditioning for New Girl 15 times before he finally got the role, his new scripted podcast Unwanted, and Dax opens up about a deep insecurity.

Walter Isaacson is an American author, journalist, and professor. Walter joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his work as a biographer, that it’s important to remember that all people are human, and how much more inspiring they are when you realize that. Walter explains the three great innovation revolutions of modern times, how transformative Jennifer Doudna’s gene editing work is, and how she used her knowledge of CRISPR to help with the fight against covid. Dax and Walter discuss the dilemma of editing out certain negative traits and the effects it can have on shaping a person and the importance of trying to maximize the Utopia of gene editing while minimizing the many unforeseen issues that will arise.

Rachel Bilson (The O.C., Hart of Dixie, Jumper) is an actress and podcast host. Rachel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss getting her role on The O.C. at twenty-one years old and how being a fourth-generation actor helped keep her grounded. Rachel and Dax discuss Rachel’s tantric sex expert mother, how to talk to your kids about sex, and how poorly certain things they used to watch have aged. Rachel tells us about her new podcast, the time someone broke into her house and took a poop in her bathroom, and Rachel & Monica bond over the Bachelor.

Sam Pollard is an Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated director and producer. Sam joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in Harlem in the 50s, his path into becoming a film editor, and working with Spike Lee. Sam talks about his new film MLK/FBI: the red scare, non-monogamous activity, and racism.

Dr. Susan Liautaud (The Power of Ethics) is an author, teacher of ethics at Stanford University, and founder of Susan Liautaud & Associates Limited. Susan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss ethics: the six forces present in all ethical dilemmas, why we can’t look at things in a binary manner, and how we’re only as ethical as our last decision. Susan explains that there’s no place for blame, shame or guilt in ethics, what incentive people have to make ethical decisions, and the need to make ethics accessible to everyone. Dax & Susan discuss the need to think about the consequences that could happen, not just the consequences that will happen and in the fact check, we have a visit from the man whose simulation we are all living in.

We check in three months later with both contestants: Aaron has a girlfriend, septoplasty, lasik and colonoscopy while Charlie’s arms are back to looking huge. Dax & Monica present them with trophies and a framed photo of the baby in the white dress. 

Robin Thicke is a singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, musician and actor. Robin joins the Armchair Expert to discuss losing his home to the Malibu fires, his time on set of Growing Pains with his dad, and getting his first recording contract at 16 years old. Robin opens up about losing himself after the death of his father, how he was still searching for his dad’s attention and approval, and how important focusing on balance in his life is. Robin discusses what he learned from the commercial flop of his first album and how his partnership with Pharrell started.

Ethan Kross (Chatter) is an experimental psychologist, neuroscientist and writer, who specializes in emotion regulation. Ethan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the usefulness of your inner voice and how to harness it. Ethan explains how important context is when triggering emotions, how negative emotions are just as vital as positive ones, and the ways language can shape our emotional experiences. Ethan discusses how having the ability to feel the way we want all the time could be problematic and tips on how to be in the past and the future without being sucked in the chatter. In the fact check, Dax & Monica discuss the Royals.

Aaron looks great in a beard, Monica tells Charlie that his arms look smaller, and Dax reminisces about a time when he thought he’d never be able to have sex again.

Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation, House of Lies, Middleditch and Schwartz) is an actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. Ben joins the armchair expert to discuss starting off in improv comedy, how Eugene Cordero is the funniest person in the world, and dancing with Dax at a pajama birthday party. Ben recounts working as a camp janitor as a minor, the importance of separating his self-worth from the work he does, and his experience going on the Letterman show. Monica divulges her attraction to Ben and the lengths she would go to be near him at his shows and Dax tells him how special his hair thickness is.

Dax and Monica host a conversation with Bill Gates about his new book, How To Avoid A Climate Disaster, for the Chicago Humanities Festival.

David Farrier exposes Monica and Dax to a new conspiracy theory each month. Today’s episode: JFK Assassination.

George Saunders (A Swim in a Pond in the Rain) is a #1 New York Times bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author. George joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the mental phenomena of life, farting in an elevator, and romanticizing everything as a writer. George explains how he learned that being a writer wasn’t about your adventure resume, how to trust your own mind and bless your reactions, and how he finds inspiration by revisiting great works. George discusses how underestimated the role of encouragement is, that self-remonstration is the enemy of art, and how writer’s block is having artificially elevated expectations of yourself.