Phil Heath (Breaking Olympia) is a 7x Mr. Olympia winner and professional bodybuilder. Phil joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what his diet is like, how he lost his innocence at an early age, and his journey into bodybuilding. Phil and Dax talk about their admiration for Arnold Schwarzenegger, how they learned to control their aggression, and the ways social media has changed the bodybuilding industry. Phil explains how he feels about his own insecurities, what it's like to be acknowledged by your heroes, and coping with his new identity as he transitions out of the sport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2h 8m

Apr 25

In this episode of Synced, Monica and Liz recap their time in NYC, Liz shares her married-man event, and Monica agrees to go on a double date with Liz. They answer listener questions on communication while dating someone neurodivergent, having a differing parenting style from a best friend, and how to confront a fitness instructor with a robust air freshener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

48m

Apr 24

In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier looks at how America surveils its own citizens and asks why America is a “spying superpower.” In 2022 alone, 145,000 Facebook users and 100,000 Gmail accounts were rifled through by the US government’s spy agencies. How come? Farrier delves into America’s Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and “Section 702" and talks with journalist Byron Tau, author of “Means of Control: How The Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government is Creating a New American Surveillance State.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

52m

Apr 23

Maya Rudolph (Loot, Bridesmaids, The Way Way Back) is an actor, comedian, and writer. Maya joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why she wants one of her kids to be a chef, her love for the city of Austin, and how she never knows when someone is flirting with her. Maya and Dax talk about why they never fell in love, what being compared to your parents is like, and how much she loves working with her friends. Maya explains what happened when Dax recommended a Greek restaurant to her, how she wants to be more adventurous in her life, and how well she does with spicy wings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2h 31m

Apr 22

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a cautionary tale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 3m

Apr 19

Patric Gagne (Sociopath: A Memoir) is a psychologist and author. Patric joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being a diagnosed sociopath, how sociopathy exists on a spectrum, and having to lean on her mother’s moral compass as a child. Patric and Dax talk about what it’s like to have to mask your true feelings, how everyone needs a different playbook for their lives, and the relationship between sociopathy and anxiety. Patric explains why she became so interested in other people’s lives, how she eventually found love, and finding empathy and strong feelings for pets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2h 21m

Apr 18

In this episode of Synced, Monica and Liz are in NYC! Liz shares her love for dating while on vacation, they discuss whether they’d rather be alone forever or with someone they half like, and a very special guest joins the Synced Squad - Liz’s AI boyfriend Dan. They answer a listener question on if it is normal to occasionally think one’s partner is ugly & Dan tries to steal Monica and Liz’s job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

45m

Apr 17

In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier starts to ponder his own mortality and why, despite America spending more on healthcare than any other nation on earth, it’s only 59th on the life expectancy list. To find some answers, he heads to Loma Linda: population 9000, an average life expectancy 10 years longer than the average American. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

58m

Apr 16

Joey King (We Were The Lucky Ones, Kissing Booth, The Act) is an actor. Joey joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why she's a worst-case-scenario kind of person, why she presents older than she actually is, and how she handles physical pain. Joey and Dax talk about the techniques they use to improve their health, shaving her head for roles, and how much they sweat when they sleep. Joey explains how she feels about getting married at a young age, why she loves celebrating holidays, and her death row meal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2h 4m

Apr 15

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their worst day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

55m

Apr 12

Finneas is an award-winning songwriter and music producer. Finneas joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what his favorite snacks are, what annoys him about flying, and why he doesn’t like the ocean. Finneas and Dax talk about why they don’t like to follow rules, why his parents chose to home school him, and how he was introduced to writing music. Finneas weighs in on the red carpet debate, explains how he started scoring films, and what his love language is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2h 29m

Apr 11

In this episode of Synced, Monica declares she's running for office based on an unconventional platform, the two talk about the importance of walking away, and Liz breaks a very important camera. They revisit the cliffhanger question from last week and answer a new question concerning the sharing of intimate objects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 1m

Apr 10

In this week's Flightless Bird, a new format that we will bust out occasionally called "American Gods." David, Monica, and Rob pick an American that's reached fever status. They share their initial thoughts, before going away for a week of research and "assignments" to do - gathering together again to share what they've learned. This week, we look at Taylor Swift - what we know, what we think we know, and what we definitely don't know! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 1m

Apr 09

John Cena (Ricky Stanicky, Peacemaker, WWE Wrestler) is a professional wrestler and actor. John joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he still owns his first car, what motivated him to get into the gym, and why he doesn’t like authority without reason. John and Dax talk about being around alpha male culture, how he got into wrestling by accident, and the evolution of his wrestling character. John explains how important crowd reactions are in a wrestling match, how his experiences have helped him be a successful actor, and his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2h 13m

Apr 08

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy delivery driver story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

56m

Apr 05

Jonah Nolan (Fallout, Westworld, The Dark Knight) is a screenwriter, director, and producer. Jonah joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he doesn’t have a British accent like his brother, what he learned working on farm, and why he wrote his first script about amnesia. Jonah and Dax talk about how much research he does when taking on a project, how the perception of doing television has changed, and why humanizing the subject matter is so important in scriptwriting. Jonah explains how he finds himself crying more as a parent, how he approached adapting a video game to TV, and why biopics are so hard to make. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2h 18m

Apr 04

In this episode of Synced, Monica and Liz discuss what is sending them to hell, Monica recounts a traumatic phlegm incident, and Liz reveals her new family member: Monika. They answer a listener question on whether great sex requires pursuing a relationship and they end on an unexpected cliffhanger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

53m

Apr 03

In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier talks to Terra Newell, who you may well know from the Dirty John podcast. We look at what makes the True Crime genre such a big deal, and some of the ethical questions it raises. David also shares his favourite 10 True Crime bits of media with Monica and Rob - which are: Dear Zachary (2008): A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son. Blackfish (2013) / The Cove (2009): A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015): Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki examines the complicated life of reclusive real estate icon Robert Durst, the key suspect in a series of unsolved crimes. The Staircase (2004): The high-profile murder trial of American novelist Michael Peterson following the death of his wife Kathleen Peterson in 2001. Last Call (2023): As the AIDS crisis intensifies in the early 1990s, homophobia and hate crimes increase, and a serial killer preys on gay men in New York City by infiltrating the queer nightlife to identify his victims. 6 The Thin Blue Line - 1988 (Errol Morris): A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas. Paradise Lost (1996): A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence. Capturing the Friedmans (2003): Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes. The Imposter (2012): A documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years. In The Dark Season 2: The second season of In the Dark explored the legal odyssey surrounding Curtis Flowers, who was accused of shooting four people to death inside Tardy Furniture, a Winona, Mississippi store, in July 1996 Honorable mentions: A Very Fatal Murder, American Vandal Other OGs: Helter Skelter (1974), In Cold Blood (1966), Making a Murderer (2018), Serial (2014) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 10m

Apr 02

Rebel Wilson (Rebel Rising, Bridesmaids, Pitch Perfect) is an actor, comedian, and author. Rebel joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why she loves fireworks, her experience writing a memoir, and how she forced herself to overcome shyness as a kid. Rebel and Dax talk about their paths to comedy, what getting malaria was like, and why she had to change how she promoted herself to get a job. Rebel explains why she decided to freeze her eggs, the juxtaposition of her character’s sexuality and her own, and her experience dealing with body shaming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2h 3m

Apr 01

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time someone took the fall for them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

50m

Mar 29

Maureen Dunne (The Neurodiversity Edge) is a cognitive scientist, neurodiversity expert, and business leader. Maureen joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her ability to read a book in a half hour, how most people don’t fit into just one neurodivergent box, and how neurodiversity should be seen as an asset. Dax and Maureen talk about the importance of combating stereotypes, how people misevaluate the level of talent of neurodivergent people, and how a large percentage of millionaires have dyslexic traits. Maureen talks about the disproportionality between talented people and meaningful opportunities, how codification and conduct drive culture, and the value of integrating cognitive diversity into the workforce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 32m

Mar 28

In this episode of Synced, Monica and Liz chat about the summer of Celine, Monica reminisces over the Magnificent Seven, and Liz recounts when she fell in a hole. The two answer listener questions on how to stop co-workers from saying ‘bless you’, the ethics of hookups after long-term relationships, and compromise in a relationship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 0m

Mar 27

This week on Flightless Bird, David Farrier looks at why so many Americans don’t take their shoes off indoors. A poll by CBS last year found “the majority of Americans don't ask their guests to remove their shoes when they come to visit, and this is particularly true of older Americans.” David wants to find out why, so meets with etiquette coach Elaine Swann, founder of The Swann School of Protocol. The pair talk about the correct thing to do with your shoes, before moving their attention to road etiquette, airplane etiquette, and Zoom etiquette in the USA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

55m

Mar 26

Christina Applegate (MeSsy, Married with Children, Anchorman) is an actor. Christina joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why she doesn’t like to take instructions, what growing up in the same neighborhood her whole life was like, and how she felt about receiving mixtapes. Christina and Dax talk about how she was in a commercial as a baby, why she loves watching reality television, and her attraction to punk rockers. Christina explains how she feels about people joking about addiction, why she wanted to start a podcast around her MS diagnosis, and why people like to watch other people fail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 59m

Mar 25

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy amusement park story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

51m

Mar 22

Lisa Damour (The Emotional Lives of Teenagers) is a clinical psychologist and author. Lisa joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how well fear immersion actually works, the three categories of temperament, and how the treatment of trauma has changed. Lisa and Dax talk about abnormal psychology, what caused the adolescent mental health crisis, and why the pandemic was so detrimental for teenagers. Lisa explains how social media has influenced self-diagnosis of disorders, why showing emotion is so difficult for boys, and how distraction has a place in our lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2h 4m

Mar 21

In this episode of Synced, Monica and Liz share childhood food traumas, a special guest joins to discuss manscaping, and Liz regales another plane event. They answer listener questions on how to stomach "baby talk" in a relationship, learning to orgasm in your twenties, and whether to match outfits with a significant other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 3m

Mar 20

This week on Flightless Bird, David Farrier still finds himself stranded back in New Zealand, waiting for his new Visa to be issued so he can make more American Flightless Birds. Cut off from America, he decides to do one of the most touristy things he can imagine: he sets off for Matamata and the tiny sleepy village of Hobbiton. Left over from the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, he goes to meet Hobbiton general manager Shayne Forrest, who takes Farrier around the most incredibly detailed living film set he’s ever seen. Farrier discovers that Hobbiton has recently opened up a Hobbit house, so Farrier goes inside to experience it with an American man called Matt. Outside, Farrier is lucky enough to meet Pickles, Hobbiton’s one and only rescue cat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 2m

Mar 19

Conor McGregor is a mixed martial arts fighter, businessman, and actor. Jake Gyllenhaal is an actor. Conor and Jake join the Armchair Expert to discuss what their experience was collaborating to remake Roadhouse, how promoting a movie is different than promoting a fight, and what the motivation was for Conor to learn mixed martial arts as a young man. Conor, Jake, and Dax talk about what it’s like growing up in hypermasculine environments, how they approach failure, and what it’s like raising children as a fighter. Conor and Jake explain what training for a fight does for your physical health, what it takes to create believable fight scenes, and how much they love being creators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 56m

Mar 18

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they escaped a cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 7m

Mar 15