IN FEBRUARY OF this year, Dax Shepard launched his own podcast.
Armchair Expert is, according to Dax himself, a celebration of the messiness of being human.
And it’s certainly that.
As an actor and director, Dax has paid his dues and reaped the rewards, but as a broadcaster, the 43-year-old has – and he’ll say it himself – a steep learning curve to navigate.
Kicking off the series with a two-hour conversation with his wife, actress Kristin Bell, Dax admitted he went the spouse route in order to ensure a smooth debut episode.
I naively assumed that this would be a slam-dunk because we’ve acted opposite one another in a bunch of things and done dozens of interviews together and for the most part those things have always been pretty effortless, and in full disclosure she was my first interview because I was so confident it would go well.
But as is the messiness of human life, it didn’t quite go to plan.
On this day, we just were not getting along. We were bickering and impatient with one another and the first half of the interview was a struggle. In fact, I considered just leaving this unreleased because, truthfully, I’m embarrassingly controlling throughout most of it and she is, by my estimation, very suspicious of my motives.
And while there’s no doubt the pair eventually got into their stride, Dax implying that his approach was simply down to his relationship with the guest was ultimately rendered invalid with the release of subsequent episodes.
While there are a number of highlights in the series so far, Dax’s interviewing technique can be somewhat grating at times, given his infuriating propensity to constantly interrupt.
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Indeed, there are times when a listener will find themselves holding their breath as a guest attempts to interject and deliver a response to a question it seems Dax would really rather answer himself.
And while a sense of over-excitement on Dax’s part at the prospect of interviewing his mates may be forgiven, the same can’t be said for the lack of preparation evident in other episodes.
All in all, it’s worth a listen if you’ve followed Dax’s career trajectory so far and enjoy lengthy laidback podcast chat, but there’s no doubt the man himself is still finding his feet.
Let’s take a look at the highlights
Kristin Bell
Simply put, Dax has Kristin to thank for saving this episode.
Having entered into it with a somewhat snarky attitude, Dax eventually yields to Kristin’s effortless charm and a frank, open and at times – incredibly touching – conversation ensues.
Ashton Kutcher
As far as Dax is concerned he has Ashton to thank for his rise to fame following his role in MTV’s Punkd, but Ashton feels the opposite is true – a clash of opinion which ultimately shines a light on the dynamic at play among struggling actors who eventually make it big.
Jimmy Kimmel
Chock-full of funny anecotes, this episode is undoubtedly worth a listen especially if you’re a fan of either personality. The pair’s undisguised respect for each other makes for a particularly upbeat exchange.
And now it’s time for the lowlights.
Ellen DeGeneres
As a podcast host, you don’t get a guest much bigger than Ellen DeGeneres.
So, understandably, the pressure was on for Dax.
A shorter episode than usual given Ellen’s jampacked schedule, Dax was forced to sprint rather than meander through the exchange – circumstance which made for a relatively awkward episode.
At times, it seemed like Dax was ill-prepared as he asked Ellen to reflect on both her career trajectory and decision to come out as gay in 1997, although perhaps this was down to nerves or time constraints.
The producer’s input
One particular feature of Armchair Expert which needs to be shelved immediately, if not sooner, is the segment dedicated to sucking the life out of the conversation that has just taken place between Dax and his guest.
As is standard during most exchanges featuring personal anecdotes, the conversation is peppered with exaggeration and hyperbole – something which Dax’s producer, Monica, is forced to address after a substantial amount of time analysing the interview and fact-checking the remarks.
Jimmy [Kimmel] mentioned that the raindrops in Bora Bora were so heavy that they had a pint of rain in each one. I tried to research how much water a raindrop can hold and I couldn’t find it. But I was able to find out how much rain a cloud can hold. Scientists estimate that one inch of rain following over an area od one square mile is equal to 17.4 million gallons of water.
No, just no.
