Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Episode: Holiday Dinner 2025
Date: December 17, 2025
Episode Overview
The "Holiday Dinner 2025" episode is Armchair Expert’s annual festive gathering, where Dax Shepard, Monica Padman, Kristen Bell, and their close-knit group of friends celebrate the holidays—filled with candid conversations, laughter, personal stories, and playful debate. The group digs into lighthearted holiday traditions, deep confessions, and “fun dinner party” questions sent in by listeners, all while sharing a meal. The tone is warm, honest, slightly chaotic, and consistently funny, capturing the essence of chosen family during the holidays.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Introducing the Holiday Dinner (02:10)
- Monica welcomes listeners, joking about the noise of dinner chewing for those with misophonia.
- Everyone jokes about their "nicest friend," "worst friend," and that the audience needs to guess who's who.
"We invited some of our closest and most eccentric friends...our nicest friend. Yeah, our worst friend and our best friend."
— Monica Padman (02:15)
- Listeners’ “fun dinner party” questions will structure the night.
- Dax: “We’ll let the listener decide who was the nicest and who was...they need to guess the meanest.” (02:38)
2. Family Holiday Blow-Ups (02:53)
- Dax prompts Eric to tell stories about family chaos at Christmas.
- Eric recalls Christmases marred by drinking and arguments, but also extra presents to make up for guilty parents.
- Reflects how chaotic family events shaped his adulthood: "It definitely gave me the ability to deal with chaos...and cause chaos." (04:05)
"You tell a story that you thought was funny for the last 20 years, and then you tell it. You're like, wait, that's a terrible story."
— Dax Shepard (03:36)
3. Honeymoon Brawl at an Upscale Restaurant (04:08)
- Eric shares a wild honeymoon story: he brought his parents, dinner spiraled into drunken insults ("worm bait"), and then a physical fight with his father broke out—at a fancy Lake Como restaurant.
“We just get on the floor and we’re just like, wrestling...my dad and I yelling at each other and my mom yelling something, and Molly’s crying.”
— Eric (06:48)
- Everyone laughs at the “Beverly Hillbillies have come for dinner” vibe.
4. Unexpected and Awkward Public Encounters (07:09)
- Jess recounts being punched by a homeless man while being filmed for a documentary, briefly fearing it was an elaborate prank.
- Leads into a discussion on how susceptible they are to pranks and awkward social situations.
5. Facial Hair and Physical Preferences (09:04)
- Dax notes Jess’s new mustache and the group discusses grooming, mustache trends, and personal preferences.
- Dax shares a story about an older actress who adamantly preferred seeing men’s upper lips, prompting him to change his grooming.
“She grabbed my chin and she said, ‘Listen, I like to see your upper lip. You’re not shaving this up high enough. I want to see the outline of your upper lip because that’s what we want to see because we like that part.’”
— Dax Shepard (10:48)
- Kristin and Monica discuss what physical features attract them most: lips, eyes, hands, skin, feet, etc., leading to good-natured teasing.
- Monica shares her fascination with guests’ hands: “We had a guest on...I was like, oh my, he has such nice...they were strong and big. They had some veins.” (13:48)
6. Holiday Feelings: Joys, Grievances, and Traditions (19:55)
- Dax asks everyone to rate their love for Christmas from 1–10 (Jess is a 79, Amy a 10, Dax and Monica high scores; Jess opens up about sadness and loneliness around holidays).
- Holiday traditions: Monica & Jess buy and co-parent a Christmas tree each year ("our Christmas baby"), delighting and confusing the group with complicated family-tree metaphors.
- Heated debate: what’s the right way to put lights on a tree—top-to-bottom, bottom-to-top, or zig-zag?
“We have a tree baby once a year, and it ages quickly...like, right now, our baby is, like, 34.”
— Monica Padman (22:01)
- Amy, the group’s practicing Christian, talks about the spiritual dimension of Christmas, and everyone affirms the joy of sharing traditions across belief systems.
“I wish that they got to experience the joy and the hope and the peace that is brought with this gift of Jesus. But yeah, might as well celebrate away.”
— Amy (25:11)
- "Chesters"—term from Kristin for those who only go to church on Christmas and Easter (27:03).
7. Listener Questions: Ethical Dilemmas and Hypotheticals
A. Who Would You Eat First if Stranded? (28:29)
- Fun, irreverent debate about who in the group would be most “nutritious,” factoring in size, muscle, and “niceness.”
- The conversation elicits surprisingly sweet (and hilarious) assessments of each other’s qualities—physical and otherwise.
"I'd want to eat her [Monica]...I'm really, I thought for sure no one's gonna really? Yeah.”
— Dax Shepard (30:10)
- Monica nobly volunteers: "I would sacrifice myself if we were really in this scenario. I would have to sacrifice myself cuz I don't have kids." (31:18)
B. Stay in the Closet for an Inheritance? (38:24)
- A listener asks: If you stand to inherit a lot of money by not coming out to family, what do you do?
- The group debates authenticity vs. financial comfort. Eric: “If you’ve got rich relatives, you have got to kiss their ass for the inheritance.” (38:43)
- Monica and Kristin push back, arguing for autonomy and the baggage of “blood money.”
- Dax: “You’re not straight because they wanted you to be straight...this handful of knuckleheads doesn’t know it because they wanted you to lie to them.” (40:30)
- They consider race as a factor, and agree that nobody owes bigots the “performance” for a payout.
C. If You Could Commit Any Crime... (43:57)
- Kristin: Would be a (playful) thief—stealing what she likes off people.
- Dax: Would assassinate Putin.
- Amy & Jess: Lean toward "Robin Hood" redistribution of wealth or tax fraud.
- Eric: Insider trading—minimal harm.
D. Can You Pass Off Take-Out as Homemade? (49:40)
- Most agree: It’s a white lie, but feels wrong if you're claiming credit for "effort."
- Kristin bends if extenuating circumstances exist: "If you were to say, like, lying about a meal—no, I probably wouldn't do that...but if you're going to tell me that the girlfriends are going to host a Christmas for their families and this is their coming out party and they're going to do it really peaceful...let’s just say we made it and then they plate everything..."
E. Worst Gift Ever Received (51:37)
- Jess: Childhood memory of giving her stepdad a gag tie and being shamed for it in front of everyone. ("He really made me...I was mortified.”)
- The bittersweetness of holiday memories and family quirks is a central theme.
8. Looking Ahead: What Are You Letting Go From 2025? (53:14)
Each person makes a “letting go” New Year's commitment:
- Eric: No more caffeine after 6pm: “I want to leave the caffeine at the table at 25.” (53:34)
- Jess: Considering dating (and sex) again after a year of celibacy.
- Kristin: Letting go of judgment, especially after feeling more vulnerable and judged this year.
"I'm not going to be in an invisible war with anyone...I'm just losing all judgment. It's not fun."
— Kristin Bell (55:44)
- Amy: Letting go of busyness—aims to say no more and embody Sabbath rest.
- Monica: Letting go of fear of change—“It's very hard for me. But I’m gonna try to just ride the wave a little more.” (62:37)
- Dax: Letting go of having too many opinions and working on ADHD-related impulsiveness.
- The group affirms each other's resolutions, with Dax gently ribbing and celebrating everyone.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Self-Discovery:
“You tell a story that you thought was funny for the last 20 years, and then you tell it. You’re like, wait, that’s a terrible story.”
— Dax Shepard (03:36) -
On Holiday Happiness:
“I just go in liking things...I really do see the best in everything.”
— Jess (20:25) -
On Inheritance and Ethics:
“Fuck you. Take the money. Take the money. It’s ridiculous, this principle that you’re not gonna be nice to the in because they’re not right politics or whatever it is when you can get all that money.”
— Eric (38:43) -
On Compassion and Judgment:
“I know that I’m loved. I feel it so deeply. I genuinely love to create. I love to have things in order...But it’s also okay if the floor doesn’t get mopped and that there’s extra laundry to do.”
— Amy (59:15)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Holiday Dinner Begins: 02:10
- Family Holidays Gone Wrong: 03:04
- Honeymoon Restaurant Fight: 04:08
- Mustache/Grooming Debate: 09:04
- Physical Preferences/Attraction: 12:07
- What’s Your Christmas Score?: 19:55
- Debate: Lights on Trees: 23:17
- Christian Perspective on Christmas: 24:44
- Who Would You Eat? 28:29
- The Ethics of Staying Closeted for Inheritance: 38:24
- If You Could Commit Any Crime: 43:57
- Passing off Take-Out as Homemade: 49:40
- Worst Gift Received: 51:37
- Letting Go of 2025: 53:14
Style & Tone
The episode is breezy, with lots of crosstalk and gentle ribbing. There’s no shyness about sharing foibles, insecurities, or moments of vulnerability. The group embodies holiday spirit—a little messy, a lot honest, never mean. Their generosity to each other and the audience shines, turning even silly hypotheticals into windows into their real personalities and values.
Final Thoughts
"Holiday Dinner 2025" is a delightful blend of playful banter, real talk, and holiday warmth, providing laughs and comfort for listeners reflecting on their own traditions, complicated families, and personal growth at year’s end. The group’s willingness to tease, disagree, and show up honestly makes the episode a feel-good treat for new and longtime fans alike.