Lauren Graham Returns

Summary

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard: "Lauren Graham Returns" – Detailed Summary

Episode Release Date: March 10, 2025

In this engaging episode of "Armchair Expert," host Dax Shepard is joined by Monica Padman and special guest Lauren Graham. The trio delves deep into personal experiences, professional growth, and reflections on the entertainment industry, providing listeners with insightful conversations peppered with humor and heartfelt moments.

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1. Welcoming Lauren Graham

The episode kicks off with a warm introduction of Lauren Graham, an accomplished actress known for her roles in "Gilmore Girls," "Parenthood," "Bad Santa," and "Evan Almighty." Dax highlights Lauren's recent venture with Tubi's new show, "The Z Suite," a comedy exploring generational tensions.

Notable Quote:

• Dax Shepard [00:29]: "Actor, producer, best-selling author, so impressive."

2. Reflecting on "Parenthood" and On-Set Dynamics

Lauren reminisces about her experiences shooting "Parenthood," discussing the freestyle nature of the production and the camaraderie on set. She shares anecdotes about lighting issues and the introduction of bounce boards, highlighting the collaborative environment she cherished.

Notable Quote:

• Lauren Graham [04:05]: "I remember one day... suddenly there's a bounce board for Dax. And I kind of being like, why does he get a bounce?"

3. Personal Growth and Hosting Evolution

Dax and Lauren discuss how Dax's approach to hosting has evolved over time. Dax reflects on his early self-consciousness and fear of conducting interviews, contrasting with his current relaxed and confident demeanor thanks to his rapport with guests like Lauren.

Notable Quote:

• Dax Shepard [05:15]: "I think it's been a lot of fear at the beginning of how to conduct an interview, and now there's no real fear around it at all."

4. Navigating Success and Pressures

Monica and Lauren explore how success has introduced new pressures, shifting their initial goals of casual conversation to meeting high expectations for ratings and content. They discuss balancing authenticity with the demands of a growing audience.

Notable Quote:

• Monica Padman [06:20]: "The success of it... has made the pressure a little more."

5. The Dynamics of Friendship: Lauren, May, and Beyond

Lauren shares insights into her deep friendship with May, highlighting the nurturing and supportive elements that transcend conventional friendships. They discuss how roles on set mirror aspects of family relationships, fostering bonds that are both personal and professional.

Notable Quote:

• Lauren Graham [14:04]: "It really is a really special relationship. I feel really thankful for it."

6. Balancing Social Media and Personal Privacy

The conversation turns to social media's impact on public figures. Lauren describes her cautious approach to Instagram, emphasizing authenticity over performative online presence. Dax and Monica discuss the challenges of maintaining privacy and selecting which aspects of their lives to share publicly.

Notable Quote:

• Dax Shepard [07:05]: "I just started thinking, like, why do I let people see me if they're gonna judge me."

7. Commercials, Endorsements, and Business Ventures

The trio delves into their experiences with commercials and product endorsements. Dax discusses his dedication to authentic endorsements, while Monica talks about her extensive work in commercials. Lauren shares her approach to pitching and maintaining integrity in business ventures, particularly with her advertising agency, Atelier.

Notable Quote:

• Monica Padman [25:12]: "I've been in a hundred commercials... being a successful commercial actress."

8. Launching "Reclaiming" Podcast and Future Projects

Lauren introduces her podcast "Reclaiming," co-hosted with Monica Lewinsky, which focuses on individuals' journeys to reclaim their narratives after personal hardships. They discuss the show's mission to inspire and connect listeners through authentic storytelling.

Notable Quote:

• Lauren Graham [60:07]: "My hope is that people finish an episode of Reclaiming and feel like they filled their tank up, they connected."

9. Anecdotes and Humorous Insights

Throughout the episode, Dax, Monica, and Lauren share light-hearted stories from their careers and personal lives, including embarrassing moments on set, experiences with other celebrities, and the logistics of managing their roles both in acting and behind the scenes. These anecdotes provide a relatable and humorous dimension to the conversation.

Notable Quote:

• Dax Shepard [31:43]: "I was carrying the biggest, like a comical. If you were directing this scene, you'd go, the popcorn's too big."

10. Discussing Generational Differences and Media Influence

The hosts debate generational stereotypes, particularly focusing on Generation Z's workplace attitudes and cultural influences. Lauren and Monica critique how the younger generation navigates professional environments differently, with Lauren emphasizing the comedic angle of their new show "The Z Suite," which skewers both corporate cultures and Gen Z quirks without taking sides.

Notable Quote:

• Lauren Graham [56:09]: "What the show asks is, who's more ridiculous? The people who have taken this corporate culture really seriously, or these people who are trying to have a better time."

11. Concluding Reflections and Future Directions

As the episode winds down, the trio reflects on their ongoing projects and future plans. Dax and Lauren reiterate their appreciation for each other's work and the value of their collaborative efforts on shows like "Parenthood." They emphasize the importance of maintaining authentic connections and supporting each other's creative endeavors.

Notable Quote:

• Lauren Graham [58:02]: "I feel so grateful... There's still pressure, but I want the show to come back, and I want people to like it without the neuroticism."

---

Conclusion

"Armchair Expert" with Dax Shepard provides a candid and comprehensive exploration of Lauren Graham's experiences, growth, and insights into the entertainment industry. Through heartfelt discussions and entertaining anecdotes, the episode offers listeners a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs faced by those in the public eye, encouraging them to embrace vulnerability and authenticity.

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Notable Quotes Summary:

• Dax Shepard [00:29]: "Actor, producer, best-selling author, so impressive."
• Lauren Graham [04:05]: "I remember one day... suddenly there's a bounce board for Dax. And I kind of being like, why does he get a bounce?"
• Dax Shepard [05:15]: "I think it's been a lot of fear at the beginning of how to conduct an interview, and now there's no real fear around it at all."
• Monica Padman [06:20]: "The success of it... has made the pressure a little more."
• Lauren Graham [14:04]: "It really is a really special relationship. I feel really thankful for it."
• Dax Shepard [07:05]: "I just started thinking, like, why do I let people see me if they're gonna judge me."
• Monica Padman [25:12]: "I've been in a hundred commercials... being a successful commercial actress."
• Lauren Graham [60:07]: "My hope is that people finish an episode of Reclaiming and feel like they filled their tank up, they connected."
• Dax Shepard [31:43]: "I was carrying the biggest, like a comical. If you were directing this scene, you'd go, the popcorn's too big."
• Lauren Graham [56:09]: "What the show asks is, who's more ridiculous? The people who have taken this corporate culture really seriously, or these people who are trying to have a better time."
• Lauren Graham [58:02]: "I feel so grateful... There's still pressure, but I want the show to come back, and I want people to like it without the neuroticism."

---

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting key discussions, personal anecdotes, and insightful reflections, making it a valuable resource for those who haven't listened to the full episode.

Transcript

[Dax Shepard]

Wondry subscribers can listen to Armchair Expert early and ad free right now. Join Wondry plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts or you can listen for free wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome, welcome, welcome to Armchair Expert. I'm Dan Rather and I'm joined by Lily Padman.

[Monica Padman]

Hi.

[Dax Shepard]

We have my sister here today.

[Monica Padman]

You do not Carly? Nope.

[Dax Shepard]

But my other sister, Lauren Graham.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I love her. We love having a parent hoodie in on Lauren Graham.

[Dax Shepard]

Actor, producer, best selling author, so impressive. Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, Bad Santa, Evan Almighty. Because I said so. She has a new show out right now on Tubi.

[Monica Padman]

Yep, free. We love free.

[Dax Shepard]

We learned about Tubi in this episode.

[Monica Padman]

We did, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

The show is called the Z Suite, which is a comedy exploring the tension between the generations, which is kind of the topic of the day on the show. We're doing a lot of generational stuff.

[Monica Padman]

You're right.

[Dax Shepard]

This whole week is generation. Really.

[Monica Padman]

Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow. God, I love her. Most stunning eyes in the biz.

[Monica Padman]

She's so fun and so smart.

[Dax Shepard]

Very smart.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And it's also smart week.

[Monica Padman]

My God.

[Dax Shepard]

I know there's a lot of people.

[Monica Padman]

We didn't even mean to.

[Dax Shepard]

This is all accidental. Please enjoy my sweet, sweet sister, Lauren Graham. We are supported by the all new Galaxy S25 Ultra from Samsung. This phone is a true AI companion that evolves with you to do more for you. Like handling multiple tasks with just one ask. For example, you can tell it to find a restaurant nearby and text it to my friends. Or look up my favorite basketball team schedule and add it to my calendar. And it does it just like that. You just speak the request naturally and the new Galaxy S25 Ultra takes care of the rest. Okay, this is what AI was meant for. That is seamless plus now brief with Galaxy AI gives you personalized daily briefings that keep you a step ahead. It'll show you your appointments, the weather, your energy, score and more all in one place. Ready to let AI do more for you so you can do you then get your Galaxy S25 Ultra now at samsung.com compatible with select apps. Requires Google Gemini account. Results may vary based on input. Check responses for accuracy. Now brief with Galaxy AI displays daily select information from select apps may require Internet connection. Galaxy AI features by Samsung free through 2025 and require Samsung account login. We are supported by Prime Video. If you're looking for a way to streamline your streaming, Prime Video has got you covered. On Prime Video, you can add over a hundred subscriptions like Max, Apple TV plus and Paramount plus all in one app. Experience the convenience of having all your favorite subscriptions in your Prime Video account with one login and one password. What a dream. Everyone's watching White Lotus right now on Max. We are?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. We are so excited about this season. And we just had Walton Goggins on the show. We're inordinately excited to see his character's journey in Thailand. And then, of course, we're tuning into Severance Season two on Apple TV plus with recent guest Adam Scott. Instead of toggling back and forth between different streaming platforms, you can watch both of these shows and so much more amazing content without ever leaving the Prime Video app. Unlock a world of movies, TV and sports all in one app. Check out subscriptions on Prime Video.

[Lauren Graham]

He's an option expert. I can't believe this is the setup now, right? Very fancy.

[Monica Padman]

It's been so long since we were here.

[Lauren Graham]

I feel like I was one of the first people.

[Dax Shepard]

You were. I looked today you were April. So you are two months in. There's been 850 people since you.

[Lauren Graham]

Are we on?

[Monica Padman]

Oh, yeah. ABR.

[Dax Shepard]

Always on ABR. Go ahead. Tell me how it reminds you of Parenthood.

[Lauren Graham]

I remember there were issues. Cause Parenthood was shot very kind of freestyle economically. Sure, sure, sure. And some would say proscenium. We're like. We're doing like a school play. You never knew where the cameras were. But I remember one day. This was not your request. It's just something that happened. Suddenly there's a bounce board for Dax. And I kind of being like, why does he get a bounce?

[Dax Shepard]

I don't get anything.

[Lauren Graham]

We're lighting us with a flashlight and Dag's got some special.

[Dax Shepard]

Here's what I told myself. I didn't request that.

[Lauren Graham]

No.

[Dax Shepard]

I looked so bad on the monitor. I was the only one who's like, we gotta light that nose differently. When someone puts a bounce board only under your face, you're like, oh, fuck. I am the ugliest member of this.

[Lauren Graham]

That's insane. Remember the day that I was driving by and I thought you were Brad Pitt?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, I will never, ever forget it. You know, I went back and listened actually to your episode. Cause it was seven years ago.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh, my gosh.

[Monica Padman]

Crazy.

[Lauren Graham]

Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

So I'm going back thinking, this is gonna be rough. This is gonna be month two. But I'm gonna tell you what. This is one of the first ones that I've gone back to that. I totally liked it.

[Lauren Graham]

Really?

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Lauren Graham]

Why do you think that is?

[Dax Shepard]

I Think because I was panicked that I had to guide the thing somewhere at the beginning or that I had to manage what was happening. But you and I have such a effortless rapport that I was just really relaxed. I still interrupted too much. It' but it's better than the other ones.

[Lauren Graham]

Not to turn this into my interview of you guys. But what has changed for you? Has it just evolved into, now this is something that is better. That's a really long time to have any gig and you've spoken to so many people.

[Dax Shepard]

I think it's like acting. At the beginning I was so self conscious and I stand where like I used to look at the lens on without a paddle. They had to rotoscope my eyes. A bunch of times I like look right into the fucking camera. Cause I didn't know better. But by Parenthood, you're just kind of exist. But that happened in this job too. Whereas, like at the beginning I had a lot of fear of am I doing a good job? And how do you conduct an interview and all these kind of things. And then just over time, I think I don't have any real fear around it at all.

[Lauren Graham]

But also it's so successful. Doesn't that change how you start your day?

[Monica Padman]

Changed a lot of things for us? I think the success of it, I think it's made the pressure a little more. The more we sign deals and start doing those things, then it's like, we gotta have big numbers. It almost took away the thing that we started with, which is like, let's just chitchat.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. The experience of trying to do good and trying to be in the top versus trying to stay in the top.

[Lauren Graham]

Is a completely different pressure. It really is.

[Dax Shepard]

And I don't like that. It's not why we did it. But then you can't not start thinking like, well, I certainly don't want to watch this just decline over the next five years. I'd like to stay.

[Lauren Graham]

Today's the day. Today's the day starts.

[Dax Shepard]

No.

[Monica Padman]

Parenthood fans are so excited right now.

[Dax Shepard]

You're new to Instagram, right?

[Lauren Graham]

I just joined Instagram.

[Dax Shepard]

Congratulations.

[Lauren Graham]

It'll be a year around my birthday. Well.

[Dax Shepard]

Comments. You learn things that I wouldn't otherwise have known. So I'm very aware that Parenthood is now back on Netflix and in Canada.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh.

[Dax Shepard]

So there are a lot of Canadians right now that are tickled pink.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh, great. I just spent a bunch of months in Toronto and it was just so nice. I'm not just saying that to pander to the Canadian fans.

[Dax Shepard]

No, it's a legit great city.

[Lauren Graham]

It's a great city, but it's also a great country. And it was a relief to not be in a lot of dialogue about what's gonna become of us. And just, like, the shopping's great, the restaurants were great. It was really fun.

[Dax Shepard]

It's the most multicultural place on the planet.

[Lauren Graham]

Selfishly, that just makes the food really good. When you're there for work. Our big thing would be to have, like, a Saturday dinner. Where are we gonna go? And we just had some incredible food.

[Dax Shepard]

A bevy of offerings.

[Lauren Graham]

Yes, yes. But back to you.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Lauren Graham]

I wanna tell you because. Right. You came over and asked May and I about doing a podcast.

[Dax Shepard]

That's right. I pitched you.

[Lauren Graham]

Yes. Which I didn't understand. There are many things I feel, partially because I wasn't on things like Instagram. I am often behind what is happening in our business. I can remember on Parenthood, May saying to me, I've just really stressed out about social media. And I said, what's that?

[Dax Shepard]

You like? Literally what?

[Lauren Graham]

I did not know what she was talking about.

[Monica Padman]

I'm jealous of you.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah, well, that's. I can remember a time when I thought that sitting and watching something on TV and then also having your phone was just like, a cracked thing to do. And now I sort of do that. But we tried. Years later, you and Mei, you're doing your own talk show. And I guess the way my brain works, because I love talk shows. And also, we're very different people, May and I, in terms of how we approach things. She's more fluid and fun.

[Dax Shepard]

Jazz.

[Lauren Graham]

She's jazz. I'm Sinatra.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, great.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

That's nice.

[Lauren Graham]

I want standards. I want a chorus, and then I.

[Dax Shepard]

Want a refrain with a groovy underbelly. Yeah.

[Lauren Graham]

You know, you riff within it, but it's hard.

[Dax Shepard]

How many did you do?

[Lauren Graham]

We did essentially a pilot.

[Dax Shepard]

Because my pitch to you, I remember.

[Lauren Graham]

What was it?

[Dax Shepard]

I wanted you guys to have basically, like, a homewares type podcast because you're so into decor and building, and she's got a real eye for fashion. Over the years, people have asked me, shockingly, for my advice in this space. And my thing is literally, pay attention. What do you talk about in your free time? Endlessly. I talk about trauma, and then that's kind of what the show ended up being. So I've been around you guys. You guys are horny for all this neat stuff. Truly invigorated by aesthetic.

[Lauren Graham]

That's a fantastic idea. Ours was more. This is one of my best friends, and we are 20 years apart. So the concept was, how do we come at things differently but on the same subject. You ran out of material. What I now think about, but there's no need in this space. I have realized I read more than a lot of people and I talk about what I'm reading.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, you were on a morning show and the co host handed you three books. That's how known you are for being an avid reader.

[Lauren Graham]

Spoiler alert. I had read them all.

[Dax Shepard]

You played it off like they were all novel and new to you.

[Lauren Graham]

I was so panicked. She was like, here's this beautiful gift. And I was like, I. I've already.

[Dax Shepard]

Given this to someone else because I read it all.

[Lauren Graham]

But it was Jenna Bush and those are her picks. And I read them partially because she picked them. And so I am influenced as well in that space.

[Dax Shepard]

So you'll follow people's book lists. Who do you follow?

[Lauren Graham]

I don't even follow in the social media sense, but were you worried about your breath just then?

[Dax Shepard]

Nicotine. Oh, also, your eyes look so beautiful. You wouldn't forget. These are blue, right?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, those are blue.

[Dax Shepard]

CL has a hard time remembering people's eye color, but yours are memorable.

[Lauren Graham]

Well, so are yours. So we're on the nicotine still. I didn't know it came in a spray.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, this is the purest delivery system.

[Lauren Graham]

Not the gum.

[Dax Shepard]

Why? The mint in the lozenge.

[Monica Padman]

You did used to do the gum, though, remember?

[Dax Shepard]

No, I never was really into the gum.

[Lauren Graham]

I remember you chewing the gum.

[Dax Shepard]

You remember these? I've been on these for 20 years.

[Lauren Graham]

Right.

[Dax Shepard]

I dipped for a while, but I'm a year and a month.

[Monica Padman]

So just Kristen on the gum.

[Dax Shepard]

She was on the gum.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah, yeah.

[Monica Padman]

She'd always say, give me a two.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, yeah. Well, she loves her nicotine. She's on the spray. We're a nicotine family.

[Lauren Graham]

That seems off brand for her.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, she has some things like that.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah. Interesting pop outs.

[Dax Shepard]

See if you'll understand this wardrobe choice. It's been a long time since I wore this shirt.

[Lauren Graham]

Is this Friday Night Lights, the thing.

[Dax Shepard]

I own that has the most connective tissue to parenthood?

[Monica Padman]

No, we at the mom.

[Lauren Graham]

Is it our football team?

[Dax Shepard]

Fnl. Friday Night Lights.

[Lauren Graham]

I said fnl.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Lauren Graham]

Then I thought I was missing a.

[Dax Shepard]

Parenthood reference just because Jason's the closest I have.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Knowing you're coming, I'm like, I want to do something parenthoody, but I don't own anything parenthoody, but I own this, which is cool.

[Lauren Graham]

I don't know if I own anything parenthoody either.

[Dax Shepard]

Did you take any props or anything? Like, I took the mugs. I took the Hunters.

[Lauren Graham]

I took the mugs a lot. Yeah. I maybe don't have this anymore.

[Dax Shepard]

When I moved, you were Marie Kondo.

[Monica Padman]

Mm.

[Lauren Graham]

Which I kind of am always anyway. I feel it's an illusion, but that I will finally one day reach the point where my stuff is only what I need and nothing else. And it won't bring anything in. But then you look at the jeans collection and it's like, can't stop.

[Monica Padman]

It's hard.

[Dax Shepard]

How many pair of jeans do you think you have? You want Monica to go to first so you don't feel as bad?

[Monica Padman]

I have a lot of jeans. I got rid of a bunch recently too. I heard a new rule. Two out, one in. So if you buy something, you have to get rid of two. I'm working on that.

[Lauren Graham]

How many do you have? Do you fold them or do they hang? Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

She has about 16. What are they called? Armoires. Armoires. In her one bedroom apartment.

[Monica Padman]

Armoire.

[Dax Shepard]

Her entire apartment is armoires.

[Lauren Graham]

That's too many armoires.

[Monica Padman]

I know. But the claws is too small, so I had to make more space for said jeans. Yeah, I probably have 20 pairs.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Lauren Graham]

I probably have more than that. What I got rid of, which is bad. I got rid of the jeans that you would just wear to paint something. And I was like, these are all uncomfortable. Cause they're like, too.

[Dax Shepard]

Now I relate to that because I have several pair of jeans that I'm supposed to do work in. I see something, I'm like, oh, fuck, I was supposed to cut that down. And then I'm doing it and I'm ruining the new jeans. And I'm like, yeah, I'm never, ever gonna go inside and get eventized for my yard job. I'm just gonna ruin whatever pair of pants I have on.

[Lauren Graham]

I also realized it's okay to have the jeans because I need to stop thinking I'm ever dressing like a person with a real job. Because especially here. Where am I going?

[Dax Shepard]

Like a pants.

[Monica Padman]

Like, blouses.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah, any of that. On this job, I finally played a character, May. And I have a joke, which is defaulting to plaid, which has to do with wardrobe choices on most of the stuff. I mean, not Lorelai so much. She also had nice clothes for a job. But on Parenthood, May, she'd be like, what are you wearing? And I was like, I don't. I'm defaulting to plaid. I'm just gonna wear, like, another plaid shirt, sort of like a groovy ish mom. So that's just kind of my life. And if you're going somewhere fancy, you're gonna do a whole thing.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm envious of your relationship with Meg, really. First of all, it's the sweetest relationship. It really is special.

[Lauren Graham]

It really is. I still get a little thrill when she'll text me back because it's not a given. And she's a mom now and she's working and she's in Ireland.

[Dax Shepard]

She's hard to pin down.

[Lauren Graham]

She's hard to pin down. Can get her. I'll panic, text her to just get as much out as I can. I'm really working with this mic.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, you feel very boxed in right now. Claustrophobic.

[Lauren Graham]

But it is a really special relationship. I feel really thankful for it. It is really flattering.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. Because she's a blessing on planet Earth. She is one of my absolute favorite people I've ever met. And my envy is that I've been trying to hang out with her for 10 years. I literally have not seen her socially since we interviewed her. That was it. And I text her and we'll have an exchange, and I'll be like, we're going to hang out. I want to meet. And then I bump into you, and, like, you'll have just seen her.

[Lauren Graham]

It's not as much as you think.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Lauren Graham]

And it really is like a Christmas. And some of them have to do with bribing her.

[Dax Shepard]

She needs lawn equipment or something.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lauren Graham]

I'm trying to think the last time, you know, they're in New York now.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't even know that.

[Lauren Graham]

Carlos, her baby daddy is on Broadway in Hadestown, which I feel happy to plug because he's fantastic in it. Carlos Valdez.

[Dax Shepard]

Never even met him.

[Lauren Graham]

He's really great. And so they're in New York for the next while, and then she got this job in Ireland. So she's in Ireland with the baby.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, that's a lot.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow, wow, wow.

[Lauren Graham]

That's a lot.

[Monica Padman]

Your relationship. Does it mimic the show or is it more Equal Friends?

[Lauren Graham]

It's more like Equal Friends, which is insane because she's young, but she's like an old soul.

[Dax Shepard]

To put that in context, she's been on a set since she was a baby. She's been around adults, so she's the only person that I know that's that much younger than me that any reference I make, she gets.

[Lauren Graham]

Yes, that mimics a person your own age. And also, this was sort of our concept, too, when we tried to do a podcast is we've been in show business the same amount of time. Yeah, yeah. She's wise. There are certain things that I would go to her about because she's one of those people like you are, and I assume, like, you are who has a very definite opinion, which I'll really weigh a lot of. Be like, I don't know. I don't want to hurt. I get kind of Pisces and anxieties, people pleasing. And she'll be like, absolutely not. No, you can't do that. And I'll be like, right, right. No.

[Monica Padman]

Like, I don't know.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, look at her on the show. She's wearing enormous clown glasses. No one else is allowed to do anything. And the third youngest person on is wearing, like, enormous cartoon glasses. And she can put a boundary out. She advocates for herself, too.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Lauren Graham]

Early on in the show, they had us go on some reality show. What was it?

[Dax Shepard]

The Voice? I think it was the Voice. We had to stand in a weird spot, and they cut to us for half a second.

[Lauren Graham]

It was just me and May. It was a DreamWorks related thing.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay.

[Lauren Graham]

And I feel like Howie Mandel's on it.

[Dax Shepard]

Is that America's Got Talent or one.

[Monica Padman]

Of the game shows? He did a game show. He was Millionaire.

[Lauren Graham]

And she had these giant glasses on. And I remember being like, hey, are you sure about the glasses? Cause there weren't glasses she needed. It was just like a fashion moment. And she wore them, and everyone was kind of like, hey. And even after her dad texted her, grandma's concerned about the glasses, the ones she wore on.

[Dax Shepard]

Parenthood begged the question, has she gotten a job cooking at Benihana? And that's like part of her character. Like, Cookie.

[Monica Padman]

Cookie.

[Lauren Graham]

Who's Cookie?

[Dax Shepard]

We were in Turks and Caicos seven years ago. There was a Benihana style.

[Lauren Graham]

Okay.

[Monica Padman]

Wasn't.

[Dax Shepard]

It wasn't an actual.

[Monica Padman]

I don't think it wasn't. We don't want to.

[Dax Shepard]

It was a Japanese safe house where the cook. And one of the cooks name was Cookie, and he had glasses on that were like, literally 2 and 12ft wide and covered his whole face. I think for most tourists, they loved Cookie, but it was like watching a mime the whole time. Like, I had to leave.

[Monica Padman]

Cookie was. Kids were crying, and so Kristen took them out and said it was just us two sitting at this big table with Cookie. And Dax panicked. He's like, I can't Handle Cookie right now.

[Dax Shepard]

Play along with Cookie's routine. I didn't know how to give him.

[Lauren Graham]

What he to ask of the audience. Like, flips the egg into the hat.

[Dax Shepard]

That's great. Do that. He's enormous. Glasses.

[Monica Padman]

Poor Cookie.

[Dax Shepard]

We saw him, didn't we? He was in a commercial for the place or so. Anyways, he's doing great Cookies. But the thing I'll add that maybe you can't see or would sound arrogant to say is you guys are definitely girlfriends. That's for sure. But she admires you so deeply. She, like, really has looked up to you since the day you guys met. She has, like, what me and Tom Hansen have. Me and Tom Hansen are best friends, but also he's my dad. He's the dad I wanted. I think there's a lot of that happening.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah. It's so healing when you have that. And I have had this in a couple very rare instances. There's something in the vast enough age difference that is not a family member that can mimic what you wish you had.

[Dax Shepard]

It's like a nurturing relationship, which all friendships aren't necessarily nurturing by nature. More than just, oh, I'm in a bad mood. Give me advice about my girlfriend or boyfriend. This is more like, hey, anytime you need anyone to take care of you, I'd love to be that person. When you have that instinct towards somebody, it's very sweet and special.

[Lauren Graham]

It is sweet and special, but I am not her actual mom. I don't have a responsibility there except to my love.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

You don't have to model some great behavior. You just have to be available.

[Monica Padman]

It's the best version of a familial relationship. It doesn't have all the baggage around it. It's like the purest. I've never thought of it like that. That's really true.

[Lauren Graham]

I don't think I have either. I also have that to some degree.

[Dax Shepard]

You have it with your sister.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh, I have a great relationship with my half siblings and the sister. We had the same mom. That loss is very bonding. She was a senior in college and graduated and then came to live with me. And that is very unique. But I was gonna say with my TV mom, Kelly Bishop, I also have one of those, you know, and especially not having my mom here. But I can still have a martini with Kelly, and there's no pressure there for her or for me, really.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. But you're kind of getting that mother.

[Lauren Graham]

It just would be hilarious. I mean, Kelly is such a. Gosh. I've never thought about if they are similar at all. My mom was just such a unique, sensitive, very creative.

[Dax Shepard]

A little naive, you said last time. A little trusting.

[Lauren Graham]

And Kelly's so, like, balls to the wall, you know? Yeah. And she has her vulnerability. Obviously.

[Dax Shepard]

This runs the risk of sounding like women shouldn't be in the workplace, so I'm gonna acknowledge that. But I will observe in my own wife, a ton's on her shoulders. She' boss of these sets she's on, as are you. And there is one costume designer who she really wants on every job because that woman feels so maternal to her. And she will often just hug her throughout the day. And she said, I'll often just cry. But it's not sad cry. It's just I feel so safe in this particular person's arms. And I like that throughout the day because there's a lot on her shoulders and there's this whole acting, the way you have to act in that role as a woman. I don't know, I just think it might be a bit more complicated then. When you're the boss.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And you're a woman in this job. I think you need a soft place to land occasionally, I guess, is what I'm saying.

[Lauren Graham]

It was interesting doing this show I just did. It was a lot of things I hadn't done because there was no lead lead of parenthood. We all had our strengths and moments. It wasn't the pressure on one person. It's just something has switched. And I guess it's age appropriate, but I am still surprised to be. The people are looking to.

[Dax Shepard]

They're looking at you to set the tone and vibe of this whole experience.

[Lauren Graham]

And they care about my opinion, which I'm still like, really? I don't even know what I'm doing and they're asking my opinion. This is a show where there's a lot of young people, and for many of them, it was their first or second experience.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, I watched it. And no insult to anyone, they were all fresh faces for me. I'm also 50.

[Lauren Graham]

I missed your birthday thing. I wasn't here.

[Dax Shepard]

We canceled it.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh, really?

[Dax Shepard]

Because you weren't here.

[Lauren Graham]

I wish that was true.

[Dax Shepard]

You ruined my I am 50. I was gonna tell you after the.

[Lauren Graham]

Interview in a corner.

[Dax Shepard]

I was like, well, she's not coming. Then why the fuck are we doing this?

[Lauren Graham]

But, yeah, that was still surprising. And it was fantastic. I had a director producer who I knew, and that ended up being this huge, big piece of it. And I didn't realize until we were in it. I was like, thank God I worked with him. I know this guy. My boss is an incredible writer and really a great boss. Much younger. It's like her second or third show. And so there was a lot of people asking my opinion. And it can be lonely.

[Dax Shepard]

Can I guess that you have to be the grownup. Like, we could be on set together. If you and I had a scene together, we could complain about the director. There was a whole strata above us, and we could be little misfits who are bonded in this. But you can't take that role now. You can't shit on anyone. You can't complain.

[Lauren Graham]

No. And even I had some day when one of the cast had a complaint about something. I was like, oh, I know it's bad or something. And you could see them perk up. That felt validated. But I was like, ooh, I can't. You can't really be doing that because.

[Monica Padman]

Your opinion means more.

[Lauren Graham]

Because then they go say, you know, well, Lauren, but. So that was a surprising place to be. And it's like the thing I'm talking about of. I'm always a little bit behind. I don't think it's bad because the people who have a very strong sense of their place and kind of who they are, that can go in the wrong direction or there's too much sense of importance. But it's a place you tend to have earned. And I need to be comfortable in those shoes. I always remember in Tina Fey's book, when she's talking about 30 Rock, she's comfortable as a writer. She'd been a performer. She hadn't been the lead of a TV show opposite Alec Baldwin. And she said, I realized at a certain point I had to stop apologizing within my performance, which is just a phrase I think about. I had a sense of. I don't want to be like, yeah, I'm the boss, but I mean. And sort of apologize.

[Dax Shepard]

That's a very gendered thing.

[Monica Padman]

Well, definitely.

[Dax Shepard]

We'll have these brilliant fucking experts on there, professors. And they would say this astounding thing that their data just backed up and they go, or, you know, that's at least what we found. It's like, oh, you didn't even need to say it at that point. You. You have the data. It's really baking.

[Lauren Graham]

Still being apologetic as women more than.

[Dax Shepard]

Men, adding a little escape for you to not feel so threatened that I just knew more than you.

[Monica Padman]

Staying likable is a thing that women carry that men do not.

[Lauren Graham]

Do they not, though we do.

[Dax Shepard]

I just Think it's different?

[Monica Padman]

Well, being likable for a man is. That is exuding confidence. They're not trying to balance being dominant and being submissive all at once.

[Lauren Graham]

Right. This experience was positive. I balanced it pretty well. And then I watched this little thing on Instagram. Maybe you guys have heard of it.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God, tell us.

[Dax Shepard]

We just got off.

[Monica Padman]

I'm trying to get off of it, honestly.

[Lauren Graham]

I know, I know. That actually was May. May was like, I think you've waited so long that the cooler move is to not do it at all. But I just felt pressured.

[Dax Shepard]

You kind of got to if you're realistic.

[Lauren Graham]

Somebody said to me, you think you're not on social media, but you are. You're just not speaking for yourself. Others are, as Gilmore Girls in particular just continues to have this and let.

[Dax Shepard]

Come hear directly from you. And also, you're an author. The authors we have in, they're on press tours. Actors could never even comprehend you're killing yourself to get people to read a book. So if you have the opportunity to put that in front of millions of people's eyes, it'd be insane not to. But this is a pattern of yours.

[Lauren Graham]

Uh, oh, we love patterns.

[Monica Padman]

Remember trauma earlier?

[Dax Shepard]

First of all, I loved the Gilmore super bowl commercial. But I did remember we would talk about doing commercials when we were shooting Parenthood. And you were just like, I just can't wrap my head around. You were so curious why Kristen and I kind were just like, oh, fuck yeah, we'll go. We'll go sell some phones.

[Lauren Graham]

This is a great example, which is my agent has been saying to me for a very long time, it doesn't now ding. What you're trying to do as an actor or a writer. The best one is I got this offer when this stuff was still kind of early. Sometimes when I don't know if I should do something, I'm like, what would so and so do? And I was like, this person would 1000% not do it. And I passed on it, and that person ended up doing it.

[Dax Shepard]

What is that person that you shored up your decision with?

[Lauren Graham]

And I was like, wait, what?

[Monica Padman]

That was the universe giving you a gift.

[Lauren Graham]

That's maybe so. I feel differently about it now. And I felt differently also. The whole way it was approached was very respectful and I thought would be fun for people because that's the thing I think about, especially with Gilmore Girls fans is, is this good for them?

[Dax Shepard]

You just have to treat it exactly as you would treat a TV show you were offering, which is like Is this good? Will this be fun to watch for 30 seconds?

[Lauren Graham]

Right. One of the things that I long ago may have been concerned about is the separation between character and person. I wanted to be able to play different charact. And ultimately, in tv, you end up using so much of yourself. That separation isn't that broad unless you're on Downton Abbey or something. And even then. But, yeah, I had a different kind of sense of preciousness.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, when I was re listening to the episode from seven years ago today, you were talking about this intense pressure you put on yourself out of college. And you had started early, yet now you were behind. And this terrible fear of making the wrong choice and fucking up, which was really present in your early life. And I think also part of it is just, you know how hard it is to get here. You know how hard it is to end up on Gilmore Girls. Two dozen people have a show like that for the rest of their life. And so you are terrified you'll make the wrong decision and fuck it up and you'll make it go away because you went into this other thing. It's like. It's very consistent. When I was listening to it, I.

[Lauren Graham]

Think I have it less so now.

[Monica Padman]

You started to say you saw something on Instagram that we got really derailed.

[Lauren Graham]

I think it was gonna be positive, but I don't remember.

[Dax Shepard]

This is a funny story from. You did post a cute picture of you with the billboard for the Z Suite behind you in Times Square. But I think people might not realize this funny aspect of those billboards.

[Lauren Graham]

Did we have one for Parenthood? I was so thrilled by this. I was like, this has never happened before, which is not true. We would have Gilmore Girls on the Barham where Warner Brothers is like a billboard. And it kind of didn't occur to me because once again, a little bit behind that. Now they're video. They're not papering. Oh, they're moving pictures.

[Dax Shepard]

There's not a guy with a fucking.

[Lauren Graham]

Roller, which we still have on Sunset. You know, there's still, like a painted billboard. So someone had sent me a photo of it. First of all, I walked there from downtown. I was so excited. I was just like a dork. And then I get there, and that area is not an easy place to just stand and not be doing something.

[Dax Shepard]

It looks a little suspicious.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah, for sure. Then I didn't realize that it's not just my billboard. It's ads for 55 other. It's like Harrison Ford is a movie coming out and somebody's dropping a Hot single. And, like, so I'm standing there, and the first time I missed it. This is the other problem. It makes me so frustrated because I don't want to be the person who's like, I don't know how to do this. Newfangled.

[Dax Shepard]

There's more than that, too, because you and I, we have bonded over this before. You and I fucking hate getting our picture taken. Hate. I don't ever need to see my face as long as I live again. So just the notion that I've got to take my own picture of myself at a really bad angle with a terrible lens. We're not set up for success right out of the gates.

[Lauren Graham]

No. There's no part of me that's like, yeah, loving life. Like, it's not something I'm proud of. That's just how it is. And so recently I went to apply for something. They were like, send a recent photo. I was like, I don't have one. Like, I just don't have one. I'll send the billboard. So I'm standing there waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, because I missed it once. Waiting to cycle through all these things, and people are, like, kind of looking at me, which is my second worst nightmare. And then there was a guy who stands there to take people's pictures in Times Square, and he was genuinely like, oh, I got competition now.

[Dax Shepard]

Right, Right.

[Lauren Graham]

And then I found the good spot, but the good spot was me standing. But I'm filming behind myself.

[Dax Shepard]

You gotta get that billboard and your.

[Lauren Graham]

Face, which is hard. You couldn't even tell it was me in the picture. Plus, it was freezing cold. It was Dax. It was freezing cold. I had, like, weird glasses on and, like, a hat.

[Dax Shepard]

You look very cute.

[Lauren Graham]

Thank you. Closer to me than you are now was a hot dog man who was also kind of looking at me. Because as much as this is our world now, people are rightly like, what are you filming, lady? Like, I'm making a hot dog. What more do you need to do?

[Dax Shepard]

It looks like you're pointing the camera at him.

[Lauren Graham]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Lauren Graham]

And so after while was kind of like, can I help you? You know? And I was like, I am so sorry. I am just te. I felt so stupid. Anyway, this is my billboard. It was harrowing, but I got it.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, that's funny.

[Dax Shepard]

But you said it took you 30 minutes.

[Lauren Graham]

I think this is a sign of personal growth. I walked away. I was like, I saw it. It's fine. And then I stopped halfway down the block, and I was like, lauren Graham, you walked up here through times Square. And this is a moment. Don't be embarrassed. There's so many things I don't do because I'm too embarrassed. And so I was like, fuck it, I'm going to do it.

[Monica Padman]

Where did that come.

[Lauren Graham]

Come from? I don't know.

[Monica Padman]

Some people are embarrassed.

[Lauren Graham]

Really?

[Monica Padman]

I find it odd too.

[Dax Shepard]

We have one daughter, Delta, who doesn't have an ounce of self consciousness in her. And what a thing to observe. Your life can be so fun.

[Lauren Graham]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

I can't believe it. I mean, it's her mom. Kristen largely is quite unselfconscious. And what.

[Lauren Graham]

And where does that come from? That's the better question.

[Dax Shepard]

We can't train her to do that. She just came out like Kristen modeling.

[Monica Padman]

She grew up seeing her. And I feel like. And you're interesting with embarrassment. You get embarrassed, but you also like getting embarrass.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, that's my way of taking the power back. Because I do get very self conscious and very embarrassed. But I'm so stubborn. I refuse to let that be a defeat. So I have to. But now I genuinely do Michael tell you we were at the movies and I was carrying the biggest, like a comical. If you were directing this scene, you'd go, the popcorn's too big.

[Lauren Graham]

They don't make them that big. Right.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't know how starving I was at that point, or I thought you and Jess were gonna take a lot of it. But I had a gallon of popcorn. And I have sincerely, 100 ounce Diet Coke and then some Milk Duds or something. And we're walking and I slip as if there were a banana peel on the steps.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh my gosh.

[Dax Shepard]

And I go completely up in the air and land on my back and the fucking popcorn got thrown up in the air.

[Monica Padman]

It was cartoonish.

[Dax Shepard]

And even before I land, I'm laughing so hard that I know I'm also gonna almost pee my pants. So, like, once I land, I'm now pinching my penis. Cause I'm afraid I'm gonna pee my pants.

[Lauren Graham]

Were you literally pinching?

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. Cause I know to do that if it's gonna be bad. I just put some pressure on me.

[Monica Padman]

That's.

[Lauren Graham]

So the embarrassing pants part was the popcorn.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm very proud there.

[Lauren Graham]

You are a grown man.

[Dax Shepard]

No, that's a guy who knows how to handle his business.

[Lauren Graham]

True.

[Dax Shepard]

Stay tuned for more Armchair Expert if you dare.

[Lauren Graham]

At 24, I lost my narrative, or rather it was stolen from me. And the Monica Lewinsky that my friends and family knew was usurped by falsehood narratives. Callous jokes and politics. I would define Reclaiming as to take back what was yours. Something you possess is lost or stolen, and ultimately you triumph in finding it again. So I think listeners can expect me to be chatting with folks both recognizable and unrecognizable names about the way that people have navigated roads to triumph. My hope is that people will finish an episode of Reclaiming and feel like they filled their tank up, they connected.

[Monica Padman]

With the people that I'm talking to.

[Lauren Graham]

And leave with maybe some nuggets that help them feel a little more hopeful.

[Monica Padman]

Follow Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky on the.

[Lauren Graham]

Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Reclaiming early and.

[Monica Padman]

Ad free right now by joining Wondery.

[Lauren Graham]

Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Monica Padman]

Imagine this. You help your little brother land a great job abroad, but when he arrives arrives, the job doesn't exist. Instead, he's trapped in a heavily guarded compound, forced to sit at a computer and scam innocent victims, all while armed guards stand by with shoot to kill orders. Scam Factory, the explosive new true crime podcast from Wondery exposes a multi billion dollar criminal empire operating in place. Told through one family's harrowing account of sleepless nights, desperate phone calls, and dangerous rescue attempts, Scam Factory reveals a brutal truth. The only way out is to scam their way out. Follow Scam Factory on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Scam Factory early and ad free right now by joining one Plus.

[Lauren Graham]

I don't think I've ever seen you be embarrassed because you have that way about you. And especially in this role, you're in charge. You know how to put the other person at ease and also be like, thank you so much, Goodbye. You're the host of this moment of somebody coming up to you.

[Dax Shepard]

And again though, I'm just saying, I think that's a control thing. I think I was very self conscious as a kid and then I just at some point was like, we're gonna have to approach this differently. Cause I mean, I'm just highly self conscious, as is my other daughter who's very much like me. They're in the same house with the same instruction. It's pretty wild, right? One question I didn't ask you last time is how well do you think you could do on the SAT today? Our friend Lauren was a SAT tutor for the Princeton, like a good one. The Princeton Review.

[Lauren Graham]

That was a little bit of a racket, I have to say. In my SATs were fine.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't remember what they were like 1500ish.

[Monica Padman]

That's really good.

[Dax Shepard]

What are they out of 1600?

[Monica Padman]

Back then?

[Dax Shepard]

Anything above 13's pretty good.

[Monica Padman]

I think so.

[Lauren Graham]

I don't even know 13.

[Dax Shepard]

I bet you were in the 15s.

[Lauren Graham]

I don't think so.

[Dax Shepard]

You're very bright.

[Lauren Graham]

Because I remember there was an expectation that I would score higher, that some teacher was like, I'm surprised you didn't do better. That's always great. But I was a tutor in some capacity. I scored well enough on the test you had to take to teach the test kind of thing, which was. Was probably a sort of an sat. And then you learn the test. And that made me a teacher of other tests I'd never taken. So it was a good gig. Having that gig just led to more teaching of tests.

[Dax Shepard]

My two questions are one, you would have had to inadvertently pick up the whole test at some point.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Like I'm saying, if you would have taken it at the end of that job, you probably would have gotten a pretty outstanding score.

[Lauren Graham]

I don't know what the test is now. I think there's more free form writing, which there should be because otherwise what you learn in learning how to teach that test is how to take a multiple choice test, which is how many you should eliminate. It's not really learning vocabulary or math or anything.

[Dax Shepard]

It's like a tactical approach.

[Lauren Graham]

Yes. And I'm not sure it would still work, but I think the way you have a good vocabulary is reading writing. And I still read and write a lot. And I play every single New York Times game that is on the phone. Is that doing anything for me? I don't know.

[Dax Shepard]

I think so. Connections are obsession.

[Lauren Graham]

Every single one. There's one that's called I forget, but it's strands. Is Strands the ones where you're doing the word?

[Monica Padman]

It's like a word search, but you can go all over the place.

[Lauren Graham]

That's new. But there's the one where you have to do words.

[Dax Shepard]

Letterbox.

[Lauren Graham]

Letterbox. Thank you.

[Dax Shepard]

Thanks, Wabi.

[Lauren Graham]

What box letterbox is? I find a good challenge because you have to use up all the letters within a certain number of words. You can repeat each strategically, like, how am I going to work the queue in Kind of thing. It's good.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. So when you were doing that job. This is a very weird comparison, but I think of Epstein, right. He was like a teacher at a private school. He was lying about his credentials and teaching at a private school. And he wooed this man whose kid he was teaching, who was a big investment banker and ended up getting a job with that guy through having met through the kid. So I went to your SAT thing and I was like, did you interact with all these privileged kids and did the dads come and make moves on you?

[Lauren Graham]

What was happening at this time? I'm 22 or 3, so I'm still a little closer to the 18 year olds. I remember. Not in any kind of way, but I remember having a student where I was like, I would go out with this guy.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lauren Graham]

But the thing I noticed the most, I would go out with this guy later, later. But I also led bike tours a couple of summers. And in those jobs you don't really see the parents. This is more the thing where they're like, you guys. Okay, bye. So the interaction with the parents was pretty low, I have to say.

[Dax Shepard]

But as a tea tutor, you would do it in their homes.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah, I had more success as a waitress. Dated the bartender.

[Dax Shepard]

That's your weird, fun dichotomy as a human.

[Lauren Graham]

I think that I'll date the bartender.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

You have a healthy dose of anxiety and overthinking things, but there's also a side of you that understands restaurant culture and can get down.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I think if I didn't have the other one, I'd be unbearable. I'm fun. A good hang, you can party and restaurant is like a pretty good hang. But the other person who always asks, did people hit on me? Is Ray Romano. Because among my many waitressing jobs, I was a cocktail waitress at the Improv in New York City right out of college.

[Dax Shepard]

You're beautiful, but you. Hold on. Don't fucking do this. You were a fucking smoke show when you were younger. I've seen a lot of these pictures of you recently. Super curly hair.

[Lauren Graham]

I did not identify that way.

[Dax Shepard]

But you were, you were. You just missed it.

[Lauren Graham]

Thank you. I also think I maybe gave off. First of all, I'm doing these jobs. These jobs are really hard. I just want to go home and go to sleep. I was always a person who had a long term boyfriend or no thing. I was not like a dater. But the other person who always says, did I hit on you? Was Ray Romano at the comedy club.

[Dax Shepard]

He wonders if he himself hit on you.

[Lauren Graham]

He can't remember. He assumes he did and he did not.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, that's kind of an insult.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah, you really do.

[Dax Shepard]

Exactly.

[Lauren Graham]

And he's asked me more than once. I'm like, Ray, if I have to tell you one more time, what I.

[Dax Shepard]

Hear is he really regrets not hitting ice. That's what I hear.

[Lauren Graham]

I'll take it. He's the best. But I do have a thing for. You know, comics are just real tough, but I love them so much.

[Monica Padman]

Well, they're challenging, which is a good thing and a bad thing.

[Lauren Graham]

It's a rough life, but it is really fun.

[Dax Shepard]

It's a brutal. It's a mean, brutal world, and I.

[Lauren Graham]

Can'T imagine it now for people. My godson, Clyde's buddy, they're 23. He's moving to New York. His dad is a successful screenwriter, and he knows the business, and he's going to New York to try his hand at standup.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, I applaud it.

[Lauren Graham]

I remember from the club, people would sit in the back. They were supportive, I guess. But also, there's that thing of like, maybe they'll die, and then I won't die. You know, it's a real more cutthroat y thing. There's been, obviously, all this stuff around the Saturday Night Live 50th. I can't get enough. I've. I have watched everything to do with it, but for my money, there was not enough time spent on people's auditions. And there's a whole series about it. But there's a thing where Bill Hader's in the elevator, and one of them had props, and the other one didn't have props. It was like, Andy Samberg and him. And they're being like, shoot, I should have brought props. The other one being like, I shouldn't have props. That thing of, like, how do you start these careers? Is so fascinating to me.

[Monica Padman]

When you say you didn't identify as the smoke show that Dax identified you as, then were you, like, my quote worth is in humor is in being smart.

[Dax Shepard]

She skipped a grade.

[Lauren Graham]

I skipped grade when I was little, and I was one of the only kids in school whose mom was not around. So I think those two things were weird at the time. It teaches you to read a room, and we all have a version of what our sensitivity is to reading the room. I think May has a really developed reading the room from being in a lot of rooms with a lot of older people and having a sense for your own success and protection of how am I going to get through this.

[Monica Padman]

How to survive it.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah. And so I think that maybe put me on a little bit of a balance being younger than everybody, and I could read to the degree that they skipped me out of Kindergarten. Somehow I didn't borrow from that. This is a privilege and a really cool thing. I was always sort of trying to lay low. My dad remarried. I wasn't without women. Great aunts and friends and babysitters even, who were fantastic. But it's not like having a mom in the house.

[Dax Shepard]

But you're staring at your whole childhood going, right, oh, and you put on makeup that way. And you do this.

[Lauren Graham]

Any of that.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, and she said hi to dad that way. And he kind of.

[Lauren Graham]

And it's really driven home right now because my one sister has three kids, but my other sister has one who is a four and a half year old now, which is the age my mom sort of started to go. They live in Manhattan and I see them a lot. So I'm seeing this age.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Lauren Graham]

And this experience is not as present for me as it was. But clinically I can look at it, especially knowing this child as I do, and see what that age is. I never really saw it.

[Dax Shepard]

Imagine her now without her mom.

[Lauren Graham]

Cannot imagine.

[Dax Shepard]

I had the same story about my dad. I'm like, well, I didn't ever have one, so I didn't pine for it. I didn't miss him because I didn't have it. But bullshit.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah, but my father did an incredible job. There was lots of family around. I had lots of cousins. Having this unconventional for that time now, it's less unusual.

[Dax Shepard]

You were certainly the only kid in your whole high school being raised by their dad.

[Lauren Graham]

By the high school he was remarried. I was the only kid in elementary school who did not have a mom in the picture. And they were curious about it. The teachers would be like, who does your hair? Cause it was still a more traditional. It would always be a thing if there was a show and costumes needed to be sewn. And my dad would ask his secretary, you know, like, stuff like that.

[Monica Padman]

Wait, I'm sorry. Did she.

[Dax Shepard]

She went to England.

[Monica Padman]

She left.

[Dax Shepard]

She was pursuing a singing career at the time.

[Lauren Graham]

She was pursuing all kinds of things. And I think they were so young, I don't know that she had an idea of what it was going to be.

[Dax Shepard]

You're incredibly fair. In the first interview to her and your dad. They were both very, very young. They got married and the dad took off to Vietnam for two years to be an interpreter. And they were in Japan.

[Lauren Graham]

Well, who he worked for, which is recently in the news for being somewhat dismantled.

[Dax Shepard]

When I read that this morning, I was thinking, wow, yeah, you actually have a connection to that.

[Monica Padman]

Sorry, I got confused because we had talked at the beginning about her passing.

[Dax Shepard]

She also died when she was 16.

[Lauren Graham]

She also died.

[Monica Padman]

Right.

[Lauren Graham]

They not only split up, but then she got ill in her 50s.

[Monica Padman]

Got it.

[Lauren Graham]

It was a pretty stressful path. But I would go to England to visit her. And then meanwhile, my father had my sister and my brother and a much more nuclear and treatment traditional and very warm family. I had all the experiences. In a way, I don't want to say that I had no confidence. I did and do. And also I think I didn't identify in high school. There were the girls who were the sanctioned hot girls. It didn't feel like a lack or anything. And like I had a high school boyfriend. Not that that's the gauge, but I mean it is a little bit. Do you feel like guys are into you? And I will say my mom. People would stop on the street. She both was beautiful, but also she really owned it. She dressed the part. She had a kind of swagger. I just was like, okay, that's not me. Like it wasn't a judgment even. It was just a different way of being and being in the world. And aging was difficult for her.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm gonna stop psychoanalyzing you. But the one thing I'll add is I think whatever parent takes you, you'll have a loyalty to that parent that you have to. This just occurred to me, interviewing Josh Brolin. Just think of the notion that you recognize these adults can split. If you just acknowledge that's a reality of your parents can bail. Presumably the other one could. I don't know. So you have this really deep loyalty. And so for me, I was like, I'm like my mom. I'm not like that guy that abandoned her. Well, I'm very much like him. It's taken me my whole life to recognize no. In fact, I'm kind of a carbon copy of him. But I was defining myself in opposition of him because he didn't have qualities I admired. He wasn't around. So I don't know, maybe subconsciously you also identify more with your dad and wanted to identify. And he was a cerebral competent.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah. And fun and overachiever. And it was not even that I didn't want to be what my mom was. It's just so mystifying. I would go visit and yes, she was in a band or she was in fashion and people really reacted to her. My sister carries herself like she's got such incredible sophistication and great fashion sense. And I'm in like a high top Reebok, you know, it just Was different. So it wasn't even a loss. Obviously, not having her in my life is a loss. And when we talk about identity and how you both are given yours and craft it as well.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Lauren Graham]

I was like, I like being one of the guys. I really comfortable there. And that came with being fun and.

[Dax Shepard]

Funny, the party that you are. How was the Super Bowl?

[Lauren Graham]

Really fun.

[Dax Shepard]

I've gone twice to work there. It's a little overwhelming for me.

[Lauren Graham]

Totally overwhelming. Are you kidding? With all the stuff we just talked about?

[Dax Shepard]

And then I was telling Monica, I don't ever worry about terrorism. I just started thinking, like, well, this would be an ideal place and I'm here and why I don't even care.

[Lauren Graham]

I mean, especially now. And Trump was there. So on the one hand, more security.

[Dax Shepard]

On the other hand, great target.

[Monica Padman]

Sure.

[Lauren Graham]

I was with Joel McHale. We love each other. He makes everything fun. But this was the same group because I went to Fox upfronts this year because Tubie's a Fox subsidiary. At the Fox upfronts, it was me, Joel, Jon Hamm, a couple maybe other TV shows. TV now is football.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, 100%.

[Lauren Graham]

It was like 10 football players. And again, girls guy. I was really happy there. Everyone's like three feet taller than me. I was. I love being around a bunch.

[Dax Shepard]

You felt like a tiny little shock.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah. I was like, hehe. Anyway, don't break me. But also, Ham is great. Will Arnett was there. I was very comfortable. So our box was Joel, Rob Lowe, Gordon Ramsay, who was lovely. That made it fun. And then you're just there with snacks, and people stop by, but you don't really see the game from there. And people were like, how's the halftime show? I was like, it was this big. So what an honor to go and be asked.

[Dax Shepard]

Last thing I want to say before we get to your show. We both have read the Cher biography.

[Lauren Graham]

It's so good.

[Dax Shepard]

How fucking good is that biography?

[Lauren Graham]

Even if you don't care about Cher, which I don't know how you can't, it's such a snapshot of a different time.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God.

[Lauren Graham]

Of a different Hollywood, of a different Los Angeles.

[Dax Shepard]

There's a strength to her version of her story that I thought, well, if you get to choose, that's the way to do it.

[Lauren Graham]

It helped that she was wildly talented and to a certain degree, nobody was gonna mess with her.

[Dax Shepard]

She did get her leverage and broke free. So you're right. Since she landed on top, it's probably easier for her to see it that way.

[Lauren Graham]

And I Think as we do. She's replicating or finding familiar what was already going on in her life and her childhood, which was not a huge amount of stability. And my own version, I was out on my bicycle. I had a paper route at like, 12. We didn't know the things we should be worried about as much as we know today. There's so much to worry about now and so many ways to worry and so much access to things to worry about. And it just was a different time. I even think when I first came here in 96 or 7, I had a little bit of money in the bank. I had done some commercials, which I wasn't too.

[Dax Shepard]

You know, I almost wondered if the reason you didn't want to go back to him is like, it represented something.

[Lauren Graham]

No, I had a blast. But I'm doing commercials as, like, you guys should try Liquid Death or whatever. Which. Why is it called that?

[Monica Padman]

That's not a good commercial when you question the name.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. I don't know. Maybe there's a reason.

[Lauren Graham]

Liquid Death. What could be more refreshing?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, we know.

[Lauren Graham]

No, I love doing them. I made money. And also, even when we did that Walmart thing, there are a couple of skills I have that do not help me in any other realm except in the realm to which they belong. Like, if you tell me that something was 32 seconds and you need it to be 30 seconds, I can pretty much do that.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

You know, Monica's done more commercials than both of us combined. She's been in a hundred. Because she's the most successful commercial actress I've ever met in my life. She. We regularly had five Nationals running at the same time.

[Lauren Graham]

And what is the world of it now? Is it still good?

[Monica Padman]

I haven't done them in a long time, too. It was good money, but not.

[Dax Shepard]

It wasn't.

[Monica Padman]

No, that was the promise. Like, you could get this one commercial and you could get $250,000. And that never happened. But it was a fun little time.

[Lauren Graham]

As an actor starting out. It gave you a day. Here's my day. I'm going to this audition. I'm going to run into so and so. I'm going to have lunch at the diner.

[Dax Shepard]

You're the illusion of being productive.

[Lauren Graham]

Exactly.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Okay. One thing you have to say to Monica, because she's. I don't want to say the.

[Monica Padman]

I see it on your paper and I'm so excited.

[Dax Shepard]

Titillate.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I am.

[Dax Shepard]

But you've met Taylor Swift.

[Lauren Graham]

I have.

[Monica Padman]

Tell us everything.

[Dax Shepard]

I learned this. This is fun. Backstage, I was Flying to Lisbon with Lincoln and we had not had the passport. And then we got it. And then we had this five hour layover for the next flight. And then God bless the universe. You and Sam Pancake are at the counter. So we got to spend a couple hours and a lot, which was the longest time we had spent together in a couple years. I cherished that little layover, but that's where I learned this story.

[Monica Padman]

It's Sam Pancake.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, he's the most lovely, talented. It's her best friend who's a really funny actor.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, fun.

[Lauren Graham]

He's fantastic. I had a book that had come out the year before, but then the paperback came out. We did a live event and then we got asked to do another one. And then we were like, hold on, maybe this is what we're doing now for a while. And so we're re going to Scotland, I think. And it just was traveling with my buddy. We kind of made it into a show and he was like the moderator. It was really fun.

[Dax Shepard]

Cool.

[Lauren Graham]

But that's where we ran into you guys. I was at a small party. I know some people who know. I didn't know she was gonna be there. I just was trying to be so cool or something. But she was lovely and she asked about Gilmore Girls. She said, did you know it was gonna be such a thing? I just walk in. I don't wanna lean on this. I'm growing and maturing. But I assume no one knows anything and no one has seen anything, which is literally impossible.

[Dax Shepard]

That's how I move through the world as well.

[Lauren Graham]

I think it's just safer that way. But it's not a false humility. I just assume she's a very busy person.

[Dax Shepard]

It's best to start there. You're super pleasantly surprised with the other thing.

[Lauren Graham]

This was a couple years ago too. It's even grown since then. She just was really lovely. I'm friends with Jenny Han, who is the showrunner of the Summer I Turned Pretty, among other things. And Taylor had given the song to use. It was part of the show. And so I sort of said, you know, Jenny Han. And she knew what I was talking about. And then I just was like, anyway.

[Dax Shepard]

So you're much younger, but I'm very intimidated by you.

[Monica Padman]

Were you or no Intimidated by her?

[Lauren Graham]

It was more like I didn't want to bother her, but we're at a small party. She had friends there. It's a version that I'm really trying to get rid of, which I've had with some actresses. I have admired and worked with Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep of that thing where I'm like, surely you have other things to. But now sometimes I'm in that position, and I'm like, not really like, you.

[Dax Shepard]

Think you're being respectful, but you could also be being read as aloof and disinterested.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh, God.

[Dax Shepard]

They could walk away thinking she had zero interest in me. We worked together for two months. She didn't ask me a single question. I was in Godfather. She could have inquired about that. So you want to know anything.

[Monica Padman]

Even if they know what's happening, that's still sad for them, probably. Like, no one feels that they can come talk to me for real.

[Lauren Graham]

I had that with Candice Bergen, too, in that movie that I did with Joel. She couldn't have been nice. And we ended up sitting next to each other. I've read all her books. I've seen everything she's ever been in, and I don't know. It's just bad. This is the day that it doesn't exist anymore. I'm gonna talk your ear off. Beware the next person who works with me because. Oh, this is what I was gonna say. I've remembered the Instagram thing, which is Tubi did a thing where they interviewed. They don't love being called the kids on the show, but we all called them the kids, where they were like, what's it like to work with Lauren Graham? Which, again, is just a premise. I would not have thought they were all super great and nice, but a couple of them said, she's really professional. And I was like, I think I wasn't fun enough because I am very professional. And there was a lot to consider. And it's the first season of a show, and I'm a producer and sort of thinking about lots of things all the time, but I wanted them to be like, she's a laugh riot.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. I have the thing they say the best advice if you have a stalker or someone obsessed with you is you can't say anything, because no matter what you say, even you're like, get out of my life. I can't stand you. They can twist that. I have that skill with a positive. I'll make it a dig.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh, so I didn't have enough blue.

[Dax Shepard]

On even you being professional, it's like.

[Monica Padman]

It's like.

[Lauren Graham]

That's a great compliment.

[Dax Shepard]

I know, I know. Okay, so the Z Suite. First of all, what did you think the name was when your agent told.

[Lauren Graham]

You Sam and I were on tour? I was in the lobby of a hotel. We've been working together for so long. He knows how to tell me something. So he was like, there's a show he was saving. It's on a network you've never heard of for the very end. But I actually just jumping ahead, did not and do not view that as a barrier to entry. Having been on the WB when it was quite new. And it is part of what I do think I'm starting to understand about the world of media that we're in, which is you never know.

[Dax Shepard]

So this is where I ask in a non insulting way. Do not try to find something negative and explain Tubi to me.

[Lauren Graham]

It is its own streaming platform. It is free. It is more like television as we knew it. It comes on some televisions. It is an app. You can G on your phone if you sign up. It still doesn't cost any money, but then you can download, you can record, you can use it as we use our apps. It has a really friendly interface. There's live, there's movies and they are starting to do original content. And we were their first scripted comedy. They've been incredible to work with. They've been really collaborative. They're excited too, which you don't necessarily get with your established things.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, they're more flexible and open, but we didn't even get to the punchline. So when he calls you, he's giving.

[Lauren Graham]

Me all the stuff and he's like, this is the character, it's called the Disease Suite. And I was like, wait, it's a hospital show. I was like, that is a terrible title. And we went through the rest of the conversation with me still thinking he did not correct me because he didn't understand what. So I was like, it doesn't sound like a comedy to me. Wait, who has a disease? Like we really had four part conversation about it. He's like, that's not what I'm saying. Z sweet, by the way, because I am so out of corporate America. I didn't know that Z Suite is a play on C Suite, which is your executive lounge. And of course this Gen Z takes over.

[Dax Shepard]

I have a whole issue with C Suite because this is now ubiquitous that everyone knows what a C suite is and I don't understand why it's called.

[Lauren Graham]

C. CEO, cfo, coo.

[Dax Shepard]

Only the people with the C. The chiefs. The chiefs, officers, all the chiefs.

[Lauren Graham]

The sweet were all the fancy people are okay.

[Dax Shepard]

What's your baseline about Generation Z? I think there's a bunch of stereotypes about them, but I am suspicious they're not the numbers that we think. No.

[Lauren Graham]

What the show asks is, who's more ridiculous? The people who have taken this corporate culture really seriously, or these people who are trying to have a better time, work from home, have kooky parties involving llamas? And what I like about the show is that it really doesn't take a side. I'm as ridiculous as the kids are. Really ridiculous. And it's fun because it's not meant to advocate for anybody.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, well, it's skewer both sides.

[Lauren Graham]

Right. The thing I value more than anything, I will do the disease suite. But I've got to have a good day with people that I like and trust and believe in and laugh with. We had that. And you just don't necessarily get that.

[Dax Shepard]

In a very healthy way. Seven years ago, we already felt this way, which is, you get to a certain point where for me, it was like, I'm not going to be in a Marvel movie. And yours was, I'm not gonna be Sandra Bullock. And then at that point, I think a very healthy transition happens where you go, okay, so I'm gonna focus on process. Cause I'm not really in the results game as much anymore. But the process now means everything to me. And I think it's a very healthy thing to prioritize that.

[Lauren Graham]

To get to a place where I already got more than I thought I would. I feel so grateful. Oh, now I get to do this without the pressure. There's still pressure. And I want the show to come back, and I want people to like.

[Dax Shepard]

It without the neuroticism.

[Monica Padman]

You already did proved yourself. You've been on multiple things that are incredible.

[Lauren Graham]

The fact that things are still kind of out there, it's huge.

[Dax Shepard]

That's the thing that very few people get, which is something that just keeps getting enjoyed for a long, long time. Seems almost impossible. And that's really rare.

[Lauren Graham]

You know, if only I had merch.

[Monica Padman]

Oh. I was thinking that when you guys were talking about parent hoodie stuff, big mistake for them not to do a parent hoodie. Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

There were 13 cast members. And we bought the gift. You know, we would cumulatively chip in on whatever we were getting the crew and the amount of emails that would go back and forth to decide whether we were getting this mug or this.

[Lauren Graham]

Why was that such a hard.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, it was impossible. What was the brand of sweatshirt we get that was kind of terry cloth?

[Lauren Graham]

Oh, not a North Face, but the other one.

[Dax Shepard]

The other one.

[Monica Padman]

Patagonia.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Had to go like, are we going to go Patagonia tall neck, or are we going all the way with the puffer vest version?

[Monica Padman]

I love that.

[Dax Shepard]

I know. I was making among the lowest of all the actors. And I was kind of like, get him a mug, man. I didn't say it, but I was.

[Lauren Graham]

Like, guys, we tried to prorate it, but then it was sort of like, then people. That's right. It's like, that's not fair.

[Dax Shepard]

Maybe I've told you this, maybe I haven't, but every job I had ever had in my life prior to parenthood, I made a point to find out what everyone was making.

[Lauren Graham]

How?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, I'd always figure it out.

[Monica Padman]

You just asked.

[Dax Shepard]

I just figured I'd either get into a conversation where I'd get it out of him or I back channel through an agent.

[Lauren Graham]

I would figure it out.

[Dax Shepard]

I went into Parenthood going, I'm purposely gonna not find out. And I was so happy on the show. I was like, if I find out Jabbar's making twice as much as me, how can I enjoy going to work? But I enjoy so much going to work until I find out my son is making more than me. But that was the first time I ever broke that habit. Boy, was it a blessing. So your character, Monica, Wow. She insisted, as a nod to you, that be her character's name. It was originally named Gail.

[Monica Padman]

And you were like, that's not going to work.

[Lauren Graham]

We did fuss with the last name. I had various last names because, you.

[Dax Shepard]

Know, clearance, which I never understand.

[Lauren Graham]

I don't either. But I really cared about what her name was. And for a while, she was Monica. A bunch of other things. And I was like, this doesn't sound like who I want this person to be.

[Dax Shepard]

It's gotta be Padman, but not Padman.

[Monica Padman]

But we can't do that.

[Lauren Graham]

I am not Indian.

[Dax Shepard]

And that might be mindful.

[Lauren Graham]

Yes, exactly. There was various MC Somebodies, Monica, Mick, Bubba. None of those cleared.

[Monica Padman]

Well, we land on.

[Lauren Graham]

But you are Monica Marks.

[Monica Padman]

I like that.

[Dax Shepard]

But we meet you and you're winning a huge award for being an incredible advertising agent. Is that what we call them?

[Lauren Graham]

Executive. I run an advertising agent called Atelier. Agency called Atelier. Yes.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, wow.

[Dax Shepard]

Which is a big word we talk about all the time.

[Monica Padman]

It's a big ding, ding, ding for us.

[Dax Shepard]

You can't imagine how much you just walked into. Because I was taught that name by Monica, who's a fashionista, and I said, you watch, they're going to start calling Subway an atelier. Oh, it's going to Be like artisan, where it's like.

[Lauren Graham]

It'll mean it means nothing, but it makes you feel like it's worth the $10 you're paying for the sandwich.

[Dax Shepard]

The artisan sandwich from the atelier shop, Subway.

[Lauren Graham]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

You're super well established. You fuck up an ad campaign, you say all somethings matter.

[Lauren Graham]

I say all vibes matter. It's all vibes. Headphones. And this was something. I cannot tell you how many conversations we had about what is believable, even in the world of comedy, that this person who's the head of this thing, who's risen up, What's a believable mistake that would get her canceled, that we think would have gotten through yet is tone deaf.

[Dax Shepard]

Tone deaf, not racist. That's the kind of the line we want to strike.

[Lauren Graham]

That's exactly right. We don't want Monica to be like, oops, I didn't realize.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. All vibes matter. In the right context, you could not put those two together.

[Lauren Graham]

Right. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

So that spells your demise. And you also have a young woman that works for you, and she's worked there for 168 days, only 43 of which were in the office. And she thinks she's ready to run the place. This stereotype. I do have a few friends who own businesses who. They have some young employees that are completely shocked they're not vice president within, like a year of work.

[Lauren Graham]

I know plenty of these stories because that was something too. I kept saying to people, is this believable? And they were like, oh, yeah. I have a million examples. It's just growing up differently.

[Dax Shepard]

It's probably exaggerated and also quite real.

[Lauren Graham]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

I was almost thinking when I was doing my research on you, I'm like, I wonder if part of it is it's totally not their fault. They would have been at an age where they watched Mark Zuckerberg start the biggest company on Earth at 26 years old. There would be a lot of examples for them that we certainly didn't have. So some of it, I think is not even their fault. Yeah. By the time you're 26, you should own Facebook.

[Lauren Graham]

It's also parenting changes. And we see it's why all these generations get named. Because whatever the cultural experience their parents were having, I was more latchkey kid where she's probably fine.

[Dax Shepard]

We'll find out tonight at 9 when I get home.

[Lauren Graham]

That's right. And then there's more of like a helicopter thing that happened. I just always remember this statistic, and I don't even know what generation it Applied to. But that kids had a tough time picking up a water pitcher and balancing it because so much had been done for them. Nobody was like, you pour the thing. So, like, things like that that you're even think. But I think of that as, like, you wouldn't think as a parent.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, you're really at war with that.

[Lauren Graham]

Well, it's just reminding me how much I play with my hair. Just things you wouldn't think of as a parent. Like, I need to make sure my child has basic motor skills at the dinner table around.

[Monica Padman]

God.

[Dax Shepard]

I knew a family who, yeah, their kid didn't learn to walk very, very late. And my mom was like, of course not. The kid gets picked up and carried everywhere. Doesn't need to walk. Kid's a genius. Any time I'm learning to walk. Stay tuned for more Armchair Expert if you dare.

[Lauren Graham]

When I'm around friends, kids and stuff, I'm like, she's fine. Don't worry about it.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you get canned, and then you build an entire replica of your office in your home, which is fantastic. Now these young kids start running the.

[Lauren Graham]

Age they really bonded with each other, which was fantastic. And that's one of the positives of being on location in a first season of a show. They had each other and they really hung out together and it seemed like had a good time. I was busy being professional, so I.

[Dax Shepard]

Wouldn'T study for the next day.

[Monica Padman]

It's the plight of the boss.

[Lauren Graham]

The boss.

[Monica Padman]

It really is.

[Dax Shepard]

Here's a joke in the show that I have unfortunately heard people in my life claim they have, which is one of the younger workers is late and he says, I have time blinds.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I know that's a thing.

[Dax Shepard]

You haven't heard that.

[Monica Padman]

No.

[Dax Shepard]

I've now heard people our age claim to have time. Boy, this is a new concept.

[Lauren Graham]

That same character also says he's audibly fragile when someone's too loud.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah. It's wonderful.

[Monica Padman]

That's great.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah. But I'm sort of awful in my own ways. And it was so many things I hadn't done or hadn't done in a while. I wanted there to be a core of what is believable and what is just heartbreaking about being replaced.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Lauren Graham]

And losing. It's not just the job. It's relevance and sense of self.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Was all this worth it and I'm disappearing. The world's changing and none of it was for anything.

[Lauren Graham]

Right.

[Dax Shepard]

You're so fun to work with. I'm really jealous of those people. And I miss it so much.

[Lauren Graham]

I know it was a good time. And that was one time when the genuine kids on parenthood would be like, ugh, I can't make it to yoga. And I was like, you have no idea how good you have it, and you better be thankful. And someday you're gonna call and be like, I had to work 14 hours.

[Dax Shepard]

It's all going to go downhill from here. This is as good as it'll ever get.

[Lauren Graham]

He's just the most wonderful group of people, the most wonderful material, the most wonderful Jason Katums, the most wonderful hours.

[Dax Shepard]

You got to actually act nearly the whole time you were there, which is impossible.

[Lauren Graham]

We were super lucky.

[Dax Shepard]

You keep dodging this question in every interview, but I'm gonna pretty much make you answer it.

[Lauren Graham]

Great.

[Dax Shepard]

You're a part of a phenomena, which is guilt. And certainly we saw Will and Grace come back in a very satisfying way for everybody involved. This seems insane that we wouldn't be doing this show again.

[Lauren Graham]

Well, we did it for Netflix.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, you did. For movies, right?

[Lauren Graham]

I don't know, because they definitely didn't read anything then. But there seems to have been a mixed reaction in terms of feeling satisfied that people got what they wanted. For me, it was a incredible, satisfying, beautiful, cried, every day experience. I could mark some growth I felt I had in terms of that character. That time working with Amy, it felt different. So all the stuff that I loved about it was the same, and then it was better and different. And the more grown up version, how do you honor those people who have kept it alive? Is it giving them more? Is it doing what Reese Witherspoon's doing with Legally Blonde, Elle, the prequel? Is this a Captain Marvel Multiverse where you want to follow whoever, or do you try to go back?

[Dax Shepard]

What I think Will and Grace did right is they gave you exactly what you had the first time.

[Lauren Graham]

Right.

[Dax Shepard]

We can accept that the story's now progress, but you gotta keep it in our really familiar fun.

[Lauren Graham]

That's a really good point. I always say. And it's not me trying to get out of the question. It is literally what I could picture, given everyone's lives and schedules, is Christmas movie. Because that's what I think the Brits do so well with their beloved shows, is that you get a Christmas special. It's not episodes, but it's seeing all your friends together again. And it's one of the reasons I thought the Walmart commercial was a sweet, where are they now? Kind of thing. Because speaking to. Have you seen the most recent Bridget Jones? Not Yet I'm obsessed with the books, obsessed with the movies. I think they did an incredible job. Renee's incredible in it. It gives you what that character always was, which is a single girl trying to understand the dating world, which you couldn't do. You had to make her single again.

[Monica Padman]

Right?

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. The engine of the whole thing was her being single.

[Lauren Graham]

That's right. And then she's out. It's the same dynamic.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, also, dating's a whole thing that still happens, gets actually real.

[Lauren Graham]

But dating has changed. Right. So it's like, how do you re. Enter that?

[Monica Padman]

Is there something weird, though, about. Weird maybe isn't the right word, but a little unsettling about seeing the person from so many years ago in the exact same spot they were.

[Lauren Graham]

I don't know. I mean, also, we don't look the same. There's no way you should or could be the same.

[Monica Padman]

Exactly. Right.

[Lauren Graham]

And so I don't.

[Dax Shepard]

No, but that's tv.

[Lauren Graham]

Well, that's aging. It's just being a person.

[Dax Shepard]

Crosby's never gonna learn. You're never gonna learn. That's the premise.

[Lauren Graham]

Well, but the problem is where we left the characters. Not the problem. But now Lorelai and Luke got married. Now Rory's maybe having a baby. So it's not gonna be necessarily the two of us circling the gazebo. You have to add Ed Herman, God bless his past. It just can't be the same. Which is why I view it as best served in a holiday, in a sort of limited.

[Monica Padman]

I think that's right.

[Dax Shepard]

Some people don't ever change.

[Monica Padman]

I know. I don't know if it gets less funny and more like, oh, Friends was my number one. I could not have loved it more.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

And I'm glad they never did that.

[Lauren Graham]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

I'm glad it ended and they did it. It can live like that for me forever.

[Lauren Graham]

Because I do still get asked, is it literally just better to leave them wanting more?

[Monica Padman]

I know.

[Lauren Graham]

That's kind of how I feel.

[Dax Shepard]

You're not doing commercials. I'm going to tell you right now, they have the thing. You can't erase it. You can't make it disappear. You can't dishonor it. All these fears, you give them this other thing, maybe they'll like it or they won't like.

[Monica Padman]

Right.

[Dax Shepard]

It's not gonna impact that.

[Lauren Graham]

Thank God. It isn't up to me. And what I have clearly said is, if somebody calls me to do it, I'll do it.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't desire to act at all, but I deeply miss being on Parenthood and there is a version of that show I would probably do.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

If it were eight episodes or 10 episodes, I could manage my now real job. My fear is more. Is it like going back to your high school? But I don't think so. Cause we were already like full fledged adults. And when I see you, it lights me up every time. And when I'm with Trilling, which I spend a lot of time with Trill, I'm just enamored with being around him. None of that's changed.

[Lauren Graham]

You have reminded me that I'm angry about your friendship with Larry. Okay, I knew him first.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Lauren Graham]

I went to college with him.

[Dax Shepard]

I might have put more effort in.

[Lauren Graham]

You probably did. And you're in town more.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, I'm in town more.

[Lauren Graham]

But can I please come with you guys sometime when you have dinner? Maybe the reason that show went away is once you get to someone having cancer, I mean, when you're on these family shows, there's only so many stories. They don't tend to go on for 10 or 20. I mean, this is us as an example. But they didn't go that much longer, right?

[Dax Shepard]

I mean, we did six years. That's about as long as you can do it. And I won't even give a fuck. I don't care how it turns out.

[Monica Padman]

That's a problem. You just want to.

[Dax Shepard]

I just want to go hang out with you guys. I love you. I love you from the bottom of my heart.

[Lauren Graham]

I love you.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. This was so nice when you came.

[Dax Shepard]

The Z Suite is out now on Tubi. And it's free. It's network TV for free as a streamer. I'm in.

[Lauren Graham]

Thank you.

[Dax Shepard]

So everyone watch the Disease Suite. It's spelled Z, S, U I, T E. So glad we got to hang out. You and I have had sauna plans for about a year and a half. And I said, jim, we have done this interview.

[Lauren Graham]

People say, let's have lunch. Dax says, come over and sweat your face off. Let's get stronger together in a bathing suit.

[Dax Shepard]

Which is.

[Lauren Graham]

That's not where my.

[Monica Padman]

That's why he does it like that.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah, exactly.

[Dax Shepard]

That's why a lot of people aren't taking my offer up. They don't want to be in a bathing suit.

[Monica Padman]

It might be a red flag who does take you up.

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah, exactly. Are there takers? They're mostly.

[Dax Shepard]

Mostly other men. I love you. Love you.

[Monica Padman]

We have to give you props really quick because you make the best banana bread I've ever had in my entire.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh, I haven't made that in so.

[Monica Padman]

Long during COVID You made it and we had it. And it was so.

[Dax Shepard]

You've been derelict in your duties.

[Lauren Graham]

I have. I used to make a really good cinnamon bread too.

[Dax Shepard]

And maybe you can lure May over and I can see her. Because that's the only way I'll see her.

[Lauren Graham]

I will. We'll do that when they're back.

[Dax Shepard]

All right.

[Lauren Graham]

All right.

[Dax Shepard]

Love you again.

[Lauren Graham]

Love you. Get this microphone out of my way.

[Dax Shepard]

I sure hope there weren't any mistakes in that episode. But we'll find out when my mom, Mrs. Monica, comes in and tells us what was wrong. Are you so happy to be wearing your raincoat?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. It's a good part. I guess.

[Dax Shepard]

That's his brown lining.

[Monica Padman]

Brown lining. Literally.

[Dax Shepard]

I was on the road at 6am this morning.

[Monica Padman]

Uh huh.

[Dax Shepard]

Driving to Anaheim, California, home of Disneyland, as you may know.

[Monica Padman]

I do know that.

[Dax Shepard]

Thriving suburban. The greater metropolitan area. Yes. To go to Expo West.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

Do you know about Expo West?

[Monica Padman]

Nope.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't know a ton either.

[Monica Padman]

Okay. Even after having gone.

[Dax Shepard]

That's right.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

70,000 attendees.

[Monica Padman]

Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

It's a huge trade show for consumer products.

[Monica Padman]

Oh. All kinds.

[Dax Shepard]

Grocers, products, buyers, suppliers, founders. And Sharon Beasley and I, Aaron Weekley, were on stage being interviewed.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, you were interviewed. Oh, I thought you guys were like trying to sell your product.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, that's happening. Yeah. I had to come back to work for my real job.

[Monica Padman]

Are they still there?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, they're still there. Wandering the halls of a huge convention. 70,000 attendees.

[Monica Padman]

That's great.

[Dax Shepard]

Rob. Google, how many cities in America have more than 70,000? So I'm getting 50,000 or more. There's 510 urban areas in the US which with a population out of 50 states, that's like 10 per state.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, that's.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't know what that does for us, but I feel like it's relevant.

[Monica Padman]

Not, not, not a lot for me personally.

[Dax Shepard]

What I'm saying is this would be in the top 500 cities in America for population. Had this group incorporated into a city while they were watching this interview.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, great. I'm just thinking about all these products, you know.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. A lot of products.

[Monica Padman]

This crowded space, so many products and.

[Dax Shepard]

Go ahead.

[Monica Padman]

I just like, do we need more products? Unless it's filling a space. Yes, I do think you are filling a space with TED Seekers. I don't think there's a lot of good nab.

[Dax Shepard]

I do too.

[Monica Padman]

So I support that product.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Monica Padman]

But overall everyone has a product. Product.

[Dax Shepard]

Yep.

[Monica Padman]

And I think I'm gonna say, I declare I'm against it.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my goodness. What a controversial stance. Well, you like capitalism and you like the marketplace.

[Monica Padman]

Of course. So it's not an anti capitalist stance. It's more just like, do we need it guys?

[Dax Shepard]

More of an enough already?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, it's a little bit more of an enough already mixed with, like, everyone famous has to have some product. Like, not you. Again, not you.

[Dax Shepard]

No, no, it can be. Go ahead.

[Monica Padman]

No, I don't mean you.

[Dax Shepard]

That's why I love talk. Talking about TED Secrets. Because this was not a cash grab. No one approached me. All these other. There's another guy with a celebrity, with a beer brand, and he's very openly on a talk show saying, like, he got approached by people. They handed him five things at a boardroom meeting and said, basically, will you put your name on this?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

So this is like, me and Aaron created a beer we wouldn't be embarrassed to order at a bar.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Right. We're not like, hey, do you have old Duels? Could you bring it in a Budweiser, you know?

[Lauren Graham]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

I also think selling products is great. I have no beef with people who kind of who do. Who are doing that.

[Dax Shepard]

We made it for ourselves else. And then we thought, oh, maybe people would also want.

[Monica Padman]

But I mean, even people who, like, don't really care about the product but are like, look, I can. I can slap my name on this and get eyes on it. And I think it's fine. I don't have any. I don't really have a problem with some of this. Bad things that other people might have problems with.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

But I do think, like, when I go to Target, I'll say if I.

[Dax Shepard]

Can, oh, yeah, it's a great place to go.

[Monica Padman]

And there's. There's like so many tequilas. They're all one kind of tequila. They're all a celebrity brand tequila of one variety. It's not like they put in a ton of effort to make it. I think we recently talked about Paul Feig. Paul Feig has a gin.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Monica Padman]

But that's his passion.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. He's virtually a chemist.

[Monica Padman]

Yes. And so that's great to me, but.

[Dax Shepard]

Just my passion's partying.

[Monica Padman]

It was.

[Dax Shepard]

No, it is. That's what Tet Seeker is all about. You can still rage. You don't have to have alcohol.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, but do you think you rage?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God, yes. Aaron and I party hard.

[Monica Padman]

I don't need to poke holes in your business.

[Dax Shepard]

Barbecue. Laughing, screaming. Five of them. Not the sip. One, of course. Empty. Can It's a party.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, but I think most people think when they hear party, they think like club 4:00am like, oh, they, they're not.

[Dax Shepard]

Thinking about it correctly.

[Monica Padman]

I, I agree.

[Dax Shepard]

Parties is state of mind and I'm going to drop into a carefree tomorrow never comes attitude. That's a party to me.

[Monica Padman]

I'm about parties too, then.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, we party. We fudgeing. Get down here. What are you talking about? This is a major party.

[Monica Padman]

I'm just telling you what the colloquial observation, the word party, that they think.

[Dax Shepard]

It has to involve being intoxicated and being out late.

[Monica Padman]

People think partying is being out late and they don't party with me because I'm in, in bed by 8.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, yes, yes. But Aaron and I will be out late. Okay.

[Monica Padman]

Rarely.

[Dax Shepard]

Rarely.

[Monica Padman]

But we would be honest that it's rare.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

But we would get panicked because you haven't taken your sleep aids.

[Dax Shepard]

I'll give you a prime example. Aaron and I will be. Which happens often. We're both binging a show together and it's midnight. We should go to bed. And I go, you just want to party. And he's like, yeah, let's go. And that we'll watch till maybe 3am because tomorrow's not coming. That's tomorrow. Dex's problem.

[Monica Padman]

BTDTI that's like how I live.

[Dax Shepard]

BTDT.

[Monica Padman]

I watched all of Running Point on Saturday. I watched the whole show.

[Dax Shepard]

Right. Let it rip.

[Monica Padman]

I was up late and I guess I was partying.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. I don't think we should let the people, just people who are getting intoxicated own the space. Partying.

[Monica Padman]

I, I, I like it. You're reclaiming.

[Dax Shepard]

That's right. Wait, back to. I want to, I want to spend a little more time on this because I think, I think you're representing how a lot of people feel like, oh, God, this guy's got a bodkanal.

[Monica Padman]

Right. I don't mean to. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

But I think a lot of people feel that way.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And I guess I can see it from both sides.

[Monica Padman]

Well, let me be clear really quick. To me, it's not about like, oh, this guy has, it's not about the, the guy or the girl or the whatever. It's not about the person. It's about the space. It's like, guys, we just don't need another one of these.

[Dax Shepard]

Right. You're more like the category is.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Pick a new category. Get a little creative. Look and see what's needed. Then do that.

[Dax Shepard]

That's what's cool about Danny Ricardo. No, he didn't. Nope. Danny DeVito. He did lemature. What is it? Lemon cello.

[Monica Padman]

I love lemon cello.

[Dax Shepard]

Limoncello. Like when we did. When in Rome, 18 years ago, he.

[Monica Padman]

Was ahead of the game.

[Dax Shepard]

He had lemon cello. Because that's. That's his drink.

[Monica Padman]

This is the same with beauty. Beauty insiders also feel like this. Like, wow. Everyone has a makeup brand or a beauty brand or something. Fragrance, exact. Something. And I agree. But I also think there is some space there. Like, I do like the people who are coming in with a more diverse color palette.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, sure.

[Monica Padman]

Things like that.

[Dax Shepard]

Some browns and light browns.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, yeah. Because there's a lot of whitey. There's. Well, there's just a lot of variation within darker colors. And that. That's not available.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

I was just asking Simone yesterday. I was like, what did you put on my face again for. For the SAG Awards? And she was like, I used to.

[Dax Shepard]

She had to do some.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, you got to use chemistry.

[Lauren Graham]

That's right.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, I was only going to. Not that anyone cares. I don't even know why I'm saying this, but I'm going to. If you look at the last six spirits that were created and then became valuated over a billion dollars or multiple billions of dollars, the truth is, four of those five are celebrity driven, whether it's Conor McGregor or it's the handsome Clooney McCluney.

[Monica Padman]

George Clooney. But his is good.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, yeah, they could be good or they could be, I guess.

[Monica Padman]

But I guess with that, I. I didn't even know that was his brand. I was drinking it. Casam amigos.

[Dax Shepard]

Shout out.

[Monica Padman]

Yes. I was drinking.

[Dax Shepard]

Exited, I think.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, good for him. And then I was. I. Then I learned, like, I think he invested in that.

[Lauren Graham]

Right?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, he was right out in front of it.

[Lauren Graham]

Oh, he was.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Yeah. There's several. They have worked. And what you have to acknowledge is if you're a distiller, a distiller or a distillery, breaking through this insanely cluttered space is nearly impossible.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

You would really have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars marketing this product.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Or you get the rock to talk about it on his Instagram. You save yourself several hundred million dollars, and it breaks through. So it's like.

[Monica Padman]

But that's selling. That's like. He's the spokesperson. I'm fine with spokespeople.

[Dax Shepard]

No, he started that. He's one of the founders.

[Monica Padman]

That's what I'm saying. That's different. Starting something, founding something, having your own idea. And doing it, to me is. Is like, now I'm. Now I'm confused about what I'm even saying.

[Dax Shepard]

And me too, a bit. Which I think is the sign of a good conversation, is you're, like, trying to figure out what your position is midway through.

[Monica Padman]

I don't care. Everyone can do it. There's just a lot of products out there.

[Dax Shepard]

I want to explain the landscape and why it's irresistible for distilleries and, you know, spirits, because you almost can't do it to just have, like, a novel recipe and try to penetrate.

[Monica Padman]

I agree. Like, Kristen was with Spindrift for a while.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

That, to me, is great. Like, she likes the product and it exists, and she is helping promote it. She's a spokesperson. But I think if she on her own was like. And like, you guys did it with hello, Bella because you felt like that there was a need.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah. But if she wanted people on a budget to have the same shit we had.

[Monica Padman]

Yes. But I think if she on her own was just like, what product shall I make now? Yeah, okay, I'll make vodka.

[Dax Shepard]

Right. And I don't drink.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Or just anything. It's like, she didn't do that. And I appreciate that. Like, I think just being hired is great.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Monica Padman]

I am. Please hire me to be a spokesperson.

[Dax Shepard]

No, I think you just.

[Monica Padman]

No, this is. This is nuanced. I would like to be a spokesperson for your product that already exists, but I don't want to clutter the market. The market with a new one.

[Dax Shepard]

Don't you think it might be fair to also acknowledge is, like, however you feel about the new celebrity product is virtually just how you feel about that celebrity. Because, like, when Clooney does it, you're like, oh, cool. He's super classy and elevated, and I bet his tequila's top shelf. And you won't get a hangover.

[Monica Padman]

And it is.

[Dax Shepard]

And then you see. I don't even want to say anything, but, you know, there's like, a holy region of people you would see with a product and be like, well, I don't even like their vibe to begin with, and it reeks of cash grab.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. That's all part of it.

[Dax Shepard]

I'll have everyone know, if it makes them feel better, I have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars on Ted Seegers.

[Monica Padman]

No, I made this clear that I. I think that's different.

[Dax Shepard]

Mine's also a mission be with my two friends.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, that's great. Everyone do whatever they want.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Just do it.

[Dax Shepard]

And I don't care if you think I'm a. I'll just. Yeah, I guess it is important to me that everyone recognize that this. This is not a cash grab. No one came to me. This is all self finance and I'm probably lose my shirt. But again, I'm having a blast with Aaron. We were at a convention just now on stage. Cash grabs in the right. Yeah, there's the right. Listen, I'm part of some.

[Monica Padman]

Everything's fine. Me too. Everything's fine. Everyone's doing great.

[Dax Shepard]

Everyone's trying to make it. What else? How was your weekend? We haven't discussed weekends. Yeah, tell me.

[Monica Padman]

As I said, I watched all of Running Point, really enjoyed it. I miss that half hour comedy vibe a lot. Yeah, it's such an easy. It's just easy. It's breezy, it's fun, it's. It's sexy, it's. I like it. So I watch all that. Oh, speaking of. On my Instagram this week because it's. It's Mindy week. Although when this comes out, it won't be Mindy week.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, it's passed.

[Monica Padman]

It will have passed, but it's Mindy week. So every day this week I'm posting on stories, an old episode of ours that is connected to Running Point. So like yesterday I posted Kate's old episode.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

I posted Ike's first appearance.

[Lauren Graham]

Wow. First.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. And then there's more to come.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God.

[Monica Padman]

We've had a lot of those people on.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Who else?

[Monica Padman]

Max.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, yeah. Max Greenfield. Sweet Max who I. Yeah. Well, I'm glad you finished that whole. You plowed right through and felt great and you woke up and felt good in the morning.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I was. I was very happy.

[Dax Shepard]

You didn't feel. You didn't feel guilty for partying too hard? Yeah. Good.

[Monica Padman]

No, I didn't. I felt great about it.

[Dax Shepard]

Wonderful.

[Monica Padman]

What else did I do? Oh, I had a big catch up session with my viewing crew. Cause we were behind and we watched White Lotus and Severance. We were behind, so we had to watch two Severance, two White Lotus.

[Dax Shepard]

You have not introduced me to this viewing crew concept. This is. You just dropped it on my laptop. Super familiar.

[Monica Padman]

I told you, Anna, Julia, Jess and I watched that watch Severance and White Lotus.

[Dax Shepard]

I. You told me you had watched an episode. I didn't realize it was a commitment and a viewing crew and a weekly.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, it's a weekly. Sunday. Sunday I make dinner.

[Dax Shepard]

The funnest times of my whole life were watching Sopranos on Sunday nights and making Italian food.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Yeah. So fun. Got to go. The problem is when you miss gotta get. It's a problem.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. When you get it, it's a gotta gooch. And when you miss, it's a gotta get.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, okay. Are you in Soprano?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, I'm in Sopranos.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. No, it's a. It's like. Then we have four to watch.

[Dax Shepard]

That was a lot when you miss a week of viewing. I thought you meant when you miss cooking.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, yeah. That's what you were doing. Okay. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Missing was. Would be. Oh, my own. Okay.

[Monica Padman]

Okay. All right. So we had to watch four episodes.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God. That was your Sunday.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Which was also very fun. It was fun. But then the Oscars were also on.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, and you gotta watch the whole.

[Monica Padman]

So I had to watch pieces of that. So it was a lot of television consumption over the weekend.

[Dax Shepard]

I had a television party too, because I got early screeners for Drive to Survive and I had the boys over.

[Monica Padman]

Over Cool.

[Dax Shepard]

To watch and. Yeah. What a show. What a show. Boy, do they build the suspense for this season, which kicks off in a week. Oh, can't wait. Testing happened. Some surprises. Some big, exciting surprises.

[Monica Padman]

How's my boyfriend? Does he do well? Does he.

[Dax Shepard]

Who's your current boyfriend?

[Monica Padman]

Toto? He's one of my boyfriends.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, now he's your boyfriend?

[Monica Padman]

He's definitely been one of my boyfriends since he came on the show.

[Dax Shepard]

Since he came on the show. But prior to that. Yeah, it was Ricardo or Bus.

[Monica Padman]

Well, Ricardo still not there.

[Dax Shepard]

He's a gar.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

Ricardo.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Danny.

[Dax Shepard]

Danny Ricardo. You can't even look. Yeah. Great. Total. What a charming son of a. He gets you several times in the three episodes.

[Monica Padman]

I.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes. He's so playful.

[Monica Padman]

He really is so playful.

[Dax Shepard]

But back to testing. Carlos signs who we love. Sexiest man on the grid. Best lay father is a legend.

[Monica Padman]

Poo poo pants.

[Dax Shepard]

Don't say that about him. He was unceremoniously let go of Ferrari to make room for Lewis Hamilton.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

And what was great is that the first half of the year, Carlos was destroying. He was beating LeClaire, who I love. But it was fun because he's like, oh, you're going to fire me and keep Charles? Let me beat Charles for a while. Very exciting.

[Monica Padman]

This is great.

[Dax Shepard]

He went to Williams. Always a bottom three team in testing. First test session, Carlos Sainz had the fastest lap in a Williams.

[Monica Padman]

That's.

[Dax Shepard]

Talk about a little bit of poetic justice.

[Monica Padman]

We love a comeback.

[Dax Shepard]

Underdog.

[Monica Padman]

An underdog.

[Dax Shepard]

This is straight underdog. You know, I Have very specific compartments for my stories, as we learned on the last fact check.

[Monica Padman]

What do you mean way? I forget.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, I was like, no, no. This is a climbing the ladder becoming a CEO story. This isn't a dreams come true story. That's too broad of a blank. So this one is specifically underdog.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, but it's like underdog revenge. It's rev. That's what it is. It's not underdog. I don't think.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, he's on an underdog team. I know, but there's two stories happening.

[Monica Padman]

It's just hard to call him an underdog.

[Dax Shepard]

But the Williams stories, an underdog story. And then the Carlos signs is a Revenge is a dish best served hot. Straight up your ass on week one of test.

[Monica Padman]

And I won't clean my ass after.

[Dax Shepard]

Don't say that.

[Monica Padman]

It's my opinion. I mean, that's the world we live in. Opinions are facts. Say it and it's a fact.

[Dax Shepard]

That's right. Opinions are facts. Don't talk back.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. So. All right. Well, that's fun. You had a viewing party.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, that was a really good time. Had a double date on Saturday night at a steakhouse by the people who do sugarfish.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, nice.

[Dax Shepard]

And you can expect. It's the steak version of sugar fish.

[Monica Padman]

Where.

[Dax Shepard]

What matu.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, I've been there.

[Dax Shepard]

You had.

[Monica Padman]

God, yeah. The Philly. They do also have.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, the Philly cheese steak.

[Monica Padman]

So good.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God. That was dessert. We got this crazy, like, all in meal, and the dessert was that fraking.

[Monica Padman]

It's.

[Dax Shepard]

That is. That's the best. I mean, people in Philadelphia are going to slip my throat, but it's the best Philly cheese steak I've ever had. And I've had them in Philadelphia. What's a wagu?

[Monica Padman]

Right?

[Dax Shepard]

It's a wagu. You. You mispronounce it, but yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, God.

[Dax Shepard]

Got a gooch.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, you've been hanging out with too many bros. Now you talk like that.

[Dax Shepard]

One evening with Aaron and Aaron, who are not.

[Monica Padman]

Aaron and Aaron are not the bros I'm talking about.

[Dax Shepard]

They're not bros at all.

[Monica Padman]

I love them.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, they're very on, bro.

[Monica Padman]

Like, I know. That's why I love them.

[Dax Shepard]

We went and saw the Led Zeppelin documentary yesterday in High Max Fun.

[Monica Padman]

Actually, I was thinking about that. This is a Easter egg. You know, you can't wait to watch.

[Dax Shepard]

You tap dance around this. I already know what's coming, and I'm, like, watching you play. You're, like, testing the ice. See if you're altered before you say.

[Monica Padman]

I know for someone who is pretty risk averse. I'm really not. I step on the ice all the time.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. You're mixed messies, for sure.

[Monica Padman]

I do think you connect with bro culture. Like, in your head, you think that, like, you grew up in Michigan and, you know, it's dirt road and you have all these bros and. And then other kinds of bros in Detroit. Like, you really connect with that idea.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay. Well, so far I can agree with you. I can hang with the bros. Like, I'm totally comfortable in that.

[Monica Padman]

Sure.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

But I think you sometimes identify. Sometimes. Well, maybe it's just when you're with them. I don't know. But I. And I mean this as a huge compliment.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

You are not one.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, I know.

[Monica Padman]

And like, your bros. Yeah. Are sweet boys.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

The errands.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

All my friends from Michigan are sweethearts. I know we fist fought a lot, but we. All of them are very sweet boys.

[Monica Padman]

That's like. I think that there's a distinction for me.

[Dax Shepard]

If I dare. I'm now on the ice. I think you had some pretty binary categories, and I don't know that you had the category of boys who were super sweet to their moms and their sisters and also fought at the bar.

[Monica Padman]

Right.

[Dax Shepard]

And I think that's the category that the Aarons and I are in.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, that's. That's right. I think the bro culture that people talk about is different. It's different than what you have and what you're doing.

[Dax Shepard]

I do, too.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I think a lot of the bro culture, without naming names.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Is in deep search of masculinity.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And I think I've been lucky enough to achieve a lot of that masculinity. Like, I think there's a lot of guys who act tough who they've never challenged themselves to find out if they are, and they have this fear that they're not, and they're kind of compensating. So I can hang in those circles because I am often the thing some of these guys are purporting to be. But I don't act like a blowhard or I try not to act like a blowhard.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. But, like, some people do. Do put it to the test. Like Rogan, like, he goes and he's like, into ufc. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Lauren Graham]

He trains.

[Dax Shepard]

He's. He.

[Monica Padman]

Exactly.

[Dax Shepard]

But his story, as I've learned from other people, is he was a bullied kid. He's short. I think he was bullied, and I think he didn't want to ever feel that again. And I think he made himself strong and learned how to fight, and I think he's, He's. I'm assuming he's kind of honest about that.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. But he surround, he, he's choosing still to surround himself and build a, A, A, a life that's, that's still like that.

[Dax Shepard]

Stay tuned for more Armchair Expert, if you dare. I think it could be misleading if you only evaluate rogan by the 15 most flagrant guests he's had instead of. The dude's done 2000 episodes of his show. And he's also really good friends with Chappelle. He. I think he's a comedian first. He. I think if we were to interview him, I think he would most identify. He's a comedian. He. UFC is not first. He's much happier in a green room with all comics.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I think that's his allegiance in his tribe. And then I think as I'm crazy into cars, he's crazy in the ufc. And then that, that invites UFC fighters now. Those guys.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm not a lot of them. You know, I don't have much to defend about.

[Monica Padman]

Right.

[Dax Shepard]

Their worldview, but I don't know that it's entirely fair to graph on to Rogan who his 15 craziest guests are because he also has.

[Monica Padman]

That's fair.

[Dax Shepard]

Other guests in the opposite direct. If, if there's anything I'll say about him. He's incredibly fair about everyone there is kind of welcome. If anything, he's just really attracted to super provocative ideas. Sometimes they're on the left, sometimes they're on the right. He. I listened to a speech he made the other day that was like, I'm not on the. I'm not in either of your club. What I think is crazy is to be in a club. So I don't think he is. He himself self identifies as much as the left left thinks he does with being a conservative. But I think he's a bit of a big bad wolf on the left. And I don't. I personally don't think he is.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. I mean, I don't know that I'll say he's a big bad wolf, but do I think he's. Do I think he contributes to a culture that I think is problematic? Yes. Do I. And, and that doesn't mean he himself necessarily is that, but I think he feeds that group what they want, and then they get off on it.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, again, I think they listen to the 15 episodes that we would then talk about in Droves and then they.

[Monica Padman]

They. I mean, he obviously is the biggest show in the world.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, by. By five, ten.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, it's.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah.

[Monica Padman]

It's not that they're picking and choosing. He has a huge audience that he, I, I believe, cares to keep. As he should.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

And I think that means feeding. Feeding it.

[Dax Shepard]

See, that's where I might disagree. I don't think he's led by his audience at all. Like, I think he is actually insanely true to who he just is. That's why I respect him a lot. I don't think he's chasing that audience. I think he's him. And a big swath of the country loves that.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I see other people chasing that and trying to be opportunistic about that.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And I. I just don't think that's him. I think he's been the same dude for 12 years on his show.

[Monica Padman]

I only wondered because, again, Easter egg, we have someone coming out and we have. We have two people coming out that are, in my opinion. Well, one of them especially is quite atypical.

[Dax Shepard]

Is atypical or atypical.

[Monica Padman]

Atypical of our guests.

[Dax Shepard]

Sure, sure, sure.

[Monica Padman]

And the type of conversation even is different.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Monica Padman]

And. And I did think, I wonder what would happen, like, in an alternate universe. What would happen if I wasn't here, not in this. In this show. If it was Dax Solo.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

What would happen with the show? Who would it be? What would it be? I mean, there's. I think there's no way to know because of, like, the. The alchemy. You can't. You can't tell.

[Dax Shepard]

Right.

[Monica Padman]

But I did, you know, after. I was like, oh, man, I wonder. Then we went out and your friends were here. Aaron's. The Aarons were here. And I was like, oh, I don't. It wouldn't be that.

[Dax Shepard]

I think the way you can test it is I've gone on these people's shows and I'm just still me. I'm talking. Talking about trauma and addiction and being vulnerable.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Even in the. The lion's den of these dudes.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

But again, I. I am. I have the gift of having done all the stuff. I don't ever feel like I need to inflate or bonafy my masculine.

[Monica Padman]

Prove yourself.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't. I'm so comfortable, like, when it goes into those zones that I actually like, if it's about cars or a great boxing match, do like that stuff. But I don't ever need to join.

[Monica Padman]

Bragging about those things.

[Dax Shepard]

No.

[Monica Padman]

But Also, I. But I do. I was thinking. Yes, you're right. I. I think you would be talking about trauma, and you would be whatever. You know, I. I agree. You are you. But I was. And this is not a. This is not a pat on my back because it was you who said that I should be here.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

I do think it's just so fucking important to have a woman in the room. I mean, we've had so.

[Dax Shepard]

Especially one that's empowered.

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Dax Shepard]

Like, if you were to guest on one of their shows, it would be dicey. I don't. You know, it would be hard.

[Monica Padman]

It would be hard. It would be hard.

[Dax Shepard]

But these people are on your show.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, but I. Yeah, well. Yeah, sorry. I mean. I mean, as hosts.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Like, it is really important to have a woman there. It changes the dynamic of everything. Even if I'm silent.

[Dax Shepard]

Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Lauren Graham]

Now.

[Dax Shepard]

Now, you. Now, what I would. I would. Now, I would agree with is the guest. One of the two would have gone further. Now, I wouldn't have joined him, but he would have certainly gone further. Well, here's where we might disagree. So, yes, in this situation, of course, I couldn't be more grateful you're here at all times, and this show absolutely needs you. Now, I. We don't mind at all if there's a podcast with five guys talking about guy. That's okay. We don't need a. We don't have to have a woman there, and we don't need a man. When there's a podcast of five women talking about women. I don't think we need representation in all places. It's. It's plenty fine if girls have a podcast and boys have a podcast. That doesn't bother me at all.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And boys can go ahead and talk about the UFC the whole time and who paid for dinner, all that. Stu. That. Like, that shouldn't. That's not the enemy, I don't think.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, again, I. I don't think it's the enemy. I think they should be able to do that. I. There's. I'm not. Like, you can't.

[Dax Shepard]

But I think, like, if women shows don't need a man, which they don't. I don't think men show need a woman.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. I mean, then we get into, like, women are talking about the things that aren't being talked about, because that is not a group that gets a lot of attention in that way. Like, they're talking about not getting paid. That is important to talk about. Right. Like, I don't think men on the men's podcast are saying, like, yeah, women aren't getting paid.

[Dax Shepard]

That's to me sounds like you're saying one is superior to the other, that one has an ethical drive and the other one is inane. And so.

[Monica Padman]

No, I didn't say that's. That's putting words in my mouth.

[Dax Shepard]

I know. I'm telling you what it sounds like. It sounds like you're saying a women's show is needed and they're, they're a part of some kind of. Of good movement in the men's. One is, Is not.

[Monica Padman]

No, it's just representation. It's just that that group needs, they do need more platforms to talk because there aren't. There aren't that many. So it is good to have. I don't mean I'm not. I also think the women should have met on. I think it's like, I don't think.

[Dax Shepard]

The View needs a man. I don't think Alex Cooper needs a man. I think there's a ton.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, you're. Yes, that's true.

[Dax Shepard]

There's tons of very successful shows that are female led and that's awesome. And they don't need anything. They are doing the show they want to do and the audience who's consuming it wants that show.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I agree.

[Dax Shepard]

And I. The same has to be applied to the guys.

[Monica Padman]

I agree. I agree. But I do think there's a lot of ideas currently. I mean, not even ideas. We know. We know what's happening to men. Men are, are suffering. They are tanking. And I don't. I often think some of these things don't help that personally for them, I think they get very riled up and then they're just continuing to do. To go on this course. That is not going to pull them out of any of these ruts.

[Dax Shepard]

I'm just saying I don't think they have advice for how the female dominated show should be or shouldn't be. I, I don't think they're telling anyone how your show should be or how female shows should be. But I think a lot of those men would feel like, why are you even telling us what our show has to be? Like, just don't listen to our show if you don't want to hear a bunch of talk about fighting and stuff, who cares?

[Monica Padman]

No, the reason to care is the implication it has on a huge group of this country. Sort of a currently like kind of disinformed, disenfranchised male and they're like rallying around.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

And as.

[Dax Shepard]

I mean, as they should but it's not working.

[Monica Padman]

It's not getting them out of any of these bad situations that they're in.

[Dax Shepard]

I hate to say this, it is working because they got their president in.

[Monica Padman]

There and they're all suffering. I mean, literally all of those people.

[Dax Shepard]

Are, I'm not agreeing.

[Monica Padman]

Freaking out right now because I don't have any money and they can't buy anything and everything.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't want Trump to be president. I don't agree with, I mean, name the thing that's going on. But if the disenfranchise, if you make those folks black, take them out of that. They're white men. The black community, totally disenfranchised. You get hip hop, you get rap, you get this empowering art that comes out of it. And for anyone who is sitting on the sidelines telling Ice Cube how he should be dealing with this situation. Situation, when he's got tons of raps about shooting people and hating white people. The people that were on the outside telling him how he should deal with growing up in South Central, we would both agree they should shut the up because that's the disenfranchised group. And you're hearing their voice now. So now there's another disenfranchised group and they're doing what generally people do that are disenfranchised. They bond together over that. And then they try to get someone they think is going to represent them, their cause. And those people won the election.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. And they're gonna, and they, and it's.

[Dax Shepard]

And your, your opinion is they'll, they'll suffer more under this president?

[Monica Padman]

No, it's not my. That is fact.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't think they're gonna benefit. But what I can say is we don't know the result. Cuz four years isn't up.

[Monica Padman]

But what we started just talking about is that they, they got their president and they did.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

And my, my opinion is that their president, that they all got fucking fooled. And I don't think that. I do think there's a response maybe not a responsibility. I would, I would find it to be my responsibility. If we had a show, if our show, If I started looking at our audience and I was like, our audience is all believing something that I don't think is actually correct. Correct and is actually gonna lead them to suffer. I would wanna do something here to try to help correct that while keeping them.

[Dax Shepard]

I just think if your goal is to help this disenfranchised group, I think saying your conclusion as they got fooled, which is if I'm them. And I hear you say, you all got fooled. What I'm hearing you say is, you're smarter than I am. And I got fooled. And I'm a fool. I think a good chunk of men feel like all they've been hearing for 10 years is how terrible men are.

[Monica Padman]

I know you. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I really believe that.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And I think it's pretty predictable that this group that's being told they're toxic and terrible for 10 years is going to at some point go, well, then fuck you.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And I think that's what you're seeing. And I think if our continued approach is to tell all of them that they're terrible. Yeah, you're going to see more of this. I think if you want young men to be on our side, you have to invite them. And I think you have to make it seem like they're welcomed. And would we. We'd be delighted to have them.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And I think the messaging towards men over the last decade has not made a lot of them feel that way.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, that's probably. I'm sure that's right.

[Dax Shepard]

And I think even if they don't have a job, they're on. Let's say they're unemployed today and then they're unemployed in four years. But at least someone got up and said, hey, I'm not apologizing that I was born male and I'm sick of hearing the bullshit. Maybe that win for them would be better if they're unemployed on both sides of it.

[Monica Padman]

Okay. Then they can live their life like that. Like, that's. I.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, that's a. I think that's a really.

[Monica Padman]

It's very unfair, in my opinion, for you to say that, like, ever. So women.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Have to do what women always have to do, which is placate men because they have the power and say, like, oh, my God, it's so. You guys are so great. Please come over. We. We love you.

[Dax Shepard]

There's a huge gap, Monica, between you're so great and just, you're so shitty, I think. And you. You could argue and win that. That it's justified. So, yes, I think my general feeling about women is much more positive than your general feeling about men. And you could argue that that's totally justified because they're the patriarchy. They commit the sex crimes, they do all the murdering. Those are great reasons. And I. I'm not even going to argue, but I do think my overall opinion of women is higher than your overall opinion of men. And I think I. I feel it do you think that's an accurate assessment that you, your overall opinion of men is much, is lower than my opinion of women?

[Monica Padman]

Than your overall opinion? Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

But yes, for like, being a woman in America. That's not. I, I mean, I, I don't know how to combat, like, you, you, you did just kind of put me in a, you did paint me in a, in a way, like.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, I know.

[Monica Padman]

Because if, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

And I get it. And I get it and it's justified. So if you're a man and I'm a man and yes, there are pedophiles that are men and there's rapists that are men and there's a lot of bad men. But if you paint me with the same brush as those men, if you're conflating me with those other people, now I'm a group and now I have a group identity.

[Monica Padman]

But that's not fair to, I don't think we have so many men who come on this show, experts and celebrities. I'm not, when they watch in. I'm not like, well, I don't trust you. Or I'm not sure if I like you. I, I'm like, yes, I like you. Until I, until, yeah. Something is said or done that I, where I don't, Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I never experienced it when we're interviewing a guest.

[Monica Padman]

No. But that, me interacting with men, I.

[Dax Shepard]

I, I experience it. When we do Armchair Anonymous and we're listening to a woman's story. That's when I observe it where it's like, there's no benefit of a doubt to the man that that's being talked about. You'll generally go to, you know, they're a terrible. The girl who on her boyfriend and he threw up. And, you know, that's where I'll notice it. Where I, where I'll go like, wow. I think Monica's opinion of men is pretty low. She's, you know, quick to assume the, the man in this story is the problem and not the woman or that it would be equal.

[Monica Padman]

Maybe.

[Dax Shepard]

And I think a lot of people feel that way. And again, men have earned that. But I, I'm not that man. And so many of the men are not that men. And we don't like it.

[Monica Padman]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

Just like you wouldn't like any negative stereotype about Indians or women. You wouldn't like it.

[Monica Padman]

But if I'm behaving in that stereotype for you to lump you in is a little like, well, I'm a man, but I know you, right? You're my, it's not like you're a random man. I am. My opinion of you is based on you and you and me. It is not about any. Anything stereotypical.

[Dax Shepard]

Right. I can tell you. I go to Kristen's cabaret show, and there's a woman host of it. It's her show, and she does seven minutes on. The world would be perfect if there was an island and it just had women on it and there was no men, and all the women clap in the audience. That's a real thing. That's totally fine to say in public right now. And in fact, gets applauded. And I'm a dude in the audience, and I'm like, this is a weird. We're in a weird pattern right now where this is not only fine, but applauded. And I'm looking at the seven men in the room, and I'm like, yeah, this is weird. There's never been. It's just if. If that was the same thing that was being done and men were going, dream world is a island with no women. And everyone clapped, I'd go. I would go, you guys are fucked.

[Monica Padman]

No, I know, but. But I think there's some contradictions here because also when these standups are making jokes about women or other people of other races or whatever. And your response, which I think is correct, is, if you don't like it, don't watch it. This is the same thing. Why is it. If it's a woman doing it, it's like, that's really bad. But when men say something sexist, you can say, well, just, yeah, that's not for. Watch it.

[Dax Shepard]

No, I'm never laughing that a guy goes, women suck and men should all be together. I've never enjoyed a standup routine or laughed at a joke that that was that complicated. Her entire thing was just, wouldn't it be great if there were no men? Now, had she crafted an incredible joke and it was funny, I would laugh at it for sure. I don't have that big of a chip on my shoulder. I'm just saying that's a weird vibe, and I'm in that kind of often, and I'm pretty evolved, and I still go, ugh, this is weird. I don't want to be a man in this room. I don't know why you hate men across the board. I don't think you should hate me. And I am semi evolved. So I'm imagining all these other kids that are unemployed and hearing that sentiment and just going like, okay, I guess it's us against them.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I Don't think most of the people in the country are hearing the woman at the cabaret show. I think that's very Los Angeles and very New York. I don't think that that is happening.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, but do you agree at all that that's a weird thing or no?

[Monica Padman]

What's to say that the cabaret show I went to, I think it's silly. I don't agree with that. But I think her saying it is. Is not. Is. Yeah. When some people are saying it just like men are saying bad too. And I, and I'm just like, if we're gonna say that it's okay for those people to be saying those things and we just can like half, you know, we cannot listen or they can speak to their people, then I think that has to be allowed anywhere.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh yeah. I'm only pointing out that that's happening.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, it's again, it's happening on both sides like crazy.

[Dax Shepard]

But I, and I don't think that that cabaret host needs a male and present. She's fine to do that.

[Monica Padman]

And her followers does need a man there that she like, she does that actually. That's exact. That's a perfect point. If she had someone there that she did trust and know and like that was a man, I doubt that would be her opinion. But the fact that she is so potentially. I don't know anything about this person, but is so siloed off and, and that so much so that that is her opinion that the world will be. Would be better with no men. That to me is an indication that she needs to have some more men in her life that are good.

[Dax Shepard]

I think that's a SEM. I don't think that's a single digit opinion, but it's.

[Monica Padman]

But it. To me, that is a silo pro. That's an issue with silos. And that's exactly my whole problem with these shows that are, I think, intensifying a silo. And I think you're right. It is happening on both sides where people are only speaking to one group and these thoughts are getting. And opinions are getting so extreme. Like we should eradicate entire sex and gender. Gender.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Like, no, that's why I just think.

[Dax Shepard]

It'S a real bad idea for just squaring off. Like, okay, it's on. It's. It's men against women. And I think a lot of people feel that way. And I think that's a bad. Yeah, I think that's gonna have a bad.

[Monica Padman]

I think that's bad. And I this like now after an hour Is circling back to the. What I was saying, which is I think there would be less of its men versus women if men and women were in rooms together. A lot more. More and building trust.

[Dax Shepard]

I do too.

[Monica Padman]

Oh my God. A long walk there.

[Dax Shepard]

It was a entertaining walk. I think a lot of people will have heard their opinions voiced.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, facts. Lauren.

[Dax Shepard]

Sweet Lauren. Graham boy. We got a taste of her. What she was saying with the young kids watching Gilmore Girls because she left the garage and we were in the yard and Delta had a friend over from school and that friend was freaking the fuck out. Is Lauren on a show called Gilmore. What is it? Gilmore Girls? Yeah, she the Gilmore girl.

[Monica Padman]

Oh that. It's still going.

[Dax Shepard]

An 11 year old.

[Monica Padman]

That's really cute. Yeah. Special to be on a show that just like keeps finding its audience.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

All right, so the book club. Jenna Bush Hager's Book Club. These are the books. The Weather Wedding People, Blue Sisters, the Mighty Red. The Motherless Land Devotions. The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus. And this is a love story. Those are the last. That's from August of last year till now.

[Dax Shepard]

Lauren, any of those?

[Monica Padman]

No, I'm still reading Intermezzo.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, so. So stay tuned.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. Then we'll come back to you next week with that riddle. How long has May been in show business? 94. When a man loves a woman. She was six.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, 31 years. 30 wonderful years. Wow, that's crazy.

[Monica Padman]

And then 93, she beat me by a decade. Yeah, she was on Friends and then Lauren was in 93. So she did beat her by one year.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, 32 years.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. The Howie Mandel game show that they went to visit is called Take It All.

[Dax Shepard]

Did they take it all? Oh, they were just watching. They weren't contested.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, I don't think they were contest. But this is ding ding. Sort of back to that riddle that we haven't shared. Take it all is a game show where the final two contestants choose between keeping their money or taking it all. The contestant who chooses Take it all wins all the money and prizes from both contestants. If both contestants choose Take it all, they both lose.

[Dax Shepard]

Prisoner Games.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, exactly. Zimbardo.

[Dax Shepard]

Non Cooperate, non Cooperative Milton games.

[Monica Padman]

Oh. The SNL four part series SNL 50 Beyond Saturday Night includes an episode that explores the Saturday Night Live audition process. It's on Peacock if anyone is interested. The movie she did with Joel McHale. A merry friggin Christmas with Robin Williams. How long did this is us run? Six seasons. 106 episodes. You guys ran six seasons? 103 episodes for the Beat us barely.

[Dax Shepard]

Just resume paradise last night. Same writer.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Episode eight was.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, I'm behind then.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, it's bad. It's all caught up to what our screeners were.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, great.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, tasty. We all watched it. The Aaron's girls. Me, last night. Yeah, Aaron was on a second viewing of it. You know, Aaron sees absolutely every show.

[Monica Padman]

That's good. Yeah, I think that's. That's fun.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, man. Yeah. Well, I'm excited. I'm excited to keep watching. All right, that's it. That was all Lauren.

[Dax Shepard]

All right. We love you, Lauren.

[Monica Padman]

We really do. She's a nice. I really want her banana bread.

[Dax Shepard]

Me too. But I can't even have it if she brings it.

[Monica Padman]

You have to eat some. This is. This is Letterman all over to put.

[Dax Shepard]

Us to put a tux on.

[Monica Padman]

Yep, that's right.

[Dax Shepard]

All right. All right.

[Monica Padman]

Love you.

[Dax Shepard]

Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondry app, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to every episode of Armchair Expert early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus us in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short [e-mail] survey.