1146: Ed Helms | Fame, Family, and Finding Joy in Failure

Ed Helms dishes on fame's hidden costs, his Office-Hangover filming marathon, and why historic blunders might be humanity's most reassuring legacy.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1146What We Discuss with Ed Helms:At 17, Ed Helms knew exactly what he wanted: to be an actor/producer for TV and film. This rare clarity gave him a massive head start, though he now recognizes success wasn't just hard work but also luck, privilege, and opportunity — a constellation of factors for which he's deeply grateful.Ed says the strangest part of fame is that friends claim "you've changed" when they're actually projecting their own discomfort. Fame also strips away your ability to control public spaces — no more escaping the awkward stranger at baggage claim.At his career peak, Ed filmed The Office Monday-Tuesday, then The Hangover Wednesday-Sunday — chartering flights from Vegas for 6 a.m. Office call times. He even removed his actual dental implant for The Hangover's missing tooth scenes while shooting Office episodes with a flipper tooth.Young Ed naively thought he'd balance being a traveling dad with non-stop film work. But reality hit hard, and now he declines projects that would separate him from family — even hypothetical Spielberg films. His former ADHD-fueled hyper-focus has given way to prioritizing presence.Ed's book chronicles humanity's epic blunders — from dropped nukes to CIA cat-spies — revealing our enduring resilience. These absurd mishaps offer perspective: we've always faced ridiculous challenges and somehow survived. Next time anxiety strikes, remember we've been falling on our faces — and getting back up — throughout history!And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/dealsSign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this Out of the Loop, Nathan Paul Southern and Lindsey Kennedy explain the consumer decisions and corporate interests fueling conflict in Rwanda.Welcome to what we're calling our "Out of the Loop" episodes, where we dig a little deeper into fascinating current events that may only register as a blip on the media's news cycle and have conversations with the people who find themselves immersed in them. Investigative journalists Nathan Paul Southern and Lindsey Kennedy are here to help us understand why we're hearing a lot about Rwanda in recent news.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1145On This Episode of Out of the Loop, We Discuss:The M23 militia has recently resurged in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), taking over parts of North Kivu province and effectively controlling access to valuable mineral resources like cobalt, gold, and coltan — minerals critical for modern technology including electric vehicles and AI chips.There appears to be a connection between the UK's Rwanda refugee resettlement program (which sent hundreds of millions of pounds to Rwanda) and the reemergence of the M23, which had previously disappeared when international aid was threatened to be cut off. The timing suggests the UK money may have indirectly funded the militia.Rwanda is allegedly stealing minerals from the DRC, bringing them across the border, and claiming they were mined in Rwanda — creating the appearance of "conflict-free" minerals that major tech companies like Apple and Tesla can claim to use, even though they ultimately come from conflict zones.The conflict has become increasingly complicated with the involvement of private military contractors from various countries, Russian interests, and American billionaires like Elon Musk and Eric Prince potentially making deals to control mineral resources in the region.Understanding these complex global connections can empower us to make more ethical consumer choices. By researching which companies prioritize truly ethical sourcing and supporting organizations that monitor conflict minerals, we can use our purchasing power to encourage corporate responsibility and transparency in global supply chains for technologies we rely on daily.And much more!Connect with Jordan on Twitter, on Instagram, and on YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on an Out of the Loop episode, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know!Connect with Nathan Paul Southern on Twitter.Connect with Lindsey Kennedy at her website and on Twitter.And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/dealsSign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After a criminal probe triggered by your unstable son's lies, you lost touch with your grandson. Is reconnection worth the risk? It's Feedback Friday!And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Now let's dive in!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1144On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss:How exciting is jury duty? Listen as Gabe regales us with his personal trials and tribulations from the courthouse this week.You raised a son with severe behavioral problems despite years of therapy and interventions. After your husband's suicide, your son fabricated horrific accusations against you, triggering a criminal investigation and severing your relationship with your beloved grandson. Now that this grandson is nearing adulthood, should you risk reaching out?Your 65-year-old neighbor suddenly asked to borrow money twice in two days. When pressed, he revealed he's sending funds to a "longtime friend" — an architect stranded in Jakarta after an accident who just needs "one more payment" for surgery before flying to live with him. This is obviously a scam, but how do you save someone from their own delusion?You work on an understaffed hospital team providing essential services while shouldering impossible workloads. After implementing numerous improvements, your requests for additional staff are routinely denied. A new job offers better work-life balance but less pay — and your current employer just invested $15,000 in your professional development. Should you stay or flee?Recommendation of the Week: Morena Products Cashew Butter | Morena Products on InstagramYou've ended the four-year relationship with your high school sweetheart after realizing your boyfriend — who complained about driving to see you and only made time once weekly — was planning to propose even though he could seldom be bothered to respect your boundaries or support your growth. How do you harness this newfound freedom in an empowering way without being overwhelmed?Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]!Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/dealsSign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Big porn sites enabled trafficking for profit. Here, Takedown author Laila Mickelwait shares how her fight against Pornhub led to industry-wide reform.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1143What We Discuss with Laila Mickelwait:For over a decade, internet porn content provider Pornhub knowingly profited from illegal content with minimal moderation (10 staff per shift reviewing 700+ videos each) while requiring 15+ flags before review and tracking profits from questionable categories.Sex trafficking includes deception/coercion in monetized sexual acts. For minors, any commercial sexual exploitation automatically constitutes trafficking regardless of consent.Financial pressure proved most effective in Laila Mickelwait's crusade against Porhub's shady practices — credit card companies cutting ties forced the company to remove 80% of content overnight, demonstrating how targeting enablers can be as effective as targeting perpetrators.Third-party age and consent verification for everyone in every video would prevent most exploitation while protecting privacy.Strategic activism works — Laila succeeded by gathering evidence, building coalitions with victims and experts, and applying targeted pressure despite threats and harassment. Her example shows that determined individuals can challenge harmful systems by identifying pressure points and maintaining focus on accountability.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/dealsSign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From Emperor Shen Nung to Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign, Michael Regilio unpacks 5,000 years of cannabis history on this Skeptical Sunday!Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by skeptic, comedian, and podcaster Michael Regilio!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1142On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:The modern war on cannabis has deeply racist roots, beginning with targeted efforts against Mexican immigrants in the early 20th century. Officials like Harry Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, pushed explicitly racist propaganda against cannabis users, helping transform what was once widely accepted medicine into a demonized drug.Cannabis prohibition was also driven by powerful business interests. Companies like DuPont (developing petroleum-based products like nylon and cellophane) saw hemp as a competitive threat, while William Randolph Hearst wanted to protect his paper mill investments. These business moguls leveraged political connections to criminalize cannabis despite scientific evidence of its relative safety.The Nixon administration weaponized cannabis laws against political opponents. Nixon's domestic policy chief John Ehrlichman later admitted: "We knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin ... we could disrupt those communities. ... Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did."Cannabis interacts with our bodies through the endocannabinoid system, a biological network that helps regulate mood, energy, balance, and appetite. Our bodies naturally produce cannabinoids, but plant-derived versions like THC are approximately a thousand times more powerful. Importantly, cannabis use during pregnancy or adolescence can be harmful to developing brains, with studies linking early use to depression, anxiety, and even psychosis.The good news? If you're over 25, moderate cannabis use appears relatively safe (unless you're predisposed to mental health issues). Today, cannabis legalization is creating positive social impacts through tax revenue funding education, environmental cleanup, and drug prevention programs, while simultaneously reducing spending on enforcement and incarceration — turning a historically problematic policy into community benefits.Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know!Connect with Michael Regilio at Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and make sure to check out the Michael Regilio Plagues Well With Others podcast here or wherever you enjoy listening to fine podcasts!Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider leaving your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/dealsSign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A manipulative "dark guru" assaults women in your community while event organizers ignore reports. How can safety be restored? It's Feedback Friday!And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Now let's dive in!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1141On This Week's Feedback Friday:If you've ever wanted to hear Gabriel discuss feet, thumbs, and hot tubs with another J. Harbinger, you're going to love how this episode begins!Your arts community should be a safe haven, but it's been infiltrated by a predator who uses spiritual "shadow work" (à la Carl Jung) as a cover for assault. Multiple women have shared their stories with you, but event organizers won't act. How can you protect these women while ensuring this shady manipulator faces consequences without putting yourself in danger?Your mother-in-law threw you a baby shower featuring strangers from her MLM "tribe" who didn't follow registry instructions. The event felt more like her show than your celebration. Now you're anticipating boundary battles when the baby arrives — especially around her anti-science beliefs. You don't want to seem ungrateful, but what can you do to gain control of this awkward situation?As a federal employee during massive governmental "re-alignment," you're watching colleagues get "released" after lifetimes of civil service. With the sword of Damocles hanging over your own head daily, how do you process the potential loss of purpose, the anxiety of uncertainty, and the feeling that important work might remain undone? What's next if your mission suddenly evaporates?Your intellectually disabled sister-in-law attempted suicide in front of your young son after refusing an apology. Without legal guardianship established, paramedics couldn't force treatment, and your in-laws seem unwilling to address the situation properly. How do you protect your children, handle familial responsibility, and prepare for her eventual care?Recommendation of the Week: Strrrrrrrrretchiiiiiing!Remember the 27-year-old daughter who refused to leave her parents' home on Feedback Friday episode 1127? After discussing this "failure to thrive" case, listeners offered their perspectives on potential autism, cultural norms around adult children living at home, and the delicate balance between support and enabling. What does true parental love look like?Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]!Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/dealsSign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why do mass shootings occur? Trigger Points author Mark Follman explains warning signs, behavioral assessment, and how to stop attacks before they happen.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1140What We Discuss with Mark Follman:Mass shootings are not random events, but involve a "pathway to violence" where perpetrators plan their attacks over time, showing warning signs that create opportunities for intervention.Mental illness is not the primary cause of mass shootings. While mental health issues may be present, perpetrators are typically making deliberate choices driven by factors like anger, isolation, and perceived grievances rather than psychosis.Many mass shooters seek notoriety and are influenced by previous attackers through emulation behavior — they want to transform from nobody to somebody through violence and media attention.Warning signs that appear before attacks often include threatening communications, research/planning behaviors, significant life stressors, and social isolation — but these must be evaluated collectively rather than as a checklist.Behavioral threat assessment teams offer an effective prevention approach by bringing together mental health professionals, law enforcement, and educators to identify at-risk individuals and provide constructive interventions like counseling, education support, and family involvement — showing that these tragedies can be prevented with the right collaborative approach.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/dealsSign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fad diets work — until they don't. On this Skeptical Sunday, Nick Pell reveals why a sustainable regimen always beats restriction for lasting weight loss!Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by writer and researcher Nick Pell!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1139On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss:Most fad diets work primarily through inadvertent caloric restriction, not some kind of metabolic magic. When you eliminate entire food groups (per keto's commandments) or shrink eating windows (as with intermittent fasting), you're essentially performing a disappearing act on hundreds of daily calories. The weight loss isn't mysterious — it's mathematical.These diets often resemble nutritional extreme sports — thrilling at first, but impossible to maintain over the long term. Like trying to hold your breath underwater, eventually you come up gasping for carbs.The Standard American Diet (ironically abbreviated S.A.D.) sets such a dismally low nutritional baseline that almost any structured eating plan looks miraculous by comparison. When researchers celebrate a diet's success, they're often comparing it to a nutritional landscape where frozen pizza qualifies as a vegetable serving.Many of these diets carry surprising biological price tags — keto's potential kidney damage, carnivore's digestive rebellion (pooping "once every three days" is less a feature than a warning sign), and nutritional blind spots that could leave your body wondering what happened to all those essential micronutrients it once enjoyed.The most effective diet isn't the most restrictive or trendy, but simply the one you'll actually maintain. Like finding your soulmate, the best nutritional approach matches your lifestyle and preferences while gently steering you toward better choices. The best diet is the one that you'll stick with. Consider finding your personal sweet spot between nutrition science and real-life application by making modest, consistent improvements rather than dramatic overnight overhauls. Your future self will thank you for the balanced approach.Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know!And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/dealsSign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your wife was caught kissing her "friend," denied it, then gaslighted you when confronted. Now she swears they're platonic? It's Feedback Friday!And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Now let's dive in!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1138On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss:LDL from 119 to 78? Jordan's not saying it's the chia seed pudding, but...it's the chia seed pudding!You've discovered your wife is having an affair with her close female friend. Despite confronting her with evidence, she's gaslighted you and turned things around. Now she claims they're "just friends" while helping her through divorce. Should you trust someone who's repeatedly deceived you, or is it time to rebuild your life?You've repeatedly offered to help plan your sister-in-law's baby shower, only to hear her complain to friends that no one's helping her. This isn't the first time she's created false narratives — she previously scheduled her destination wedding during yours and bullied your sister. Do you confront this pattern of toxic behavior or let it slide?You're a Polish immigrant and Marine Corps veteran with friends who vocally disparage immigrants as "freeloaders" while they themselves live in subsidized housing, receive government benefits, and refuse to work to maintain eligibility. With detailed documentation of their fraud and your imminent move to Europe, should you report them or walk away?Your cousin and his wife are active drug users caring for their four-year-old son in a chaotic home with an ex-convict roommate. Your aunt enables them financially while trying to protect the child, but you're torn between calling CPS or offering to take in your little cousin yourself, despite living three states away. How far should family responsibility extend?Recommendation of the Week: Bose noise-canceling headphones.[An update from the ever-memorable episode 926!] Your abusive ex-boyfriend lost his foot after being attacked with a rubber mallet by his new girlfriend. Despite his life-altering injuries and chronic pain, he hasn't changed his womanizing ways. Meanwhile, you've continued your healing journey, advanced your career, and just bought your first house. Can some people ever truly change after hitting rock bottom?Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]!Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/dealsSign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

By popular demand, former ATF agent Jay Dobyns returns to take us deeper into the logistics of infiltrating the Hells Angels and living to tell the tale! [Pt. 3 of 3 — find 1 here and 2 here!]Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1137What We Discuss with Jay Dobyns:ATF agent Jay Dobyns first infiltrated the Solo Angels gang in Tijuana simply to gain credibility with the Hells Angels in Arizona — an infiltration within an infiltration to establish presence in a culture notorious for extreme scrutiny.The psychological toll of living a double life while undercover was severe. Taking handfuls of Hydroxycut to keep pace, Jay would cry himself to sleep from exhaustion and once signed a check with his undercover name, showing how blurred the lines became.At the Mesa clubhouse, when his hand moved toward his concealed weapon, a Hells Angel asked, "Jaybird, let me ask you something. Can you outdraw my trigger squeeze?" — one of many moments where Jay's survival hung by a thread, with only his wits as a safety net.Despite evidence gathered over two years, prosecutors reduced charges and sought plea deals with criminals in the Hells Angels organization rather than pursuing full prosecution — a profoundly frustrating outcome for Jay after years of risking his life to put these predators behind bars for good.Despite having his home burned down and contract killers sent after him, Jay made a life-changing decision: "I live with concern. I choose not to live in fear because if I live in fear, they own me." This powerful mindset shows that even after facing extreme adversity, we all have the ability to reclaim our power by refusing to let fear dictate our choices.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/dealsSign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.