The Jordan Harbinger Show

Why are weddings so expensive — and how does the wedding industry sucker us into thinking they have to be? This week on Skeptical Sunday, comedian Michael Regilio joins Jordan to propose the facts on what you’re really getting with a wedding and explore alternatives that won't test the durability of a new marriage with massive debt from day one. On This Week's Skeptical Sunday: The pressure to have an extravagant wedding can sometimes lead to couples investing more in the one-day festivities than in the hard work that goes into the lifelong commitment of a successful marriage. Weddings are becoming increasingly expensive, and the wedding industry is constantly churning out new ways to overcharge its clientele. "Age-old" wedding traditions like diamond rings aren't rooted in history, but in clever marketing schemes that exploit couples' desires for a perfect wedding. Evidence suggests that the more money a couple spends on a wedding, the less likely they are to stay together. Weddings don't have to break th

Gabe regales us with a tale of his disappearing housecat Drake, the frantic four days it took to find him, and the life-changing lessons learned along the way. Welcome to 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 friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: It was no trivial purr-suit when an unlicensed trapper named Gabe went on a confounding quest to rescue his missing cat. But what life-changing lessons did he learn along the way? (If cat stories are not your thing and you want to skip Gabe's gripping tale of woeful loss and profound recovery, you can fast forward to 29:04!)  You've come to realize that many of your past professional

Terry Crews (@terrycrews) is a beloved cinema and television star, furniture designer, artist, philanthropist, activist, former NFL player, and author. His most recent book is Tough: My Journey to True Power. What We Discuss with Terry Crews: How Terry prioritizes mental and physical health through exercise, nutrition, and rest. What Terry has learned about the power of forgiveness and how it can help to break cycles of anger and resentment — on an individual and societal level. How staying true to ourselves and pursuing what we love — even in the face of risking failure or criticism — allows us to make a positive impact on ourselves as well as the world. Terry's views on personal accountability as a crucial component of growth and change, and how taking responsibility for our actions allows us to become the best versions of ourselves. The importance of empathy and understanding toward people with different perspectives and backgrounds, and the need to engage in respectful dialogue while seeking common

How might enjoying our favorite sports and supporting our most cherished teams and athletes make us accomplices in the world's most heinous atrocities ever committed? Award-winning journalist and podcaster Andrew Gold joins us for this Skeptical Sunday to explore the PR tactic of sportswashing, in which authoritarian regimes use sports to improve their image on the world stage. (And don't worry, David C. Smalley fans! David will return soon for future installments of Skeptical Sunday!) On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: Sportswashing is a PR tactic used by countries with poor human rights records to improve their image and legitimize their atrocities through sports. Western countries and their businesses are complicit in sportswashing due to the financial incentives they receive. Despite the harm caused by sportswashing, it is difficult to stop due to the lack of accountability and the willingness of individuals and organizations to participate. Golfers have been divided over whether to particip

After building a successful career and family, you've come to realize you'd rather spend your remaining days in the company of men half your age rather than with your wife of 25 years. Now that it's time to retire, should you stay tepidly wed or chase all the young dudes, instead? We'll explore this and more here on 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 friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: After building a successful career and family, you've come to realize you'd rather spend your remaining days in the company of men half your age rather than with your wife of 25 years. Now that it's time to retire, should you stay tepidly we

Paul Rosolie (@PaulRosolie) is a conservationist, a filmmaker, the director of JungleKeepers and Tamandua Expeditions, and the author of Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey into the Uncharted Tributaries of the Western Amazon. What We Discuss with Paul Rosolie: How Paul Rosolie and his JungleKeepers team showcase sustainable and profitable alternatives to illegal logging and mining for locals — and their descendants — to prosper. Why many uncontacted tribes in the Amazon react to intrusion by outsiders with extreme violence — even when the outsiders demonstrate the best of intentions. How invasive and inefficient gold mining by armed, organized criminals from places as far away as Russia is turning once lush rainforests into mercury-poisoned wastelands. Efforts being made to harness medicinal compounds unique to the Amazon — and the knowledge to use them — and prevent them from disappearing for good. Even if you need to slim down for beach season, Paul doesn't recommend getting lost in the unforgiving

You've come to the conclusion that shoplifting is more than just a savvy life hack for fabulous savings — it also fills you with a rush that makes you feel truly alive. But are the thrill and the thrift of thievery worth their risks when (not if) you inevitably get caught? What can you do when produce pilfering has become an irresistible compulsion? We'll look into this and more here on 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 friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Are the thrill and the thrift of grocery thievery worth their risks when (not if) you inevitably get caught? And how can you stop when shoplifting has become an irresist

Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned award-winning law professor and bestselling author of Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life. His latest book, Awaken Your Genius: Escape Conformity, Ignite Creativity, and Become Extraordinary, is out now. What We Discuss with Ozan Varol: Just because you're recognized as being good at something doesn't mean you have to do it forever — or even ever. The skills we build and the lessons we learn don't go away when we decide to change course — they get repurposed and built upon for the journey ahead. Change doesn't have to be permanent. If a new path doesn't work as expected, consider it a failed experiment and keep experimenting until you find the right fit. How to develop a curiosity over victory mindset in which exploring new perspectives and ways of thinking take priority over always being right. How to discern between belonging to a supportive community and getting sucked into blind, cult-like tribalism.

Who defines the rules about what makes an age gap between two consenting adults "appropriate?" And if the relationship between you and someone nearly twice your age is fabulous, then who has any right to call your age gap scandalous? We'll investigate this and more here on 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 friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: If the relationship between you and someone nearly twice your age is fabulous, then who has any right to call your age gap scandalous? Spanking as a form of discipline for developing kids: Yes or no? Is there an "I made a job move but not sharing where to" status that works on Linked

Daniella Mestyanek Young (@daniellamyoung) is a survivor of the religious Children of God cult, a US Army combat veteran, an extremely advanced knitter, and the author of Uncultured: A Memoir. What We Discuss with Daniella Mestyanek Young: How the seemingly wholesome Children of God (later known by variations of "The Family") religious group centered around love, faith, and Jesus — and packaged to appeal to impressionable countercultural hippie types of the day — veered into true cult territory under the direction of its leader, David Berg. How female followers of Children of God were encouraged to use their bodies and sexuality to gain converts and money in a practice known as "flirty flashing." How child sexual abuse became a commonplace Children of God practice in an effort to raise "sexually liberated" children. What this cult and others do to cultivate credibility — and raise funds — among its followers and the outside world. The toll that life in a cult takes on those who are lucky enough to exit

At your new job in healthcare, you're surprised that so many of your colleagues — also well-educated with doctorate degrees — constantly complain about their desire to lose weight while simultaneously snacking on bear claws and eschewing basic exercise. Is there a delicate way to mention that they should be setting a better example for the people they've been tasked to keep healthy without being that annoying new person? We'll try to help you find an answer to this and much more here on 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 friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Your peers in the healthcare profession complain about being overwe

Lt. John Nores is a retired 28-year special operations game warden, co-host of the Warden’s Watch podcast, and author of Hidden War: How Special Operations Game Wardens are Reclaiming America's Wildlands from the Drug Cartels. What We Discuss with Lt. John Nores: Even though cannabis is now legal in California, drug cartels operate massive, illegal trespass grow operations on public land across the state. Trespass grow operations cause long-lasting environmental damage, generate pollution, steal water and other resources from the communities where they're raised. 6,000-10,000 people are employed by the cartels to establish and maintain these sites. Nearby residents who happen to cross paths with these criminals — even on their own property — are in danger of being assaulted or killed with little to no legal repercussions. DEA and game wardens who monitor this activity have the highest risk of death in the line of duty among law enforcement. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here

Bradley Hope (@bradleyhope) is the co-founder of journalism studio Project Brazen and the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Billion Dollar Whale and Blood and Oil. His latest book is The Rebel and the Kingdom: The True Story of the Secret Mission to Overthrow the North Korean Regime. What We Discuss with Bradley Hope: Was a 2019 incident at the North Korean Embassy in Madrid an intelligence-gathering raid by political dissidents, or a secret defection operation gone wrong? Why the largest resistance groups committed to helping people defect from North Korea are in the United States. How North Korea got away with the assassination of Kim Jong-un's half-brother Kim Jong-nam without facing any real consequences on the international stage, and what this not-so-subtle message conveys to anyone thinking of acting against the regime — from anywhere in the world. Will there ever come a day when China ceases tolerating North Korea's theatrics? The illicit means by which Kim Jong-un's regime richly bankrolls i

As a gay man of faith, you've made the decision to remain closeted and celibate according to your personal beliefs. But attention from a younger, attractive colleague lured you down a temporary path of temptation from which you've mostly recovered — though a few lurid lapses leave doubts lingering that you can separate the friendship you value with this person from the physical urges you have when you're around him. What should you do? We'll tackle this and more here on 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 friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: As a gay man of faith who's chosen to remain closeted and celibate, can you maintain

Matt Simon (@mrmattsimon) is a science writer at Wired magazine and the author of A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies. What We Discuss with Matt Simon: Microplastics contain a cocktail of toxic chemicals, many of which are linked to diseases like diabetes and cancer. Microplastics break even further into nanoplastics, which are small enough to move through human organs — including the brain — and enter our cells. Nearly everything around you — carpets, curtains, coasters, cups, packaging, clothing, couches, beds — contains plastic, and it all sheds plastic particles. Your home is one of the most polluted places – you could inhale as many as 7,000 microplastics a day. What we can do to reduce our exposure to microplastics and decrease our reliance on overall plastic consumption. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/818 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Mi

10 to 15 million people per year turn to acupuncture — the insertion of thin needles through the skin at strategic points on the body — for relieving what ails them. But is there any evidence that it actually works? Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and fact-checker, comedian, and podcast host David C. Smalley break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: The origins of acupuncture are unclear, and the claim that it started in China approximately 3,000 years ago is debated. Peer-reviewed journal Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health claims that acupuncture is one of the most utilized forms of complementary integrative medicine interventions in the US and can help strengthen the immune system and reduce side effects of chemotherapy. Studies on acupuncture's effectiveness in reducing cancer pain have mixed results due to small sample si

Sharing child custody with an ex can be an exercise in trust, patience, and compromise. But what happens when that ex decides to remarry and now your kids have a stepdad who has pled guilty to two felony charges of sexual exploitation of a minor? How can you ensure their safety when they're around their pedophile stepdad, and how do you explain what's going on without traumatizing them? We'll try to find answers to these questions and more here on 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 friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: How do you protect your kids from their pedophile stepfather and explain the situation without traumatizing

Dr. James Cantor (@jamescantorphd) is a clinical psychologist and sexologist whose research centers on the development of sexual interests, including sexual orientation and paraphilias. He maintains the Sexology Today blog, which focuses on the current state of sex research. What We Discuss with James Cantor: What makes people gay? The differences between gay men and gay women. What should society do about pedophiles who choose to live lives of celibacy rather than act on their urges? Is there a link between autism and gender dysphoria? What's the deal with asexuality, paraphilia, vorarephilia, and that thing you think about when nobody else is around? And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/815 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even o

Matt Frederick & Ben Bowlin (@ConspiracyStuff) are the conspiratorial masterminds behind the Stuff They Don't Want You to Know podcast and co-authors of a book that, to avoid any confusion, goes by the same name. What We Discuss with Matt Frederick & Ben Bowlin: Why people believe conspiracy theories. Popular conspiracy theories and why they persist. Conspiracy theories that turned out to be real. Telling the difference between true believers and opportunistic grifters. How we can avoid going down rabbit holes that foment conspiracy theories. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/814 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!See Privacy Pol

What makes the annual pageantry of The Academy Awards (aka The Oscars) so alluring to millions of everyday folks? Are we transfixed by the film industry's recognition of its worthiest, or are we just voyeurs glimpsing a glamorous world a scant few of us will ever experience? Award-winning journalist and podcaster Andrew Gold joins us for this Skeptical Sunday to demystify the mystique and break the spell behind one of the world’s most celebrated events. (And don't worry, David C. Smalley fans! David will return soon for future installments of Skeptical Sunday!) On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: Who decides who's worthy of winning an Oscar? How does someone become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences? Were Will Smith and Chris Rock paid big money to stage that infamous slap in 2022? Why is the number of people tuning in to the annual ceremony dwindling compared to its heyday? Why would anyone object to shortening the length of the ceremony to suit the attention span of a