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Fail Better with David Duchovny

Fail Better with David Duchovny

Written by: Lemonada Media
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About this listen

To be human is to fail – period. And not just to fail once, but to fail a lot. As the author Samuel Beckett said: “Fail again. Fail better.” This saying means a lot to me and my family – so much so that my daughter got a tattoo of it. Why are we, and so many others, so deeply concerned by failure? And if it’s something we all do so often, why are we so afraid of it – especially those of us here in win-at-all-costs America? In this podcast, I sit down with successful, thoughtful people like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Sean Penn and more to talk about failure – or what they labeled “failure,” but what was really an unparalleled opportunity for growth and revelation. I even want to delve into my own hardest moments, when I wrestled with setbacks, shame, and fear. We’ll still fail again. And again. But maybe if we fail better, we’ll feel better -- and maybe if we can all laugh together in failure, that's a start.

2026 Lemonada Media Inc.
Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Fail Again: Kathleen Hanna’s Music is Her Message
    Feb 17 2026

    This episode originally aired August 16, 2024

    Being “indie famous” is complicated, and Kathleen Hanna isn’t here to water it down. Her career making feminist punk music — most notably in the band Bikini Kill — meant she was attacked for her activism by some and objectified as a symbol by others. But Kathleen and her bandmates continued to fight for respect and wrangle messy topics into punchy songs. Her new memoir, Rebel Girl, is a real treat, and it shows just how much change in the music industry and beyond can be traced back to those efforts. Does that mean Kathleen loves seeing her trailblazing messaging plastered onto throw pillows at Target? As you might expect, that, too, is complicated.

    Lemonada has teamed up with Apple Books to bring you the Lemonada Book Club. “Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk” by Kathleen Hanna is our July/August 2024 audiobook of the month! For more details, visit http://apple.co/lemonadabookclub.

    Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. And if you want to continue the conversation with other listeners, join the My Lemonada community at https://lemonadamedia.com/mylemonada/

    For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    49 mins
  • Fail Again: The Buoyancy of Rob Lowe
    Feb 10 2026

    This episode originally aired January 14, 2025

    Throughout his long and varied career, Rob Lowe has become an expert at reinventing himself. He left behind his bad-boy image from iconic 80s movies to work on a clever mix of dramatic and comedic TV roles. But I’ve known Rob for a while, and he’s a very layered individual. We look back at how Rob has pursued his passions and how he and his wife, Sheryl, have used practical techniques to keep their marriage strong for 34 years and counting. Plus, we discuss the difference between humility and humiliation, and why Rob is always down to be the butt of the joke.

    Please note: David and Rob recorded this episode before the Los Angeles wildfires began. Their hearts are with the rest of their LA community.

    Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. And if you want to continue the conversation with other listeners, join the My Lemonada community at https://lemonadamedia.com/mylemonada/

    For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    1 hr
  • Fail Again: Roads Taken and Not Taken with Jason Beghe
    Feb 3 2026

    This episode originally aired October 15, 2024

    I’ve known Jason Beghe for 50 years and counting, ever since we met one fateful day in a high school biology class. I watched as this rambunctious and rebellious kid grew up and carved his own path, never following trends. But when Jason became heavily involved in the Church of Scientology, we drifted apart — and I felt like I’d failed him as a friend. For the first time, we unpack what went on between us during that period of our lives, and why our friendship endured. These days we’re close as ever, and I couldn’t be more proud of Jason’s unparalleled success as Sgt. Hank Voight on the long-running NBC series Chicago P.D. From the halls of our high school to the set of Californication, we reflect on a lifelong friendship the same way we always have: with heart and lots of childlike laughter.

    Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. And if you want to continue the conversation with other listeners, join the My Lemonada community at https://lemonadamedia.com/mylemonada/

    For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
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