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When Comedy Central undertakes an “investigation,” interviewees participate at their own risk. But the normally risk-averse Yale economist Robert Shiller sat down with The Daily Show correspondent John Oliver as part of a “Home Crisis Investigation” — and more or less held his own.

Oliver’s revelation: U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who’s supposed to fix the economy, has been unable to sell his $1.6 million home in Larchmont, N.Y. Initially, Shiller — co-inventor of the widely cited Case-Shiller Index of housing prices — comes off as a clueless academic.

“How can the American public trust the policies of a man who can’t sell his  house?” Oliver demands. To which  Shiller — clearly the victim of some heavy-handed video editing — responds: “Timothy Geithner is a capable man.”

Oliver: “Is it not like hiring a personal trainer who’s morbidly obese?”

Shiller: “It’s not that bad. Not that bad. We’ve been through crises before. But — yes, it is bad. I can’t get all technical about it.”

Shiller rallies, though, when Oliver dramatically displays a photo of a bright blue-and-gray tiled bathroom.

“Wow,” the professor says. “Look at — is that — ?”

“That’s his real bathroom.”

“Wow. Actually, I don’t — like it.”

“It’s ghastly,” Oliver supplies.

“I’d replace those blue tiles,” Shiller begins –

“Would you go for a warmer color?” Oliver inquires, spreading out color samples.

“No,” Shiller replies, leaning back in his chair. “What it should be is a piece of accent furniture, so that it doesn’t disrupt the integrity of the design.”

As for rearranging the deck chairs — well, it’s a good thing Oliver didn’t ask.