The Sam Sanders Show
The Sam Sanders Show from KCRW is your guide to entertainment. Find out what makes your favorite artists tick, dissect the trends that shape our culture, or just make sense of that random meme you can’t stop thinking about. Join us every week to unpack the pop culture we love.
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Sam Sanders is an award-winning podcast and radio host. He’s been named best podcast host by both The Ambies and the iHeart Podcast Awards. He was one of the founding hosts of The NPR Politics Podcast and the host who launched both It’s Been A Minute from NPR and Into It from Vulture.
Most Recent Episode
What If You Could Change Your Race? w/ Amy Wang
A twisted new horror film is being described as a mix between 'The Substance' and 'Mean Girls.' Sam can’t stop thinking about it.
'Slanted' follows an insecure Chinese American teenager who desperately wants to fit in, but faces constant bullying and discrimination. Then she finds a drastic solution — ethnic modification — surgery that makes her appear white. Pale skin, blue eyes and blonde hair included.
Amy Wang wrote and directed the wildly brutal movie. She tells Sam how the script was inspired by her own experiences living in Australia with her Chinese immigrant family. She also explains why satire and body horror were the perfect combo to tell this story.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
More Episodes
Bruce Vilanch: What Makes an Oscars Host Funny?
It’s almost Oscars weekend, so we’re hanging out with the man behind some of the wildest moments in the ceremony’s history.
Comedian Bruce Vilanch spent 25 years writing for the Oscars. He crafted jokes for legendary hosts like Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, Billy Crystal and more. He spoke with Sam last year about his experiences in the job and his advice for aspiring comedy writers.
Bruce Vilanch’s book is called: It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time: The Worst TV Shows in History and Other Things I Wrote
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Can The Oscars Be Fixed?
Awards season in Hollywood is in its final stretch. The suspense is rising. The Oscars are imminent.
The ceremony is always full of glitz and glamour, but for years it’s been plagued by disappointments. Long and boring broadcasts. Unjustified snubs. Clunky skits and speeches. Despite it all, Sam loves to watch, but he has some ideas to fix Hollywood’s biggest night.
Joining the show are two entertainment journalism heavyweights:
Jacqueline Coley is awards editor at Rotten Tomatoes and host of Seen on the Screen with Jacqueline Coley.
Clayton Davis is chief awards editor at Variety where he also hosts the Awards Circuit Podcast.
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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Who is Clavicular?
Looksmaxxing. Mogging. Clavicular.
There’s an alarming new figure (and vocabulary) taking over influencer culture. What does it all mean for the current internet? Here to explain is author and artist John Paul Brammer, who recently wrote about this for Playboy Magazine.
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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Kate Hudson: Who Gets to Be Taken Seriously?
Kate Hudson has always loved acting, but she feels the most like herself when she’s singing.
It’s how she landed her role in the musical drama ‘Song Sung Blue.’ She stars alongside Hugh Jackman as performers in a Neil Diamond tribute band. She’s now nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. Kate tells Sam about how Quincy Jones encouraged her to sing as a kid and how she finally found the courage to share her voice.
Kate also gets real about growing up in a famous family and the difficulties of working in Hollywood. Plus, she explains why she will always be grateful for the romantic comedies of her past.
“I walk down the street and I connect with girls from 13 years old right now to 70 years old. And I did that because I made movies that might not have necessarily got me nominated, but it's made people feel happy.”
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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Would K-Pop Exist Without Black Culture?
From the Billboard charts to the Oscars, K-Pop is bigger than ever in Hollywood. Along with its global domination, there’s a dark side to the genre. Blatant appropriation of Black American culture. K-Pop stars caught using racial slurs. Fandoms torn apart over anti-Black racism.
So, how should we all be thinking about K-Pop in 2026? Sam poses that question to Dr. Sarah Olutola, novelist and professor at Lakehead University. Her research centers on pop culture, Black culture and K-Pop. They examine the history, geopolitics and future of a global system largely built off Black American art.
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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders
Help! My dad is dating a scammer! (From This Is Uncomfortable)
Today we’re sharing Sam’s episode from This Is Uncomfortable.
The show is all about life and how money messes with it. Sam joins host Reema Khrais to answer listener questions about finances and dating. They tackle issues with scammers, secret investments, and polyamorous partners.
Remember to take our survey! We want to know more about you and what you love about the show.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Ms. Pat: Can Laughter Save Democracy?
Comedian and actor Ms. Pat kinda does it all.
She performs standup, hosts her own podcast and created the acclaimed sitcom The Ms. Pat Show on BET+. The series is known for mixing a laugh track with real issues like racism, sexual assault and immigration.
A recent episode follows Ms. Pat’s family as they help a young kid hide from ICE agents, while the show’s fictional President comes to town. Chaos ensues, but the story demonstrates Ms. Pat’s sharp ability to use humor as a vehicle to talk about pain.
She tells Sam about the pushback she got from the network’s parent company over the episode and why she will never be silenced.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
And remember to take our survey! We want to know more about you and what you love about the show.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
How Did Mormon Moms Take Over Pop Culture?
The moment is Mormon. From The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, to The Bachelorette, to popular TikTok accounts like Ballerina Farm, women of the LDS faith are dominating pop culture right now.
Sam breaks it all down with author and journalist Bridget Read. Her latest piece for New York Magazine is titled: Under The Mormon Influence.
Bridget unveils the ‘receipts, proof, timeline…everything’ behind this phenomenon. Plus, could all this new attention radically change the religion and its followers?
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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Nia DaCosta: Why is Real Life Scarier Than Horror Films?
Director Nia DaCosta has done it all. Horror, period drama, and even a Marvel blockbuster. Through it all, Nia is always asking: What does it mean to be human? Her latest films Hedda and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple are no different.
She tells Sam about how horror themes mirror the real world, how she found her voice as one of the few Black women directors in the business, and why she’s not interested in teaching white people about race through her films.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
And remember to take our survey! We want to know more about you and what you love about the show.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Why Are Movie Wigs Still So Bad?!
As awards season grinds on, we're revisiting a topic that really irks Sam – bad wigs on the big screen. Why do sooo many wigs look so wrong? Here to break down what’s going on is Hollywood hairstylist and wigmaker Dawn Dudley. Her work has been seen in A Star is Born, Rob Zombie’s The Munsters, HBO’s Westworld and tons more. She breaks down what’s really happening on Hollywood sets and says it’s often not the hairstylist’s fault.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
And please take our survey! We want to know more about you and what you love about the show.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
How Did Therapy Change Sherry Cola’s Comedy?
Actor and comedian Sherry Cola often finds wild parallels between the characters she plays on screen and her personal life, including her new role in the hit dramedy Shrinking.
She breaks down how the show normalizes therapy with humor, what she’s learned from years of therapy, and why she picks roles that break the stereotype of the model minority. She also shares how playing a queer character in Freeform’s Good Trouble helped her finally come out to her parents.
Plus, how Sherry’s early career on the radio prepared her for the big screen.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
And remember to take our survey! We want to know more about you and what you love about the show.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Can Bad Bunny Save America?
From the Grammys to the Super Bowl, this is Bad Bunny’s world… We’re just lucky to live in it. But his presence goes far beyond music.
Dr. Nate Rodriguez, professor of journalism and media studies at San Diego State University, teaches a course all about Bad Bunny’s influence on media, identity and global culture.
Sam and Dr. Nate dive into the contrast of Bad Bunny’s success, while ICE is flooding American cities. They also discuss what the NFL gains from broadcasting his message to the world.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
The Millennial Internet, from Buzzfeed Quizzes to Filming ICE
Today we’re sharing Sam’s episode from The Assignment with Audie Cornish.
This year marks a milestone for Millennials: the youngest of the cohort finally turns 30. So what comes next for the first generation of true digital natives now that they have achieved “unc” status? Audie talks with Sam Sanders about the generation that watched media transform from Buzzfeed quizzes into AI slop. They also discuss Millennial activism taking over the generation’s Instagram feed as ICE protests continue in Minneapolis.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
George Civeris: Is this Gay Millennial Middle Age?
Should I have kids? Is there still enough time? Does time even matter? Comedian George Civeris is grappling with a lot of life’s big questions lately.
He explores all of this in his latest standup special A Sense Of Urgency. He also chats with Sam about making jokes when the world is on fire and his own (sort of) immigrant experience as a gay millennial.
Plus, they dive into his hottest takes on The Real Housewives, lost monoculture and gay vacation destinations.
Check out George’s podcast Straightio Lab.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
How 'Heated Rivalry' Even Seduced Russia
Everyone is well aware of Heated Rivalry’s immense popularity. The gay hockey romance seduced the masses in ways we haven’t seen in years… Maybe decades? The show even has a following in Russia, where queer media is outlawed.
Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar is familiar with that climate. He was exiled in 2022 when he came out as a gay and married his now husband. Mikhail recently wrote about the parallels between the show and his own life for Vanity Fair. He tells Sam about what it all means for state repression, freedom and hope for LGBTQ+ Russians.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
TikTok Stars on the Politicians Begging Them for Exposure (From Question Everything)
Today we’re sharing an episode from KCRW’s Question Everything.
What happens when TikTokers replace TV hosts and interviewers, and presidential candidates start begging to be on their shows?
Question Everything host Brian Reed sits down in a Brooklyn wine shop with four of the internet’s biggest creators: Caleb Simpson, who gets people on the street to take him up to their apartments; Julian Shapiro-Barnum who interviews kids on Recess Therapy; Anania Williams of the LGBTQ quiz show Gaydar; and Jack Coyne, host of the music game show Track Star. Their videos reach more people than many major news outlets. But who gets control over what they run? When is money changing hands? What do they do when politicians like Kamala Harris and RFK Jr. come calling?
A frank conversation about the blurry grey area between this new form of entertainment and journalism.
Check out the Substack, with more reporting on the war over truth, free speech, and tech’s role in it all.
Question Everything is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory.
What’s Raphael Saadiq’s Golden Rule for Making Music?
Raphael Saadiq has been influential to the music industry since he burst onto the scene with his group Tony! Toni! Toné! — since then he’s produced hits with artists like Beyoncé and scored countless film and TV projects.
He’s now nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for his blues anthem “I Lied To You” from the blockbuster film Sinners. He breaks down what went into creating the song, his connection to director Ryan Coogler and his golden rule for making music for movies.
Plus, Raphael remembers his late friend D’Angelo and shares the story behind their iconic song “Untitled (How Does It Feel).”
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
WTF is up with Spotify?
There’s a little trend that’s gaining a lot of traction… Many people are leaving Spotify – and making a fuss on their way out.
They’re angry at the platform and the algorithm. They’re angry with how it pays artists. Some users are very angry about the ads Spotify runs. It’s quite the vibe shift for the world’s largest music streaming service. Sam breaks it all down with Bloomberg’s Ashley Carman who recently reported from Spotify’s headquarters in Stockholm.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
The State of Movies in 2026 (ft. The Big Picture)
It’s officially awards season in Hollywood – with endless red carpets, secret ballots, snubs, scandals… and vibes that feel increasingly weird.
Joining Sam to check-in on the health of the movie industry are two of the sharpest cinephiles in the game. Amanda Dobbins and Sean Fennessey, hosts of The Big Picture podcast. They unpack the drama shaping this year’s hottest races and break down this era of dramatic mergers, shrinking monoculture, and box office uncertainty.
Plus, a round of bold predictions for 2026 and a few under-the-radar films you’ll want to catch up on ASAP.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Did Social Media Kill the Dance Floor?
Consumed by a fear of looking bad on camera, dance floors across the country are filled with young people standing still. It suddenly seems everyone is too scared to let loose and move to the rhythm.
Artists like Tyler, The Creator and Kaytranada have recently called out their crowds for rigid behavior. Sam breaks it all down with Elias Leight, reporter covering the music business for The Wall Street Journal.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
What Pop Culture Keeps Dan Harris Centered and 10% Happier?
It’s a new year, so how about some timeless pop culture to lift our spirits?
Music that heals, TV shows that inspire joy, movies that create everlasting memories. Sam describes these as Modern Scriptures – the stuff that we can return to again and again to help us stay grounded, centered and connected.
Joining Sam for this is meditation and mindfulness expert Dan Harris. He hosts the popular podcast 10% Happier. Dan shares the pop culture that always boosts his mental health and gives advice on how to make your New Year’s resolutions stick.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” (from One Song)
Today we’re sharing Sam’s episode from One Song.
Is Dreams what it sounds like when personal chaos becomes collective brilliance? Recorded live at On Air Fest at KCRW, Sam joins hosts Diallo and LUXXURY to break down this Fleetwood Mac classic. Together, they dive into the Rumours-era drama and unravel why the magic of Dreams feels both intensely personal and universally resonant.
If you like this episode, be sure to check out One Song on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Where Did All The Protest Music Go?
There was a time when popular music was inseparable from civil rights and civil unrest. But today, very few popular songs reflect the grievances seen in the streets.
Fela Kuti is an artist who wasn’t afraid to make protest music. Known as the father of Afrobeat, his music became the soundtrack for social change in his native Nigeria.
He’s the focus of the new podcast Fela Kuti: Fear No Man created by Jad Abumrad. He tells Sam about the lasting impact of Kuti’s work, his complicated history, and asks… why are musicians today so afraid to get political?
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
How To Talk to Contractors (From Slate's How To! Podcast)
Today we’re sharing Sam’s episode from the How To! Podcast.
Sam is many things: journalist, podcaster, pop-culture obsessive, and a familiar voice from public radio. He’s also “quite possibly the world’s most hesitant homeowner.” Sam wants to fix up the house he recently bought, but three things are holding him back: First, he doesn’t have a clue where to start. Second, he’s not very handy. And third, he’s intimidated by the thought of talking with contractors (who might discover the first two things about him). In the first episode of a two-part series, host Carvell Wallace brings on home improvement expert and bestselling author Mercury Stardust (aka The Trans Handy Ma’am) to guide Sam in conquering his fears.
Mercury’s latest book is Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair.
Ready for part 2? This conversation continues with How To Take Charge of Home Repair.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.