Into It: A Vulture Podcast with Sam Sanders

What was the pettiest thing we learned in Prince Harry's new memoir Spare? The cringiest? The most unbelievable? And what space do Harry and Meghan Markle occupy in our culture now? Sam chats with Royally Obsessed podcast hosts Rachel Bowie and Roberta Fiorito about the book and if the limit exists on rehashing H&M's drama with the Royal Family. We also ask comedian Taylor Garron if she is into th...

Hollywood companies that spent years pouring money into content to win the streaming wars are finally looking at their profitability. That’s meant layoffs, hiring freezes, and cost cutting that will continue this year. Yet Sam can’t help but feel Hollywood had it coming. He asks entertainment journalist Matt Beloni why the industry failed to absorb the lessons learned by other fields upended by te...

As the end of 2022 fast approaches, we play a supersized version of “Into It / Not Into It.” Our guests are comedians Jay Jurden and Zach Zimmerman, hosts of the bi-weekly comedy and variety show Pretty Major, presented by Vulture + Union Hall. Topics include: The Slap (not the Zachary Quinto miniseries), The New York Times’ purchase of Wordle, pink sauce and more. Sam concludes with the most pres...

Matt Rogers has heard of Christmas, but what are his thoughts on peppermint bark? Elf on the Shelf? That time Beyoncé was on Punk'd and believed she had ruined Christmas for a bunch of underprivileged kids? To celebrate the holiday, we play a special festive edition of our game "Into It/Not Into It." Sam and Matt also chat about his new Showtime special Have You Heard of Christmas? and his journey...

Is Avatar culturally meaningful? Or just ridiculous? Sam and Vulture film critic Bilge Ebiri debate James Cameron's decades-in-the-making sequel and whether it's worth the hype (besides the whale part, which we've heard is cool). We also ask comedian Niles Abston if he is into Dave Chappelle bringing Elon Musk on stage as a surprise guest. And we hear about the culture that's haunting us: "Sir, si...

We look back on some of the best TV shows of the year with Vulture critics Roxana Hadadi and Kathryn VanArendonk: Why did no one watch Pachinko? Why is Reservation Dogs so consistently good? Why does Sam hate The Bear? We also ask Vulture's Morgan Baila and Zoe Haylock for their bets on The White Lotus finale: Who died and who did the killing? Please God may Jennifer Coolidge and Aubrey Plaza be a...

Sheryl Lee Ralph won an Emmy for her work on Abbott Elementary as Barbara Howard, a firm yet big-hearted veteran teacher. It was recognition she’d long deserved in a career that’s spanned USO tours, roles alongside Sidney Poitier and Robert De Niro, and an iconic performance in the original Dreamgirls musical. In a live conversation from this year’s Vulture Festival, Sam asks Sheryl about the less...

Before his acquisition of Twitter, Elon Musk set his sights on another kind of media company: Thud. A longtime fan of The Onion — he once called it "the greatest publication in the history of all conscious beings, living or dead" — Elon helped two former Onion editors build a new satirical startup. But Elon pulled out of the company before its launch and Thud shuttered in 2019. So what happened? S...

This year — and every year — we are grateful for family, friends, and celebrity memoirs. On this Thanksgiving, Sam chats with comedian Chelsea Devantez of the podcast Celebrity Book Club about the most memorable memoirs of 2022 — from Jennette McCurdy to Matthew Perry — and why the good ones will change your life. We also play a special holiday edition of "Into It/Not Into It" and ask Chelsea if s...

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has to do a lot of things: mourn the real and fictional loss of Chadwick Boseman, introduce a new Black Panther and other characters, move the ever-shifting Marvel Cinematic Universe forward, and — of course — be entertaining as an action-adventure movie. So why does it feel almost impossible — sacrilegious, even — to say that this sequel... doesn't quite hit? Sam ta...

As Atlanta comes to a close after four seasons, it’s still hard to characterize the series. Was it comedy, drama, horror, satire? Whatever the word, the critically-acclaimed series was always weird, often brilliant, and sometimes divisive. Sam talks with Atlanta’s executive producer Stephen Glover about helping create the show with his brother Donald, the ideas that could only have come from a Bla...

Black Panther is back soon, but what do you actually need to know about the Marvel Cinematic Universe to be ready? And what if you don't care about the intricacies of Thanos or Dr. Strange's multiverse at all? Vox's Alex Abad-Santos catches Sam up on the MCU and explains that even if you don't care about the plot lines, you should care about Marvel's impact on the entertainment industry: "It's kin...

Does seeing abortion on TV and film change the way people feel about it? You could argue that another big social issue — gay marriage — was helped by shows like Will & Grace and Ellen. Or that The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Murphy Brown helped normalize the idea of women in the workplace. Ahead of the midterms, Sam is wondering why more depictions of abortion onscreen haven't moved the needle on pu...

What is the meaning of Taylor Swift? She's performed damsel in distress, but represents women’s empowerment. She’s a confessional artist, but is careful about how much she reveals. She's an adult, but is often still viewed as the teenager she used to be. On the eve of Midnights, Sam dives into the mythos and craft of Taylor Swift with NPR music critic Ann Powers about her place in history among th...

After five years, what happened to the #MeToo movement and Time's Up? The Hollywood advocacy group made a splash at the Golden Globes in 2018, but what's happened since? And did it really change anything? Sam chats with The Hollywood Reporter's Rebecca Keegan about the group's initial momentum from A-list actors and a barn burner of a speech from Oprah... and its eventual (inevitable?) implosion....

Is there a way to make true crime ethically? At the very least, can we stop making serial killers hot? Sam chats with Vulture TV critic Jen Chaney about the criticism behind the hit Netflix show DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and the rise of true crime as the latest IP. We also ask comedian Jay Jurden if he is into the new get-out-the-vote effort from Saucy Santana and Trina. And we he...

Bros has billed itself as the first gay romantic comedy made by a big Hollywood studio for theatrical release. But that billing brings a lot of pressure to represent the "queer community," speak to a straight audience, and make money. Sam chats with comedian Guy Branum, co-producer and co-star of Bros, about the compromises you can accept — and reject — in making a mainstream rom-com. We also ask...

Kim Kardashian is getting into venture capital, her shapewear company is worth billions, and her family's rebooted show The Kardashians is back for its second season on Hulu. And yet, Sam can't shake the feeling that Kim's power and relevance is fading. MJ Corey, creator of @kardashian_kolloquium, says Kim is in transition — not decline — and that her influence on the media landscape may soon beco...

Issa Rae is not just acting — she’s writing, producing, and running a whole media production company. In this live chat from the 2022 Code Conference, Issa talks with Sam Sanders and Kara Swisher about how she’s always known her audience — from her start as an internet creator to inking exclusive multimillion-dollar deals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does the outrage over people of color cast in fantasies feel so predictable? Sam chats with associate professor Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, author of The Dark Fantastic: Race and Imagination from Harry Potter to The Hunger Games, about how fantasy writing in the Western world has become so entrenched in whiteness that the mere presence of a Black hobbit seems “shocking.” We also ask Abbi Jacobson...

A Strange Loop won this year's Tony Award for Best Musical, starring an all Black cast. But the show itself was partly inspired by three white women: Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, and Liz Phair. Sam visits A Strange Loop on Broadway and sits down with its writer Michael R. Jackson to talk through Jackson's musical Holy Trinity (Joni as the Mother, Liz as the Daughter, and Tori as the Holy Ghost) and h...

Who had the song of the summer? Sam chats with Switched on Pop's Charlie Harding and Reanna Cruz about whose song (and album) is in the running: Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, Lizzo, or Kate Bush? We also ask Vibe Check co-hosts and friends of the show Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford if they're into J.Lo cutting dancers based on their astrological sign. And we hear about the culture that's haunting us: DJ Khal...

Some celebrities are born into financial safety. Others have to post sponcon. Sam chats with writer Kelsey McKinney about Sydney Sweeney's Instagram and what it means to have (or not have) family money in Hollywood. We also hold a celebrity liquor taste test with the staff of Vulture, which involves moderate to heavy drinking during a workday. And we hear about the culture that's haunting us: Sing...

Sam and New York Times columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom break down the hugely popular show Yellowstone and the ways it reflects our own identity politics. Which is all to say: It's complicated. We also play a game with Dinner Party newsletter writer Tirhakah Love and film critic Angelica Jade Bastien, and hear about the culture that's haunting us: Tessa Thompson is making a meal out of Westworld'...

Can Hollywood ever just end a story? Sam chats with showrunner Damon Lindelof about his experiences on ABC's Lost and HBO's Watchmen and the pressures to keep a good thing going. We also play a game with Today, Explained hosts Sean Rameswaram and Noel King and hear about the culture that's haunting us: Was Paula Abdul really in a plane crash in the 1990s? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at in...