The Sam Sanders Show

Writer, producer and actor Ryan O'Connell wants Hollywood to be more honest. He first broke onto the scene after creating the Netflix comedy series 'Special' in 2019. The show was inspired by his own experiences as a gay millennial living with cerebral palsy. He tells Sam about his journey as a young writer in the 2010s, what it means to be authentic in this era of virality, and the reality of wor...

Confession: After several hours of sitting with Madonna’s new album on repeat, Sam isn’t sure he likes it… To him, 'Confessions II' felt like a Madonna impersonation, stripped of a lot of the Madonna energy he’s loved for years. The album also raised some big questions: what even is Madonna anymore? What kind of music should we expect from a pop star who always seemed eter...

The ‘90s are surely having a moment: the clothes, the music, the pop culture! It’s everywhere, but what’s the BEST the ‘90s had to offer?  In this special live taping, Sam is joined by his friends  Traci Thomas , Eliot Glazer and Franklin Leonard to debate the best of the decade in a live ‘90s Nostalgia Bracket showdown.  Recorded at  Dynasty Typew...

‘Love Island USA’ is known for its very hot and very straight contestants. But two guys this season, Zach and Bryce, are getting a lot of attention for their own intimate connection on the show. Jason P. Frank is a superfan and writer for ‘Vulture.’ He breaks down what’s behind their homoerotic behavior. He also tells Sam why all the frenzy just might be a good thing&...

EVENT ALERT! Join us LIVE on June 28 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA. Get tickets here .  Roz Hernandez is a comedian who approaches the craft unlike most other comics right now.  For starters, she is a trans woman, working in a world still largely ruled by bros, her comedy is always tailored for her queer fanbase, and last year Roz embarked on a stand-up tour across the country, but instead...

EVENT ALERT! Join us LIVE on June 28 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA. Get tickets here . Summer movie season is off to a good start. Two movies in particular are giving Hollywood a lot of hope. Both original horror films, Backrooms and Obsession , are new movies made by Gen Z creators that very quickly became massive hits at the box office. So, are young people going to the movies again? Maybe they&rs...

EVENT ALERT! Join us LIVE on June 28 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA. Get tickets here . At the halfway point of 2026, Sam is joined by Traci Thomas ( The Stacks ) and Christiana Mbakwe Medina ( Pop Syllabus ) to ask what this year in pop culture is really becoming. Their answer moves from the rise of “The Sculpt” and the pressure to optimize everything about ourselves, to the bigger feeli...

Today we’re sharing an episode of Apple News In Conversation , guest hosted by Sam.  The headlines say that American men are in crisis. But what does that actually mean — and what does it look like up close?  Journalist Jordan Ritter Conn spent five years inside the lives of four different men to find out. His new book,  American Men , explores the gap between masculine...

EVENT ALERT! Join us LIVE on June 28 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA. Get tickets here.   Leslie Jones thinks comedy has a problem. The comedian and former 'Saturday Night Live' cast member joins Sam to talk about how comedy has changed, why viral fame doesn’t equal success, and why too many young comics are skipping the hard part: Honing their craft. She also reflects on her years at SNL,...

Today we’re sharing an episode of ' Apple News In Conversation ,' guest hosted by Sam!    A medieval-monster slayer. A tiny alien named Roscoe. A talking plate of spaghetti. These are just a few of the customizable companions available through AI-chatbot apps like Kindroid, Tolan, and Character. AI.  In her latest piece for The New Yorker , journalist Anna Wiener explores...

EVENT ALERT! Join us LIVE on June 28 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA. Get tickets here Let’s have a life-affirming party with Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro! The longtime friends and journalists join Sam to explain the latest entry in the pop lexicon: Blue Dot Fever. It’s not a disease, but the terminology behind a recent wave of cancelled concert tours. From Post Malone to the Pussycat Dol...

Today we’re sharing Sam’s episode of ' Pop Syllabus '! No matter where you find yourself on the internet, celebrities’ lives are constantly in front of us, but who’s actually a star and who’s just famous? Sam sits down with host Christiana Mbakwe Medina to play “star, celebrity, or famous person” and rates icons like Beyoncé to rising names like Sab...

Margaret Cho is a trailblazer and ‘mother’ to your favorite comedians. She burst onto the scene in the 90s performing at night clubs and later starred in the ABC sitcom 'All-American Girl', the first network show to center an Asian American family. Margaret reflects on the impact of her groundbreaking show, how she sees her role as a mentor for younger comedians, and why she’s st...

Today we’re sharing Sam’s recent collaboration with ' Switched On Pop .' Jacob Collier is a rare musician. He’s been described as an ambassador of music, known for lushly orchestrated pieces with a myriad of collaborators. He’s also known for conducting the crowds of his live shows, turning the concert into a massive choir performance.  He did just that recently at On-...

The Kardashians are one of the most famous families of our modern era.  Since their hit reality TV show first debuted in 2007, the family has become synonymous with American culture. Their celebrity has only grown with each new beauty and fashion enterprise.    Author MJ Corey analyzes the family’s staying power in her new book  Dekonstructing the Kardashians: A New...

Today we’re bringing you an episode from our friends at Prestige Junkie .  Sam joins host Katey Rich to look ahead at this summer’s stacked box office lineup. From Christopher Nolan’s 'The Odyssey' and Spielberg’s 'Disclosure Day' to the movies you shouldn’t sleep on including Aleshea Harris’ directorial debut 'Is God Is' and Hannah Einbinder’s queer...

Actor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang is full of contradictions. On stage, he exudes a party guy vibe, always down for a good time. But in actuality, Jimmy is pretty serious. He edits his own stand-up specials and thinks a lot about starting a family. Jimmy works through all of this in his comedy. He tells Sam how he learned English as a teenager, his favorite karaoke song, and how he’s actively...

We’ve got a very special episode for you today, featuring the legendary rapper and musician Wyclef Jean. Sam teamed up with Justin Richmond of the Broken Record podcast for this live conversation recorded at the On Air Fest. Wyclef Jean may just be the most wide-ranging rapper, producer, performer, and composer of his time. As the lead producer and MC of Fugees, he helped craft their 1996 la...

Trixie Mattel might be one of the busiest women in show business.  Since she made a name for herself on 'RuPaul’s Drag Race,' she's starred in multiple TV shows, created a hit podcast , became a best-selling author, launched a cosmetics line and even opened her own motel.  But Trixie says all that work led to burnout. She tells Sam how she learned the importance of slowing down, wh...

Mariah Carey has more No. 1 hits than any other American artist to date.  “Fantasy,” “Vision of Love,” and “We Belong Together” have all landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Part of the magic is in her voice, but it’s also in her songwriting — a skill that has too often been overlooked.  Music journalist  Danyel Smith interviewed...

Despite everyone’s nostalgic feelings for the ‘90’s, it was undoubtedly a complicated time for women.  Feminism was alive and well at the start of the decade, but author Sophie Gilbert explains how the movement’s energy collapsed into a problematic media storm that still lingers today.  She chronicles the decline through the ‘90s pop culture that shaped wome...

Models, designers, celebrities and Anna Wintour will soon gather for fashion’s biggest night: The Met Gala. But this year’s event has already spawned protests and boycotts. Sam breaks it all down with fashion and culture journalist  Amy Odell, host of the 'Back Row ' podcast and newsletter. They look at how sponsors Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez could be overshadowing the gala&rsq...

There’s no denying 2026 has been chaotic — but what about pop culture? Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix (hosts of Lemme Say This ) join Sam to break down the biggest moments of the year so far — and what they reveal about where culture is headed. From reality TV dominating the conversation to debates about monoculture, celebrity overexposure, and what actually breaks through now, the...

Justin Bieber headlined Coachella with a stripped down set that quickly divided the internet. While other artists had intricate sets, Justin sang on a mostly empty stage with nothing but a laptop. If you thought his set was lazy, 'The New Yorker' critic Vinson Cunnighman says you’re missing the point.  Vinson joins Sam to talk about Bieberchella, what Justin was trying to convey about f...

We’re so excited to be featured this month by Apple Podcasts’ Society & Culture .  This episode, comedian and TikTok star  Rob Anderson brings back the '90s! From 'Boy Meets World’ to 'Baywatch', Rob unpacks the most absurd pop culture from the era. He even breaks down an exceptionally unhinged episode of 'Touched By An Angel’ featuring civil rights icon Rosa...