The Sam Sanders Show

After years of antisemitic comments, failed business deals and a failed Presidential run, Ye is making a comeback.  The artist, formerly known as Kanye West, recently apologized for his past behavior and released a new album. It’s his usual routine for new music releases. But this round was followed by two massive sold-out shows in Los Angeles. A myriad of fans and famous people were th...

Aparna Nancherla is probably the funniest introvert doing comedy. Although Sam is a total extrovert, he’s admired her work for years.  She tells Sam how she got comfortable on stage and why stand-up is the perfect activity to combat shyness. They also break down the excessive demands of modern life, the internet surveillance state, and why we all need to log off and touch grass. Plus, s...

Note: This episode contains spoilers!  A24’s ‘The Drama’ has pissed off many moviegoers.  The film, directed by Kristoffer Borgli, follows a newly engaged couple played by Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. The trailer gives rom-com vibes, until a shocking confession threatens to end their relationship. This movie (and the discourse around it) raises a lot of tricky question...

  We’re breaking down one of the most important film genres ever on the show today…The classic Romantic Comedy! Because rom-coms always make us feel better, even the ones that haven’t aged well.  Sam is joined by two lovebugs to create a (not quite) definitive list of the greatest rom-coms of all time. Liz Plank, author and host of the ‘ Boy Problems ’ podc...

Swedish pop star Robyn has just released a new album, after almost eight years since her last one. ‘Sexistential’ mixes themes of motherhood and maturity with classic club beats. Sam breaks it all down with Jia Tolentino, staff writer at ‘The New Yorker,’ who recently profiled Robyn for the magazine. She explains what the new songs say about heartbreak, sexuality and the un...

A great piece of pop culture often includes cheating scandals, obsessed fans and some serious competition. We’re not talking about 'The Real Housewives'… But the  NYT Games app! Everdeen Mason leads the Games Team at 'The New York Times.' She tells Sam about what goes into making Wordle, Connections, The Crossword and so much more. She also breaks down the challenge of keeping mi...

It’s been a bad week for ‘The Bachelorette’ franchise.  For the first time in the show’s history, ABC pulled the plug on its new season just days before it was set to air. The move came after a 2023 video surfaced of the show’s star — Taylor Frankie Paul of ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ fame — physically assaulting her then boyfriend.&nbs...

Chris Fleming’s comedy is unlike anyone else working right now. His act is equal parts stand-up and interpretative dance. He's constantly moving, grooving and writhing all over the stage. It’s all on full display in his new HBO special ‘ Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace ’. He spoke with Sam about embracing imperfection on stage, and how he uses movement to become a ‘...

'KPop Demon Hunters' is officially an Oscar-winner. The beloved movie took home the trophy for Best Animated Feature at Sunday’s ceremony. The film's popular anthem 'Golden' won Best Original Song, the first K-pop song to ever win an academy award. Songwriter Mark Sonnenblick helped write 'Golden' and many other songs in the film. He spoke with Sam last fall all about bringing them all to li...

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...

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 wri...

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 ar...

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 . Sign up for  Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week....

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 encou...

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,  novelis...

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 sho...

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 Pres...

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:  U nder The Mormon Influence . Bridget unveils the ‘ receipts, proof, t...

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&rsq...

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&r...

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...

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...

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 i...

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...

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 recen...