The Sam Sanders Show
KCRW & Sam Sanders
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.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
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.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 27, 2026 • 51min
How Did Wordle Become a Pop Culture Icon?
Everdeen Mason, editorial director of games at The New York Times, oversees Wordle, Connections and the Crossword. She explains why Wordle became a shared daily ritual and how it fit into NYT Games. She talks about word scheduling, balancing difficulty, sensitive word choices, testing at scale, and why it is fine to skip or cheat for your own fun.
Mar 24, 2026 • 44min
Can Reality TV Survive This?
Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture TV critic known for cultural analysis of reality shows, breaks down the sudden cancellation of a Bachelorette season. She traces the leak, the casting choices that invited controversy, and how reality formats and Housewives-style fame culture shaped the fallout. Short takes on industry fixes and whether this moment signals a reckoning for reality television.
Mar 20, 2026 • 50min
Chris Fleming: Is Comedy His Love Language?
Chris Fleming, a movement-driven stand-up and performer known for his physical, dance-infused comedy. He discusses using dance and contact improv to craft spectacle onstage. He talks about designing wide-stage moments, embracing imperfection during tapings, touring routines, the physical toll of his work, and how comedy is a way to give joy and love.
Mar 17, 2026 • 24min
How Did K-Pop Make Hollywood History?
Mark Sonnenblick, songwriter and musician who co-wrote the Oscar-winning K-pop anthem "Golden," talks about the song's rise and surprising popularity. He explains why the vocal bridge is so challenging. They explore how a powerful high note serves the film's story and how pop form meets theatrical complexity in animated musical storytelling.
Mar 13, 2026 • 47min
What If You Could Change Your Race? w/ Amy Wang
Amy Wang, Chinese-born writer-director of Slanted, reimagines her immigrant upbringing through satirical horror. She discusses a story about ethnic modification, using body horror and satire to unsettle and provoke. Conversations cover festival reactions, casting choices, cultural memories, and why genre can make difficult topics more accessible.
Mar 10, 2026 • 24min
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
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind-the-scenes stuff from every interview each week.
Mar 6, 2026 • 54min
Can The Oscars Be Fixed?
Clayton Davis, Variety chief awards editor and Awards Circuit host, and Jacqueline Coley, Rotten Tomatoes awards editor and Seen on the Screen host, debate ways to fix the Oscars. They argue for shorter pacing and a mid‑February date. They discuss YouTube as a new home, turning the show into pop culture spectacle, split ceremonies, live scenes on stage, and tighter voting rules.
Mar 3, 2026 • 24min
Who is Clavicular?
John Paul Brammer, author and artist who writes on internet culture, breaks down the rise of 'Clavicular' and the new influencer vocabulary. Conversations cover looksmaxxing, mogging, and claimed body modifications. They trace roots to incel subcultures, examine the algorithmic hunger for attention, and discuss what these extreme online performances say about social media today.
Feb 27, 2026 • 45min
Kate Hudson: Who Gets to Be Taken Seriously?
Kate Hudson, actor and singer known for Almost Famous and an Oscar-nominated turn in Song Sung Blue, reflects on finding her voice and taking creative risks. She talks about learning to sing publicly, building a Midwestern character, portraying addiction with empathy, and the lasting value of rom-coms. Short, candid conversations about craft, family, and stepping into new artistic territory.
Feb 24, 2026 • 30min
Would K-Pop Exist Without Black Culture?
Dr. Sarah Olutola, novelist and Lakehead University English professor who studies pop culture, Black culture, and K-pop, explores K-pop’s roots in Cold War US influence and early Black R&B sounds. She traces how a polished industry method globalized those influences, examines examples of cultural borrowing and misuse of AAVE, and highlights how Black creators and fans are marginalized.
