This week, Sam is joined by Vulture's Jesse David Fox, host of Good One: A Podcast About Jokes, and Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk. We dive into the things they're into (the current season of The Simpsons is somehow among the best ever, and Gwyneth Paltrow's ski crash trial is very much like an episode of The Good Fight) and ask for their opinions on Questlove directing a remake of The Aristocats, a potential new chapter for The Bachelor, and more. We also hear about the culture that's haunt...
Mar 31, 2023•45 min
At the heart of two big intellectual property disputes are three titans of pop culture: Black Eyed Peas, Andy Warhol, and Prince. Also: unicorn poop. Both cases could have huge implications when it comes to what constitutes “fair use” of another artist’s work. Sam talks with Slate’s Supreme Court reporter Mark Joseph Stern about why the Black Eyed Peas are going after a toy company’s dancing unicorn commercial, and why Andy Warhol’s silkscreen of a Prince photograph has made its way to the Supre...
Mar 28, 2023•42 min
This week, a game of hosts: We ask NPR's All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro and CNN's The Assignment host Audie Cornish if they're into the return of HBO's Succession, the new NYC tourism campaign, Sofia Coppola's daughter trying to charter a helicopter from New York to Maryland to see a camp friend, and more. We also hear about the culture that's haunting us: Does "good times, noodle salad" mean nothing to you? Send us your culturegeist. What specific thing in the culture has haunted you fo...
Mar 24, 2023•40 min
Swarm is about a Beyoncé superfan who defends her idol’s honor to the death... as in, by literally committing murder. (The new Amazon Prime Video show isn’t actually about Beyoncé, it’s about Ni’Jah — a fictional pop star who also just happens to have a fervent online fandom called “the Swarm," is married to an incredibly famous rapper, was involved in an elevator incident, once got bit in public, etc. etc.) Janine Nabers created the show with Atlanta’s Donald Glover. Sam and Janine talk about w...
Mar 21, 2023•42 min
This week, we play our game with Vulture's Anusha Praturu and Morgan Baila and ask if they're into Tom Cruise ghosting the Oscars, Netflix shutting down Nancy Meyers, M3GAN's sartorial debut, and more. We also hear about the culture that's haunting us: Did you know Semisonic's "Closing Time" is kind of about giving birth to a baby? Send us your culturegeist. What specific thing in the culture has haunted you for days, weeks, or even years? And why? Email us a short voice memo at intoit@vulture.c...
Mar 17, 2023•36 min
Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber are having TikTok drama. There’s a “blockbuster” off-camera Vanderpump Rules cheating scandal. If you saw it on your timeline and thought, “I don’t have time for this,” The Cut’s Danya Issawi and Sex Diaries’ Alyssa Shelasky are here to explain what’s going on and why they’re obsessed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 14, 2023•41 min
Who will — and who should — win at this year's Oscars? Vulture critics Angelica Jade Bastien and Bilge Ebiri share their predictions with Sam: Will Everything Everywhere All at Once sweep the night? Or will the Oscars show its penchant for surprise and give Top Gun: Maverick the biggest award of the night because of how funny that would be? And we hear about the culture that's haunting us: Does Seattle resident and Pacific Northwest native Niles Crane know how to correctly pronounce "Oregon"? Se...
Mar 10, 2023•43 min
There’s something different about this crop of Best Picture nominees: A few of them are bonafide blockbusters. Last year’s highest-grossing film Top Gun: Maverick got the nod, along with Avatar: The Way of Water. Vulture contributor and This Had Oscar Buzz podcast host Joe Reid joins Sam to discuss the on-again, off-again relationship between the Oscars and the box office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 07, 2023•37 min
On the Netflix series You, people are — yes, getting murdered — but also keeping on a lot more of their clothes. That's partly because of star Penn Badgley's request to participate in fewer intimate scenes out of respect to his marriage. His comments have sparked a viral conversation about the state of sex on screen. Sam chats with Vulture recapper Jessica Goldstein about the trending down of intimate scenes and where all the good sex has gone. We also ask Cocaine Bear screenwriter Jimmy Warden ...
Mar 02, 2023•52 min
One of the last scenes from the TV show The Good Place finds its way into a real-life eulogy. And we hear from series creator Michael Schur about the process of writing it, the process of grieving, and why death doesn't always have to be a bad thing. We also chat with comedians and Adulting podcast co-hosts Michelle Buteau and Jordan Carlos about how Zocdoc is the Hinge of medical professionals. And we ask them if they are into Ariana DeBose's performance at the BAFTAs. Send us your culturegeist...
Feb 23, 2023•45 min
HBO's The Last of Us is critically acclaimed, attracts a huge audience every week, and has all the trappings of prestige TV... but is it any good? Sam debates it all out with Vulture writers Roxana Hadadi and Jackson McHenry who are in two very different camps. We also ask comedian and TikTok star Elsa Majimbo if she is into the MSCHF Big Red Boots. And we hear about the culture that's haunting us: What is Netflix's budget for stemware for its reality programming and why is it so low? Send us yo...
Feb 16, 2023•42 min
What do Diana Ross, Dan Aykroyd, and Indiana Jones all have in common? Well, they have — at one point or another — performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show — and one of them flew away in a helicopter! Ahead of Rihanna's Super Bowl performance on Sunday, Sam asks writer and halftime show connoisseur Brian Moylan which headliners have earned their rightful place in the Halftime Hall of Fame. Who had the best choreography? The worst vocals? Which artist had the most impressive pyrotechnics? And wh...
Feb 09, 2023•42 min
It's Grammys weekend and Sam is ready for disappointment! Sam is joined by Switched on Pop's Charlie Harding and Reanna Cruz to break down the Grammys' history of tone deafness when it comes to the night's biggest awards. Will Beyoncé lose Album of the Year again... or will the voting body finally give her her due? We also ask comedian and actor Lil Rel Howery if he is into the Andrea Riseborough Oscars campaign controversy. And we hear about the culture that's haunting us: The broom dog in the ...
Feb 02, 2023•54 min
HBO Max isn't just canceling shows; it's getting rid of them entirely. Claudia Forestieri experienced it firsthand with her series The Gordita Chronicles. Sam and Claudia chat about what it was like to become one of the dozens of creators whose shows no longer have a home — at least, below cruising altitude. And she explains how her cancellation factors into a wider industry trend of disappearing Latino programming. We also ask Variety senior entertainment writer Adam B. Vary if he is into this ...
Jan 26, 2023•41 min
What is it about the horror genre that makes it so successful at the box office? Sam chats with James Wan, creator of the Saw and The Conjuring universes — and most recently a producer on M3GAN — about the enduring appeal of getting scared in a roomful of strangers, the secret sauce of M3GAN, and who would win in a three-way fight: M3GAN, Chucky, or the doll from Poltergeist? We also ask writer and Keep It co-host Ira Madison III if he is into Madonna going on world tour. And we hear about the c...
Jan 19, 2023•47 min
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 the horror phenomenon of M3GAN. And we hear about the culture that's haunting us: We've overlooked...
Jan 12, 2023•46 min
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 technology. We also ask Vox senior correspondent Alex Abad-Santos and friend and screenwriter Sam Grei...
Jan 05, 2023•47 min
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 pressing question of the year: Are they more into Bennifer 2.0, or Heidi Klum dressed as a worm? Learn m...
Dec 29, 2022•39 min
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 to become the Prince of Christmas. On this unapologetically Christmas-themed episode, come for the ...
Dec 22, 2022•43 min
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, sir, sir, I love you. I want to be your best friend. I should probably learn your name." Send us your ...
Dec 15, 2022•41 min
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 avenged. And we hear about the culture that's haunting us: Merry Quismois everybody! Send us your cul...
Dec 08, 2022•52 min
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 lessons she’s still learning — and teaching — and the wisdom she’s gained along the way. Learn more abou...
Dec 06, 2022•55 min
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? Sam chats with The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes about Elon's first foray into building his "intergalactic...
Dec 01, 2022•42 min
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 she is into Jane Seymour inviting exes to Thanksgiving. Send us your culturegeist. We know you have o...
Nov 24, 2022•38 min
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 talks it out with two critics who have very different takes: Vulture's Angelica Jade Bastien and The N...
Nov 17, 2022•37 min
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 Black writers’ room, and provoking viewers to think about art. We also ask journalist and podcaster Dai...
Nov 10, 2022•47 min
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 kind of like if you follow politics and you don't follow the Supreme Court. That's how big Marvel has b...
Nov 03, 2022•38 min
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 public opinion or access to abortion itself. Sam chats with Katori Hall about writing an abortion ...
Oct 27, 2022•34 min
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 the likes of Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Adele, and Beyoncé. We also hear about the culture that's haunt...
Oct 20, 2022•38 min
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. We also ask if writer R. Eric Thomas is into Chris Pratt voicing Mario. And we hear about the cultur...
Oct 13, 2022•39 min
