Danielle Pinnock got her big break in the wildly popular sitcom Ghosts. But just before she landed that role, she nearly quit acting. She tells Sam how a ton of hard work (and a little bit of lying and scamming) finally got her noticed. Danielle also breaks down why she continues fighting for Black stories and body acceptance in Hollywood. Plus, her latest hot take gets us in the mood for the holiday season. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each we...
Nov 21, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Sports betting is a billion dollar industry chock full of scandals. Journalist Baker Machado breaks down how gambling has infiltrated sports from the collegiate to professional level, how players get involved, and how betting companies push fans into spending money they often can’t afford to lose. Spoiler alert: it’s all legal. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions....
Nov 19, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Samin Nosrat found a love for cooking through working in acclaimed restaurants and visiting kitchens around the world. She became a star after releasing her hit cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat – which also became a Netflix series. But to her surprise, all that success left her feeling empty. Sam chatted with Samin in her ‘secret garden,’ surrounded by kumquats, limes and passion fruit. She broke down how hard it was to recover in the spotlight, and how she learned to embrace life’s pleasures. Plu...
Nov 14, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Author Michael Lewis is best known for writing Money Ball, Liar's Poker and The Big Short , his seminal book about the 2008 financial crisis that later became an Oscar-winning film. He sat down with Sam for a recent Live Talk Los Angeles event to celebrate the 15 year anniversary and new audio book of The Big Short. They revisit the biggest lessons from 2008 and reflect on what’s changed —and stayed the same— in finance, society and entertainment since then. Plus, he shares what’s making him hap...
Nov 12, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Comedian Jay Jurden loves seeing just how far he can push a joke. In his debut special, Yes Ma’am , Jay makes fun of everyone from millennials to Kid Rock to his own open marriage. Sam chats with Jay about his writing process, why you won’t hear a single Trump joke in his set, and why every comedian who has ever made fun of you might owe you money. Jay Jurden’s debut special Yes Ma’am is out now on Hulu. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. ...
Nov 07, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 63
For the first time in 35 years, there are no rap songs in Billboard’s Top 40. Is hip-hop in trouble? Sam breaks down what it all means with Justin Richmond, music journalist and host of Pushkin’s Broken Record podcast. The two chat about the warning signs that might have led to this moment, how hip hop has evolved, and how Black music continues to influence artists across genres today. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Sho...
Nov 05, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Comedian Jazmyn W. pokes fun at everything from being a single mom to dating post-divorce. It’s part therapy, part life advice, and 100% real. She chats with Sam about why she isn’t afraid to be honest in her stand up, the realities of working as a comedian and content creator, and why even though she has over a million followers on TikTok, she couldn't care less if the app shuts down. Plus, Jazmyn’s hot take on reality dating shows. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff fr...
Oct 31, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Surprise! From now on you’ll be getting double the Sam in your feed every week. In today's episode...When Sam placed Jaws on our Horror Movie Mt. Rushmore our videographer, Luis Peña, had A LOT to say. Sam and Luis duke it out and find out once and for all what actually makes a horror movie a horror movie. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions....
Oct 29, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 60
We were all burned by the #GIRLBOSS era… just ask comedian Phoebe Robinson. Her latest standup special I Don’t Wanna Work Anymore gets into all the ways hustle culture made us all tired. Phoebe and Sam break down the realities of the girlboss, trad wives and tired baddies everywhere. They also reflect on the legacy of her comedy podcast 2 Dope Queens , which she hosted with friend and fellow comedian Jessica Williams . Plus, Phoebe shares why it’s just too late for her to become a sugar baby. Si...
Oct 24, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Hallelujah! It's finally spooky season! Time to break down the very best of Hollywood horror. Joining the show are culture journalists Brittany Luse (host of NPR’s It’s Been a Minute ) and Tre’vell Anderson (host of the film podcast SEATED ). They rank their favorite scary movies of all time and build the definitive Horror Movie Mount Rushmore . Can anything top Jordan Peele's Get Out ? They also dive into the drama of celebrating Halloween while growing up Christian. Plus, pop culture hot takes...
Oct 17, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Maybe there actually was a song of the summer? At least if you’ve seen the hit movie KPop Demon Hunters. The film’s hottest song, Golden, has been dominating the Billboard Hot 100 charts since August. And it’s the most popular film to ever hit Netflix. Songwriter Mark Sonnenblick helped create the soundtrack’s major pop anthems. He talks about bringing them to life, his songwriting process, and why music is vital to great storytelling. Plus, he shares his hot take, all about another flashy music...
Oct 10, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Ben Collins became CEO of The Onion after a long career working in traditional news, so he's got major thoughts about speaking truth to power. He breaks down the role of satire in our current politics and what journalism is getting wrong about free speech. Ben also talks about relaunching The Onion ’s print newspaper and why AI will never write a good joke. Plus, he shares his pop culture hot take. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sa...
Oct 03, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Actor June Squibb became a Hollywood leading lady in her 90s, decades after she first began acting. She tells Sam about finding stardom in older age, her Broadway debut in Gypsy in 1959, and why it’s alright to bend the truth every now and then. They also discuss her latest starring role in Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut Eleanor the Great . The film follows June’s character, Eleanor, who gets swept up in a big lie... Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every ...
Sep 26, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Zosia Mamet is known for her breakout role as Shoshanna in the millennial core HBO series Girls. She breaks down the show's lasting legacy, what her character would be up to today, and why younger generations are still connecting with the show. Plus, Zosia’s new book of essays, Does This Make Me Funny? , gets candid about being a self-described “B-minus nepo baby” and what it's like to work with badly behaved bosses in Hollywood (it sucks). Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes s...
Sep 19, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Anna Sale hosts one of our favorite podcasts (and probably yours too) Death, Sex & Money . In honor of her show, Sam and Anna roundup their picks for the best movies, tv shows, music and books all about (you guessed it!) death, sex and money. Together they get into the timeless lessons on grief in The Lion King , why Bonnie Raitt’s catalog is the ultimate remedy for heartbreak, and some surprisingly racy Aretha Franklin lyrics. Plus, Anna shares where she found joy this summer. Want more of ...
Sep 12, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Pulitzer Prize–winning fashion critic Robin Givhan joins Sam to talk style, luxury, and legacy. Sam also asks the eternal question: which jeans should he wear—skinny, baggy, barrel, or wide leg? Robin offers sharp fashion advice and dives into her new book, Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh . They unpack the rebellious influence of Virgil Abloh—the late visionary behind Off-White and the first Black designer to lead Louis Vuitton—and how he blurred the line between st...
Sep 05, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Why do bad lyrics happen to good people? From ‘ suckin' on a chili dog ’ to ‘ making love to his tonic and gin ,’ even the biggest hits from our favorite artists can feature lyrical turns that make us feel quizzical, offended, or even downright nauseated. Sam joins Nate and Charlie, hosts of the Vulture music podcast Switched on Pop , to plumb the depths of the worst pop lyrics of all time—culled from hundreds of listener submissions—to categorize, historicize, and, perhaps, celebrate the art of...
Aug 29, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 51
BFF’s Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays ( Text Me Back! Podcast ) dive into what pop culture gets right (and wrong) about friendships. The duo share their hot takes with Sam, make a case for renaming Love Island to Friendship Island , and ask if MTV’s The Real World ruined the country. Plus, should some problematic celebrities ( cough *Cardi B* cough ) get a pass for being too real? Want more Lindy and Meagan? Check out their Substack for Text Me Back! Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind...
Aug 22, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Harriet Tubman… as a rap icon? Bob the Drag Queen ’s new book Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert reimagines the historical icon as an abolitionist rapper in present-day America. Bob tells Sam about Tubman’s radical impact on history and why he’s obsessed with her legacy. They dive into what freedom means in 2025. Plus, Bob shares hilarious impressions (Thanks, Obama) and his thoughts on today’s protest music. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week...
Aug 15, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Big Freedia is best known as the Queen of Bounce, but her new gospel album Pressing Onward showcases her holy roots. She tells Sam about growing up as a young gay church kid in New Orleans, what moved her to make a gospel album, and how twerking and praising God go hand in hand. Plus, Big Freedia breaks down her iconic feature on Beyoncé’s 2016 hit single “Formation.” Pressing Onward is out now. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam S...
Aug 08, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Beyoncé just wrapped her Cowboy Carter era, which saw an acclaimed world tour, historic Grammys wins, and a lot of backlash. So what does her massive crossover really mean for country music and its politics? Writer and cultural critic Tressie McMillan Cottom joins Sam to unpack whether or not country music still has a race problem (spoiler alert: it does), the reaction to Beyoncé’s success in the genre, and if Cowboy Carter truly opened doors for Black artists. Plus, Tressie argues there actuall...
Aug 01, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 47
This week, writer Anne Helen Petersen unpacks the idea of Feminist Exhaustion — a term she coined to describe the burnout, backlash, and disillusionment many women feel toward the hollow promises of modern feminism. Sam and Anne explore how pop culture shaped (and warped) our ideas of empowerment through shows like Scandal , Girls and basically every recent Nicole Kidman project. Plus, they dive into the evolution from girlboss to tradwife , and ask how future generations can redefine what femin...
Jul 25, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Anyone else exhausted?
Jul 24, 2025•4 min•Season 1Ep. 45
We’re halfway through the year, so it’s time for a pop culture check-in! Sam is joined by two of your faves — Linda Holmes ( Pop Culture Happy Hour ) and Ronald Young Jr. ( Leaving the Theater , Weight For It ) — to break down the best and worst of the year so far. From Sinners to The Studio to Love Island and the online discourse that kept us all talking. Plus, an epic fix for The White Lotus season four (you’re welcome). Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every in...
Jul 18, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Atsuko Okatsuka’s comedy is bright and joyful, yet rooted in trauma. In this episode, she joins Sam to talk about her wild childhood, including being kidnapped by her grandmother, growing up undocumented in LA, and navigating her mother’s schizophrenia. They also talk about Atsuko’s new Hulu special Father, and what it reveals about marriage, mental illness, and emotional survival. Along the way, she explains why she calls herself the “father” in her relationship, how she tried to hire a sex wor...
Jul 11, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Today we’re sharing an episode from our friends at The Big Flop ! Every week, the show unpacks pop culture’s most fascinating flops, frauds, and fiascos. In this episode, host Misha Brown throws back to Woodstock '99 with Sam and Lindy West ( Text Me Back! ). The music fest was meant to commemorate the original 1969 festival with “three days of peace and music” but instead became "three days of rage and chaos." If you thought Fyre Fest was bad… At least it wasn’t actually on fire! Listen to The ...
Jul 04, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Allison Williams became a millennial icon as Marnie on HBO’s Girls — but her second act is even more thrilling. From Get Out to M3GAN , she’s carved out a new space as a horror star and unexpected scream queen. In this episode, Allison joins Sam to unpack what draws her to morally messy characters, and why she keeps playing women we love to hate. They dive into her newest film, M3GAN 2.0 , and what it says about AI, parenting, and the eerie ways tech is shaping our lives. Plus, a look back at Gi...
Jun 27, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 41
We’re taking a little break from the show week, but very excited to share an episode from the Normal Gossip podcast. It’s a hilarious show with a simple premise: listeners send in the strangest, juiciest gossip they’ve heard, then host Rachelle Hampton dishes it all out. In this episode, Sam and Rachelle break down a case of “accidental” love-bombing at a Colombian hostel. Enjoy! Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week....
Jun 20, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Actor Jeff Hiller opens up about his journey from church kid in Texas to queer fame in Hollywood. Jeff and Sam swap stories of growing up gay in conservative Christian spaces, where church was both a sanctuary and a source of shame. They unpack the complicated ways faith and queerness collide. They also break down how Hollywood struggles to tell stories about people who are queer, religious, working class — and simply human. Jeff Hiller’s new memoir is called Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-...
Jun 13, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 39
This week, we’re building the ultimate Queer Hollywood Mount Rushmore. Who belongs on the mountain of the most iconic LGBTQ+ entertainers in history? Sam is joined by comedians Cameron Esposito and Jay Jurden for a fast, funny, and heartfelt debate covering everyone from RuPaul to Little Richard, Janelle Monáe to George Michael, and Abraham Lincoln. Yes, we put Lincoln on the list. No, we’re not taking it back. Along the way, they unpack what it really means to be a queer icon, reflect on Pride ...
Jun 06, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 38
