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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.

 

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  • 41 episodes
  • a few times a week
  • Avg 40 min
  • English

Episodes 41

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  • Friday · 28 min

    Why Is Everything Gambling Now?

    Betting has infiltrated nearly every part of our culture. Attending a sporting event? You’re surrounded by ads for DraftKings and FanDuel. Watching the Oscars? You can bet on that too. There’s even a market for betting on the upcoming midterm elections. No matter where you look, betting is everywhere. Sam is joined by tech journalist Max Read to unpack how gambling became omnipresent, how prediction markets are already influencing the entertainment we consume, and what we stand to lose as a culture in a world that rewards algorithmic slop. Max’s latest piece in the New York Times Magazine is titled “How Everything Became Gambling.” He’s also hosting the ‘Hard Fork’ podcast. Check out more reporting in his ‘Read Max’ newsletter. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

  • September 23 · 41 min

    Introducing: Reaching Out

    Today we’re excited to share a special episode of Reaching Out, a new podcast from Futuro and KCRW. Hailed by Ira Glass as the “best new show I’ve heard in years,” Reaching Out is a story about fathers, sons, and the distance between. The story begins on the eve of twin brothers’ Sayre and Connor’s 30th birthday, when they set out to find the biological father who abandoned them before they were born. Their search pulls them through desert raves, drunken nightclubs, and across borders of time and language, forcing the brothers to confront the truths they’ve hidden from each other and themselves. And it’s not long before the twins discover that their birth father is closer than they ever could have imagined. Follow Reaching Out on your favorite podcast app. New episodes drop every week. 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.

  • September 18 · 48 min

    Orville Peck: How Do You Hide Rock Bottom in Plain Sight?

    Orville Peck bares his soul in his music, but chances are you wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a crowd. For the entirety of his country music career he has been wearing a literal mask, on and off the stage. For Orville, the mask gives him the strength to be vulnerable. In his new album, Mule, he opens up even more while singing songs about his darkest moments with addiction, his time in rehab, and his path to sobriety. Orville tells Sam about hitting rock bottom, how he stays authentic even while wearing a mask, his country music influences, and how he’s queering the genre in his own way. 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.

  • September 15 · 36 min

    Is 2026 The Year of Book Monoculture?

    Books are bringing people together this year in ways Sam has never seen before. There have been a handful of times in the last few months alone when it felt like he was in one giant book club with his friends, reading the same books, and having deep conversations. It made Sam ask himself … are books actually hot this year? Or should we believe the headlines that Western society is moving toward a post literate society? To figure it out, Sam turns to his favorite book people Traci Thomas (The Stacks) and Greta Johnsen (Happy to Be Here). Together they get into the books everybody is reading this year, discuss why reading literacy is in danger, and make a case that there’s a book out there for everyone. Plus, Traci and Greta share a few book recommendations to add to your reading list. Books mentioned in this episode: 'John of John' by Douglas Stewart 'Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage' by Belle Burden 'Yesteryear' by Caro Claire Burke 'Kin' by Tayari Jones 'The Disappearers' by Marlon James 'The Great Wherever' by Shannon Sanders 'Sunrise' by Téa Obreht 'Unreasonable Women' by Justine van der Leun 'American Hagwon' by Min Jin Lee 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.

  • August 27 · 39 min

    What Made Dolly Parton So Beloved?

    We will always love Dolly Parton. Sam unpacks Dolly’s immense legacy with Ann Powers, critic and correspondent for NPR Music. Together they spend time reflecting on her many hit songs, her brilliant roles in Hollywood and her everlasting philanthropic efforts. They also break down the secrets to Dolly’s impeccable stardom, diving into what exactly made her so ubiquitous and beloved. Plus, they share some overlooked music from her catalog. Also, make sure to check out Ann's moving tribute essay to Dolly Parton. 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.

Showing 1–20 of 41 episodes