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At the halfway point of 2026, Sam is joined by Traci Thomas (The Stacks) and Christiana Mbakwe Medina (Pop Syllabus) to ask what this year in pop culture is really becoming.

Their answer moves from the rise of “The Sculpt” and the pressure to optimize everything about ourselves, to the bigger feeling that so much of culture now looks filtered, flattened, and strangely unreal.

They also get into the dominance of big name celebrities, the absence of exciting new stars, AI anxiety, and why live sports and theater might be the thing we’re all craving most. Plus, predictions for the rest of 2026.

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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.