A twisted new horror film is being described as a mix between 'The Substance' and 'Mean Girls.' Sam can’t stop thinking about it.

'Slanted' follows an insecure Chinese American teenager who desperately wants to fit in, but faces constant bullying and discrimination. Then she finds a drastic solution — ethnic modification — surgery that makes her appear white. Pale skin, blue eyes and blonde hair included. 

Amy Wang wrote and directed the wildly brutal movie. She tells Sam how the script was inspired by her own experiences living in Australia with her Chinese immigrant family. She also explains why satire and body horror were the perfect combo to tell this story.

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

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

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Awards season in Hollywood is in its final stretch. The suspense is rising. The Oscars are imminent.

The ceremony is always full of glitz and glamour, but for years it’s been plagued by disappointments. Long and boring broadcasts. Unjustified snubs. Clunky skits and speeches. Despite it all, Sam loves to watch, but he has some ideas to fix Hollywood’s biggest night.

Joining the show are two entertainment journalism heavyweights:

Jacqueline Coley is awards editor at Rotten Tomatoes and host of Seen on the Screen with Jacqueline Coley.

Clayton Davis is chief awards editor at Variety where he also hosts the Awards Circuit Podcast.

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

Looksmaxxing. Mogging. Clavicular. 

There’s an alarming new figure (and vocabulary) taking over influencer culture. What does it all mean for the current internet? Here to explain is author and artist John Paul Brammer, who recently wrote about this for Playboy Magazine.

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

Kate Hudson has always loved acting, but she feels the most like herself when she’s singing. 

It’s how she landed her role in the musical drama ‘Song Sung Blue.’ She stars alongside Hugh Jackman as performers in a Neil Diamond tribute band. She’s now nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. Kate tells Sam about how Quincy Jones encouraged her to sing as a kid and how she finally found the courage to share her voice. 

Kate also gets real about growing up in a famous family and the difficulties of working in Hollywood. Plus, she explains why she will always be grateful for the romantic comedies of her past.

“I walk down the street and I connect with girls from 13 years old right now to 70 years old. And I did that because I made movies that might not have necessarily got me nominated, but it's made people feel happy.”

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

From the Billboard charts to the Oscars, K-Pop is bigger than ever in Hollywood. Along with its global domination, there’s a dark side to the genre. Blatant appropriation of Black American culture. K-Pop stars caught using racial slurs. Fandoms torn apart over anti-Black racism.

So, how should we all be thinking about K-Pop in 2026? Sam poses that question to Dr. Sarah Olutola, novelist and professor at Lakehead University. Her research centers on pop culture, Black culture and K-Pop. They examine the history, geopolitics and future of a global system largely built off Black American art.

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

Today we’re sharing Sam’s episode from This Is Uncomfortable.

The show is all about life and how money messes with it. Sam joins host Reema Khrais to answer listener questions about finances and dating. They tackle issues with scammers, secret investments, and polyamorous partners. 

Remember to take our survey! We want to know more about you and what you love about the show.  

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.

Comedian and actor Ms. Pat kinda does it all. 

She performs standup, hosts her own podcast and created the acclaimed sitcom The Ms. Pat Show on BET+. The series is known for mixing a laugh track with real issues like racism, sexual assault and immigration. 

A recent episode follows Ms. Pat’s family as they help a young kid hide from ICE agents, while the show’s fictional President comes to town. Chaos ensues, but the story demonstrates Ms. Pat’s sharp ability to use humor as a vehicle to talk about pain. 

She tells Sam about the pushback she got from the network’s parent company over the episode and why she will never be silenced.

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

The moment is Mormon. From The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, to The Bachelorette, to popular TikTok accounts like Ballerina Farm, women of the LDS faith are dominating pop culture right now. 

Sam breaks it all down with author and journalist Bridget Read. Her latest piece for New York Magazine is titled: Under The Mormon Influence.

Bridget unveils the ‘receipts, proof, timeline…everything’ behind this phenomenon. Plus, could all this new attention radically change the religion and its followers?

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

Director Nia DaCosta has done it all. Horror, period drama, and even a Marvel blockbuster. Through it all, Nia is always asking: What does it mean to be human? Her latest films Hedda and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple are no different. 

She tells Sam about how horror themes mirror the real world, how she found her voice as one of the few Black women directors in the business, and why she’s not interested in teaching white people about race through her films. 

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