The Sam Sanders Show

← The Sam Sanders Show25 Aug · 34 min

Did Summer 2026 Bring Back Monoculture?

Did Summer 2026 Bring Back Monoculture?25 Aug34 min

<p dir="ltr">Whether it was big sporting events, or big blockbusters, or even celebrity weddings, Summer 2026 had a ton of pop culture that we all consumed together. For the first time in years, we even talked about it all together.</p>

<p dir="ltr">But was it actually a return of monoculture? Sam looks at how this happened (and if it will ever happen again) with Esther Zuckerman, culture reporter for <em>The Wall Street Journal</em> who recently wrote all about the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/the-summer-that-the-monoculture-made-a-comeback-a8265e0a">monoculture phenomenon</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr">Sign up for <a href="https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/the-sam-sanders-show">Sam&rsquo;s Newsletter</a> to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><em>The Sam Sanders Show</em> is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.</p>

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