Sam Seder Explained

Sam Seder
Birth Date:28 November 1966
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Education:Connecticut College (BA)
Boston University (incomplete)
Party:Democratic
Children:2
Yearsactive:1987–present
Notable Works:F.U.B.A.R.: America's Right-Wing Nightmare (2006)
Youtube Handle:TheMajorityReport
Youtube Display Name:The Majority Report w/Sam Seder
Youtube Years Active:2010–present
Youtube Subscribers:1.95 million
Youtube Views:1.12 billion
Stats Update:June 29, 2025

Samuel Lincoln Seder (; born November 28, 1966) is an American actor and progressive[1] political commentator. His works include the film Who's the Caboose? (1997) as well as the television shows Beat Cops (2001) and Pilot Season (2004). He also appeared in Next Stop Wonderland (1998) and made guest appearances on Spin City (1997), Sex and the City (2000), America Undercover (2005), and Maron (2015). Since 2010, he has hosted a daily political talk show, The Majority Report with Sam Seder. He also voices Harold Cranwinkle and Hugo, recurring characters on the animated comedy series Bob's Burgers.

Early life and education

Seder was born on November 28, 1966, in New York City, to a Jewish family, and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is the oldest of three children. His father, J. Robert Seder, is a lawyer in Worcester. Seder earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Connecticut College and enrolled at Boston University School of Law. Disillusioned by the school's commercialized culture, he dropped out of studying law to pursue a career in comedy. Seder became involved in the Boston comedy scene, associating with Janeane Garofalo, David Cross, Marc Maron and Sarah Silverman, whom he dated. These connections were used in his first film, Who's the Caboose?, which then led to Seder's appearances on comedy TV shows.

Personal life

Seder and his former wife Nicole Cattell have two children.[2] [3] On April 27, 2018, Seder announced that the couple were separated. He later announced they had divorced.[4] Seder is a Reform Jew and has no problem with religion in general, but is opposed to religious fundamentalism and theocracy.[5]

Career

In March 2004, Seder became co-host of Air America Radio's The Majority Report, alongside Janeane Garofalo until July 2006, and alongside Emma Vigeland since 2023.

During Mark Green's restructuring plan to transform Air America into a profitable leader in progressive talk radio, called "Air America 2.0", The Sam Seder Show was canceled on April 13, 2007, and replaced by WOR Radio Network late night radio show host Lionel. Seder was relegated to a Sunday show entitled Seder on Sunday. Lionel soon lost two-thirds of Seder's live affiliates and listenership. The final Seder on Sunday was broadcast on June 1, 2008.

Seder also occasionally substituted for Randi Rhodes when Rhodes was on Air America, as well as Mike Malloy on The Mike Malloy Show on the Nova M Radio network. In 2008 he also began a collaboration with Marc Maron on Maron v. Seder, an hour-long video webcast. In January 2009, Maron v. Seder was renamed Breakroom Live with Maron & Seder and aired live from the kitchen in the Air America offices weekdays. Seder and Maron also hosted a post-show chat with viewers after each episode. Air America Media cancelled Breakroom Live with Maron & Seder in July 2009. In 2010, Air America was shut down.

In November 2009, Seder hosted a pilot for NBC of an American version of Have I Got News for You. Three years later, in November 2012, it was announced Seder would again be the host of an American version of the show, this time on TBS.

In November 2010, Seder began an independent online podcast, called The Seder Channel (later renamed The Majority Report w/Sam Seder). The live talk-show format closely matches the previous Air America program, with politically oriented commentary by Seder and co-hosts, and interviews with various guests. Seder offers listeners different tiered levels of access to content around the show via crowdfunding platform Patreon.

In late 2010, Seder began occasionally serving as substitute host of Countdown with Keith Olbermann when Olbermann was on vacation. In December 2010, Seder also became co-host of the nationally syndicated progressive radio interview program Ring of Fire, co-hosted by Farron Cousins and Florida-based attorney Mike Papantonio.

Seder also worked as a political contributor for MSNBC.

The Majority Report was associated with the TYT Network, with which the show partnered, from the 2010 relaunch until 2020, which generally followed its original format but was rebooted as a viewer-funded production. Following those structural affiliation and funding-production changes, the show won a string of international People's Choice Podcast Awards,[6] in five of the next seven annual competitions (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017), for the "News and Politics" award.

In March 2025, Seder appeared in an episode of the Jubilee Media web show Surrounded, in which he challenged 20 Donald Trump supporters to a debate. The video, which had been filmed in January, quickly became viral and gained millions of views within days, with commentary focusing on fringe views espoused by Seder's opponents.[7] [8]

2017 tweet controversy

In 2009, to criticize petitions seeking Roman Polanski's release from rape charges, Seder tweeted "Dont care re Polanski, but i hope if my daughter is ever raped it is by an older truly talented man w/ a great sense of mise en scene". In 2017, Mike Cernovich called attention to the tweet and contacted multiple journalists asking them to write about it. As a result, MSNBC initially decided not to renew Seder's contract despite Seder explaining that the tweet was satire.[9] Shortly afterward, MSNBC reversed its decision after getting pushback from journalists, and MSNBC's president said the initial decision to part ways had been wrong.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1997Who's the Caboose?MaxAlso director and writer
1997The Big FallGary SniderDirect-to-video[10]
1998Next Stop WonderlandKevin Monteiro
2000Happy AccidentsNed
2000EndsvilleWood Salesman
2004Beacon HillRafe Coulter
2008The Bad SituationistArthur LiebermanAlso director and co-writer[11] [12]
2017Fits and StartsDressler
2022The Bob's Burgers MovieHugo Habercore

Television

!Year!Title!Role!Notes
1995All-American GirlPhilEpisode: "Young Americans"
1995Party of FiveGregEpisode: "Best Laid Plans"
1996The ShowTom Delaney8 episodes
1996Boys & GirlsDavid WaitsTelevision film
1997Spin CityGeorge / Bogus Temp2 episodes
1997The Magic School BusVoiceEpisode: "In the City"
1998Grown-UpsPhilTelevision film
1999The Dick & Paula Celebrity SpecialWilliam ClarkEpisode: "Merriweather Lewis and Curly Howard"
1999Pulp Comics: Louis C.K.'s Filthy Stupid Talent ShowSeth the JewTelevision short
2000Sex and the CityLewEpisode: "Sex and Another City"
2002–2004Home MoviesFenton Mulley / Cho / Paula's Father12 episodes
2004Pilot SeasonMax Rabin2 episodes
2005Wonder ShowzenBugEpisode: "Patience"
2005–2007Lucy, the Daughter of the DevilSpecial Father #2 / The Senator11 episodes
2006O'GradyMr. Chip HurleyEpisode: "A Stronger O'Grady"
2006Sir AglovaleEpisode: "Unbelievable Sports 1"
2008Assy McGeePrincipal Jenkins / Douche2 episodes; voice role
2011–presentBob's BurgersHugo Habercore / Harold Cranwinkle / Al Genarro32 episodes
2015MaronSam SederEpisode: "Patent Troll"
2017The Good FightVaughn YenkoEpisode: "Stoppable: Requiem for an Airdate"

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Majority Report . 2023-10-10 . The Majority Report . en.
  2. Web site: Sam's Daughter ROCKS Global Climate Change Strike. September 20, 2019. YouTube. August 3, 2022.
  3. Web site: Happy First Birthday to my son, Saul. I wish him a happy healthy and "sleep more please" year.. Sam. Seder. March 7, 2014. Twitter. August 3, 2022.
  4. Web site: Seder . Sam . 2022-06-21 . post . 2025-03-01 . X.
  5. Web site: Debating a Jew, Trump supporters endorse America's 'European and Christian' identity. Fox. Mira. The Forward. Seder is a Reform Jew, he told one of his first opponents; he has no beef with religion. "The problem I have with religious fundamentalists, and really I guess it's theocrats, is that they want to impose their morality which comes from their religion," he said. "I don't think that you have the right to corner what God is telling us is right and wrong, and there's differences between religions.". March 11, 2025. March 12, 2025.
  6. Web site: Past Winners, 2005–2017 . Podcast Awards .
  7. Web site: Quah . Nicholas . 2025-03-13 . Sam Seder Knows His Viral Debate Was 'a Little Bit Disturbing' . Vulture.
  8. Web site: Black . Michael Ian . 2025-03-12 . The Viral 'Debate' Video That Proves Most MAGA Voters Are a Lost Cause . The Daily Beast.
  9. Web site: Kirby . Jen . 2017-12-06 . How the alt-right duped MSNBC into firing one of its contributors . 2024-08-08 . Vox . en-US.
  10. Web site: The Big Fall. IMDb.
  11. Web site: A Bad Situationist. July 17, 2008. IMDb.
  12. Web site: As Heard on WTF with Marc Maron: Who's the Caboose? and Pilot Season.Sam Seder Movies. May 7, 2015. YouTube.