Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud
Big laughs. Smart takes. Every day. Commotion is where you go for thoughtful and vibrant conversations about all things pop culture. Host Elamin Abdelmahmoud calls on journalists, critics, creators and friends to talk through the biggest arts & entertainment stories of the day, in 30 minutes or less. Subscribe to Sounds Good: CBC's Podcasts newsletter for the finest podcast recommendations and behind-the-scenes exclusives.
Episodes
Culture critics Syrus Marcus Ware and Tobin Ng join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the new doc 'Parade,' which explores the history of Pride parades — as protest and party — in Canada.
Plus, New Yorker writer Jennifer Wilson learns how to be an intimacy coordinator, a consultant who supervises sex scenes on film sets, in order to understand why there seems to be a backlash to the role in post-#MeToo Hollywood.
After years in the Internet trenches, Scaachi Koul is no stranger to a good fight — but her latest essay collection is all about knowing when to walk away. In Sucker Punch, Scaachi examines her recent divorce with her signature ruthless humour, picking apart what the end of her marriage made her realize about her self-worth, upbringing and love of conflict. Scaachi joins Bookends host Mattea Roach to talk about divorce in the publi...
SiriusXM host/producer Kim Wheeler, culture writer Riley Yesno and music journalist Emilie Hanskamp join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss new albums from Oji-Cree singer/songwriter Aysanabee, California pop sister act Haim, and Juno Award-winning electronic producer BAMBII.
Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Marek Tyler and Susan Blight to discuss the rise of AI in pop culture and the possibilities and concerns it raises for Indigenous communities.
Plus, it's been over two decades since '28 Days Later,' the horror film that reimagined what a zombie thriller could be. Now, the franchise is back with a third installment – but in a post-Brexit, post-COVID world, are fans ready to return to a survival st...
Teri Hart and David Rider join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about 'Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem,' a new Netflix documentary about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and the media circus that erupted when a video of him smoking crack cocaine was leaked to reporters in 2013.
Plus, Thomas Leblanc reviews Crave's brilliant new dramedy 'Empathie,' set in a Montreal psychiatric institution for criminals.
Elamin Abdelmahmoud chats with Liz Duff and Rebecca Jennings about the new Disney+ docuseries ‘Call Her Alex,’ which explores how Alex Cooper turned her DIY-style sex podcast ‘Call Her Daddy' into one of the biggest celebrity interview shows in the world.
With Kendrick Lamar and SZA touching down in Toronto last week for their Grand National Tour, Elamin is joined by Matt Amha and Rad Simonpillai to discuss the Toronto shows and what the local debates around whether Toronto fans should attend or not at a time when Canadian identity politics are top of mind for many.
Music critics Vish Khanna, Carl Wilson, and Rosie Long Decter join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to weigh in on the new album from Canadian rock legend Neil Young, the polarizing popularity of pop phenom Benson Boone, and the controversy over Sabrina Carpenter’s provocative new album cover.
Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by CBC entertainment reporter Jackson Weaver, and film critics Sarah-Tai Black and Rachel Ho to review the new live action remake of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ - plus two new Canadian films in theaters this week: ‘Materialists’ from director Celine Song, and the feature film debut from Reza Dahya with ‘Boxcutter’.
Sloan's Jay Ferguson joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to remember the architect of the Beach Boys, the poet laureate of summer, Brian Wilson, who died at the age of 82.
Plus, 'Endless Cookie' is finally coming to theatres after charming audiences at festivals all over North America. Elamin chats with Sonya Ballantyne and David A. Robertson about the animated Canadian documentary, which is about the relationship between two half-brother...
As the Edmonton Oilers square off against the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals for the second year in a row, CBC Edmonton’s Min Dhariwal and professor Judith Ellen Brunton discuss how the intensity of Oilers fandom in Edmonton transcends mere hometown boosterism to resemble something more like a religion. Plus, Michael Williams joins Elamin to talk about Sly Stone’s enormous legacy. The music legend, and hitmaker die...
The plot of Mountainhead – Succession creator Jesse Armstrong’s new satire of the world’s most powerful billionaires – offers insight into the feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Culture writers Vinson Cunningham and Mike Isaac talk about how it illuminates the the drama between the world’s most powerful man and the richest person on the planet.
Malcolm X would’ve turned 100 years old this year. To commemorate his life, Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Professor Mark Anthony Neal, Sandy Hudson and Matt Amha for a brief look at the commercialization of Malcolm X’s legacy over the decades and how it has or hasn’t aligned with his actual mission and message.
Culture writer Joan Summers, music journalist Maura Johnston, and rapper and author Rollie Pemberton join Elamin Abdelmahmoud for the Friday Group Chat to share their thoughts on new releases from Addison Rae, Turnstile, and Lorde.
After 26 years dancing with the National Ballet of Canada, Guillaume Côté will take his final bow tonight. Elamin talks with two of his longtime collaborators – the dancer Greta Hodgkinson and choreographer Anisa Tejpar about his legacy, and why he just might be the GOAT of Canadian ballet. Plus, the latest version of Google’s AI tool Veo can make impressively realistic looking 8-second videos. While this has inevitably raised...
Xtra Magazine reporter Mel Woods and Laura Winton of the Library Association of Alberta discuss the provincial government’s plans to introduce new age-appropriate standards for books in school libraries, and how they could adversely affect books with 2SLGBTQ+ themes. Plus, critic Rendy Jones talks about the Gen-Z comedy 'Adults,' which explores the absurd ups and downs of being in your 20s in the 2020s in New York City.
What is Canadian content? And why does it matter? The Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission has been hearing very different answers to that question — as they try to come up with new CanCon rules. Jesse Wente, Vass Bednar and Anthony Q Farrell join Elamin to talk about why getting CanCon right has never been more important.
For almost 20 years, NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts have given the internet a chance to see some of the biggest artists and promising upcoming talents in an incredibly intimate, live setting that has made for unforgettable moments. At the same time, the series has become a crucial and trusted hub for Black pop music. At the inaugural Departures festival in Toronto, Elamin sat down with Bobby Carter, the host and series producer for NPR's...
Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Vulture’s Alison Willmore, Inverse’s Hoai-Tran Bui and Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival’s Aram Siu Wai Collier for a group chat about Karate Kid: Legends, and what they're most excited to see in theatres this summer.
Ms. Rachel is one of the biggest children's entertainers right now, and she's been using her social media to talk about how the Israel-Hamas war has affected children. Elamin chats with Jael Richardson and Kathryn VanArendonk about the reaction and criticism Ms. Rachel is getting for wading into conflict and tragedy.
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