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 writer Ellen O’Connell Whittet, film critic Angelo Muredda, and CBC reporter Jackson Weaver discuss how this week's papal conclave played out on social media; the inexplicable popularity of 'Italian brain rot' content among young internet users; and the latest developments in the story surrounding the outfit BLACKPINK singer Lisa was wearing at the Met Gala.
Bella Ramsey is weighing in on the debate over gendered categories at awards shows – arguing women need their own category, separate from men. But the Last of Us star, who identifies as non-binary, says there’s still a lot of work required to figure out how to make actors like them feel valued and comfortable, if they don’t neatly fit in a gender-specific category. Mel Woods joins guest host Ali Hassan. Plus, with the ret...
Mosab Abu Toha, a Palestinian poet and essayist, has just won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for his writing in The New Yorker. Here's our conversation taped in April 2024. Elamin spoke with Mosab Abu Toha - whose home in Gaza was destroyed - about how he and other artists are able to keep creating in the face of destruction.
Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 100 per cent tariff on films produced outside of the U.S. And despite Trump saying later he would consult the film industry before making any moves, there’s still a lot of uncertainty in Hollywood North. Elamin chats with Kate Ziegler, the president of ACTRA Toronto and Miles Dale, a film producer who won an Oscar for ‘The Shape of Water.’ Plus, Slate columnist Scaachi...
The annual Met Gala isn’t just about who’s wearing what, it’s when fashion truly becomes art. This year’s theme is a celebration of Black fashion and style – inspired by professor Monica L. Miller’s book 'Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.' The morning after, Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with J Wortham and Tyler Foggatt about some of the best looks and how the theme was interp...
Vancouver’s own Nathan Fielder is making some of the most original, tender and absurd comedy on TV. Amil Niazi, Angelo Muredda and Adam Nayman join Elamin to talk about season two of 'The Rehearsal.'
Culture writer Niko Stratis, rapper/author Rollie Pemberton and music journalist Emilie Hanskamp join the group chat to discuss the new album from high-energy Toronto punks PUP, the renewed cultural relevancy of early 2000s Canadian pop-punk, and the Mark Carney/Down With Webster viral moment.
Elamin is joined by Sarah Kurchak and Glenn Sumi to discuss the popular Netflix series ‘Love On The Spectrum’ and what it can tell us about mainstream television’s perceptions of autistic people. Plus, Down With Webster played the Liberals’ victory party on Monday night, and as it turns out, Mark Carney’s a genuinely big fan of the rap-rock band. Elamin talks with band member Tyler Armes about free-styling with the prime minister b...
Remember that show on TLC, 'What Not to Wear'? Hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly are back with a new show called 'Wear Whatever the F You Want.' Elamin chats with Amil Niazi and Joan Summers chat about how the new show takes an entirely different philosophy to fashion. Plus, Elamin chats with William Leathers, the [rincipal trumpet player at the Nashville Symphony, about Julliard’s plans to become tuition-free.
The group chat unpacks how the federal election campaign unfolded in pop culture and what the results mean for a country in the midst of a trade war. But above all -- what does this election tell us about our Canadian cultural identity? Jesse Wente, Emilie Nicolas, and Jen Gerson join Elamin for the 'morning after' edition of Commotion.
Given the hacking of the notorious image board website 4chan and its return, Elamin is joined by New York Times tech columnist Mike Isaac and culture critic Rayne Fisher-Quann to look back on the platform’s controversial legacy and whether losing it is actually a good thing for internet culture. Plus, the Festival of Literary Diversity was the first of its kind in Canadian literature — a book festival celebrating diverse autho...
Film critics Radheyan Simonpillai, Rachel Ho, and Kyle Buchanan join the Group Chat to discuss Canadian horror-master David Cronenberg’s deeply personal, oddly poignant new film 'The Shrouds,' how the media coverage around Ryan Coogler’s Sinners reveals the differing standards for success that Black filmmakers are held to, and a peculiar new rule being enforced by the Oscars.
The second season of the critically-acclaimed series ‘Andor’ dropped this week. Elamin is joined by Inverse journalist and Star Wars fan Lyvie Scott to tee up the new season and why this latest installment in the Star Wars franchise continues to break new ground.
Elamin is joined by political watchers Justin Ling, Riley Yesno and Robyn Urback to discuss the role social media and non-traditional media platforms has played in politics and civic engagement this Federal Election.
Every episode of the show Black Mirror presents a new and terrifying prediction of how technology is going to shape our future. And when Charlie Brooker first created Black Mirror back in 2011 — our relationship with technology was a far-cry from what it is today. Nicholas Quah and Hanna Flint talk about Black Mirror's seventh season. Plus, could Meta be forced to sell WhatsApp and Instagram? Vass Bednar, a policy expert at McMaste...
After the death of Pope Francis, cardinals from around the world will gather in the Vatican to choose the next pontiff. And if there's one film on people's minds right now it's Conclave. The Academy award winning film explores the secretive process of electing the next Pope. Elamin chats with film critic Radheyan Simonpillai, comedian and podcast host Ashley Ray, and entertainment reporter Teri Hart about how Pope Francis, and the ...
Let's be honest: we all love to gossip. But we don't necessarily like owning up to how much we love gossip. So why do we still do it, and what does our penchant for gossip mean for our relationship to truth? Today on Commotion, author and podcaster Kelsey McKinney joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about how we as a society think about gossip — and why that thinking might need to evolve.
Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Jackson Weaver and Rollie Pemberton join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about Ryan Coogler’s new film 'Sinners.'
Montreal singer-songwriter Bells Larsen joins Elamin to talk about why he was forced to cancel an upcoming U.S. tour due to Trump-administration visa policies that directly target trans people. His upcoming album 'Blurring Time' is out April 25. Plus, 'Art of Dancehall,' is a new book by Major Lazer's Walshy Fire, and it documents the genre’s rise from the streets of Jamaica to the global stage through the flyers and posters ...
To commemorate National Canadian Film Day, Elamin is joined by Jesse Wente, Sarah-Tai Black and Nathalie Younglai to discuss the state of Canadian filmmaking in 2025 and how our current political moment is shaping our sense of Canadian film culture.
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.