Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

A new anthology series 'Bread Alone: What happens when we run out of working-class writers?' edited by Kate Pasola begs the question: who gets to have a career in writing? And how does that inform the kinds of working class narratives that get published? Niko Stratis, Deborah Dundas and Catherine Hernandez join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to chat about being a working class writer in Canada, the value of labour in creative industries, and how not to sell out while trying to make ends meet.

A new musical by the legendary Cree playwright Tomson Highway is on stage in Ottawa. Theatre critic Aisling Murphy and Alessia Passafiume with the Canadian Press, join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about Rose -- and why a production that was written almost 35 years ago, feels more relevant than ever today.Plus, the Goo Goo Dolls song 'Iris' was released 28 years ago. But it has enjoyed a massive resurgence in 2026 thanks to these viral 90's nostalgia reels where people share old pictures of themselves on social media. Music journalist Annie Zaleski explains how a grubby punk band from Buffalo wound up crafting one of the definitive power ballads of our time, and what its current popularity says about how we view the ‘90s.

A play about the children’s author Roald Dahl opened to rave reviews on Broadway – it delves into his antisemitic views, which were exposed by journalist Michael Coren more than 40 years ago. Michael saw “Giant” in New York – he tells Elamin Abdelmahmoud about his original interview with Dahl, what it’s like seeing it come to life on stage, and how he treats the author’s work now.Plus, the new dark comedy miniseries ‘Bait’ imagines a world where a British Pakistani Muslim actor is up for contention as the new James Bond. Vulture’s Roxana Hadadi talks with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about why she feels this show could only have been made by Riz Ahmed, who wrote, created and stars in the series.

With the release of the groundbreaking PBS docu-series ‘Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History,' Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Professor Gayle Wald, Professor Mark Anthony Neal and culture critic Jay Smooth to unpack the ways that intertwined Black and Jewish American history has shaped pop music as we know it.

The Juno Awards, Canada’s biggest night in music, went down in Hamilton, Ontario last night. Elamin is joined by music critics Emilie Hanskamp, Alex Navarez and musician Cadence Weapon to discuss the 55th Juno Awards, including the inaugural Latin Music Recording of The Year category, Joni Mitchell receiving of the Junos Lifetime Achievement Award, and Nelly Furtado’s induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

The group chat weighs in on Robyn’s new pop album ‘Sexistential’, Jack Harlow’s controversial remarks that he “got Blacker” making his R&B album ‘Monica’, and Raye’s luscious record ‘This Music May Contain Hope.’ Culture critics Jay Smooth, Louise Bruton and Huda Hassan discuss all the music and more with Elamin Abdelmahmoud.

Last week, ABC cancelled the latest season of the Bachelorette, three days before its premiere. This came after a 2023 video surfaced of the Bachelorette, Taylor Frankie Paul, appearing to attack her former boyfriend and the father of her child. Culture critics Kathryn VanArendonk and Kat Tenbarge join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss how reality television exploits domestic violence and whether the show’s decision to cast Paul will cost them the franchise.Plus, Dhurundhar:The Revenge came out last week and it’s already breaking box office records. Aparita Bhandari talks about why this franchise is appealing to a particular audience in India and beyond, how it’s not a new thing for Bollywood to veer into political propaganda, and why it probably didn’t need to be four hours. 

Hannah Montana is marking 20 years with a massive anniversary special on Disney+ . Music journalist Emilie Hanskamp and television reporter Ethan Shanfeld talk to Elamin Abdelmahmoud about Miley Cyrus’s decision to return to her Disney roots after years of outrunning it, and what it means for her fans.Plus, Lindy West is one of the most influential feminist voices of her generation. Her new memoir 'Adult Braces' is getting lots of attention, but not for the reasons she might want. Elamin sits down with writer Kate Lindsay to talk about the drama around the new memoir, and how it illuminates the perils of confessional writing.

This week, the Juno Awards touch down at Hamilton’s TD Coliseum, the newly renovated arena that’s been attracting A-list entertainers like Paul McCartney, Twice, and Cardi B to the city since it opened last fall. But just footsteps away, the city’s central library has been struggling to manage the daily influx of people experiencing addiction and homelessness, who use the library as a shelter of sorts. Justin Chandler of CBC Hamilton and musician Kojo “Easy” Damptey discuss this tale of two Hamiltons, and whether it’s possible to reconcile the city’s ambitions to be an international entertainment destination with its street-level struggles.Plus, Peaky Blinders is back, but this time as a film adaptation. Film critic Hannah Flint joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to explain why this movie adaptation of the British crime drama is worth your time, even though she didn’t like the original.

After being on hiatus for almost four years, BTS has finally reunited to release new music. In celebration of their album 'Arirang,' the K-pop supergroup performed live on Netflix from Gwanghwamun square in the heart of Seoul. Today on Commotion, BTS fan Ann Pornel and professor Michelle Cho join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to unpack the highly-anticipated comeback album, whether their first performance back lived up to the hype, and what it could signal for BTS in this next chapter.

Ryan Gosling stars in the space adventure movie 'Project Hail Mary,' the Turkish-Canadian thriller 'The Things You Kill' finally lands in theatres and an AI version of the late Val Kilmer will lead a new movie. Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by film critics Radheyan Simonpillai, Barry Hertz and Sarah-Tai Black to share their thoughts on all these stories.

People can’t stop talking about ‘Love Story,’ a Ryan Murphy dramatization about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks to television critics Michel Ghanem and Lainey Liu about what the show gets right and wrong, the endless fascination with the couple and the risk of fictionalizing real people. Plus, the musical comedy 'Shucked' really is just about corn. The Tony Award-nominated Broadway hit is now on its first national tour, and recently made its Canadian premiere in Toronto. Theatre critic Aisling Murphy unpacks the appeal of the musical comedy.

Reuters reported last week that they discovered the true identity of the world famous street artist, Banksy. Culture critic Hanna Flint and 'Monumnetal Graffiti' author Rafael Schacter join Commotion to discuss whether the public has a right to Banksy’s identity and the value of anonymity. Plus, South African gaming studio Nyamakop released the heist game ‘Relooted’. Players are tasked to reclaim real African artifacts from Western museums. Oscar Michael Esio joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the divided reaction to ‘Relooted’ from the African gaming community, and whether he thinks the game is a success.

Understanding the growing popularity of online influencers who present a toxic view of masculinity, promoting misogyny and putting down others is the focus of the new Netflix documentary 'Inside the Manosphere' by journalist Louis Theroux. Critics Amil Niazi and J. Kelly Nestruck discuss the documentary with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, and how its an interesting companion to the fictional Netflix series, 'Adolescence.'Plus, 'Undertone' is a new horror film about a paranormal podcast host who stumbles on some cursed recordings, while taking care of her ailing mother. Directed by Canadian filmmaker Ian Tuason in his childhood home, the film enters a beloved canon of movies that use modern technology in sinister and haunting ways. Film critic Eric Marchen joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about why 'Undertone' is worth the watch.

At the 2026 Academy Awards, Paul Thomas Anderson finally won his Oscars, everybody cheered for Michael B. Jordan's best actor win and a big night for the Canadian talent behind 'Kpop Demon Hunters' and 'Frankenstein.' Entertainment reporter Teri Hart, Vulture film critic Bilge Ebiri and comedian Ashley Ray recap the big night with host Elamin Abdelmahmoud.

Sinners and One Battle After Another are dominating the most exciting Oscar race in years. Plus, the best actor field is wildly competitive between Michael B. Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio and Wagner Moura. But maybe Ethan Hawke pulls out a dark horse win? Film critics Rad Simonpillai, Adrian Horton and Jackson Weaver join Elamin Abdelmahmoud with their Academy Award hopes and predictions.

A recent case brought forward by the U.S. Department of Justice claims the ‘concert industry is broken’ and that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are to blame. Policy expert Vass Bednar and musician Rollie Pemberton join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss the case, proposed settlement and what this means for the price of your concert tickets.The President’s Cake, a debut film from Hasan Hadi, takes place in the 1990s in Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s regime. It follows a nine-year-old girl tasked with baking a cake for the dictator's birthday. Film critic Dalia Al-Dujaili talks to Elamin Abdelmahmoud about what makes this film important and its impact on the Iraqi film industry.

Last fall, Alberta’s education minister ordered schools across the province to remove books containing explicit depictions of a sexual act from their libraries and classrooms. Over 150 titles have been removed from shelves, including the graphic novel version of Margaret Atwood’s 'The Handmaid’s Tale' and George Orwell’s '1984.' Ira Wells, author of the book 'On Book Banning' and the president of PEN Canada, talks with host Elamin Abdelmahmoud about why we’re seeing more book bans in schools in Canada and the U.S. right now.Plus, Timothée Chalamet is taking heat for comments he made about the relevance of opera and ballet. Hunter Harris and Ariella Garmaise talks about what it could mean for his shot at the Oscar and why the world suddenly seems to be turning on Hollywood’s golden boy.