Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

2025 was a big year on and off the runway. Fashion writers Danya Issawi, Tashira Halyard and Mosha Lundström Halbert look back on a year in fashion that was full of change, with Anna Wintour stepping down at Vogue, the death of Giorgio Armani and a new crop of designers taking over at places like Dior, Givenchy and Chanel. 

Coming into 2025, the phrases '6-7,' 'Italian brainrot,' 'Coldplay kiss-cam' and 'astronaut Katy Perry' were not commonly used expressions, but thanks to the unpredictable tides of pop culture, they have become permanent parts of a shared lexicon. On this episode of Commotion, writers Amil Niazi, Niko Stratis, and Jackson Weaver reflect on the most memorable pop-cultural moments of 2025 – some of which, we’d rather forget. 

The phrase 'girl power' was coined by Bikini Kill in the early 1990s, but its meaning was watered down later in the decade when angry radical women in music were followed by younger, less opinionated pop stars.Sophie Gilbert dives into 1990s and 2000s pop culture in her latest book, Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves, to figure out what happened.

Culture writer Rebecca Jennings, tech/public-policy expert Vass Bednar, and media-studies professor Siva Vaidhyanathan discuss how shrinking attention spans in the social-media age are impacting the way that literature, film, and music are produced and consumed. 

Elamin is joined by culture critics Pablo The Don and Michael Blackmon, along with Juno nominated singer Tanika Charles to discuss ‘Here For It All’ - the new album from Mariah Carey, and why she remains one of the most iconic singer/songwriters of our time.

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 Tiny Desk Concerts.

This year, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the group chat gathered to talk about Kent Monkman, Kent Monkman is having a profound impact on the way we understand Canada’s past – and the histories of Indigenous peoples.  Riley Yesno, Susan Blight and Marion Newman celebrated Kent Monkman, whose gender-fluid alter ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle is now the subject of an opera in development. They spoke with Elamin around the time parts of that opera were being performed in Montreal.  

Elamin is joined by film critics Jesse Wente, Sarah-Ta Black & Jackson Weaver to discuss ‘Avatar: Fire & Ash’ - the latest installment in James Cameron’s sci-action blockbuster franchise and react to Disney’s new agreement with OpenAI that will give the public access to some of Disney’s most beloved characters via OpenAI’s popular Sora app.

Pretty much every best-of-2025 music list of note has featured Brooklyn band Geese’s third album, Getting Killed, at or near the top – a remarkable feat for an indie rock band whose members are still in their early 20s, and whose music is wilfully idiosyncratic, if not downright polarizing. Music journalist Emilie Hanskamp explains how Geese took the music world by storm this year, while CBC’s Lisa Christiansen explains why she just doesn't get the hype. Plus, ‘Tis the season of the Christmas album - a wildly oversaturated market that keeps on getting more crowded. Emilie Hanskamp and CBC Music’s Natalie Harmsen dig into what’s new and what remains a classic after all this time.

Today, we remember Rob Reiner’s amazing Hollywood legacy, and a look back at some of the shows and films that may have flown under your radar. Elamin Abdelmahmoud chats with critics Roxana Hadadi, Rachel Ho, and Radheyan Simonpillai about their favourite Rob Reiner movies, and the best things they watched this year that didn’t get enough love.

Michael Healey’s new play 'Rogers V. Rogers: The Battle for Control Over Canada's Telecom Empire,' reveals a lot about the power structures that exist inside Canada. Elamin talks to journalist and author Paul Wells and The Globe and Mail’s Aisling Murphy about the success of the show, and how a story about a dysfunctional family and a corporate struggle make for perfect theatre.

With a hot debate raging between prominent Toronto content creators Marlon Palmer and City Boy JJ about the right and wrong ways to use the Toronto accent as a comedic tool to gain online popularity, Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai is joined by culture critics Sandy Hudson and Matt Amha to discuss why conversations around who gets to celebrate and monetize local culture are more complicated than we might think.Sophie Kinsella, the author behind the popular Shopaholic series, sold more than 50 million copies of her books, and has left an indelible mark on pop culture. Rolling Stone writer CT Jones was one of her many fans. They join Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to pay tribute to Sophie, and talk about how she combined humour and the pressures of modern life in her writing, and touched so many readers. 

Critics Roxana Hadadi, Angelo Muredda and Jackson Weaver chat with guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about the new Knives Out movie 'Wake Up Dead Man,’ Quentin Tarantino talking trash about Paul Dano’s acting, and all the elaborate marketing tactics movie studios are using to get you to come to the theatre again. 

CBC Music’s Natalie Harmsen, culture writer Riley Yesno, and Walrus writer Erin Macleod reflect on the big albums, trends, and challenges that defined Canadian music in 2025.

Remembering Frank Gehry – one of the most famous architects of the last half-century, who had an improbable path to global stardom. Elamin Abdelmahmoud sits down with architect and designer Lukasz Kos and architecture critc Alex Bozikovic to talk about how Frank's love of the arts gave rise to buildings that were works of art on their own – and what his lessons will be, for architects coming up today.With the release of season two of the award-winning CBC series ‘For The Culture with Amanda Parris,’ Elamin is joined by culture critic Matt Amha to discuss the show’s episode on the growing Black tourist economy, and how its impacting the local tourism industries in Ghana and Jamaica. 

Club Chalamet is a Timothée Chalamet fan club started by Simone Cromer. Elamin is joined by pop culture writers Kayleigh Donaldson and CT Jones to dig into the business behind Club Chalamet, what it reveals about the current state of fandom, and whether the parasocial obsession with Timothée Chalamet has gone too far.Plus, with iHeartMedia announcing its "Guaranteed Human" pledge, Elamin is joined by music industry insider Michelle Santosuosso to get reaction to the initiative and what it could mean for the future of human and AI music on commercial radio.

With the Netflix release of the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs docu-series ‘The Reckoning,’ executive produced by 50 Cent - Elamin is joined by entertainment reporter Taryn Finley and New York culture critic Jay Smooth to discuss the series and its approach to the Diddy scandal. Plus, Canada has a new Heritage Minister – the seventh in fewer than 10 years. The Globe and Mail’s deputy arts and film editor Barry Hertz calls it a revolving door and says it’s bad for Canadian culture workers. He explains why. 

Three new movies illuminate what it means to be an absent father: Joachim Trier's movie 'Sentimental Value,' Chloé Zhao’s film 'Hamnet,' and Noah Baumbach’s movie 'Jay Kelly.' The Friday group chat gathers to talk about a new kind of Dad movie. 

Zacharias Kunuk’s films are legendary for the way they show the beauty of Canada’s North and the richness of Inuit culture. His latest film 'Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband)' is an epic love story, set four thousand years ago. Two artists from Igloolik, filmmaker Nyla Innuksuk and actor Zorga Qaunaq talk to Elamin Abdelmahmoud about the film and how Zacharias Kunuk’s movies have influenced Inuit storytelling in film.Theatre critic Glenn Sumi discusses the new pro-shot film version of the Stephen Sondheim musical ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ opening in movie theatres this week, and whether these cinematic versions of Broadway productions are a legitimate substitute for the live theatre experience. 

With pioneering MuchMusic program ‘RapCity’ having its 35th anniversary celebrations this year, Elamin is joined by the show's original creator and producer, Michele Geister - to look back on the program’s early rise to prominence.

Imagine this: Two of the best hockey players on the best teams in the NHL are arch-rivals on the rink. Off the ice: they’re lovers. That’s the premise of a new series on Crave called Heated Rivalry – adapted from a popular series of romance novels. Lainey Lui and former pro hockey player Brock McGillis join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about a show that might be the steamiest on TV right now.Plus, people are talking about Claire Danes’ face in her new Netflix show, 'The Beast in Me.' Amil Niazi joins Elamin to talk about the response, what it reveals about Hollywood, beauty standards, and the world we’re living in today.

Choclair’s first full length album in 20 years - veteran music critic Dalton Higgins and Canadian music industry veteran Craig ‘Big C’ Mannix join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to review the new album and reflect on Choclair’s early rise to prominence. And Guardian columnist Stuart Heritage discusses the upcoming fourth entry in the action-comedy film series Rush Hour, a movie that is reportedly being made at the request of President Donald Trump.

For decades, Thomas King was considered to be one of the most prominent Indigenous authors and creators, so news that he has no Indigenous ancestry came as a shock to many people this week. Jesse Wente is a writer and Storyteller in Residence at Toronto Metropolitan University. Jesse worked closely with Thomas King on the screen adaptation of Thomas King's novel 'The Inconvenient Indian.' Jesse joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to work through the complicated feelings of this latest news, and how he’s grappling with the fallout.Jesse's reccos:books‘The Knowing’ by Tanya Talaga‘Bad Indians Book Club’ by Patty Krawec‘The Idea of an Entire Life’ by Billy Ray Belcourt‘The Boy From Buzwah: A Life in Indian Education’ by Cecil King‘Survival Ojibwe’ by Patricia Ningewance ‘Danger Eagle’ written by Jesse Wente and illustrated by Shaikara Davidfilm/tv‘Saints and Warriors’ (coming soon to Crave)‘The Knowing’ - documentary series based on Tanya Talaga's book (on CBC Gem)‘Aki’ by Darlene Naponse‘Uiksaringitara: Wrong Husband’ by Zacharias Kunuk (in limited release in theatres)‘Meadowlarks’ by Tasha Hubbard - coming soon to theatres, it’s a drama adaptation of her documentary ‘Birth of a Family’ (available on NFB website)‘Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man’ by Sinakson Trevor Solway

With the recent passing of reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, Elamin Abdelmahmood is joined by University of West Indies professor Sonja Stanley Niaah and culture critic Danae Peart to look back on the role Cliff played in the genre’s rise to global pop dominance.'Stranger Things' season five returns to Netflix this week. TV critics Alison Herman and Hoai-Tran Bui join Elamin to talk about how the show became a cultural phenomenon, and why now is the right time to say goodbye.

Cree journalist Michelle Cyca and Anishinaabe/Mohawk writer Kim Wheeler assess the fallout from award-winning author Thomas King’s recent admission that he’s not actually of Cherokee descent, as he has claimed throughout his career.Plus, this week, the Jim Henson Company, home of Sesame Street and the Muppets, auctioned more than 400 items from its archives, including props and puppets. Min Chen, culture editor at Artnet News, talks with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about how pop culture memorabilia is becoming big business for collectors.

Vanity Fair’s Hollywood issue is always a barometer for the year’s hottest celebrities, especially ahead of Oscar season. Well, this year -- for the first time -- those celebrities are only men. Culture critics Vinson Cunningham and Lainey Lui join Elamin to talk about this new class of leading men and what it says about masculinity and this moment we’re living in.Tobias Jesso Jr. released a critically acclaimed, Juno/Polaris-nominated debut album in 2015, before stepping out of the spotlight to become a Grammy-winning behind-the-scenes writer for stars like Adele and Dua Lipa. However, this month, he announced the surprise release of s h i n e, his first solo album in 10 years, and music journalist Emile Hanskamp will explain what the record reveals about this enigmatic artist. 

De La Soul is back with a new album, 'Cabin In The Sky.' It's the group's first album in eleven years, and the first since the death of one of De La Soul's founding members, Trugoy the Dove. Music critic Ian Steaman and rapper Keysha Freshh join Elamin to talk about the album, how it's being received, and how Trugoy shows up on it. The British government says it wants to make it illegal to resell tickets for more than their face value. The Guardian’s business reporter Rob Davies has been covering the issue of ticket scalping in the UK for almost a decade. He joins Elamin to talk about the proposed legislation and why it’s happening now, after years of complaints from music artists and fans.

Elamin is joined by culture critics Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Sarah-Tai Black and Syrus Marcus Ware to discuss ‘Wicked: For Good,' the controversy around Michelle Obama’s recent comments about Black women and hair, and why Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You,' has had its earliest entry into the Billboard Hot 100

With the season four finale of The Morning Show out now, Elamin Abdelmahmoud speaks to TV critic Emily Longeretta and comedian Cassie Cao about why this season was its most outrageous yet, and why we can’t stop watching. Paul McCartney is performing two dates in Canada this week, in the lead-up to the long-awaited release of the fourth instalment in The Beatles’ Anthology series of archival recordings. However, he’s also recently issued a box set and biography dedicated to his much-maligned post-Beatles band Wings, who have since become an influential force in the worlds of indie rock and R&B. Podcaster Paul Myers explains how McCartney’s legacy is being rewritten by a younger generation of fans.

Nardwuar the Human Serviette made a name for himself on MuchMusic, interviewing artists and surprising them with deep cut facts. Now he's selling out global shows, and collaborating with Nike. Radio host and programmer Mastermind and music critic Lisa Christansen join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss how Nardwuar built his brand and why so many fans are resonating with his work today. And culture critic Scaachi Koul explains why the latest installment of the heist movie franchise Now You See Me: Now You Don't is winning at the box office.

There are lots of movies out now that were actually books first -  Frankenstein, The Running Man, and Hamnet is coming soon. So we're asking the question – do you have to read the book before you watch the movie?  Bookstore co-owner Jo Saul, culture writer CT Jones and film critic Bilge Eibiri join Elamin to weigh in, and let’s just say, they have strong opinions.  

Morgan Campbell of CBC Sports and Sirius XM host Tara Slone give us their morning-after take on The Grey Cup and how it reflected this current pivotal moment in Canadian culture. Comedian and podcaster Marlon Palmer joins us to talk about the new Eddie Murphy doc, and why he is one of the greatest comics of our time.

Film critics Rad Simonpillai, Teri Hart, and Kaiya Shunyata join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss Edgar Wright’s reboot of Stephen King’s dystopian thriller The Running Man, the growing cult appeal of the Toronto-based comedy series The Office Movers, and the disastrous box-office performance of Sydney Sweeney’s would-be Oscar contender Christy.

Entertainment writer Jackson Weaver and culture critic Kathryn VanArendonk talk with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about Vince Gilligan’s long-awaited show Pluribus and how it's asking big, philosophical questions in new ways. And It’s been more than a decade since Grand Theft Auto got an update – and now the new version of the iconic video game has been delayed, again! Alyssa Mercante explains why, and why it matters.

A lot has been said about Margaret Atwood’s memoir ‘Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts’ since it was published last week, which makes sense, because she revealed a whole lot about her life that most of us didn’t know. Author Heather O’Neill, and writer Deborah Dundas join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about how reading Margaret Atwood's memoir changes the way we read her work.Correction for this episode: Graeme Gibson's first wife's name is Shirley Gibson.

Montreal-based graphic artist Raymond Biesinger has a new book out called '9 Times My Work Has Been Ripped Off.' He describes it as an informal guide for professional creatives to protect themselves from exploitation. He joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud along with Vancouver-based photographer Jackie Dives to talk about fighting back after having creative work appropriated without permission.

Hip-hop radio veterans Mastermind and Jay Smooth, along with music industry academic Michelle Santosuosso join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss the rise of rappers turned popular podcasters and how that squares against the decline of rap music on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

Critics Teri Hart, Roxana Hadadi and Jackson Weaver join guest host Amil Niazi to discuss the new Kim Kardashian legal drama ‘All’s Fair,’ and how motherhood shows up in Jennifer Lawrence's new film, ‘Die My Love’ and in ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,’ starring Rose Byrne.

The recent TikTok drama between Sombr and one of his fans got a lot of people talking. The 20-year-old pop star responded to a 25-year-old fan after she called his show ‘cringe’ and said his jokes were immature. Music critic Emilie Hanskamp chats with Elamin about how the intragenerational fight played out, and what it says about the state of the internet and what we expect from young and up-and-coming artists.

How did a song about a shipwreck become one of the biggest songs of Gordon Lightfoot's career? Music critic and writer Niko Stratis and writer Conor Kerr join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about why the internet is flooded with memes of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. And Prime Minister Mark Carney laid out his vision for the future in this new federal budget this week. And that vision includes Canada’s participation in the Eurovision song contest. Wait. What? Why? How? Commotion's Eurovision correspondent Karen Fricker imagines how it might work.

Literary festivals bring people together who love books, and they also move a bunch of merchandise. But what’s the deeper work happening here? Stephanie Domet and Leslie Hurtig are both involved with running literary festivals and join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the special place these events have at this particular cultural moment. And music journalist Reanna Cruz looks at Rosalia’s bold approach for her latest album LUX, combining symphonic sounds, opera, and singing in thirteen languages.

Tech culture journalists Alyssa Mercante and Jonathan Ore join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about Xbox’s decision to make its exclusive game, Halo, available on rival PlayStation consoles, and what that says about the state of the video-game industry right now.

If the World Series showed us anything this year, it’s that the game was about so much more than baseball. Elamin Abdelmahmoud sits down with Morgan Campbell, Kaitlyn McGrath and Joyita Sengupta to talk about why Canada's team came out on top, despite not winning it all.  

Sonya Ballantyne, Beatrice Loayza and Laura Hall join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the horrifying return of Pennywise the clown in HBO’s ‘Welcome to Derry,’ the existential horror of Emma Stone’s film ‘Bugonia,’ and nightmare-inducing Canadian indie horror film ‘Dream Eater.’ Fill out our listener survey: https://cbc.ca/CommotionSurvey

Misty Copeland took her final bow last week, retiring from a 25 year career at American Ballet Theatre. A decade ago, she made headlines when she became the first Black woman to be promoted to principal dancer at the company. Lydia Murray, marketing and communications manager at Baryshnikov Arts in New York, joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to reflect on Misty Copeland’s career as both a star and trailblazer in the world of ballet.Fill out our listener survey: https://cbc.ca/CommotionSurvey

Culture writer Olivia Petter, and music critic Reanna Cruz delve into Lily Allen’s new album ‘West End Girl’ with Elamin Abdelmahmoud and talk about how it doesn’t just hint at the breakdown of a marriage, it paints a detailed, devastating picture, and why fans are obsessively dissecting every track.  Fill out our listener survey: https://cbc.ca/CommotionSurvey

With the new film ‘A House of Dynamite’ and season 3 of the ‘The Diplomat’ streaming now on Netflix, Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by culture critics El Jones and Kathryn VanArendonk to look at the ways political thrillers are being received amidst our real world geo-political tensions. And CBC Music journalist Natalie Harmsen talks about the new album from Juno and Grammy-Award-winning R&B star Daniel Caesar, and how it reflects a more spiritual state of mind.  Fill out our listener survey: https://cbc.ca/CommotionSurvey 

Film critic Adrian Horton, music journalist Dominic Tardif, and podcaster Vish Khanna join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the new Bruce Springsteen biopic ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ and whether it offers any fresh insight into the making of his 1982 classic ‘Nebraska,’ which has also recently been reissued in a deluxe box set. Fill out our listener survey: https://cbc.ca/CommotionSurvey

It's game three of the World Series tonight. And no matter how it all ends, it's been an incredible post-season for Canadian baseball. Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with Jays superfan Sadaf Ahsan and sports reporter Shireen Ahmed about how the Blue Jays are challenging the idea that it’s ‘America’s Game.’ And podcaster and comedian Marlon Palmer talks about Vybz Kartel's first-ever concert dates in Canada. Fill out our listener survey: https://cbc.ca/CommotionSurvey

Globe & Mail film critic Barry Hertz, culture writer Anne T. Donahue, and CBC entertainment reporter Jackson Weaver join the Group Chat to discuss the new season of Netflix’s hit comedy ‘Nobody Wants This,’ Richard Linklater’s latest Ethan Hawke showcase ‘Blue Moon,’ and Blue Jays World Series fever. Fill out our listener survey: https://cbc.ca/CommotionSurvey