Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

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

Gwyneth Paltrow, the Oscar-winning actor, multi-millionaire founder and CEO of Goop and unofficial arbiter of gorgeous living, is upset about the way she’s characterized in Amy Odell’s new biography about her. Lainey Lui and Jen Sookfong Lee join guest host Amil Niazi to discuss how her reaction is a little off-brand. And Deven McClure talks about why so many of the NPCs in the latest Pokemon game seem to be going through an existential crisis. Fill out our listener survey: https://cbc.ca/CommotionSurvey

'The Perfect Neighbor' is a new Netflix documentary about how a seemingly trivial neighborhood dispute turned into a tragedy. And the doc is told almost entirely through bodycam footage. Culture critic El Jones and Rolling Stone journalist C.T. Jones join guest host Amil Niazi to talk about the doc's unique approach to this true crime story. And comedian Ali Hassan drops by to talk about ‘Who Killed the Montreal Expos?’ The documentary investigates why Canada’s first MLB team folded and moved to Washington in 2004. Fill out our listener survey: https://cbc.ca/CommotionSurvey

ChatGPT is expanding into erotica, for verified adults, while Instagram is restricting content for teen users. Tech journalist Samantha Cole and policy analyst Vass Bednar talk with guest host Amil Niazi about the direction of both these platforms. And police are still searching for the thieves who pulled off a jewel heist at the Louvre. Karen K. Ho explains people are turning to pop culture to make sense of the dramatic crime.Fill out our listener survey: https://cbc.ca/CommotionSurvey

Have you noticed hemlines getting longer? Blouses being more buttoned up? Kelsey Stiegman and Tashira Halyard join guest host Amil Niazi to talk about how politics in the era of U.S. President Donald Trump are reshaping fashion, from the fall runways to TikTok trends to your own closet.  Plus, music journalist Grayson Haver Currin discusses the highly anticipated new album from Australian psychedelic-pop artist Kevin Parker — a.k.a. Tame Impala — and how this reclusive producer from Perth, Australia has become one of the most influential forces in mainstream and underground music over the past two decades. We'd love to hear from you. Complete our listener survey here.

Rock star Kevin Hearn of the Barenaked Ladies is doing rock star things — like buying paintings. And what better painting for an iconic Canadian rocker to buy than one by Norval Morrisseau, one of the most iconic Indigenous artists in Canada? But when Kevin’s Morrisseau painting is featured in an exhibit, it gets taken down because the head curator says it’s “questionable.” Kevin tries to get some answers but every answer leads to more questions. Host of Forged, Adrian Stimson traces Kevin’s dogged quest to find out the truth about his painting — and learns how this one painting is the key to cracking a whole underworld open. Forged is a six-part series, from CBC in Canada and ABC Australia, host Adrian Stimson, an artist from the Siksika Nation, travels from Thunder Bay to the Northern Territory of Australia, to reveal what's believed to be the largest art crime fraud in the world. More episodes of Forged are available here: https://link.mgln.ai/ForgedxCommotion

This week on the group chat, critics Hoai-Tran Bui, Reanna Cruz and Jackson Weaver chat with guest host Amil Niazi about Luca Guadagnino’s #MeToo film ‘After the Hunt’ featuring Julia Roberts, the musical ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ starring Jennifer Lopez, and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. We'd love to hear from you! Complete our listener survey here.

Marc Maron’s groundbreaking podcast WTF is over – he dropped his very last episode this week, more than 15 years after it launched. Culture critics Dominic Tardiff and Niko Stratis join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about how the podcast changed them, changed public discourse, and so much more. Plus - tickets for Rush's tour officially go on sale this Friday. Music journalist Annie Zaleski discusses the surprise return of the Canadian rock legends, whose surviving members will embark on a 50th-anniversary tour in 2026 – their first shows since the 2020 passing of their long-time drummer Neil Peart. And the moment when the band will introduce us to its newest member, drummer Anika Nilles. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input! 

Grammy-winning R&B singer-songwriter D’Angelo died Tuesday after a long battle with cancer. Elamin is joined by music critics Jay Smooth and David Dennis Jr. to look back on D'Angelo's legacy, and how his music helped to change the trajectory of soul, R&B and rap music as we now know it. Plus, legendary Anishnaabe artist Norval Morrisseau is one of the most celebrated Indigenous artists in the world, and criminal fraudsters have capitalized on his popularity by creating fake Morrisseau paintings — the extent of which is believed to be the largest art crime fraud ever. Elamin chats with Adrian Stimson, an artist from the Siksika Nation and the host of the new podcast 'Forged' from CBC and ABC Australia, about the art crime underworld of fake Morrisseau paintings. We value your input. Fill out our listener questionnaire here!

With the controversial theater production ‘Slave Play’ coming to Toronto, Elamin Abdelamhmoud is joined by culture critics El Jones and Matt Amha with their thoughts on this most recent staging of the play and the themes around race, slavery and interracial relationships that it covers. Plus, creators are frustrated after the AI platform SORA introduced stricter controls around what they could do with copyrighted characters and real people - but will the guardrails work? Or will people just use OTHER AI tools … with fewer rules? Samantha Cole joins Elamin to discuss. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input! 

More than three decades after his death, Canadian actor and comedy trailblazer John Candy is currently enjoying a renaissance thanks to a new documentary and book about his life and legacy. The book’s author, Paul Myers, joins the Group Chat alongside entertainment reporter Teri Hart and podcaster Vish Khanna to explain why Candy remains such a revered figure in Canadian pop culture. We value your input. Fill out our listener questionnaire here!

Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks about new movies out this week with culture critics Sarah-Tai Black, Roxana Hadadi and Jourdain Searles: the horror film Good Boy, starring a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever named Indy, the Channing Tatum led crime comedy Roofman and suspense thriller Lurker starring Quebec actor Théodore Pellerin. We value your input. Fill out our listener questionnaire here!

One of the bestselling books of the year has to be The Tell by Amy Griffin. It's a memoir about how MDMA-assisted therapy helped her unearth this buried childhood trauma, but a New York Times investigation is now casting doubt on the book. Elamin chats with Nathan Maharaj and Jen Sookfong Lee about the controversy. And MTV cancelled Catfish after 9 seasons. Elamin chats with Candice Lim, co-host ICYMI, Slate’s podcast about internet culture, about how the show reflected our complicated relationship with the internet. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input! 

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. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input! 

There’s a mounting pressure on writers to turn their debut books into bestsellers, but it hasn’t always been this way. The Walrus writer Tajja Isen and author Jen Sookfong Lee join Elamin to talk about how publishers are relying on incomplete data to predict the next big thing, instead of investing in the development of a writer’s craft.Plus, one of the biggest movies of the year is ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle.’ Based on a popular Japanese manga series, the anime movie has made more money worldwide than Superman or any of the Marvel movies this year. Freelance critic and anime fan Ana Diaz chats with Elamin about why Demon Slayer is sweeping the box office. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input! 

Comedians performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival are being criticized for selling out to a Saudi regime that is trying to change its image. Alyssa Mercante and Shireen Ahmed join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about Saudi Arabia's soft power, and how it's making inroads into new cultural realms and changing the conversation. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input! 

Music journalists Emilie Hanskamp, Reanna Cruz, and Suzy Exposito join Elamin Abdelmahmoud in the Group Chat to weigh-in on Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated new album, ‘Life of a Showgirl,’ and the recent announcement of Bad Bunny as the halftime-show performer at next year's Super Bowl.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input! 

With the release season 5 of ‘Only Murders In The Building’, the films ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ and ‘Eleanor The Great,’ Elamin is joined by film and tv critics Radheyan Simonpillai and Teri Hart, and screenwriter and show-runner Anthony Q. Farrell to discuss the ways characters who are 60-plus show up in our film and tv programming today, and whether Hollywood is doing a good enough job at portraying these characters, as well as what it means to age.Fill out our listener survey here. We'd love to hear from you!

Niko Stratis and Rachel Ho join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to share their thoughts on comedian Mae Martin's series Wayward, an unexpectedly dark thriller that is definitely not a comedy. Plus, T'Cha Dunlevy talks about the return of Montreal singer-songwriter Patrick Watson, whose ethereal new album Uh Oh is about losing his voice.Fill out our listener survey here. We'd love to hear from you!

On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – we talk about an artist who is having a profound impact on the way we understand Canada’s past – and the resilience of Indigenous people. Riley Yesno, Susan Blight and Marion Newman celebrate Kent Monkman, whose gender-fluid alter ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle is now the subject of an opera, parts of which will be performed tonight (Sept 30) in Montreal. 

The hit narrative podcast Heavyweight by Jonathan Goldstein is back after being cancelled by Spotify a few years ago. Plus, Venus and Serena Williams jump into podcasting with their new show, Stockton Street, available exclusively on X.com. Elamin Abdelmahmoud chats with culture critic Nicholas Quah and author Jael Richardson about what these shows say about where we’re at with podcasting right now.And, reporter Matilda Källén talks about Sweden's controversial list of 100 things that make up their cultural canon, which includes Pippi Longstocking and IKEA, but excludes ABBA and Swedish food.

CBC Entertainment's Jackson Weaver, film critic Radheyan Simonpillai, and poet El Jones join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film 'One Battle After Another,' a prescient action-comedy about a family stuck in a political war, and Apple TV+’s controversial decision to postpone its series 'The Savant.'

Elamin is joined by Kennya Giselle Rivera Sanabria and Reanna Cruz to look back on Bad Bunny’s historic 31 day residency in Puerto Rico (which ended this past Saturday) and what its success might mean for Bad Bunny and Puerto Rico, moving forward. Plus, Elamin is joined by culture critic Matt Amha to discuss the new graphic novel ‘Fela: Music Is The Weapon’ and how Fela Kuti’s legacy intersects with present day pop culture.

Less than a week after being yanked off the air for comments he made about Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel is back. But will he be muzzled? TV critic Eric Deggans and comedian Ashley Ray join Elamin to talk about Kimmel's return to late night.

Film critics Radheyan Simonpillai and Sarah-Tai Black join guest host Amil Niazi to talk about the film 'Him,' a Jordan Peele-produced horror film about American football culture, and the new Netflix drama Black Rabbit starring Jason Bateman and Jude Law. Plus, Toronto critic Joshua Chong discusses the Michael Jackson jukebox musical, ‘MJ: The Musical’ (which recently made its Toronto debut) and how it grapples – or doesn’t – with the more controversial aspects of Jackson’s legacy.

Elamin is joined by culture critic Pablo The Don and CBC Music journalist Kelsey Adams to discuss Cardi B’s new album ‘Am I The Drama?’, the rollout in support of its release, and how the album compares to her 2018 debut. Plus, with four big productions of Samuel Beckett’s iconic play 'Waiting For Godot' being mounted within a single year, theatre critic Aisling Murphy joins Elamin to talk about why the play is having a moment, and the play's staying power.  

Walt Disney-owned ABC says it will indefinitely stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! after remarks the late-night host made in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination. Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks to CBC Senior Writer Jackson Weaver, TV critic Eric Deggans and culture writer Alyssa Mercante about the role of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in this moment and how it's sparking a debate over free speech.

'Task,' starring Mark Ruffalo, is HBO’s latest big Sunday night show -- and the gritty drama is by the creator of 'Mare of Easttown,' which became must-watch TV when it aired in the same slot a few years ago. Critics Rachel Ho and Kathryn VanArendonk join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about whether 'Task' lives up to expectations.

The winner of this year's Polaris Music Prize is Yves Jarvis and his album, 'All Cylinders.' Elamin is joined by 2022 Polaris Music Prize winner Cadence Weapon and culture critic Riley Yesno to react to this year’s results and assess the awards’ value as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Remembering Robert Redford. The Iconic actor, legendary director, and unparalleled champion of Indie filmmaking has died. Teri Hart describes his contributions to cinema, and how he made the world a better place. Plus, culture critics Thomas Leblanc and Joyita Sengupta join Elamin to talk about SSENSE’s recent financial woes, and how the Montreal brand became a major player in the fashion industry.

Music journalists Tabassum Siddiqui, Rosie Long Decter, and Suzy Exposito discuss the new documentary, 'Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery,' which explores the groundbreaking legacy of Sarah McLachlan’s '90s-era all-female travelling music festival, and why revisiting its story is particularly meaningful in the current cultural moment.  

Radheyan Simonpillai and Teri Hart join Elamin to talk about Hamnet winning People's Choice, films they think should've gotten more attention, and reaction to the festival as a whole - and whether TIFF might be too celebrity focused. 

The morning after the Emmy Awards, TV critics J. Kelly Nestruck and Roxana Hadadi talk about the big winners and snubs with guest host Amil Niazi. Plus, a new online trend called 'The Great Lock In' is creating buzz on TikTok. It’s a three month commitment to a rigid routine ahead of the New Year following summer’s indulgence and lack of structure. Is this just another glow up trend or a social response to something greater? Independent journalist and online culture critic, Taylor Lorenz talks to guest host Amil Niazi about what it means to lock in and the Gen Z-driven obsession with self-optimization. 

Teri Hart and Radheyan Simonpillai join guest host Amil Niazi to talk about some of the performances getting a lot of attention at this year's festival, including Rose Byrne in 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You,' and Dwayne Johnson in 'The Smashing Machine.' Then, they talk about some of their favourite international films in the line up - 'It Was Just An Accident' and 'No Other Choice.' 

Music journalist Maura Johnston, culture writer Richie Assaly, and Leila Latif join the Group Chat to talk about the long-awaited sequel to Rob Reiner’s classic rock mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap; the new album from pop mega-star Ed Sheeran; Justin Bieber’s surprise sequel to his surprise album; and Lizzo’s war on the algorithm. 

People in a small town in Michigan turned on each other trying to figure out who was viciously cyberbullying two young teenagers. In the end, the culprit was one of the victim’s own mother. Journalist Lauren Smiley joins Commotion guest host Amil Niazi to talk about the case, which is now the subject of a Netflix documentary called "Unknown Number: The Highschool Catfish" … and TV critic Kathryn VanArendonk weighs in with her take on turning a small town’s tragedy into must-watch TV.Also, Amil is joined by culture critic and wrestling podcaster Pablo The Don about John Cena's return to the hit tv series ‘Peacemaker’ and his final farewell tour with the WWE.

Radheyan Simonpillai and Teri Hart join guest host Amil NIazi to talk about whether the Canadian line up at TIFF reflects this country's appetite to consume and support Canadian content. They also discuss why Blue Heron is capturing people's attention, the full circle moment for 'Modern Whore,' and share their favourite Canadian picks. 

Radheyan Simonpillai and Teri Hart rush to our studios after watching 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,' and discuss the atmosphere outside the screening, the response to the film inside, and give their takes on the film.  

With the Toronto International Film Festival celebrating its 50th anniversary, Commotion guest host Amil Niazi is joined by film critics Barry Hertz, Sarah-Tai Black and CBC entertainment reporter Jackson Weaver to celebrate the festival's past wins, present challenges, and how they’d like to see TIFF build on its half-century legacy. 

Radheyan Simonpillai and Teri Hart join guest host Amil Niazi to talk about Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, the awkwardness of Q&As, and Teri declares 'Tuner' as her favourite film of TIFF so far