Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

'Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story' and 'Play It Loud' are two new music docs coming to TV and streaming next week. You'll hear how these two films are celebrating the legacy of Jamaican and Jamaican-Canadian music. Commotion guest host Rad Simonpillai is joined by culture critics Danae Peart and Dalton Higgins. Plus, Richard Trapunski of Billboard Canada runs down the nominations for the upcoming Juno Awards on March 30, and what they tell you about the current moment in Canadian music. 

Parenting columnist Amil Niazi and author Jen Sookfong Lee join guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to discuss Crave’s 'An Update On Our Family', a three-part docu-series about the rise and fall of an influencer family called the Stauffers. Plus, former MuchMusic veejay Michael Williams shares his thoughts on the new documentary 'Disco's Revenge', which is a deep dive into the genre's history and legacy.

Culture critics Marlon Palmer, Matt Amha, and Pablo The Don join guest host Rad Simonpillai to break down Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime performance on Sunday.Also, they look at the legacy of Irv Gotti, the hip-hop producer and DJ who co-founded Murder Inc. Records. Gotti died on February 5. He was 54.

This week we’re talking about culture as a form of resistance and power against the backdrop of US tariff threats, and talk that Canada should become the 51st state. Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by culture critics Michelle Cho, Louise Bruton & Matt Amha to look at how places like South Korea, Ireland and Nigeria, have resisted American cultural influences, and are now cultural powerhouses exporting their own content to global audiences.

Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Dr. Jay De Soca Prince, culture critic Sharine Taylor, and Inuk writer and culture critic Jamesie Fournier to react to two recent song releases from Trinidad Killa (with Nicki Minaj) and Kendrick Lamar that use the same 

As tariffs still loom and Donald Trump keeps musing about Canada becoming the 51st state, what does cultural resistance look like? It’s a lot easier when you’re talking about shopping to buy Canadian and skip made-in-America. But how are we thinking about the pillars of national cultural identity: the music, movies, and TV we chose to consume? Columnist and chair of the Canada Council for the Arts Jesse Wente has been thinking a lot about this, not just lately, but throughout his entire life.

Though the proposed tariffs on Canadian goods that were supposed to take effect on February 3 have been momentarily paused for 30 days, the threat still looms over Canadian industries bracing for their impact. The Globe and Mail’s Film and Deputy Arts Editor Barry Hertz checks in to explain how they could affect the Canadian film and television industries, from production to consumer demand. Plus, culture writers Nicole Froio and Jackson Weaver discuss Fernanda Torres’s Oscar-nominated performance in 'I’m Still Here', a film set in the 70s amidst a military dictatorship in Brazil.

ulture critic/podcaster Pablo the Don and music journalists Carl Wilson and Rosie Long Decter give us their morning-after reactions to the biggest highlights, surprises, and snubs from last night’s Grammys. 

Culture writer Reanna Cruz, comedian Marlon Palmer, and arts reporter Jackson Weaver chat with Elamin about the latest controversy around the movie Emilia Pérez and its lead actor, Karla Sofía Gascón, and they discuss The Weeknd’s new album ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow.’ 

Ms. Rachel is moving to Netflix. The YouTube star toddlers love is part of a revolution in kids' TV .. Kathryn VanArendonk and Amil Niazi join Elamin to talk about it. Plus, film critic Hoai-Tran Bui talks about some of her highlights from the Sundance Film Festival, including 'Kiss of the Spider Woman,' and 'The Wedding Banquet.'

Media personality Matt Hart and TV creator Derrick Beckles discuss the new Tom Green documentary, ‘This Is the Tom Green Documentary’, and how his notorious gonzo talk show from the late-’90s revolutionized television and anticipated the YouTube era.

Book lovers Arizona O’Neill and Lu Aburawi talk to Elamin Abdelmahmoud about the phenomenon of Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series as the third book 'Onyx Storm' hits shelves. And music journalist Tabassum Siddiqui reviews a new documentary 

With controversy swirling around the use of AI to perfect the Hungarian accents for the actors in the Oscar-nominated film ‘The Brutalist’, Elamin is joined by Rad Simonpillai and Kristy Puchko to discuss the public reaction, and what it says about our comfort level with the intersection between art and AI right now. And culture critic Niko Stratis joins host Elamin to talk about why she got into the world of rewatch podcasts, both as a host and as a listener.

Culture writer Reanna Cruz and rapper Rollie Pemberton, a.k.a. Cadence Weapon, chat with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about the nominations for this year’s Oscars, the hit new Keke Palmer/SZA buddy comedy ‘One of Them Days’, and the surprising new posthumous Mac Miller album, 'Ballonerism.'

The Canada Reads 2025 champions are revealed! Five celebrities each champion a book they think all of Canada should read, and after a week of debates, one will be crowned the winner.

Elamin Abdelmahmoud chats with Liz Pelly, author of '‘Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Cost of The Perfect Playlist’ and music critic Ian Kamau about how Spotify became the dominant power in music streaming. And CBC Sports correspondent Morgan Campbell talks about the Australian Open’s decision to livestream its matches on YouTube using Nintendo-like digital avatars to depict the action.    

The day after Donald Trump was sworn into office as the 47th President of the United States, culture critics Vinson Cunningham and Tyler Foggatt join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to read the inauguration’s cues: what the new President’s choices tell us about where the culture is heading and what cultural resistance might look like.

The future of TikTok is in limbo. After going dark in the U.S. for several hours over the weekend, it’s back, for now. Vass Bednar joins Elamin to talk about what this means for the millions of creators who use it, and ​where things go next. And TV critics Eric Deggans and Jeevan Sangha to discuss the highly anticipated season 2 of ‘Severance.’ 

Film critics Rad Simonpillai, Kristy Puchko and Hanna Flint discuss the legacy of David Lynch, and review the new films, 'The Last Showgirl' starring Pamela Anderson and 'Better Man', a surprisingly great biopic on Robbie Williams.

Film critics Sarah-Tai Black and Jackson Weaver discuss the new film adaptation of Colson Whitehead's book ‘Nickel Boys’ with Elamin Abdelmahmoud and whether the praise it's receiving is valid. And ten years after its failed launch, music journalist Nate Rogers explains why consumers were so hostile to Pono, a digital-music platform and player developed by Canadian rock legend Neil Young.

The devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have many people thinking about climate change. So why aren’t we seeing more TV or film addressing this pressing global issue? Allison Begalman, co-founder of the Hollywood Climate Summit, and Kendra Pierre-Louis, climate reporter with Bloomberg, talk with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about what’s keeping Hollywood from reflecting our environmental reality. Plus, culture writer Rebecca Jennings explains why Beast Games, from the extraordinarily popular YouTuber Mr. Beast, is both compulsively watchable and incredibly toxic.

Elamin is joined by hip-hop academic Mark Campbell and emcee/academic Galac to discuss the Art Gallery of Ontario’s first international hip-hop exhibit, ‘The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century’ and what it can tell us about the way hip-hop is valued in certain cultural spaces. Plus, as the fires rage in and around L.A., so much of the attention is focused on the celebrities who’ve been displaced and lost their homes. They are amplifying fundraising efforts, but also fueling perceptions that the tragedy has disproportionately affected the rich and famous. Elamin chats with writer Kathryn Borel is in L.A.. 

Mark Zuckerberg's decision to get rid of fact checking on all of Meta's platforms is being called an extinction-level event for the idea of objective truth on social media and an 'extremely dangerous time' for journalism and democracy. But is it really all that bad? Elamin is joined by wrtiers Robyn Urback and CT Jones to talk about how this decision could change the way we live.

Culture writers Niko Stratis, Matthew Ismael Ruiz, and Reanna Cruz join the Commotion Group Chat to discuss Puerto Rican rap icon Bad Bunny’s new album, the new Netflix documentary on the life and untimely death of Swedish superstar DJ Avicii, and the radical new release from rising indie artist Ethel Cain. 

Inuk writer Napatsi Folger and Swampy Cree filmmaker Sonya Ballantyne discuss the new sitcom North of North, a comedy about a young Inuk mother in the remote fictional town of Ice Cove, Nunavut. The show, starring Anna Lambe, premiered on CBC Gem and APTN, and will have its global debut on Netflix later this year. Plus, Devon Ivie, staff writer at Vulture, talks about the new Netflix claymation film, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, and how it features one of the best cinematic villains of all time.

As the curtains close on Justin Trudeau's almost 10 years in office, Elamin is joined by Riley Yesno, Justin Ling and Jen Gerson to talk about the power – and the shortcomings - of his particular brand as our first influencer Prime Minister. And we also dig into how Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre uses the internet quite differently, and what that says about this particular moment 

With last night’s debut of Monday Night Raw on Netflix, Elamin is joined by wrestling fans Pablo The Don and David Dennis Jr. to discuss the event and how it sets up this new era of the WWE’s flagship TV series. Also, author Craig Davidson pays tribute to his friend and fellow writer Andrew Pyper, the acclaimed Toronto-based horror novelist died on Jan. 3 at age 56.

Entertainment journalists Teri Hart and Aramide Tinubu join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to review the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, which officially signal the start of awards season in Hollywood. Plus, Teri reports on the legal drama between 'It Ends With Us' co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

Music journalists Vish Khanna, Caryn Rose, and Ian Grant weigh in on the new biopic 'A Complete Unknown,' starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, and explain how the folk music hero has remained such a enigmatic and iconic figure in pop culture for over 60 years.

Culture critics Pablo The Don, Tristan Grant aka Wolfcastle and Rollie Pemberton aka Cadence Weapon join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about what the music industry has in store for 2025, from Beyoncé at the Grammys, Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl to new music from rising stars Tia Wood and Doechii.

Elamin is joined by entertainment reporter Teri Hart, Mashable film editor Kristy Puchko, and NPR TV critic Eric Deggans to look ahead to the TV shows and films that will keep us glued to our screens in 2025. 

From protests at the Giller Prize to revelations around the late author Alice Munro, we look back at the controversies that changed Canadian literary institutions in 2024. Reporters Josh O’Kane and Michelle Cyca join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about how there’s no going back. Plus – their picks for the best books of the past year. 

This year marks the 150th birthday of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the lauded Canadian writer best known for her internationally-acclaimed novel Anne of Green Gables. The story of a spunky red-headed orphan who learns how to live and love on Prince Edward Island has transcended time and space, charming generations of readers with its wit, pastoral landscapes and rich characters. Today on Commotion, scholar Laura Robinson, playwright Kat Sandler and TV writer Kathryn Borel join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about all the ways this story has been adapted for the page, stage and screen — and why audiences can’t get enough.

For all of the shows and films that made the best-of lists, there’s a LOT of great stuff that flew under the radar in 2024. Culture critics Rad Simonpillai, Thomas Leblanc and Ashley Ray join guest host Ali Hassan to talk about the best things they watched this past year — that most of us never heard about. 

It’s been three years since Squid Game came out and surprised everybody by becoming a gigantic hit. As season 2 drops today, Michelle Cho, Regina Kim and Kathryn VanArendonk join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud for a spoiler-free group chat about the return to the world of Squid Game.

Commotion guest host Ali Hassan is joined by culture critics Sharine Taylor, Danae Peart and Jovanté Anderson to discuss HBO's new Jamaica-set crime series Get Millie Black, and the way the show centers trans and queer Jamaican people. Plus, film critic Teri Hart talks about how Dwayne Johnson's new Christmas comedy, Red One, pulled in a record breaking 50 million views on Prime Video after a disappointing box office run.

Fashion writers Danya Issawi, Joan Summers and Gianluca Russo look back on the year in Fashion, from John Galliano’s dolls, Charli XCX’s Brat summer and Zendaya’s red carpet moments for Challengers and Dune: Part II.

As the year winds down, Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Niko Stratis and Rad Simonpillai chat with host Elamin Abdelmahmoud about the pop culture highs and lows of 2024.

Increasing numbers of young viewers are abandoning traditional kids TV shows in favour of creator-produced online content. The Wrap’s TV reporter Kayla Cobb explains the impacts of this shift on both children and the entertainment industry at large. Plus, the ongoing protests against the Giller Prize, this country’s most prestigious literary award, has sent shockwaves through CanLit. Elamin speaks to Noor Naga. She's one of many authors who've boycotted the Giller Prize. She talks about what changed in 2024.

2024 was a year of highs and lows for the video game industry. There was a labour strike, mass layoffs and controversies around diversifying the gaming world. There were also long-anticipated new releases from big franchises and surprise indie successes from smaller developers. Culture writer Jonathan Ore and podcast host and producer Camille Salazar Hadaway join guest host Ali Hassan to talk about how the past year played out in the video game industry. Plus, comedian and culture critic Ashley Ray discusses Jamie Foxx’s new Netflix standuup special 'What Had Happened Was…' and the online reaction to it.

Music journalists Rosie Long Decter and Natalie Harmsen reflect on the year in Canadian music, highlighting the artists, albums, and trends that defined the sound of Canada in 2024.

With the release of the album ‘Missionary’ - the first full-length collabo between Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, music critics Mastermind and A. Harmony join Elamin to review the new release, and how it holds up to the duo’s classic album collaborations - ‘The Chronic’ and ‘Doggystyle.’ Plus, 'The Brutalist' has been nominated for seven Golden Globes and critics are calling it a ‘New Great American Masterpiece.’ But is it really? Radheyan Simonpillai joins Elamin to talk about 'The Brutalist'. 

It’s been a year on the internet. A pygmy hippo in Thailand captured our hearts, a model taught us how to make Cocoa Puffs from scratch, a woman turned a word-on-the-street interview into a media empire — and that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. Elamin is joined by culture critics Samantha Cole, Jackson Weaver and CT Jones to look back on everything that went down online this year. 

With news of a lawsuit accusing Jay-Z of raping a 13 year-old girl after an awards show more than two decades ago along with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, Elamin is joined by culture critics Kathleen Newman-Bremang and Rania El Mugammar. They'll discuss the allegations, the online response, and discuss how we might hold space for believing those who come forward with these types of claims, while considering other factors that might sway our moral compass. Plus, Jen Sookfong Lee chats with Elamin about Interior Chinatown, a new show based on the award-winning novel by Charles Yu, and whether the book’s metafictional premise works on screen.

It’s been just over a year since the CBC show The Fifth Estate aired its documentary about Buffy St. Marie, raising questions about her claim to Indigenous ancestry. In this group chat, we explore what's shifted in Indigenous art and music in the past year or so. Our guests are - Marc Meriläinen, an Ojibwe musician and producer who runs a record label called Meriläinen Music. He’s also created a program that aims to verify the identity of Indigenous musicians. And Michelle Cyca, a freelance Journalist and a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 6. She has done lots of reporting and writing and thinking about false claims of Indigenous ancestry and how they should be handled.  

Moments after we learned that Brian Thompson, the head of a healthcare insurance company, had been shot in midtown Manhattan – the internet was full of speculation about the suspect’s motives. What we did not see coming were the memes or the look alike contests that were held in New York over the weekend. Internet culture reporters Miles Klee and Rebecca Jennings join Elamin to talk about it all. Plus, this past weekend, one of the top-grossing films at the box office was the 10th-anniversary theatrical re-release of Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic Interstellar, a film that was met with a mixed reception upon its initial release in 2014, but has since come to be seen as one of the Oppenheimer director’s most important films. Vulture film critic Bilge Ebiri explains why the film is resonating more strongly today than 10 years ago.

With Taylor Swift’s epic Eras Tour wrapping up in Vancouver this past weekend, the Commotion Group Chat—Toronto Star writer Aisling Murphy, music journalist Suzy Exposito, and Swift Alert app creator Kyle Mumma—convenes to talk about the tour’s massive impact on the music industry, on fan/performer relationships and rituals, on social-media behaviours, and on Taylor herself as she closes this eventful chapter of her career and embarks on another.

'Tis the season for holiday movies, and the group chat is here and they're not all Grinches. Thomas Leblanc, Radheyan Simonpillai and Kathryn VanArendonk wade through what deserves your time and how holiday movies have changed. They also chat with Elamin about The Sticky, the new TV series based on the infamous $18 million dollar maple syrup heist in Quebec.

As Moana 2 breaks box office records, a critique that came up during the first Moana movie is resurfacing - how the movie flattens the identities and the traditions of indigenous Pacific Islanders. Anne Keala Kelly, an Indigenous Hawaiian journalist, podcaster and filmmaker, shares why she thinks Disney can do better.

"Brain rot" is the Oxford word of the year. Maybe you know a bit of what that feels like in this world where social media plays a gigantic role in our lives. Culture writers Rebecca Jenkins, Jackson Weaver & Mel Woods share some personal experiences of brain rot and what it says about this moment that we're in.