Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

With Bad Bunny making history as the first artist to headline a Spanish-speaking performance at the Super Bowl Halftime show - Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai is joined by culture critics Rosa Clemente and Reanna Cruz to discuss the performance, the debate around whether Bad Bunny should have agreed to the performance at all, and where it sits in the larger history of Super Bowl Halftime...

Brat summer is resurrected in Charli XCX’s new mockumentary The Moment, which satirizes concert films, the pop music machine and Charli XCX herself. Culture critics Sarah-Tai Black, Jackson Weaver and Joan Summers talk about the film with guest host Radheyan Simonpillai, along with the scandal surrounding the Safdie brothers and what they’re most looking forward to at the 2026 Winter Olympics in M...

The Muppets are back, again. The 50-year-old franchise originally created by Jim Henson has tried to reboot a few times. This time Kermit and Miss Piggy have some help from executive producers Seth Rogen and Sabrina Carpenter. CBC Kids puppeteer Kira Hall and Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk talk about the new Muppet Show special on Disney+ with guest host Radheyan Simonpillai.  Plus, Brawl...

People can't stop talking about the TV show 'Heated Rivalry,' and specifically the fleece Team Canada jacket that Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) wears. Heated Rivalry costume designer Hanna Puley talks to Elamin about the coveted fleece jacket and other iconic looks in the show, and why she wanted to make them feel distinctly Canadian.  Plus, with Netflix officially offering popu...

LeBron James and Nike are under fire after unveiling a new sneaker meant to honour the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The shoe’s colour palette is inspired by the Lorraine Motel, the site of MLK.’s assassination in 1968. Elamin talked to culture critic David Dennis Jr. around the time of the shoe's unveiling about why this tribute missed the mark, and what the brand should have done in...

Bad Bunny wins big. KPop Demon Hunters also a big winner. Culture critics Pablo The Don and Niko Stratis to discuss the big wins, the snubs, and big surprises that happened at this year’s Grammy Awards with Elamin Abdelmahmoud.

Catherine O'Hara is one of Canada's most beloved stars. She’s known for her roles in Schitt's Creek, Home Alone, The Studio, Beetlejuice, and also her comedy on SCTV. Podcaster and writer Paul Myers, comedian and actor Jennifer Whalen (Baroness von Sketch, Small Achievable Goals), and TV and film producer Andrew Barnsley discuss the life and legacy of the iconic Canadian comedian and act...

Culture critics Radheyan Simonpillai, Emilie Hanskamp and Ashley Ray join the group chat to discuss the new Rachel McAdams thriller ‘Send Help,’ Kanye West’s apology for his long history of antisemitic comments and problematic behaviour, and the recently announced nominations for the 2026 Juno Awards.

Season 4 of Bridgerton is here, with a Cinderella storyline and its first East Asian lead. And there are two new spinoff shows from the worlds of Star Trek and Game of Thrones, ‘A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms' and ‘Starfleet Academy’ respectively. And both shows seem to be taking those franchises in new directions. Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by senior writer at CBC entertainment Jackson Weaver,...

Along with the images of the anti-ICE protests in Minnesota, this George Orwell quote is popping up everywhere, “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” People are turning to Orwell’s seminal dystopian novel ‘1984’ to understand this moment. Culture critics Jay Smooth, El Jones and author Lyz Lenz join Elamin to talk about the c...

It’s awards season and stylists are working overtime to make sure their A-list clients pull off career-defining looks, but that hasn’t always been the case. Elamin chats with fashion critic Jarrod Jenkins and fashion podcaster Avery Trufelman about the rise of celebrity stylists and their ability to make or break their clients’ careers. And Natalie Harmsen talks about the rising stars of jazz-pop,...

Pablo The Don, Matt Amha and Ivy Prosper join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss the buzz around iShowSpeed’s African tour, and the successes and controversies that have underpinned his journey to becoming one of the biggest streamers in the world.

The infamous late-2000s MTV reality show ‘Jersey Shore’ gets a Canuck spin but does the hot-mess spectacle translate north of the border? Culture writers Amil Niazi, Mel Woods, and Hanna Flint join the Group Chat to share their impressions 'Canada Shore' and weigh in on the Oscar nominations and how the drama brewing inside the Beckham family is upending the typical nepo-baby narrative. 

The great Canadian book debate is back! The star-studded cast of Canada Reads 2026 is revealed on Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, along with the five books they think all of Canada should read. The Canada Reads debates take place April 13 to 16.

If Instagram feels like a time-machine right now, you’re not alone. A lot of people are waxing nostalgic for the lives we were living a decade ago. So why are we obsessed with 2016? Culture critics Vinson Cunningham and Madison Malone Kircher talk about the trend with host Elamin Abdelmahmoud, and what it tells us about this cultural moment. And pop culture writer Emilie Hanskamp talks a...

With Penske Media Company’s acquisition of several key publications and award shows, Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai is joined by entertainment media critics Jarrod Jenkins and Teri Hart to discuss the rise of PMC and the impact its acquisitions could have on entertainment journalism. And New York Times movie critic Alissa Wilkinson talks about why the movie musical The Testament of Ann...

After winning lots of fans and awards in its first season, HBO’s medical drama 'The Pitt' is back for another 15-hour shift. Culture critics Nicholas Quah and Sophie Gilbert join guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to talk about how the show continues to use the ER as the setting for social commentary and whether fans will enjoy season 2. And MC and writer Rollie Pemberton gives his take on A$AP Rocky...

Elamin is joined by culture critics Marlon Palmer, Roxana Hadadi and CBC Entertainment reporter Jackson Weaver to discuss ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’, season four of the hit reality series, ‘The Traitors,’ and the debates sparked by an exchange on the CBC’s ‘Dragons' Den’ about gourmet Jamaican patties.

While sports and betting have always gone hand-in-hand, the gambling industry has started infiltrating all corners of the entertainment world, establishing a presence in everything from Golden Globes telecasts to Roblox games. Tech culture writers Alyssa Mercante and Matthew Frank discuss how gambling is changing the way we consume arts and entertainment, and what the long-term impacts could be.&n...

With The Giller Prize announcing that for the first time its jury will consist of seven booksellers and no authors, Elamin is joined by Another Story Bookshop manager Anju Gogia to react to the news, and how this new approach might shape the outcome of the prize this year. Plus, remembering Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir – with his friend Dan Kanter. They met backstage at a Justin Bieber show –...

One of Canada’s most prestigious orchestras is facing a moment of reckoning. The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra says it will no longer use non-disclosure agreements in cases involving sexual misconduct. Elamin talks to Globe & Mail reporter Robyn Doolittle and violinist Lara St. John on how we got here, and what still needs to happen for real change inside the rigid, secretive world of classical...

The 83rd Golden Globes were held in Los Angeles last night, providing an early gauge as to which films and actors have the momentum heading into Oscars season. Entertainment reporters Teri Hart and Chris Murphy join Elamin to discuss the most memorable moments from last night’s telecast.  Plus, with the premiere of season four of the acclaimed series 'Industry’ - Elamin is joined by Guardian...

There has never been a bigger Canadian show than Heated Rivalry – and people everywhere are obsessed. Culture critics Cassandra Morann, Jason P Frank and Lainey Lui join Elamin to take stock of how the gay hockey show became such a massive global phenomenon, and where it goes from here. 

Are we in an era of insufferable TV dialogue? Screenwriter and show-runner Anthony Q. Farrell and culture writer Kathryn VanArendonk talk to Elamin about why writers are dumbing down dialogue, and what impact it’s having on storytelling and the viewing experience.  Plus, from the late ‘70s into the ‘80s, the free-form Toronto radio station CFNY was a crucial incubator of alternative music tha...

The new year kicked off with some big stories from the world of hip hop. There's the petition to have Nicki Minaj deported to Trinidad, Drake is facing a lawsuit over an alleged gambling scheme, and the controversy surrounding comments made by Adin Ross towards Doechii. Culture critics Pablo The Don, Jay Smooth and El Jones join Elamin Abdelmahoud to dig into this week’s biggest stories.