x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Big laughs. Smart takes. Every day. Commotion is where you go for thoughtful and vibrant conversations about all things pop culture. Host Elamin Abdelmahmoud calls on journalists, critics, creators and friends to talk through the biggest arts & entertainment stories of the day, in 30 minutes or less.SubscribetoSounds Good: CBC"s Podcasts newsletterfor thefinest podcast recommendations and behind-the-scenes exclusives.

society & culture

All Episodes

00:25:53

Why this season of The Morning Show is the most...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/20

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

en-ca

00:25:47

Nardwuar’s timeless appeal, and the magic of the Now...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/19

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

en-ca

00:25:48

Should you read it before you watch it?

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/18

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.

en-ca

00:25:36

Did The Grey Cup meet this Canadian moment? + new...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/17

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.

en-ca

00:26:39

Friday wrap on The Running Man, The Office Movers and...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/14

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.

en-ca

00:25:32

Pluribus is the best thing on TV right now, and GTA 6...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/13

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.

en-ca

00:30:15

How Margaret Atwood's memoir changes the way we see...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/12

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.

en-ca

00:20:46

How creative artists fight back after getting ripped off

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/11

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.

en-ca

00:25:54

From the charts to podcasts, the state of rap in 2025

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/10

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.

en-ca

00:28:13

Friday wrap on All's Fair, Die My Love, and If I Had...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/07

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.

en-ca

00:12:32

BONUS Sombr and the debate over concert criticism

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/06

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.

en-ca

00:25:20

The memes of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and Canada in...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/06

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

en-ca

00:25:36

Canadian literary festivals are having urgent...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/05

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

en-ca

00:16:14

Halo is coming to PlayStation. Are the console wars...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/04

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.

en-ca

00:36:02

The heartbreak of fandom and why it's about more than...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/11/03

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.

en-ca

00:27:46

Friday wrap on Welcome to Derry, Bugonia, and Dream...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/10/31

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

en-ca

00:12:28

BONUS How Misty Copeland changed ballet

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/10/30

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

en-ca

00:24:29

Lily Allen goes all in on her divorce album

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/10/30

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

en-ca

00:24:54

How US politics shapes the discourse around what we...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/10/29

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:

en-ca

00:25:08

Does ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ actually...

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud ·

2025/10/28

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

en-ca

540 results

Similar Podcasts

Voices of Life

APG Mannheim

Promo Estereo Podcast

Promo Estereo

Talking Timelines Podcast

Talkingtimelines

גיקונומי

ראם שרמן ודורון ניר

Drømmefanger

Drømmefanger