Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Kathryn VanArendonk, a culture critic from Vulture, discusses the political nuances of 'The Diplomat' and compares it to the 'West Wing.' El Jones, a poet and political commentator, explores how U.S. politics influences geopolitical narratives in film. They also analyze Catherine Bigelow's 'A House of Dynamite' and its portrayal of military narratives. Music journalist Natalie Harmsen reviews Daniel Caesar's new album, highlighting its spiritual themes and family influences, while critiquing the lyrical depth compared to his previous works.

Join music journalist Vish Khanna, film critic Adrian Horton, and Dominic Tardif as they dive into the Bruce Springsteen biopic. They explore how 'Nebraska' reflects Springsteen's inner struggles and the film's intimate portrayal of his life. The guests share insights on Jeremy Allen White's performance and the film's unique take on mental health, avoiding biopic clichés. With discussions about the new deluxe box set and emotional impacts, they spark renewed appreciation for Springsteen's work.

Guests Sadaf Ahsan, a Jays superfan, and Shireen Ahmed, a sports journalist, discuss the cultural pride surging among Canadian baseball fans as the Blue Jays strong postseason challenges the idea that baseball is solely an American pastime. They delve into the team's comeback, its national identity, and the emotional impact on fans across Canada. Comedian Marlon Palmer adds excitement as he recounts Vybz Kartel’s groundbreaking concerts in Toronto, linking the cultural significance of music and local pride with the Blue Jays' rise.

Barry Hertz, a film critic at Globe & Mail, Anne T. Donahue, a culture writer, and CBC's Jackson Weaver join the discussion. They dive into the cult appeal of the rom-com Nobody Wants This, examining the chemistry between Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. Barry shares insights on Jewish representation in media and the evolving celebrity PR strategies sparked by a heated Instagram post. They also explore Richard Linklater's film Blue Moon and its reflection on forgotten artists, while excitement brews over the Toronto Blue Jays’ World Series hopes.

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.