
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.Subscribe to Sounds Good: CBC's Podcasts newsletter for the finest podcast recommendations and behind-the-scenes exclusives.
Latest episodes

May 5, 2025 • 40min
The Rehearsal, and how Nathan Fielder leans into the absurd
Vancouver’s own Nathan Fielder is making some of the most original, tender and absurd comedy on TV. Amil Niazi, Angelo Muredda and Adam Nayman join Elamin to talk about season two of 'The Rehearsal.'

May 2, 2025 • 27min
The new PUP album, and the legacy of Canadian pop-punk
Culture writer Niko Stratis, rapper/author Rollie Pemberton and music journalist Emilie Hanskamp join the group chat to discuss the new album from high-energy Toronto punks PUP, the renewed cultural relevancy of early 2000s Canadian pop-punk, and the Mark Carney/Down With Webster viral moment.

May 1, 2025 • 25min
Love on the Spectrum, and how Down With Webster went viral
Elamin is joined by Sarah Kurchak and Glenn Sumi to discuss the popular Netflix series ‘Love On The Spectrum’ and what it can tell us about mainstream television’s perceptions of autistic people. Plus, Down With Webster played the Liberals’ victory party on Monday night, and as it turns out, Mark Carney’s a genuinely big fan of the rap-rock band. Elamin talks with band member Tyler Armes about free-styling with the prime minister backstage, and what you can tell about a person based on the music they know all the words to.

Apr 30, 2025 • 25min
Does nice reality TV make for good TV? And Juilliard plans to go tuition-free
Remember that show on TLC, 'What Not to Wear'? Hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly are back with a new show called 'Wear Whatever the F You Want.' Elamin chats with Amil Niazi and Joan Summers chat about how the new show takes an entirely different philosophy to fashion. Plus, Elamin chats with William Leathers, the [rincipal trumpet player at the Nashville Symphony, about Julliard’s plans to become tuition-free.

Apr 29, 2025 • 34min
What does the election tell us about Canadian culture right now?
The group chat unpacks how the federal election campaign unfolded in pop culture and what the results mean for a country in the midst of a trade war. But above all -- what does this election tell us about our Canadian cultural identity? Jesse Wente, Emilie Nicolas, and Jen Gerson join Elamin for the 'morning after' edition of Commotion.

Apr 28, 2025 • 25min
Was the 4chan hack a good thing for the internet, and the FOLD turns 10
Given the hacking of the notorious image board website 4chan and its return, Elamin is joined by New York Times tech columnist Mike Isaac and culture critic Rayne Fisher-Quann to look back on the platform’s controversial legacy and whether losing it is actually a good thing for internet culture. Plus, the Festival of Literary Diversity was the first of its kind in Canadian literature — a book festival celebrating diverse authors here and beyond. As it reaches its 10th anniversary, founder Jael Richardson reflects on how far book publishing has come and how far it still has to go.

Apr 25, 2025 • 28min
Cronenberg's film The Shrouds, and the obsession about box office numbers for Sinners
Film critics Radheyan Simonpillai, Rachel Ho, and Kyle Buchanan join the Group Chat to discuss Canadian horror-master David Cronenberg’s deeply personal, oddly poignant new film 'The Shrouds,' how the media coverage around Ryan Coogler’s Sinners reveals the differing standards for success that Black filmmakers are held to, and a peculiar new rule being enforced by the Oscars.

Apr 24, 2025 • 37min
How this Canadian election is playing out in online media
Elamin is joined by political watchers Justin Ling, Riley Yesno and Robyn Urback to discuss the role social media and non-traditional media platforms has played in politics and civic engagement this Federal Election.

Apr 24, 2025 • 18min
BONUS: The second and final season of Andor is here
The second season of the critically-acclaimed series ‘Andor’ dropped this week. Elamin is joined by Inverse journalist and Star Wars fan Lyvie Scott to tee up the new season and why this latest installment in the Star Wars franchise continues to break new ground.

Apr 23, 2025 • 26min
The return of Black Mirror, and will Meta have to sell Instagram?
Every episode of the show Black Mirror presents a new and terrifying prediction of how technology is going to shape our future. And when Charlie Brooker first created Black Mirror back in 2011 — our relationship with technology was a far-cry from what it is today. Nicholas Quah and Hanna Flint talk about Black Mirror's seventh season. Plus, could Meta be forced to sell WhatsApp and Instagram? Vass Bednar, a policy expert at McMaster University, discusses the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust trial against Meta that's underway now.