Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Paralympic athlete John Loeppky will join Elamin to talk about the opening ceremonies of the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 and his one big hope for the games: That the athletes who are competing don’t get described as inspiring. Plus, Niko Stratis and Alison Herman discuss Netflix’s new true crime docu-series Worst Ex Ever.

Culture critics Bee Quammie and Julianne Escobedo Shepherd track the rise and fall of Bennifer 2.0, and what our cultural fascination with their relationship tells us about our hopes for love. Plus, music journalist Christoph Dallach discusses his new book Neu Klang, which documents the surprising political history and cultural influence that arose from the ‘70s German subgenre, Krautrock.

Almost 15 years to the day since Oasis broke up, Noel and Liam Gallagher have announced a reunion. Culture critics Rich Pelley, Maura Johnston, and Oasis cover band member Alex Spears join Elamin to talk about whether the brothers can put their differences aside and pull off a reunion that most fans believe could never happen.

It's not just a stereotype, there's hard data out there that shows men don't read a lot of fiction. Elamin chats with Nathan Maharaj, director of content marketing at Rakuten Kobo and Pavan Sodhan, who reviews every non-fiction book he reads, about why men aren’t picking up novels. Plus, New York Times theatre critic Houman Barekat talks about two plays at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival based on Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial last year, and how the courtroom drama comes to life on stage.

Culture writers Liisa Ladouceur, Kristy Puchko and Jackson Weaver join the Group Chat to discuss the reboot of the cult-classic gothic thriller ‘The Crow’ and the lingering legacy of the original 1994 version; how music became a big part of the messaging at this week’s Democratic National Convention; and whether Sabrina Carpenter’s new album can keep her Hot Espresso Summer going into the fall.

Writers Tajja Isen and Jael Richardson join guest host Ali Hassan to talk about how book cover designs can be fraught for racialized authors. Plus, the huge success of 'Tiger King' put the director of the series, Eric Goode, in the spotlight as an animal rights activist. So in order to get the access he wanted with his interview subjects for his next project “Chimp Crazy,” he hired someone else to pretend to be the director. Sam Adams, writer and senior editor at Slate, discusses the ethical issues the new HBO docuseries raises.

Culture critic Niko Stratis and New Yorker editor Tyler Foggatt join musician Eliza McLamb to dissect the blurred lines of fan behavior. They discuss Chappell Roan's recent call-out of intrusive fans invading her privacy. The conversation explores emotional struggles artists face with intense fame, the impact of digital platforms on parasocial interactions, and the challenges of managing public personas versus private lives. The implications for artist safety and the evolution of fan culture in a rapidly changing digital landscape are also highlighted.

Film critic Teri Hart and author Devin Gordon join Elamin to unpack the legacy of talk show icon Phil Donahue, who died this week at the age of 88. Plus, Slovakia’s right-wing government recently ousted the directors of its national art gallery and theater in a move that critics are calling a politically motivated purge. Musician and Eastern European historian Gregor Kwiatkowski explains why far-right governments in the region are clamping down on cultural institutions.

Culture critic Fran Hoepfner talks about Anna Marie Tendler’s new memoir Men Have Called Her Crazy, from the raw and vulnerable scenes from her hospitalization to the absence of her ex-husband John Mulaney from the book. Plus, film critic Rad Simonpillai talks to Elamin about whether Alien: Romulus lives up to the mantle of the iconic franchise.

Music writers Niko Stratis, Rosie Long Decter, and Rollie Pemberton join the Friday Group Chat to talk about Post Malone’s new country album, Ice Spice running full-length commercials at her concerts, and the fallout from the foiled plot to attack the Taylor Swift show in Vienna, as her Eras tour continues.