
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.
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| Publishes | Daily | Episodes | 592 | Founded | 6 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Category | Society & Culture | |||

Heated Rivalry wins big at the Canadian Screen Awards, taking home 16 awards. Elamin is joined by film critic Radheyan Simonpillai and filmmaker/culture critic Sonya Ballantyne to talk about the wins, losses and surprises from the 2026 Canadian Scree... more
The vibe shift around Artificial Intelligence is happening. The Pope released his manifesto warning that AI poses a threat to humanity. Meanwhile, our social feeds are filled with graduates booing mentions of AI at their commencement speeches. And mo... more
t’s happening all over again -- a hockey romance based on a Canadian book series is taking over television. Off Campus is the number one show on Amazon Prime and it’s based on Toronto author Elle Kennedy’s romantic comedy novels. Gillian McKercher an... more
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is a new AppleTV comedy-thriller starring Canadian actor Tatiana Maslany. Commotion guest host Amil Niazi is joined by film critic Radheyan Simonpillai and culture critic C.T. Jones to talk about the new series and why it'... more
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It’s not the limits of feminist lit: this pattern of memoir promising conclusion and tidiness is the problem of CONFESSIONAL lit in general. It’s happened since DeQuincey 200 years ago. The writer promises articulate perfection, is put on a pedestal and falls off, a pattern as inevitable as the tides. Your discussion was a bit too narrow.
The conversations are thoughtful and challenges me to check out works of art that I wouldn’t have been aware of. Also, there are moments of pure joy in the episodes (eg I kept on listening to the interview between Elamin and Samantha Irby)
This is my go-to pop culture podcast and I never miss an episode. It's wide-ranging, thoughtful, thought provoking, smart, fun and often laugh out loud funny, deeply insightful... I could go on and on. This show has the best topics and often introduces listeners to interesting people and art that don't get attention elsewhere. It has a fantastic rotation of guest panelists who provide excellent commentary and debate (one of my favourites is Teri Hart, a deeply insightful film critic.) Elamin def... more
I love Elamin and the ways he facilitates smart and thoughtful conversations on pop culture. Please CBC, give Elamin and friends a full hour!!!
The show is the best! Thoughtful, interesting, helps makes sense of our cultural moment. And Elamin is such a gifted host! Highly recommend!!
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Spotify | #193 | |
Spotify | #24 | |
Spotify | #142 | |
Apple Podcasts | #91 | |
Apple Podcasts | #245 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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A sharp, culture-forward discussion show featuring a rotating panel of critics, journalists, and creators who untangle the day's biggest arts and entertainment stories. Episodes frequently cover film festivals, TV prestige vs. romance, the business side of media, and pop culture moments, all from a distinctly Canadian perspective. Guests span film critics, writers, theatre and sports commentators, and industry insiders, offering a mix of insider anecdotes, cultural critique, and thoughtful analysis. The format is fast-paced, accessible, and newsy, often layering personal storytelling with broader industry context. A standout is how conversations weave together politics, representation, and audience behavior across cinema, television, gaming... more
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Commotion launched 6 years ago and published 592 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on Commotion include:
1. Rania El Mugammar
2. Ben Rosenstock
3. Kaiya Shunyata
4. Arabelle Raphael
5. Justine Smith
6. Radheyan Simonpillai
7. Nico Stratus
8. Hershal Pandya
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