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Artwork for Commotion

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

CBC
Artificial Intelligence
Canada
Social Media
Heated Rivalry
Drake
2016
Polaris Music Prize
Toronto
Juno Awards
Instagram
Survivor
Sex Work
You Can See Everything
Jay-Z
Netflix
World Cup
Nostalgia
Hollywood
Hip Hop
Fake Immigration Hotline

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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PublishesDailyEpisodes700Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

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Artwork for Commotion

Latest Episodes

Nathan Fielder’s documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes challenges the very idea of what’s real, what’s performance. and whether we can tell the difference. Commotion guest host Amil Niazi talks with New York Times documentary film criti... more

Commotion guest host Amil Niazi is joined by film and culture critics Sarah-Tai Black, Barry Hertz and Radheyan Simonpillai to discuss two new films: ‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’ and ‘Wicker,’ plus the return of the controversial TV character Apu to The Simpso... more

YouTube

With the release of Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s ‘You Can See Everything,’ spoiler anxiety might be at an all-time high. And it’s not just about protecting big twists, some fans don’t want to know ANYTHING about the latest shows and films. So... more

YouTube

Ethan Hawke is back as the wily gumshoe for season 2 of the neo-noir, mystery comedy The Lowdown. Film and tv critic Rachel Ho and musician Marek Tyler chat with Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about the show and why they feel the criticall... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Maura Johnston
Freelance music journalist
Episode: Why the Oasis documentary will make you cry (in a good way)
Alex Spears
Drummer in Toronto Oasis tribute band Parklife
Parklife
Episode: Why the Oasis documentary will make you cry (in a good way)
Chandler Levack
Writer and filmmaker
Episode: [SPOILER FREE] You Can See Everything is the most challenging film of the year
Adam Nayman
Film and TV critic whose work appears in The Ringer and The Toronto Star
Episode: [SPOILER FREE] You Can See Everything is the most challenging film of the year
Alyssa Bereznak
Former tech journalist and GQ's wellness and grooming director
GQ
Episode: [SPOILER FREE] You Can See Everything is the most challenging film of the year
Zain Velji
Strategist with Northweather who works to keep Alberta in Canada.
Northweather
Episode: Does Alberta have its own distinct culture?
Mariel Buckley
Alberta-born singer-songwriter based in Nashville.
Episode: Does Alberta have its own distinct culture?
Jay Smooth
Veteran hip-hop broadcaster and culture critic based in New York
Episode: What we learn about Jay-Z in a new docuseries, and the Black Zombie doc
Maya Annik Bedward
Director and producer working in film and television
Episode: What we learn about Jay-Z in a new docuseries, and the Black Zombie doc

Hosts

Amil Niazi
Host of Commotion, CBC Podcasts
Elamin Abdelmahmoud
Host of Commotion, CBC Podcasts

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.2k ratings
  • Bad

    You can clearly see it’s just a bunch of people agreeing with each other putting others down

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    DDBurn
    Canada2 months ago
  • Nothing against the host

    I just can’t get behind a taxpayer bailed out state media monopoly telling us about ‘culture’. The host is a cool dude and should separate from CBC and be free of the social subversion. I’m sure he can easily find success free of the state media monopoly.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Walperstyle
    Canada2 months ago
  • Great pod

    Really miss Elamin, he’s so thoughtful and smart. A variety of substitute hosts would be great!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    xtineAAA
    Canada2 months ago
  • Lindy episode ignores …

    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.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Analyticeye
    Canada7 months ago
  • My favourite podcast

    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)

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Christine Sonja
    Canada10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the host's facilitation and deep-dive depth across topics.
Hosts are consistently insightful and bring diverse viewpoints.
Guests bring breadth from journalism, criticism, and the arts.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#63
Canada/Society & Culture

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why the Oasis documentary will make you cry (in a good way)
Q: What's the thing that makes this movie worth watching?
Alex Spears says the film's fan stories show what music can mean to people, and that its emotional appeal reached even his non-musician parents and grandmother.
Why the Oasis documentary will make you cry (in a good way)
Q: What approach does a documentary take to telling the story of this reunion?
Maura Johnston says the film quickly condenses Oasis' history through its 2009 breakup, then follows the 2024 reunion announcement, rehearsals, the build-up to the first show, and the fans around the world.
The Social Reckoning and our changing relationship with Zuckerberg and Meta
Q: Do you feel like there is a social reckoning quote unquote actually happening? Like are we in a place where we're asking good enough questions for us to reconsider the place of a company like Meta in our lives?
Vass Bednar says a real reckoning should involve people growing beyond the technology and stronger public policy tools, rather than relying on companies to self-regulate. She points to familiar concerns about Meta's products and asks whether society is learning from them.
The Social Reckoning and our changing relationship with Zuckerberg and Meta
Q: The idea of this movie trying to take on some of those larger public policy debates, was there anything that it got right for you?
Vass Bednar says the film raises the still-live question of whether platforms can be held accountable for content they facilitate and how they facilitate it. She also discusses algorithmic amplification and the lack of algorithm audits.
[SPOILER FREE] You Can See Everything is the most challenging film of the year
Q: How much were you questioning whether what you were seeing was actually real or not?
Alyssa Bereznak says she questioned it throughout, but sees the film as less interested in relitigating factual details than revealing a complicated dynamic and prompting viewers to assess their own trust in Holmes.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Commotion

What is Commotion about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Thoughtful, fast-paced pop culture discussions featuring a rotating slate of journalists, critics, artists, and scholars. Episodes center on current arts and entertainment stories—from influencer culture and music trends to film, TV, and museum tech—often layering cultural analysis with sharp questions about ethics, representation, and industry dynamics. A notable strength is the diverse, well-connected guest slate and a host who guides conversations with curiosity and wit, making complex cultural conversations accessible in about 30 minutes. The show frequently weaves Canadian perspectives into global culture moments, offering unique angles on familiar topics and timely debates about technology, media, and identity.

Where can I find podcast stats for Commotion?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Commotion. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Commotion and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Commotion get?

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What are the audience demographics for Commotion?

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How many subscribers and views does Commotion have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Commotion has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Commotion?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Commotion:

1. Q with Tom Power
2. Front Burner
3. The Current
4. Pop Culture Confidential
5. Because News

How many episodes of Commotion are there?

Commotion launched 6 years ago and published 700 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Commotion?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Commotion?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Commotion from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Commotion. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Commotion?

Recent guests on Commotion include:

1. Maura Johnston
2. Alex Spears
3. Chandler Levack
4. Adam Nayman
5. Alyssa Bereznak
6. Zain Velji
7. Mariel Buckley
8. Jay Smooth

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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