
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 | 497 | Founded | 5 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Category | Society & Culture | |||

The infamous late-2000s MTV reality show ‘Jersey Shore’ gets a Canuck spin but does the hot-mess spectacle translate north of the border? Culture writers Amil Niazi, Mel Woods, and Hanna Flint join the Group Chat to share their impressions 'Canada Sh... more
The great Canadian book debate is back! The star-studded cast of Canada Reads 2026 is revealed on Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, along with the five books they think all of Canada should read. The Canada Reads debates take place April 13 to 16.
If Instagram feels like a time-machine right now, you’re not alone. A lot of people are waxing nostalgic for the lives we were living a decade ago. So why are we obsessed with 2016? Culture critics Vinson Cunningham and Madison Malone Kircher talk ab... more
With Penske Media Company’s acquisition of several key publications and award shows, Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai is joined by entertainment media critics Jarrod Jenkins and Teri Hart to discuss the rise of PMC and the impact its acquisi... more
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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!!
In a landscape filled with negativity and disturbing news, Commotion stands out for being fun, entertaining and culturally educational. It helps me stay connected to mainstream culture and I even have a few laughs while listening.
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 | #26 | |
Spotify | #178 | |
Apple Podcasts | #37 | |
Apple Podcasts | #74 | |
Apple Podcasts | #153 | |
Apple Podcasts | #169 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Conversations about pop culture serve as the cornerstone of this engaging series, which embraces a variety of topics ranging from the latest music trends to cultural critiques and reflections on significant media works. The dialogues often feature a blend of guests, including journalists, critics, and notable figures from the arts and entertainment world, allowing for deep dives into contemporary issues impacting society. Noteworthy discussions explore themes of identity, representation, and the emotional resonance of popular narratives, making it a valuable source for listeners interested in accessing diverse perspectives and ideas in under 30 minutes.
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.
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Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Commotion, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Commotion:
1. Q with Tom Power
2. Front Burner
3. The Current
4. The Sunday Magazine
5. Ideas
Commotion launched 5 years ago and published 497 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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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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Recent guests on Commotion include:
1. Alissa Wilkinson
2. Nicholas Quah
3. Jeremy Barr
4. Alyssa Mercante
5. Matthew Frank
6. Dan Kanter
7. Hannah J Davies
8. Liisa Ladouceur
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.