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Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

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Taylor Swift
Civil War
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Small Press Distribution (SPD)
Stand-Up Comedy
Superhero Cinema
Toronto International Film Festival
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Kill Tony
Tony Hinchcliffe
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The Tortured Poets Department, the Anthology
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Wrestlemania 40

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 be... more

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Society & Culture

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Artwork for Commotion

Latest Episodes

With the release of the groundbreaking PBS docu-series ‘Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History,' Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Professor Gayle Wald, Professor Mark Anthony Neal and culture critic Jay Smooth to unpack the ways that intertw... more

The Juno Awards, Canada’s biggest night in music, went down in Hamilton, Ontario last night. Elamin is joined by music critics Emilie Hanskamp, Alex Navarez and musician Cadence Weapon to discuss the 55th Juno Awards, including the inaugural Latin Mu... more

The group chat weighs in on Robyn’s new pop album ‘Sexistential’, Jack Harlow’s controversial remarks that he “got Blacker” making his R&B album ‘Monica’, and Raye’s luscious record ‘This Music May Contain Hope.’ Culture critics Jay Smooth, Louise Br... more

Last week, ABC cancelled the latest season of the Bachelorette, three days before its premiere. This came after a 2023 video surfaced of the Bachelorette, Taylor Frankie Paul, appearing to attack her former boyfriend and the father of her child. Cult... more

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Recent Guests

Ethan Shanfeld
Television reporter at Variety
Variety
Episode: The Hannah Montana special, and the Lindy West fiasco
Kate Lindsay
Culture writer, Embedded newsletter co-founder
Embedded/Substack
Episode: The Hannah Montana special, and the Lindy West fiasco
Hannah Flint
Film critic, co-host of Fate to Black
Independent/Netflix discussion
Episode: Hamilton is hosting a big awards show amid a crisis. Plus, the Peaky Blinders movie
Ann Pornel
Canadian sketch comedian, actress and television host
Canada/Toronto
Episode: At last, the return of BTS. Does Arirang deliver?
Oscar Michael Esio
Co-founder of Africa Comicate, involved in Relooted
Africa Comicate
Episode: Did we need to know Banksy's real name? And, the heist game 'Relooted'
Eric Marchen
Film critic and host of Cinema Scene
Cinema Scene / Q (interview)
Episode: Louis Theroux's 'Inside the Manosphere,' and the Canadian horror film 'Undertone'
J. Kelly Nestruck
TV critic with The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
Episode: Louis Theroux's 'Inside the Manosphere,' and the Canadian horror film 'Undertone'
Adrian Horton
Writer at The Guardian
The Guardian
Episode: Weekly wrap: Oscar predictions!
Dalia Al-Dujaili
Writer, editor and producer
London-based writer/producer
Episode: Will Ticketmaster face accountability for the 'broken' concert industry? And, The President's Cake

Hosts

Elamin Abdelmahmoud
Host of Commotion, known for insightful commentary and facilitating vibrant conversations around pop culture.
Amil Niazi
Sitting in for Elamin Abdelmahmoud on several occasions, contributing to discussions on pop culture and current events.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 1.1k ratings
  • 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
    Canada3 months ago
  • A must listen!

    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

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Binaaaaaaaah
    Canada4 months ago
  • give us an hour!

    I love Elamin and the ways he facilitates smart and thoughtful conversations on pop culture. Please CBC, give Elamin and friends a full hour!!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    smalltinytiny
    Canada4 months ago
  • Excellent show!

    The show is the best! Thoughtful, interesting, helps makes sense of our cultural moment. And Elamin is such a gifted host! Highly recommend!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    WilliamFrancis
    Canada4 months ago
  • Happy to listen daily

    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.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Resistthem
    Canada4 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Many appreciate the blend of humor and serious discussion, making for both entertaining and educational listening experiences.
Reviewers highlight the diversity of guest perspectives and the quality of commentary from the host.
Listeners praise the podcast for its engaging and thought-provoking dialogues about pop culture.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#54
Canada/Society & Culture

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Do we care that 'Love Story' blurs fact with fiction? And, the country musical 'Shucked'
Q: Michel, why do you think Love Story has sparked such mixed reviews, and what do you find compelling about its approach?
The discussion suggests admiration for the performances and the way the show uses nostalgia while acknowledging its artificiality, with some tension around how closely it mirrors or deviates from real events.
Spotify is cracking down on AI streams, and the unexpected joy of Angine de poitrine
Q: Take us to school here. Just basically explain what is an artificial stream?
An artificial stream is a non-genuine, automated or manipulated play count produced by bots, scripts, or farming setups that inflate listening figures without real listener intent, undermining the integrity of streaming metrics.
Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers returns her Toronto film critics award, and Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride!
Q: Can you explain what led Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers to return the award and what was edited out of her acceptance speech?
Tailfeathers released a statement describing the editing as censorship and noted that a portion expressing solidarity with Palestine—characterized as saying her heart is with them amid ongoing genocide—had been removed, which she felt tainted the speech and the broader discourse around artistic speech.
Industry S4 finale, and why are Canadian films struggling in theatres?
Q: Roxana, how do you interpret the tension between the show's critique of capitalism and the characters' personal ambitions, especially in the finale's most controversial scenes?
The show uses complex, despicable protagonists to explore how power and money corrupt, while also delving into traumas and motivations that make these characters compelling; this tension creates a dramatic magnetism that invites viewers to examine their own reactions to morally gray behavior.
Industry S4 finale, and why are Canadian films struggling in theatres?
Q: Barry, what is your reaction to Telefilm Canada's report about a 41% decline in Canadian films at the box office, and what might be driving this trend?
The drop is troubling but not entirely surprising given historically low engagement with Canadian cinema; factors include limited awareness, marketing gaps, and the challenge of competing with U.S. Hollywood releases, with marketing and promotion identified as key bottlenecks for driving audience turnout.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Commotion

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

This podcast offers engaging and insightful conversations focused on various aspects of contemporary pop culture, including film, music, television, and societal issues. Each episode typically features a mix of journalists, critics, and creators, who provide diverse perspectives on trending topics and cultural narratives, often with a humorous touch. Noteworthy episodes tackle significant controversies, artistic works, and the social dynamics behind popular entertainment, making it a space where listeners can not only laugh but also reflect on deeper cultural matters.

Unique in its approach, this podcast embraces both a Canadian perspective and a broad range of cultural influences, ensuring that discussions remain fresh and relevant. With ... more

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?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Commotion, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Commotion?

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.

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. Bookends with Mattea Roach
5. Because News

How many episodes of Commotion are there?

Commotion launched 6 years ago and published 545 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.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Commotion?

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. Ethan Shanfeld
2. Kate Lindsay
3. Hannah Flint
4. Ann Pornel
5. Oscar Michael Esio
6. Eric Marchen
7. J. Kelly Nestruck
8. Adrian Horton

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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