
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 | 666 | Founded | 6 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Category | Society & Culture | |||

The Toronto International Film Festival is back! Filmmaker Atom Egoyan, and critics Radheyan Simonpillai and Sarah Hagi join guest host Amil Niazi to preview the 2026 festival and reflect on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
As Ryan Murphy’s television adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel The Shards reaches its season finale, television critics Kaiya Shunyata and Alison Herman discuss whether this tale of rich teens terrorized by a serial killer in 1980s Los Angeles is... more
Film & culutre critics Roxana Hadadi, Riley Yesno, and Jackson Weaver join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the new season of North of North and other shows on their radar this Fall.
SubwayTakes, the YouTube talk show featuring people sharing their hot takes while riding the New York City subway, is not only all over your algorithm, it’s also up for an Emmy this year. Critics Kathryn VanArendonk and Jay Smooth join Elamin Abdelma... more
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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.
Really miss Elamin, he’s so thoughtful and smart. A variety of substitute hosts would be great!
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
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.
Apple Podcasts | #72 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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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.
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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Commotion launched 6 years ago and published 666 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. Atom Egoyan
2. Sarah Hagi
3. Alison Herman
4. Kaiya Shunyata
5. Roxana Hadadi
6. Jackson Weaver
7. Riley Yesno
8. Rachel Ho
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.