
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 | 700 | Founded | 6 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Category | Society & Culture | |||

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
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
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
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You can clearly see it’s just a bunch of people agreeing with each other putting others down
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)
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 | #63 |
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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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. Pop Culture Confidential
5. Because News
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.
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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
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