Advertise on podcast: Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

In the same week that comedian and actor Russell Brand was sentenced to more than a decade in prison for rape and sexual assault, a new Guardian and ITV investigation alleges comedian and former Britain’s Got Talent judge, David Walliams, has groomed fans as young as 15 years old. Journalist Kat Tenbarge, culture critic Hanna Flint, and comedian Nathan D’Arcy Roberts join Commotion with guest host Amil Niazi to talk about the latest on the allegations against David Walliams, the case involving Russell Brand, and whether this is a watershed moment in the U.K. entertainment industry.

The Liberal government is giving Canadian artists some tax relief: they won’t pay tax on the first $45,000 dollars they earn from their creative work. Prime Minister Carney says it’s a way of backing artists who tell Canadian stories – but will it make a real difference to struggling creatives? Artist Raymond Biesinger shares his perspective with guest host Amil Niazi Plus, with the release of the generative AI doc initiative Memories of Black Toronto, which centers on Black Toronto history dating back to the 19th century, Commotion guest host Amil Niazi is joined by culture critics Syrus Marcus Ware and Ian Kamau to discuss the first series of docs that have been released, and whether the pros of visualizing this underexplored history, outweigh the issues associated with generative AI.

Culture writers Sarah Kurchak and Sarah-Tai Black discuss the new season of CBC’s ‘The Assembly,’ where famous people like Hudson Williams and Zach Galifianakis field questions from a large group of autistic and neurodivergent fans, yielding more candid and unfiltered conversations than the typical celebrity Q&A allows.

Possible Love, the latest film by Korean director Lee Chang-dong, won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at Venice and many critics are calling it one of the best movies of the year. Film critic Radheyan Simonpillai and East Asian studies professor Michelle Cho join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the film and why Lee Chang-dong is considered a master of blending social critique with poetic cinema.

Entertainment reporter Teri Hart, podcaster Vish Khanna, and comedy historian Paul Myers discuss the new documentary SCTV: The Greatest Show You Never Heard Of and reflect on the legendary sketch comedy show’s legacy, and also weigh-in on the wild new series from the current king of Canadian TV comedy, Jared Keeso, I Kill the Bear.

Film critics Radheyan Simonpillai, Hoai-Tran Bui, and David Ehrlich join Commotion with guest host Amil Niazi to review the new monster blockbuster, Godzilla Minus Zero, and John Malkovich’s latest turn in Wild Horse Nine. They’ll also discuss director Taika Waititi clapping back at reviews of his work and what it says about the role critics play today.

It’s being called the beginning of the end of the Trump era. Culture critics Alyssa Mercante and David Dennis Jr. break down the cultural implications of the midterm elections – and look ahead to how things could change in the years ahead.  Also, recently the world of techno music lost one of its founding fathers: Detroit producer and deejay, Juan Atkins. Elamin is joined by Julian Chambliss to look back on Juan Atkins’ pioneering legacy and why techno music was always a playground for Black futurism.

For a lot of us, Instagram just means an endless scroll, with creators competing for our attention with a constant stream of short-form content. But now, it’s experimenting with long form content: videos that run for up to 90 minutes. What’s behind the shift? And does it reflect a growing sense of fatigue with the bite-sized content that dominates our feeds? Culture critics Kate Lindsay and Nicholas Quah join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to explore Instagram’s unexpected turn towards long-form video. Plus, in a shocking twist even the best fanfic authors couldn’t write, the fan fiction platform Archive Of Our Own, or AO3, is down — and no one knows for how long. Reactions were emotional, to say the least, for the millions of people who access the platform regularly. CBC Books producer Bridget Raymundo sits down with Commotion host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about what we know about the outage, why it came as such a shock to the fan fiction community, and what it could mean for the beloved online space going forward.

There's been an outpouring of tributes for actor Patrick Stewart after he died recently at the age of 86. He commanded the stage and screen, no matter the role, whether it was Macbeth, Jean-Luc Picard, or Professor X. Culture critic Angelica Jade Bastién and Jonathan Church, artistic director of the Stratford Festival, sit down with Elamin Abdelmahmoud to pay tribute to Patrick Stewart's long career in theatre, TV and film. Plus, the Edmonton-based video game studio BioWare is shutting down. Kawika Guillermo joins Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss why this happened, how fans are responding, and what it all means for the video game industry in Canada.

'A Court of Shattered Harmony,' the sixth installment in Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses fantasy series, recently dropped and readers around the world flocked to bookstores for the launch. Romantasy reader Riley Yesno and book industry insider Nathan Maharaj join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about how romantasy fans are bringing back the midnight book release party and how it feels like 2007 all over again.  Plus, the new Winnipeg-based comedy series 'Cool Sweepings' is the brainchild of Black Film Space Manitoba, and part of Bell Fibe’s roster of regional community programming. Comedian and content creator Marlon Palmer talks with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about why regional, community-focused shows like 'Cool Sweepings' are an important stepping stone for Canada’s local indie film and tv productions.

Culture writer Niko Stratis, music journalist Emilie Hanskamp, and rapper/author Rollie Pemberton, a.k.a. Cadence Weapon join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss the new album --BLackneck -- from Canadian rap legend k-os, the bracing debut record from Vancouver punk band PISS, and Canada’s five finalists vying for a chance to represent the nation next year at the Eurovision Song Contest in Bulgaria. By the way, Canadians across the country have the chance to choose which of the five artists gets the coveted spot to represent Canada at Eurovision. Voting is open now until November 5. Cast your vote here

The animated voice acting world has lost one of the greats. We learned earlier this week that Eric Bauza died at the age of 46. He was a kid from Scarborough, Ontario who went on to be the modern voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other iconic Looney Tunes characters. Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Romeo Candido, Jerry Beck and Bryn MacAuley to look back on Eric’s inspiring career. In this conversation, Jerry Beck shares a wonderful story about Eric Bauza performing at an animation conference just before he died. That video will be posted here Plus, ‘Once Upon A Time In Harlem’ is a new documentary centering on interview footage shot during a 1972 gathering of the last living artists, writers and thinkers of the Harlem Renaissance. Elamin is joined by culture critic and New Yorker Jay Smooth to discuss the documentary and why these conversations captured half a century ago, still matter.

Canada is headed to Eurovision. The day after the Canadian finalists are announced, Eurovision expert and culture reporter Karen Fricker joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the performers vying for a chance to represent Canada at the world's largest music competition. Voting is open now until November 5. Canadians across the country have the chance to choose which of the five artists gets the coveted spot. Cast your vote here Plus, this Halloween, there’s a new collection of short stories that you'll want to put on your bookshelf…if you dare. 'Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night Part II' is a new horror anthology from established and up-and-coming Indigenous writers across North America. Book blogger Dani Roulette and author Alicia Elliott talk about this new collection, and what horror can do differently than other genres.

On the 20th anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s breakthrough album, ‘Back to Black,' culture writers Hanna Flint and Leila Latif reflect on the album’s impact and its long-lasting influence on superstars ranging from Adele to Billie Eilish to Oliva Dean.  Plus, the new Hudson Williams and Carrie-Anne Moss horror series 'Yaga' just dropped on Friday. It's also Hudson Williams' first role since Heated Rivalry. But does it live up to its buzz? Kaiya Shunyata stops by Commotion with guest host Amil Niazi to give us their review of the supernatural show.

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 critic Alissa Wilkinson and Commotion regular film critic Radheyan Simonpillai why situating it within a specific tradition of documentary filmmaking helps us come to terms with what we just watched. Plus, Commotion guest host Amil Niazi is joined by culture critic Syrus Marcus Ware to review the latest TV adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel, Carrie — and unpack the praise and debate surrounding the series and its approach to bullying, online shaming and the original book’s notorious ending.