Stay ConnectedBig 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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Bella Ramsey is weighing in on the debate over gendered categories at awards shows – arguing women need their own category, separate from men. But the Last of Us star, who identifies as non-binary, says there’s still a lot of work required to figure out how to make actors like them feel valued and comfortable, if they don’t neatly fit in a gender-specific category. Mel Woods joins guest host Ali Hassan. Plus, with the return and rebrand of Maple Leaf Pro Wresting in Toronto this Saturday, guest host Ali Hassan is joined by wrestling fan and culture critic Sarah Kurchak for a brief look back on the history of the Maple Leaf wrestling brand and what its return might signal for the future of wrestling in Canada.
Mosab Abu Toha, a Palestinian poet and essayist, has just won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for his writing in The New Yorker. Here's our conversation taped in April 2024. Elamin spoke with Mosab Abu Toha - whose home in Gaza was destroyed - about how he and other artists are able to keep creating in the face of destruction.
Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 100 per cent tariff on films produced outside of the U.S. And despite Trump saying later he would consult the film industry before making any moves, there’s still a lot of uncertainty in Hollywood North. Elamin chats with Kate Ziegler, the president of ACTRA Toronto and Miles Dale, a film producer who won an Oscar for ‘The Shape of Water.’ Plus, Slate columnist Scaachi Koul talks to Elamin about discovering an AI-generated biography about her life, 'From Shattered Dreams to Unstoppable Voice', while promoting her memoir 'Sucker Punch.'
The annual Met Gala isn’t just about who’s wearing what, it’s when fashion truly becomes art. This year’s theme is a celebration of Black fashion and style – inspired by professor Monica L. Miller’s book 'Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.' The morning after, Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with J Wortham and Tyler Foggatt about some of the best looks and how the theme was interpreted. Plus, Elamin chats with Niko Stratis about her debut book, 'The Dad Rock That Made Me A Woman' - a collection of essays about how songs can help you find a different story about yourself.
Vancouver’s own Nathan Fielder is making some of the most original, tender and absurd comedy on TV. Amil Niazi, Angelo Muredda and Adam Nayman join Elamin to talk about season two of 'The Rehearsal.'
Culture writer Niko Stratis, rapper/author Rollie Pemberton and music journalist Emilie Hanskamp join the group chat to discuss the new album from high-energy Toronto punks PUP, the renewed cultural relevancy of early 2000s Canadian pop-punk, and the Mark Carney/Down With Webster viral moment.
Elamin is joined by Sarah Kurchak and Glenn Sumi to discuss the popular Netflix series ‘Love On The Spectrum’ and what it can tell us about mainstream television’s perceptions of autistic people. Plus, Down With Webster played the Liberals’ victory party on Monday night, and as it turns out, Mark Carney’s a genuinely big fan of the rap-rock band. Elamin talks with band member Tyler Armes about free-styling with the prime minister backstage, and what you can tell about a person based on the music they know all the words to.
Remember that show on TLC, 'What Not to Wear'? Hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly are back with a new show called 'Wear Whatever the F You Want.' Elamin chats with Amil Niazi and Joan Summers chat about how the new show takes an entirely different philosophy to fashion. Plus, Elamin chats with William Leathers, the [rincipal trumpet player at the Nashville Symphony, about Julliard’s plans to become tuition-free.
The group chat unpacks how the federal election campaign unfolded in pop culture and what the results mean for a country in the midst of a trade war. But above all -- what does this election tell us about our Canadian cultural identity? Jesse Wente, Emilie Nicolas, and Jen Gerson join Elamin for the 'morning after' edition of Commotion.
Given the hacking of the notorious image board website 4chan and its return, Elamin is joined by New York Times tech columnist Mike Isaac and culture critic Rayne Fisher-Quann to look back on the platform’s controversial legacy and whether losing it is actually a good thing for internet culture. Plus, the Festival of Literary Diversity was the first of its kind in Canadian literature — a book festival celebrating diverse authors here and beyond. As it reaches its 10th anniversary, founder Jael Richardson reflects on how far book publishing has come and how far it still has to go.
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