Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Recently, the Nelk Boys, a Canadian YouTube duo known for their prank videos, released an interview with Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Hasan PIker, Justin Ling and Alyssa Mercante react to the interview and what it reveals about the current media landscape. 

Theatre critics Glenn Sumi and Joshua Chong talk about the story lighting up Broadway this week -- the casting of Andrew Barth Feldman, a white actor, in the musical Maybe Happy Ending, a Seoul-set comedy about robots finding love at the end of their batteries. Plus, Reanna Cruz talks about Chappell Roan's new single, and about her commitment to speaking out - from everything to the ills of social media to supporting other artists

The Naked Gun is back! Liam Neeson reprises Leslie Neilson’s role in the classic spoof movie and Adam Sandler is back with another Happy Gilmore. Alison Willmore and Adam Nayman join guest host Rad Simonpillai to talk about the summer of the comedy reboot.

Palestinian-Canadian musician John Kameel Farah, Israeli-American culture writer Lux Alptraum, and Vassar College music professor Justin Patch discuss the recent surge of musicians speaking up about the hunger crisis in Gaza, from major pop stars like Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish to rap acts like Bob Vylan and Kneecap, and how the repercussions for speaking out have changed since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.

If you’re making a good road trip playlist, you’re thinking about the people in the car, the mood you want to create, the places you’re driving through, and so much more. Niko Stratis and Emilie Hanskamp have logged many long hours on the road – and many more obsessing over the perfect music to drive to. They join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to share what it is that makes the road trip soundtrack something sacred. 

Elamin is joined by culture critics Pablo The Don, Bee Quammie and senior CBC Entertainment writer Jackson Weaver to discuss the Sydney Sweeney/American Eagle ad backlash, recent think pieces about celebrity transparency around the cosmetic work they do to their bodies, and the latest album from Tyler The Creator.

Hannah Sung and Samantha Lui review the new documentary BTS Army: Forever We Are Young, which chronicles the rise of the 7-member K-pop band as powered by its loyal global fan base. Plus, Sean Feucht is an American Christian-rock performer whose current Canadian tour has been subject to protests and revoked event permits to his MAGA affiliations and far-right, anti-LGBTQ+ views. But music journalist Carl Wilson explains why even those who find Feucht objectionable shouldn’t be celebrating the cancellation of his shows. .

Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau had dinner in Montreal this week … and it looked a lot like a date. Of course the footage goes viral, and people can’t stop talking about it. Lainey Lui and Justin Ling join Elamin to talk about why these two love the limelight, and what our reaction reveals about the moment we’re living in. Plus, Aisling Murphy, theatre reporter for the Globe and Mail, joins Elamin to talk about the new Canadian fringe plays that she thinks could be making their way to bigger stages in the near future. 

Culture critic El Jones and film and TV producer Floyd Kane join Elamin to talk about the new series Washington Black. Also, with the recent cancellation of ‘The Masterplan Show: Generation Next’ - Canada’s longest running hip-hop slot on community radio - Elamin is also joined by veteran culture critic Dalton Higgins to discuss the importance of the program's 30+ year legacy, and what the cancellation could signal about the future of hip-hop on Canada’s community radio airwaves.

Hulk Hogan, one of the most famous American professional wrestlers and a cultural icon of the ‘80s, has died at the age of 71. He is being remembered for the way he raised the profile of the sport and his unforgettable crossover into mainstream culture at large, but also for his history of hateful behaviour. Today on Commotion, wrestling fans Pablo the Don and Damian Abraham join Elamin to unpack Hulk Hogan’s complicated legacy.