Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Terry Hart, entertainment reporter with industry insight. Rolly Pemberton, writer and rapper offering cultural take. Tara Sloan, sports broadcaster and hockey analyst. They break down Canada’s women's hockey heartbreak and the PWHL’s rise. They compare US and Canadian Olympic ads and unpack the Casey Wasserman controversy and its ripple effects in music and sports.

A. Harmony, music critic and industry insider, breaks down modern R&B vibes. Jay Smooth, veteran hip-hop broadcaster, traces hip-hop history and cultural reach. Pablo the Don, culture critic and podcaster, ties pop moments to wider trends. They discuss Jesse Jackson’s cultural influence, J. Cole’s new album and possible farewell, and Jill Scott’s warm comeback in short, lively takes.

Amil Niazi, culture critic and TV analyst; Chris Murphy, culture writer and reality-TV scholar; Bee Quammie, cultural critic and author. They dissect Tyra Banks' responses in the Netflix doc, revisit notorious ANTM moments like the Tyra-Tiffany clash and exploitative photoshoots, and debate casting ethics, consent failures, representation harms, and the show’s lasting influence on reality TV.

Kat Tenbarge, tech culture journalist who writes on real-person fanfiction. Ali Hassan, comedian and CBC personality exploring controversial comedy. Anne McMaster, Second City teacher and comedian who witnessed a Ben Bankas show. They discuss why outrage-driven comedy attracts crowds. They explore the ethics, history, and rise of fanfiction about real people.

Natalia (Nantali) Ndongo, CBC broadcaster and emcee, on Muzion’s impact and their Canada Post stamp. Rosie Long Decter, Montreal music writer and musician, on why 2000s Canadian indie appeals to young fans. Michael Barclay, author and music journalist, gives historical context for the early-2000s indie boom. They talk viral Wolf Parade moments, Broken Social Scene’s longevity, and Muzion’s cultural legacy.

Jackson Weaver, CBC film critic; Hannah Flint, London-based critic; Alison Wilmore, film writer. They debate Emerald Fennell’s stylized Wuthering Heights and its casting choices. They unpack Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie’s Toronto nostalgia and mockumentary roots. They also reflect on James Van Der Beek’s legacy and share weekend picks.

Danny Marks, award-winning blues guitarist and longtime Steve’s Music patron, reflects on the store’s legacy and music retail’s decline. Ashley Ray, comedian and podcaster, offers a sharp, funny take on the viral fake immigration hotline pranks. El Jones, poet and political scholar, provides critical analysis of the pranks’ social and ethical implications. They unpack the prank’s mechanics, its comedic lineage, and what store closures mean for musical communities.

Joan Summers, senior editor and fashion critic, explains why Chappell Roan’s Grammys dress cut through the noise. Thomas Leblanc, Radio-Canada cultural commentator, provides context on Montréal, ma belle and Quebec cinema. Hoai-Tran Bui, entertainment editor and culture critic, discusses Joan Chen’s shift into complex leading roles and the film’s slow-burn queer romance.

Vish Khanna, podcaster and music commentator, and Carl Wilson, writer and music critic, unpack rapid-response protest songs and how new platforms amplify them. They debate Springsteen’s quick-release politics, why some anthems endure, Jesse Welles’ viral reaction tunes, and how YouTube and TikTok reshape protest music distribution.

Radheyan Simonpillai talks with El Jones, a Halifax poet and professor who brings African Nova Scotian history and literary context; Reanna Cruz, a music critic who dissects performance and cultural politics; and Rosa Clemente, an organizer and Afro-Latinx political commentator. They debate Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language Super Bowl halftime performance, its political symbolism and production, and unpack Aquakultre’s history-rich album 1783.