Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

With this year being the 25th anniversary of the release of The Matrix, Elamin is joined by film critics Bilge Ebiri and Rad Simonpillai to look at its impact on film then, and pop culture now.

Elamin is joined by CBC sports journalist Shireen Ahmed, culture critic Mel Woods and the CBC's senior entertainment reporter Eli Glasner to talk about some of this week's big stories in arts and culture, including Robert Downey Jr return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom, and the women's soccer quarter final at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Music journalists Suzy Exposito and Reanna Cruz unpack the unlikely success of Cigarettes After Sex, the enigmatic and extremely chilled Texan indie-pop band who are selling out arenas this summer and racking up Spotify streams that rival the world’s biggest pop stars. Plus, sports journalist Adam Skolnick talks about the Olympics paradox: why is surfing—one of the most exciting daredevil sports on the planet—so boring to watch on television?

Mel Woods, a culture writer exploring media's impact on events, and Morgan Campbell, who analyzes sports media evolution, dive into the evolving landscape of the Olympics. They discuss how streaming and TikTok have transformed athlete visibility and fan engagement, making the Games more personal and interactive. The duo highlights the humorous side of athletes' social media journeys and reflects on how these changes challenge traditional broadcasting. They also explore the implications for future sports viewing experiences and sponsorship opportunities.

Olympic FOMO is your daily Olympics recap, in 20 minutes or less. Besties Mark and Jem go behind-the-scenes bringing you the wins, losses, and hot goss from the Athlete's Village. They’ve got next-level access to Paris 2024 so you never have FOMO (fear of missing Olympics) again.More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/93XjKZot

There’s a very messy and public fight between Hybe and the CEO of its subsidiary label ADOR, Min Hee-jin, who produces the popular K-pop group NewJeans. Michelle Cho and Jennifer Zhan look at what this feud says about the high stakes of the K-pop economy and the future of NewJeans. Plus, Afrobeats superstar Rema continues to reinvent himself with his new album 'HEIS'. Music journalist Matt Amha talks about why this album is significant not only for the artist, but also for upholding African heritage and Rema's musical legacy.

'All Fours' by Miranda July follows an artist in her mid-40s as she navigates the breakdown of her marriage, and how perimenopause changes her relationship with her body. Culture critics Heather O’Neill and Jennifer Wilson talk to Elamin about why this novel is resonating so widely with readers. Plus, it’s been more than a decade since video game giant EA Sports put out a game for college football, and the hype surrounding its latest game in the series has been intense. Gamer Camille Salazar Hadaway joins Elamin to discuss the buzz behind the hard-hitting and surreal EA College Football 25.

Culture critics Rachel Ho, Radheyan Simonpillai, and Teri Hart join Elamin to discuss Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s blockbuster match-up in Deadpool & Wolverine, and whether the film can revive the MCU’s flagging fortunes. And with the Summer Games in Paris kicking off this week, they’ll also discuss the myriad ways in which the games are trying to keep audiences watching.

Elamin is joined by culture critics Ian Kamau, Sarah-Tai Black, and David Dennis Jr. to react to the latest and reportedly final album from Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover), and also talk about the longstanding criticisms surrounding him.

Despite Apple spending more than $20 billion on tv and movies, its streaming service gets fewer views in a month than Netflix gets in a day. Vulture TV critic Kathryn VanArendonk looks at why people aren’t tuning in to Apple TV+. And culture critic Laura Sirikul talks about the first K-pop concert that will air live on primetime TV this weekend in the U.S. and Canada.