Best Commotion Podcasts (2026)

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The Heated Rivalry Obsession 25:31

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1d ago25:31

25:31

There has never been a bigger Canadian show than Heated Rivalry – and people everywhere are obsessed. Culture critics Cassandra Morann, Jason P Frank and Lainey Lui join Elamin to take stock of how the gay hockey show became such a massive global phenomenon, and where it goes from here.

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Are TV writers dumbing down the dialogue we hear on TV? And the CFNY radio doc 25:11

2d ago25:11

25:11

Are we in an era of insufferable TV dialogue? Screenwriter and show-runner Anthony Q. Farrell and culture writer Kathryn VanArendonk talk to Elamin about why writers are dumbing down dialogue, and what impact it’s having on storytelling and the viewing experience. Plus, from the late ‘70s into the ‘80s, the free-form Toronto radio station CFNY was …

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Nicki Minaj's turn towards Trump, and Adin Ross comes after Doechii 25:18

3d ago25:18

25:18

The new year kicked off with some big stories from the world of hip hop. There's the petition to have Nicki Minaj deported to Trinidad, Drake is facing a lawsuit over an alleged gambling scheme, and the controversy surrounding comments made by Adin Ross towards Doechii. Culture critics Pablo The Don, Jay Smooth and El Jones join Elamin Abdelmahoud …

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The memeification of the Venezuela crisis, and Jim Henson's Labyrinth turns 40 25:01

4d ago25:01

25:01

Millions of people are encountering the crisis in Venezuela right now through memes – from Nicolás Maduro's 'viral dance' that reportedly angered U.S. President Donald Trump to the Nike track suit he wore on the flight to New York City, which sold out in hours. Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks with New York Times technology reporter Mike Isaac about how o…

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2026 Pop Predictions: big beat, animated avatars, and Bruno Mars 58:47

8h ago58:47

58:47

It’s a brand new year, and what better way to ring it in than with the second annual Switched On Pop bingo? Like last year, Charlie, Nate, and Reanna polish their crystal balls and play Popstradamus, each throwing out eight outlandish pop predictions for the coming months. This time, there’s piano ballads, cover songs, and what Charlie calls the im…

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Are we in for an AI cultural reset this year? 25:38

6d ago25:38

25:38

AI has already transformed what we read, watch, and listen to .. and some people are already fed up. So .. are we in for a cultural reset this year? And how has AI changed our relationship with authenticity, and what we want from the arts? Elamin Abdelmahmoud sits down with culture critics Kate Lindsay, Joshua Rothman and Niko Stratis.…

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What's new in music in 2026? 25:15

8d ago25:15

25:15

There are so many big albums to look forward to in 2026, and there are so many industry trends, like the rise of AI in music. What should we pay attention to? And what can we expect? Music journalists Emilie Hanskamp, Richie Assaly, and Reanna Cruz join Elamin to discuss.

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What we're watching in 2026: The Pitt S2, lots of Canadian movies and more 26:36

10d ago26:36

26:36

Critics Kathryn VanArendonk and Saloni Gajjar chat with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about the new and returning TV shows they’re excited about for the new year. And Jackson Weaver shares some Canadian movies to look out for in 2026.

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Fashion wins and misses in 2025 25:40

10d ago25:40

25:40

2025 was a big year on and off the runway. Fashion writers Danya Issawi, Tashira Halyard and Mosha Lundström Halbert look back on a year in fashion that was full of change, with Anna Wintour stepping down at Vogue, the death of Giorgio Armani and a new crop of designers taking over at places like Dior, Givenchy and Chanel.…

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The biggest pop culture moments of 2025 25:29

11d ago25:29

25:29

Coming into 2025, the phrases '6-7,' 'Italian brainrot,' 'Coldplay kiss-cam' and 'astronaut Katy Perry' were not commonly used expressions, but thanks to the unpredictable tides of pop culture, they have become permanent parts of a shared lexicon. On this episode of Commotion, writers Amil Niazi, Niko Stratis, and Jackson Weaver reflect on the most…

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The Sound of Silence from Unexplainable 30:59

11d ago30:59

30:59

A scientist asked people to sit in a silent room for 15 minutes. Almost half of them decided to give themselves a painful electric shock instead. What is it about our brains that makes our relationship with silence so strange? And should we learn how to listen to it? This is the third episode of the four-part Unexplainable series, The Sound Barrier…

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How riot grrls were replaced with girl power you could buy [2025 HIGHLIGHTS] 25:17

13d ago25:17

25:17

The phrase 'girl power' was coined by Bikini Kill in the early 1990s, but its meaning was watered down later in the decade when angry radical women in music were followed by younger, less opinionated pop stars. Sophie Gilbert dives into 1990s and 2000s pop culture in her latest book, Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Agains…

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What our shrinking attention span means for arts and entertainment [2025 HIGHLIGHTS] 25:11

15d ago25:11

25:11

Culture writer Rebecca Jennings, tech/public-policy expert Vass Bednar, and media-studies professor Siva Vaidhyanathan discuss how shrinking attention spans in the social-media age are impacting the way that literature, film, and music are produced and consumed.

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Mariah Carey's new album, and why she's still one of the most iconic singers of our time [2025 HIGHLIGHTS] 25:58

17d ago25:58

25:58

Elamin is joined by culture critics Pablo The Don and Michael Blackmon, along with Juno nominated singer Tanika Charles to discuss ‘Here For It All’ - the new album from Mariah Carey, and why she remains one of the most iconic singer/songwriters of our time.

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Naughty or nice? The 2025 holiday music round up 37:06

18d ago37:06

37:06

Every Christmas season, pop stars far and wide throw their Santa hats into the ring to see who has the next "All I Want for Christmas Is You," and this year is no exception. It's a yearly tradition on Switched On Pop to explore the deluge of holiday hits, and 2025 sees formidable entries to the canon from folks like Kylie Minogue, Leon Bridges, and…

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How NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts became a hub for Black pop [2025 HIGHLIGHTS] 26:08

19d ago26:08

26:08

For almost 20 years, NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts have given the internet a chance to see some of the biggest artists and promising upcoming talents in an incredibly intimate, live setting that has made for unforgettable moments. At the same time, the series has become a crucial and trusted hub for Black pop music. At the inaugural Departures festival …

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Hydronics: The OG HVAC - Part 1 1:24:14

19d ago1:24:14

1:24:14

In this episode we are once again diving into the world of hydronics systems and air-to-water heat pumps. These systems are poised to transform how we heat and cool homes and buildings in the US. In this Part 1 of a two part series, we’ll be tracing the historical "divergence" that pushed the US toward forced-air ducting while Europe stayed with th…

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How Kent Monkman creates new conversations about art and Canada's past [2025 HIGHLIGHTS] 25:36

19d ago25:36

25:36

This year, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the group chat gathered to talk about Kent Monkman, Kent Monkman is having a profound impact on the way we understand Canada’s past – and the histories of Indigenous peoples. Riley Yesno, Susan Blight and Marion Newman celebrated Kent Monkman, whose gender-fluid alter ego, Miss Chief Eagl…

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Friday wrap on: Avatar 3 and new Disney/OpenAI deal 25:23

23d ago25:23

25:23

Elamin is joined by film critics Jesse Wente, Sarah-Ta Black & Jackson Weaver to discuss ‘Avatar: Fire & Ash’ - the latest installment in James Cameron’s sci-action blockbuster franchise and react to Disney’s new agreement with OpenAI that will give the public access to some of Disney’s most beloved characters via OpenAI’s popular Sora app.…

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The Geese divide + best new Xmas albums! 25:12

24d ago25:12

25:12

Pretty much every best-of-2025 music list of note has featured Brooklyn band Geese’s third album, Getting Killed, at or near the top – a remarkable feat for an indie rock band whose members are still in their early 20s, and whose music is wilfully idiosyncratic, if not downright polarizing. Music journalist Emilie Hanskamp explains how Geese took t…

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Remembering Rob Reiner, and the 2025 shows and films you might've missed 25:16

24d ago25:16

25:16

Today, we remember Rob Reiner’s amazing Hollywood legacy, and a look back at some of the shows and films that may have flown under your radar. Elamin Abdelmahmoud chats with critics Roxana Hadadi, Rachel Ho, and Radheyan Simonpillai about their favourite Rob Reiner movies, and the best things they watched this year that didn’t get enough love.…

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What Rogers V. Rogers play tells us about Canada in this moment 25:28

25d ago25:28

25:28

Michael Healey’s new play 'Rogers V. Rogers: The Battle for Control Over Canada's Telecom Empire,' reveals a lot about the power structures that exist inside Canada. Elamin talks to journalist and author Paul Wells and The Globe and Mail’s Aisling Murphy about the success of the show, and how a story about a dysfunctional family and a corporate str…

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The year that killed music (best and worst of 2025) 47:27

25d ago47:27

47:27

From big-ticket albums by Taylor and Gaga, to a revival of the stomp-clap revival – 2025 had it all, for better and for worse. Now that the year has come to a close, it's time to take a look back at the past twelve months: what happened in the zeitgeist, what we loved listening to, and what we missed here on the show. Reanna, Charlie, and Nate talk…

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Has parodying the Toronto accent gone too far, and the cultural impact of the Shopaholic series 25:01

26d ago25:01

25:01

With a hot debate raging between prominent Toronto content creators Marlon Palmer and City Boy JJ about the right and wrong ways to use the Toronto accent as a comedic tool to gain online popularity, Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai is joined by culture critics Sandy Hudson and Matt Amha to discuss why conversations around who gets to cele…

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Friday Wrap on: Wake Up Dead Man, and Quentin Tarantino trash talks Paul Dano 25:36

29d ago25:36

25:36

Critics Roxana Hadadi, Angelo Muredda and Jackson Weaver chat with guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about the new Knives Out movie 'Wake Up Dead Man,’ Quentin Tarantino talking trash about Paul Dano’s acting, and all the elaborate marketing tactics movie studios are using to get you to come to the theatre again.…

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Why pop songwriters break the rules (ft. Amy Allen) 57:10

29d ago57:10

57:10

Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Allen joins NYU Steinhardt students live to trace her path from early pitch songs to co-writing some of the decade's defining hits. She explains why Halsey's "Without Me" needed an extended chorus but no pre-made chord loops, how Harry Styles' "Matilda" required character-driven writing for emotional safety, and what m…

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The best in Canadian music in 2025 25:26

1M ago25:26

25:26

CBC Music’s Natalie Harmsen, culture writer Riley Yesno, and Walrus writer Erin Macleod reflect on the big albums, trends, and challenges that defined Canadian music in 2025.

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How Frank Gehry's love of art showed up in the buildings he created, and S2 of For The Culture 25:11

1M ago25:11

25:11

Remembering Frank Gehry – one of the most famous architects of the last half-century, who had an improbable path to global stardom. Elamin Abdelmahmoud sits down with architect and designer Lukasz Kos and architecture critc Alex Bozikovic to talk about how Frank's love of the arts gave rise to buildings that were works of art on their own – and wha…