The most political Eurovision in recent memory, and Randy Travis's AI song

An Israeli artist's statement on the world's biggest art stage: The 60th annual Venice Biennale opens this weekend, but one exhibit will be closed to the public. Ruth Patir, the artist representing Israel, is refusing to open her exhibit until “a cease-fire and hostage release agreement is reached.” Elamin speaks with Kate Brown, senior editor at Artnet News about how Ruth's protest is making waves in the art world. Plus, Elamin is joined by The Verge’s tech writer Emma Roth and music journalist Marc Masters to talk about the resurgent popularity of physical media including vinyl, CDs, DVDs and cassette tapes. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

Are biopics rewriting history?: Film and culture critics Bilge Ebiri, Rad Simonpillai and Niko Stratis join Elamin to discuss biopics and what it means when they are seen as more fact than fiction, and families and estates are involved in making them. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

The JLo Cinematic Universe, and why influencers aren’t journalists: Culture critics Lainey Lui, Jackson Weaver and Julianne Escobedo Shepherd join Elamin to unpack the confusion and reaction to J-Lo’s latest multi-format project and weigh in on the tensions between influencers and entertainment journalists. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

The future in standup without Just for Laughs, and did Wendy Williams really consent to the docuseries about her?: Just for Laughs, the world's biggest comedy festival, is cancelled this year due to financial problems. Ali Hassan and Cassie Cao read the tea leaves and imagine a future for standup comedians like themselves without the festival. Plus, a new series about Wendy Williams – the iconic former talk show host – documents her slide into dementia. But it’s unclear whether she consented to the way she’d be portrayed. Tayo Bero calls it a voyeuristic mess and says Hollywood should know better. She’ll share her concerns with Elamin. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

The personal essay is back...and authors are sick of writing them: On top of giving interviews and hosting reading events, many authors are often pressured by their publishers to write personal essays about topics related to their book for various media outlets, as a means of selling themselves to a wider audience. Writers Tajja Isen and Vivek Shraya explain why book publishers, media sites, and readers alike have become enamored with the personal-essay format and why many authors aren’t pleased about the additional work being required of them. Plus, culture writer Aparita Bhandari joins Elamin to talk about the new film Laapataa Ladies. She explains how this film makes a story set in rural India feel universal and why it's exciting to finally get a second film from Indian director and producer Kiran Rao. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

Why were The American Society of Magical Negroes and Ava Duvernay's Origin flops at the box office?: FIlm and culture critics Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Sarah-Tai Black and Jackson Weaver join Elamin to discuss the new film The American Society of Magical Negroes and whether the disappointing box office performance and lack of Oscar nominations for Ava Duvernay’s latest film Origin has anything to do with reported tensions between Duvernay and Neon, the film’s distributor. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

The uncertain future of Just for Laughs, and does the Love is Blind experiment actually work?: On Tuesday, the comedy world was rocked by the news that Montreal’s Just for Laughs festival was canceling its 2024 edition after financial hardships. Montreal Gazette writer T’Cha Dunlevy checks in with a local perspective on the impact JFL’s absence will have on the city, and whether the festival can bounce back. Plus, on the Netflix reality show Love is Blind, men and women get engaged before ever seeing each other in person. The show has earned Emmy nominations and more than a billion viewers – but has it proved its point? Amil Niazi and Kathryn VanArendonk join host Elamin to unpack the results of this so-called love experiment, six seasons in. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

23 min listen

BONUS: What went into a dog actor's performance in Oscar nominated Anatomy of a Fall?: There is zero Oscars buzz about one of the best performances of the year, and that's because it's not by a human. Messi — a seven year old Border Collie — plays Snoop in Anatomy of a Fall. We’ll talk with a dog trainer about what went in to his incredible performance and why no matter how good AI gets, it will never be able to replace real animals on screen. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

13 min listen

What do we want out from award show speeches?: Ahead of the Oscars this weekend, writers Hunter Harris, Kathleen Newman-Bremang and Omar El Akkad join Elamin to talk about the greatest acceptance speeches of all time and why more people aren’t taking advantage of the platform to amplify the causes they care about. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

Ariana Grande's new album, and Heather O'Neill wins Canada Reads!: The Commotion Friday Group Chat convenes to talk about this week’s big blockbuster pop release — Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine — and why some fans have turned on her. Joining Elamin this week are music journalist Maura Johnston, and culture writers Niko Stratis and Anne T. Donahue. Plus, The Future by Catherine Leroux, translated by Susan Ouriou and championed by Heather O’Neill has won Canada Reads 2024. Heather and Catherine join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to recap the week of debates and bask in the warm glow of victory. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

26 min listen

Netflix’s 3 Body Problem, comedy's man of the moment Ramy Youssef and new horror flick Immaculate: The Commotion Friday Group Chat convenes to talk about this week’s biggest pop-culture stories, including Netflix’s epic new series 3 Body Problem, brought to you by the creators of Game of Thrones; the new stand-up special from comedy’s man of the moment, Ramy Youssef; and Sydney Sweeney's highly polarizing “nunsploitation flick” Immaculate. Joining Elamin are film critic Radheyan Simonpillai, comedy writer Cassie Cao and culture reporter Leila Latif. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

The Oscars were last night, and here are the highlights!: Following two Hollywood strikes and an exciting year for film, the 96th Academy Awards have finally arrived. Entertainment journalists Eli Glasner, Rachel Ho and Johnnie Jae join host Elamin to unpack the highs and lows of this year’s Oscars. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

Diving into queer thriller Love Lies Bleeding, the SXSW boycott and Justin Timberlake's comeback attempt, Everything I Thought It Was: The Commotion Friday Group Chat convenes to talk about this week’s biggest pop culture stories, including the queer erotic thriller Love Lies Bleeding starring Kristen Stewart; the mass band boycott of SXSW due to the event’s sponsorship ties to the U.S. military and defense industry; and pop star Justin Timberlake’s latest comeback attempt, Everything I Thought It Was. Joining Elamin for this week’s chat is culture writer Niko Stratis, Mashable film editor Kristy Puchko and music journalist Suzy Exposito. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

Commotion Introduces: PlayME | First Metis Man of Odesa: PlayME is transforming the way we experience theatre by turning contemporary plays into bingeable audio dramas. In this episode, First Métis Man of Odesa (Part 1), a real-life love story that spans continents, a pandemic and an invasion. Matt, a Canadian Metis playwright, falls for Mariya, a Ukrainian actor, during a theatre workshop in Kyiv. They kindle a year-long romance through emails before meeting in Toronto, igniting a whirlwind love affair. But as they face the challenges of a long-distance relationship, doubts creep in for both. Just before the pandemic hits, they receive life-altering news, testing the strength of their bond and the viability of their future together. First Metis Man of Odesa is by Matthew MacKenzie and Mariya Khomutova. More episodes of PlayME are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/5qK8Yesw by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

35 min listen

What Sydney Sweeney has come to represent: Sydney Sweeney has been everywhere since her breakout performance in Euphoria. Recently, she's starred in the hit rom-com Anyone But You, the terrible superhero movie Madame Web, and now she plays a nun in the horror film Immaculate. But lately, the discourse around Sydney Sweeney hasn’t been about her acting roles. But rather, it’s been about how she breaks the unwritten rules of celebrity when it comes to politics and class. Plus, film and tv critic Rachel Ho joins Elamin to talk about why the animated show Invincible is succeeding as a live action superhero show when so many blockbusters are struggling to captivate audiences. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

Quiet on Set: how Nickelodeon failed to protect its child actors: Some say the early 2000’s was a golden age for children’s television. But in the new docuseries Quiet on Set, audiences learn that behind the scenes at Nickelodeon, it was anything but. Culture writer Scaachi Koul and former child actor Michael Seater join host Elamin to discuss the revelations from the docuseries and what it’s really like to make children’s TV. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

The popularity of TikTok series "Who TF Did I Marry? and HBO's new political satire The Regime: Reesa Teesa recently blew up on TikTok with her fifty part "Who TF did I Marry?" series detailing her previous toxic marriage. CT Jones and Amanda Hess join Elamin to discuss what Teesa’s viral moment says about the platform’s growing popularity amongst 40+ audiences. Plus, TV critic Hanna Flint shares her thoughts on HBO’s new political satire, The Regime. Kate Winslet stars as an authoritarian leader in an unnamed central European country. But is the show strong enough to hold HBO’s coveted Sunday slot? by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

BONUS: Are the changes to the Griffin Poetry prize hurting Canadian poets?: With no Canadian contenders on this year’s Griffin Poetry Prize longlist, poet and academic Paul Vermeersch joins Elamin to react to the news and unpack how recent changes to the prize’s criteria might impact the future visibility of Canadian poets on the international stage. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

14 min listen

How gang violence has impacted local musicians in Haiti: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the situation in Haiti a “humanitarian and security catastrophe.” With gang violence on the rise, the country’s music industry has begun to feel the impacts in a big way. Miami Herald reporter Jacqueline Charles explains how local musicians are getting caught in the middle of this conflict. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

23 min listen

What the Kate photo says about our current information dystopia, and Grey's Anatomy debuts its 20th season!: News agencies are refusing to run the most recent photo of Kate Middleton and her kids because they could see it had been doctored. Charlie Warzel says nothing showcases the choose-your-own reality information dystopia we’re living in better than this photo blunder. Plus, Grey's Anatomy's 20th season debuts this week without its titular character (sort of). Entertainment journalists Sarah Hunter Simanson and Emily Longeretta join Elamin to talk about how this show became such an iconic staple of network TV, how it navigated so much change over the last 20 years and where it's landed now. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

29 min listen

Can artists still make it in Halifax?: Halifax is renowned for its vibrant cultural scene, but it’s getting harder to make a living — and artists are having to move farther afield just to stay afloat. Musicians Maggie Andrew and Adam Baldwin, comedian Aba Amuquandoh and filmmaker Tara Thorne join Elamin at the Commotion table in Halifax to talk about what the capital of Nova Scotia has to offer artists today, and what’s at stake when artists can’t make ends meet there. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

28 min listen

Recapping the 2024 Junos — Canada's biggest night in music!: Elamin is joined by artists and culture critics Cadence Weapon, Tristan Grant and Haligonian music journalist Morgan Mullen to react to the 2024 Juno Awards. They'll also unpack Maestro Fresh Wes' induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

A startling look at parenting influencers, and Richard Serra's legacy on the art world: For the last couple of years, journalist Fortesa Latifi has been reporting on the stories of the grown up children of parenting influencers. Her latest documentary and article from Cosmopolitan offers a startling look behind the camera — and how some sharenters are addressing the criticism or making the decision to stop using their children in content creation. Plus, CBC producer Lise Hosein pays tribute to the late American sculptor Richard Serra — who died this past Tuesday at the age of 85 — by giving her first-person account of visiting one of his more obscure site-specific works, Shift, located on a private farm north of Toronto. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

24 min listen

Kill Tony is one of the biggest comedy shows right now, and The People's Joker is finally out: Elamin is joined by Commotion regular Matt Hart and comedian Ali Hassan to talk about how the chaotic, unapologetically crude, and competitive stand-up showcase "Kill Tony" became one of the most popular comedy podcasts in North America. Plus, Josie Riesman explains why Vera Drew’s "The People’s Joker" is the most compelling take on one of the most iconic villains in cinema. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

Without corporate title sponsors, can Canada's cultural festivals survive?: Canadian arts organisations have relied heavily on big companies to be their title sponsors: the Toronto International Film Festival had Bell, Luminato had L'Oréal, and the CONTACT Photography Festival had Scotiabank. But now, more and more of these corporate sponsors are pulling out — and no one is stepping up to fill the gap. Darcy Killeen, the CEO of CONTACT, tells host Elamin Abdelmahmoud about what it was like to lose their lead sponsor, and arts reporter Josh O’Kane explains what’s at stake for the arts in this country amidst a shifting funding landscape. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

23 min listen

A look back at the history of Freaknik, and examining Israel's entries into Eurovision: With the release of the new doc Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told, Elamin is joined by veteran Atlanta hip-hop journalists Sonia Murray and David Dennis Jr., for a brief look at the history of one of Atlanta’s most iconic 90s Black street parties. Plus, one of the non-european countries participating in the Eurovision Song Contest this year is Israel, which has sparked debate on its place in the competition, espeically amidst the war in Gaza. Journalist and Eurovision expert Karen Fricker talks about the contest's goal of staying apolitical, and the songs submitted by Israel for the competition: October Rain and Hurricane. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

24 min listen

How covering O.J. Simpson reshaped entertainment: In the wake of O.J. Simpson's death last week, writers David Dennis Jr., Jael Richardson, and Eric Harvey reflect on how O.J.'s murder trial in 1995 pushed conversations about race, privilege, domestic violence, and narcissism into the national spotlight, and how the unprecedented media hysteria over the trial set the table for the TMZ-driven, true-crime, reality-TV-obsessed world that we're living in now. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

Do true crime stories help or exploit? And unpacking Drake's new diss track: It's been ten years since the first episode of the hit podcast Serial came out, and we've been riding this wave of true crime entertainment ever since. Sarah Weinman and Karen K. Ho join Elamin to talk about how the genre has grown over the last decade, and where it still falls short. Plus, David Dennis Jr. reacts to Drake’s latest Kendrick diss track entitled ‘Taylor Made Freestyle,’ and talks about how the use of AI in this song and throughout this particular rap feud is raising new concerns about its use in pop music. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

25 min listen

Jerrod Carmichael's new show is so uncomfortable, and Dev Patel's directorial debut: For this week's group chat, Elamin Abdelmahmoud sits down with Sarah-Tai Black, Rad Simonpillai and Jackson Weaver to talk about Dev Patel's new action movie Monkey Man, which he wrote, directed and stars in, and comedian Jerrod Carmichael’s surreal, intimate new reality show. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

28 min listen

WrestleMania 40 was a turning point for WWE: Elamin is joined by wrestling fans Damian Abraham (of the band F*cked Up) and culture critic Pablo,The Don to discuss highlights of WrestleMania 40, and also the state of the franchise, given its new deal with Netflix and the controversy surrounding its former CEO Vince McMahon. by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

26 min listen

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The most political Eurovision in recent memory, and Randy Travis's AI song

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