Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is a new AppleTV comedy-thriller starring Canadian actor Tatiana Maslany. Commotion guest host Amil Niazi is joined by film critic Radheyan Simonpillai and culture critic C.T. Jones to talk about the new series and why it's so polarizing for some audiences.

Plus, over the past week, videos of an Olivia Rodrigo performance in Barcelona have gone viral largely due to her choice of outfit: the babydoll dress. What was once seen as a symbol of feminist fashion in the ‘90s (think Courtney Love), the dress has taken on a much more problematic, infantalizing dimension for younger women raised in the shadow of #MeToo and the Epstein files. Music journalist Brittany Spanos explains how the babydoll dress has come to represent dramatically different things to different generations, and how Rodrigo’s use of it blurs the line between these varying interpretations.

The big fashion story of the moment is Shein buying Everlane. The companies are total opposites: Shein is the king of ultra-fast fashion and Everlane marketed itself as an eco-conscious and ethical clothing brand. Elamin Abdelmahmoud chats with Clare Press, the host of the sustainable fashion podcast, ‘Wardrobe Crisis’ about what this acquisition says about our relationship with sustainable clothing.

Plus, Canadian poets haven’t won the most prestigious prize for Canadian poetry for the past 4 years, ever since International poets became eligible to win it too. And Canadian poets are not happy. Yesterday, prize organizers held a town hall to hear all sides. Poet Paul Vermeersch was there, and he’ll share what he heard and saw with Elamin

Held on May 24 in Las Vegas, the Enhanced Games is a rarity among international sporting competitions, in that it permits – and actively encourages – athletes to compete using performance enhancing drugs, thus earning the dubious nickname of the “Steroid Olympics.” Sports writers Morgan Campbell and Adam Skolnick discuss whether the games are just a silly spectacle, or a troubling bellwether of where sports – and wellness culture as a whole – could be heading.

Plus, classical music lost a legend this month. Cris Derksen was a prolific Cree cellist and composer, who was known for defying genres. Musician Jeremy Dutcher joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to honour his friend, Cris Derksen, who died at the age of 45.

It’s the end of an era – when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert goes off the air (May 21). TV critic Eric Deggans, comedian Ashley Ray and political columnist Justin Ling join Elamin the morning after the finale to take stock of Colbert’s impact -- and the show that will fill his slot: Comics Unleashed.

With release of ‘I Love Boosters’ from Boots Riley and ‘Is God Is’ - the debut film from Aleshea Harris, Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by film critic Sarah-Tai Black and culture critic Rania El Mugammar to discuss the buzz around these two releases and the different ways these two films explore themes like revenge and justice.

Plus, the Canadian Grand Prix is this weekend! As Montreal gears up to welcome F1’s best drivers, TV host and F1 super-fan Michelle Jobin explains why women are growing the sport and what people can expect from Canada’s biggest race weekend.