Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

With comedian Ben Palmer’s fake immigration hotline going viral on TikTok and YouTube, Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai [RADDY-ann SIMON-pill-AY] is joined by culture critic El Jones and comedian Ashley Ray. They break down the satirical clips -- done in the style of Sacha Baron Cohen -- and explain what they reveal about our political discourse and this moment America is in. Plus - with stores in Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa, Steve’s Music has served as a destination for generations of musicians seeking out new and vintage gear. However, in response to changing market conditions spurred by the internet, Steve’s recently announced it would be closing all but one of its five locations. Veteran blues guitarist – and long-time Steve’s customer – Danny Marks explains what its loss says about the state of the music retail today.

Joan Chen played a series of iconic, beautiful women in the 80s and 90s, from Wan Jung in the Oscar-winning film 'The Last Emperor' to Josie Packard in David Lynch’s 'Twin Peaks.' Now in her 60s, the actor has been showing off her range in films like 'Didi,' 'The Wedding Banquet' and, most recently, 'Montreal, Ma Belle.' Culture critics Hoai-Tran Bui and Thomas Leblanc talk to guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about 'Montreal, ma belle,' Joan’s performance, and the slow-burn nature of the queer romance at the film’s centre.

And New York Fashion week gets underway this week – and as they always do, designers will be trying to grab your attention. Culture critic Joan Summers says the fashion world should be paying attention to the dress that Chappell Roan recently wore to the Grammys. She’ll join Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to explain why.

Musicians like Bruce Springsteen have quickly released anti-ICE protest songs, while folk singer Jesse Welles has become a viral sensation thanks to his hastily recorded reaction songs to current events. Slate columnist Carl Wilson and podcaster Vish Khanna talk to Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about the fine line between making an effective protest song versus merely setting topical talking points to music.

With Bad Bunny making history as the first artist to headline a Spanish-speaking performance at the Super Bowl Halftime show - Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai is joined by culture critics Rosa Clemente and Reanna Cruz to discuss the performance, the debate around whether Bad Bunny should have agreed to the performance at all, and where it sits in the larger history of Super Bowl Halftime shows.

Plus, poet and professor El Jones joins Radheyan Simonpillai to unpack Aquakultre's latest album ‘1783.’ It’s the Halifax artist's fourth studio album, and El Jones calls it his best work to date - an album that feels like an archive, connecting the words, sounds, and history of Black Nova Scotian life, past and present.

Brat summer is resurrected in Charli XCX’s new mockumentary The Moment, which satirizes concert films, the pop music machine and Charli XCX herself. Culture critics Sarah-Tai Black, Jackson Weaver and Joan Summers talk about the film with guest host Radheyan Simonpillai, along with the scandal surrounding the Safdie brothers and what they’re most looking forward to at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.