Culture critics Amil Niazi and Kathryn Jezer-Morton react to Fortesa Latifi’s Teen Vogue piece on the wellbeing of kid influencers, and consider the way influencer parents need to be held accountable for the safety of their children. Plus, after 25 years and over 1,200 episodes, Ash and Pikachu’s storyline on the long-running anime show Pokémon will come to an end this year. Sarah Natochenny is the English voice actor behind Ash Ketchum, and she stops by Commotion to reflect on the legacy the beloved pair leave behind.

With sped-up versions of popular songs taking over TikTok and boosting Spotify streams, music industry experts DJ 4Korners and Reanna Cruz look at what’s fuelling this need for speed, and how the music industry is trying to capitalize on it. Plus, Sarah Hagi remembers actor Lance Reddick, who died on Friday just days before he’ll be on screen in the latest instalment of John Wick.

Sinead Bovell, a Canadian model and futurist, has long signalled the impact that artificial intelligence could have on the fashion industry. With the launch of an AI modelling agency, she delves into why models are particularly vulnerable to this wave, the benefits of AI for sustainability and creativity, as well as the ethical concerns AI raises. Plus, Nashville-via-Montreal singer/songwriter Allison Russell talks about her role in organizing Love Rising, an all-star concert featuring the likes of Sheryl Crow and Jason Isbell, happening in Nashville today to protest Tennessee’s recent anti-LGBTQIA+ and anti-drag legislation.

Culture writers Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Jen Sookfong Lee and Kevin Fallon discuss: 1) Donald Glover's new show Swarm (and the new Childish Gambino music he released with it), 2) the season 3 premier of everyone's favourite feel-good show Ted Lasso, and 3) the surprise retirement of celebrity stylist Law Roach.

Back in March 2020, Playboy announced it would stop printing its magazine. Now, the iconic brand is launching a platform for creators to upload their own content — but could this new model work? Andrea Werhun and Samantha Cole talk about the relationship between sex and the internet, and what may come of Playboy's latest move. Plus, just when people seem to (kind of) be getting used to this idea of Chat-GPT, a more powerful iteration of the artificial intelligence chatbot has launched. Alyssa Bereznak explains what GPT-4 is, and whether we should be worried.

Country superstar Morgan Wallen is dominating the charts right now, less than two years after he was caught on video drunkenly shouting a racial slur. Music writers Andrea Williams and Maura Johnston get into the big question: why hasn't Nashville given up on Morgan Wallen? Plus, Bhangra dancer Gurdeep Pandher shares why Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah is his pick for Canada Reads.

Commotion’s resident music experts Lisa Christiansen and Rollie Pemberton (a.k.a. rapper Cadence Weapon) weigh in on the highlights and lowlights of the 2023 Juno Awards. Plus, The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was once a pop culture juggernaut, but a couple of scandals and growing calls to diversify the runway led them to cancel the show in 2019. Now, the show is coming back in 2023, and fashion writer Lisa Wong Macabasco talks about why the reaction to its return is mixed.

Everything Everywhere All At Once was firmly in the winning circle on Oscars night. Film critics Eli Glasner, Kathleen Newman-Bremang and Alison Willmore unpack the wins and losses at Hollywood’s big night.

Toronto Star music critic Ben Rayner, freelance writer Niko Stratis and comedian Andrea Jin discuss: 1) the value of negative reviews, 2) Nickelback's entry into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and their legacy as the most polarizing band in the country, and 3) Michelle Yeoh's controversial Instagram post about the Oscars.

A cheating scandal on the reality show Vanderpump Rules is the talk of the Internet. Our panel of reality TV experts get into why it's making some consider whether the genre of reality TV has gone too far. The countdown to Canada Reads continues! Actor and filmmaker Keegan Connor Tracy will share why Greenwood by Michael Christie is her pick for the great Canadian book debate.

Janis Kahentóktha Monture is the new CEO of the Canadian Museums Association, and the first Indigenous person in this role. She talks about implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 67th call to action, and ongoing efforts to repatriate cultural artifacts. Plus, this Friday Netflix is dropping the second half of the K-Drama The Glory. When part one aired it was the biggest show in Korea, and a hit internationally, too — including here in Canada. Netflix announced 2023 will be their biggest year yet when it comes to Korean content: dramas, movies and reality shows. Bina Lee tells Elamin what all the commotion around K-Dramas is about.

Maybe we shouldn't be surprised that most of the models on the catwalk in Paris, Milan and New York are super skinny — but, it's 2023. What happened to body positivity, and size inclusivity? As Paris Fashion Week draws to a close, we check in with two people who have been covering the shows to talk about why we're seeing so many size zeros — and why that matters. Plus, with news that The People's Court is coming to an end, Elamin talks to culture critic Amil Niazi about its legacy, and the future of the reality court TV genre.

It's been nearly a year since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, and the comedian is ready to talk about it — on camera. His live Netflix special, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, aired live on Netflix over the weekend. You'll hear more about the set — and who showed up for Chris Rock. Plus, The Weeknd's show The Idol is under pressure after Rolling Stone reported on a toxic set that turned a story about a pop star angling for her own agency into a man's "rape fantasy."

The hosts of Let’s Make A Sci-Fi, one of The New Yorker’s “Best Podcasts of 2022”, are back in their writers’ room and this time they’re getting serious about love. Over eight episodes, Maddy, Mark, and Ryan try to balance love and laughs into a fresh, funny, and heart-felt movie script. When they run into trouble, they’ll have help from Hollywood experts, including rom-com screenwriting royalty Kirsten Smith (Legally Blonde, 10 Things I Hate About You), blockbuster director Ol Parker (Ticket to Paradise, Mama Mia II), comedian Phoebe Robinson (2 Dope Queens), as well as agents and actors, to reveal how we bring love to the big screen. And in the final episode, they’ll pitch their original romantic comedy and see if sparks fly. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/YUWzrI5d

Culture commentators Kathryn VanArendonk, Richard Van Camp and Matt Hart dive into: 1) the heartthrobification of TV's reigning man of the moment Pedro Pascal, 2) the return of Party Down and the fine art of producing a successful reboot, and 3) recommendations of what to read, watch and listen to this weekend

After years of legal limbo, the groundbreaking music of influential rap trio De La Soul will finally be available on streaming services this week. Maura Johnston and Ian Steaman dig into what took so long, and how an absence from streaming platforms can affect an artist's legacy. If an artist isn't on Spotify in 2023, do they still exist? Pink Floyd's album Dark Side of the Moon turns 50 this week. As essential as those songs are to rock'n'roll history, the album cover is equally iconic. Aubrey Powell and the late Storm Thorgerson were responsible for that album art, and Aubrey stops by to tell us the story of how they made Dark Side of the Moon.

The Porter isn't getting picked up for a second season, despite leading the Canadian Screen Awards with 19 nominations. Three creators take stock of the Canadian TV landscape, its financial reliance on networks abroad and the challenges in getting diverse Canadian stories on the air. Plus, musician Ben Gibbard gives us an exclusive 20th-anniversary oral history of The Postal Service's only album Give Up.

It seems like there are fewer steamy scenes on screen these days. While that might be a plus if you're watching TV with your grandma, it begs the question: what do we lose when sex scenes aren't as mainstream? Culture writers Rad Simonpillai and Angela Watercutter dive into the debate around intimacy onscreen. Plus, Jeopardy! and Canada Reads champion Mattea Roach shares their love for Kate Beaton's Ducks.

We remember the great Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent, who has died at the age of 92. Three of his good friends — comedian Mark Critch, actor Allan Hawco and TV executive Denise Donlon — stop by to share stories from the icon's career.

Friday wrap panelists and culture journalists Syrus Marcus Ware, A. Harmony and Falen Johnson talk about: 1) the new comedy film Cocaine Bear, which follows the true story of a bear who takes cocaine — and all hell breaks loose, 2) the news that a British publisher plans to make edits to Roal Dahl's beloved novels for children, and 3) the beauty of The Hair Tales, a dynamic new series on Disney+ that celebrates Black women's identity, beauty, culture and humanity through the stories in their hair.