Call Her Alex Cooper
In 2018 I was still very new to the world of podcasts and with an endless supply available on Spotify I had no idea where to begin. Yet one day I came across the series “Call Her Daddy” then hosted by Alexandra Cooper and Sofia Franklyn. It was a sex and relationship podcast where the hosts would talk openly about their sexual experiences, relationships and answer listener questions. In 2018 it wasn’t for me. In all honesty I couldn’t stand listening to their annoying voices and vulgar vernacular just to prove the point that women can talk about sex too - what a shocker.
It turns out, despite their high ratings in the streaming charts, I wasn’t the only one who felt this way about the show. In its early days it faced a lot of criticism for offering advice to young women that was seen as "unhealthy and unhelpful. [The advice] creates an environment that tells women that their worth is in their sexual abilities, not their minds and souls.” After listening to a couple of episodes I decided to give up on podcasts for another couple of years because the format was not for me. Or at least that is what I thought until something global happened in 2020 that propelled me back into the world of the pod.
Exclusive Deals
In the “Call Her Daddy” world things were changing rapidly. Publicly, and dramatically, Sofia left the podcast due to contractual issues with their previous company Barstool Sports. This meant that the reigns were given to Alex Cooper to carry on the podcast on a solo basis. If you’re interested in finding out more about the entire drama and public feud narrative that was created between the female hosts you can read that here.
A lot of fans didn’t know what the show would be like spearheaded by Alex Cooper but the folks over in Spotify must have known they were on to a good thing as last year Alex signed a $60 million exclusive deal with Spotify for the next three years. And so we entered into the new era of CHD and what an era it is.
After facing podcast fatigue with the “Diary of a CEO” and “Happy Place” I decided to give “Call Her Daddy” another go. I noticed that Alex was now often joined by guests such as Miley Cyrus, Hailey Bieber and Cole Sprouse. I enjoyed the laidback style of their conversations in comparison to the intensity of Steven Bartlett’s discussions. And now I am hooked.
Let’s talk about The Jingle
There aren’t many podcast jingles that I enjoy but CHD’s is up there with “Man I Feel Like a Woman” vibes for me. Listening to the latest episode on my morning commute I genuinely feel like I could take the day on head first. Of course there’s that, then the personal, emotional and hilarious conversations that ensue whether it is a solo episode or if a guest has entered the CHD studio.
“Daddy Gang”
One recurring factor that Alex is deeply passionate about is the “Daddy Gang”. If you’re wondering what this phrase refers to it is the legion of her fan base and the global community she has pioneered of confident and powerful women. On a recent Diary of a CEO episode, Alex joined Steven Bartlett to discuss her success. His line of questioning focused on why it was her show that was the biggest in the world.
Her response was how “connected” she was to her audience and how she does “everything” for them not the brand deals or public facing accolades her executive teams bring to the table. As a recent member of the “Daddy Gang” I was particularly delighted with her response. She is authentic and you can tell her important her audience is to her - a lesson that many brands can take from her, to be obsessed with your user, customer or listener.
Urban Dictionary Definition
It is needless to say that I do not agree with the below Urban Dictionary definition of the term “Daddy Gang” and how it relates to fans of the show. But I do appreciate how it provides a segue into my next giving out session.
Daddy gang
Term for listener of the podcast Call Her Daddy, usually a female that sleeps around and has a holier than thou attitude
With the split between Alex and Sofia, there was a clear shift in topics discussed on the show and the general tone. It went from over the top sexual compensation with the duo to a much more considered, respectful and individualistic approach to discussing sex and relationships. Alex has referred to that things she said in the early days were either not accurate or were over-the-top purely for ratings and what Barstool Sports wanted. I appreciated her recognising this before offering advice for a new generation of young women.
On an episode with Tiffany Haddish the pair talked about how some men see them as a threat to the status quo as they openly discuss their sexuality and have encouraged others to do so too. Alex laments that a fan met her in a restaurant and said a guy at her table said he “hates Alex Cooper because she is making girls too confident”. I mean, he sounds like a delightful dinner guest. The fan mused that she loved the podcast and it had made her more confident in her life - I love that.
But despite the podcast with its legion of fans and success for both Alex and Spotify, it is still impacted by the double standards faced by women every day. If a fella was talking about his life in this format he would be praised and celebrated but for a girl the rules are totally different. Thankfully this is getting better but for such a deep rooted norm it will take the entire CHD fanbase to challenge this in their communities.
General Musings
I fell out of love a bit with the intense podcasts like “Diary of a CEO” and “Happy Place” for one, lengthy advertisement breaks and two, how in the last minutes the guest seems to undermine their entire conversation but promoting their next venture whether it is a TV show, book or event. When so many conversations focus on the damning effects of being in the public eye and the trauma that they have came through from a young age it seems out of touch to be like, “but come see me on tour”.
It’s also hard to ignore the press circuit special guests seem to do as often in the same week a star could be on with both Steven and Fearne talking about their personal lives and mental health struggles. Recently Cole Sprouse was on CHD which caused an internet frenzy and memeable content but in the same week he was also on “Diary of a CEO” and this for me seems to dilute the message of what they are saying. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this view, do you think it dilutes the message or is useful to spread awareness (and promote their latest venture)?