"Call Her Alex" Docuseries Most Interesting Moments

Buzz Feed

5 hours ago

Alex Cooper of Call Her Daddy recently released her Hulu docuseries Call Her Alex, chronicling the podcaster's journey from childhood bumps along the way to her rise and success. For those unfamiliar, Call Her Daddy has consistently ranked in Spotify's Top 5 of most listened to podcasts — and is the most listened to podcast on the platform by women.
In the docuseries, it dives into the juicy lore of CHD — the early days, the fractures, the rise, and where it is now — answering all the details fans and curious pop culture minds would have on the making of Call Her Daddy.
Here are 20 behind-the-scenes moments that really stuck with me:
Initially, Alex thought podcasting was for the "older generation that loved radio," especially with the endorsement from her dad, Bryan Cooper. "My dad was like, 'Ooh, there's this thing called podcasting now.'" When she thought about it more, she asked herself, "As a Zillennial, what would I want to listen to in a podcast format?"
Back in Boston, during her time on her soccer team, she gleaned that women had different comfort levels in talking about sex. "I really noticed this divide in my locker room of women who would openly talk about sex and their dating life, and then women who were terrified to talk about it," said Alex. "I knew I needed to take a risk."
Once Alex realized she had a topic in mind for the podcast, she called up her mom, Laurie Cooper, a psychologist, to say that she was writing content that was "super sexual" and "salacious." She said her mom answered back, "Great! Do it!"
Originally, Call Her Daddy had two hosts — Alex and Sofia. They were roommates, and like Alex, Sofia was comfortable talking about sex and wasn't afraid to dive into the details.
Alex's previous stint as a YouTuber, and her experience editing vlogs, shaped the podcast's distinct style and sound. The "very choppy" and "very fast-paced" editing gave CHD a unique rhythm. That, plus the sexual content, Alex said, was the recipe for success. "It really was a formula that wasn't being done," she said.
In the docuseries, Alex shares that she still edits her podcasts today.
Call Her Daddy was able to scale thanks to bro-media company Barstool Sports when its founder, Dave Portnoy, DM'd her. He had come across an episode she posted on her Instagram. What caught his interest was the frank and open way the hosts talked about sex and dating. "I always say Barstool Sports is supposed to be what guys talk about in the locker room," said Dave. "They were doing it from a female perspective."
The initial deal CHD signed with Barstool Sports was a three-year contract with a $70,000 salary plus bonuses.
The podcast's name came from a hoodie Alex bought in college that had the word "DADDY" splashed across it.
"All the guys would always be like, 'Why do you have daddy on your shirt?'" Alex recalled in an interview shown in the series. "Because I am," she answered.
Former Barstool Sports CEO Erika Ayers Badan said that because of the salacious content, finding advertisers was "hard," but the brand was a "juggernaut" in merchandise. According to the series, it sold millions of dollars in Call Her Daddy merch.
While the podcast was growing in popularity for its frank content, Alex said that the version of herself at the time was a "character" and that it was "the most heightened version" of herself. "I would leave the studio, and my voice would completely change."
Despite Call Her Daddy becoming a massive success, there were times of "low moments" and "self-doubt" for Alex, especially due to the sexual nature of the show. She said, "Extended family members thought I was so fucking crazy. Relationships ended in my family because my parents had to stick up for me and say like, 'Oh, she hasn't lost her mind, I promise.'"
Her mom, Laurie, said she would hear things like, "She was raised right. She's a good kid. Does her grandmother know?" Laurie countered, "My mother would have 100% endorsed this. That's the one thing. Tough relationship, but my mother was an out-there feminist."
Alex said of her upbringing, "I was fortunate to grow up in a household where it was normalized to speak your mind, so I was like, 'give me the microphone, I'll say it.'"
Eventually, behind-the-scenes, there were fractures growing between the co-hosts. "It was the classic, you think you see something online, and people genuinely believe we were like sisters," said Alex. "But our relationship was so awful."
Circling back to their initial contract with Barstool, the podcast grew, bringing in revenue and millions of listeners. The co-hosts agreed that they "absolutely deserved more money." But they were locked into their deal, plus Barstool owned their IP. A new deal was negotiated where if they stayed another year, they'd get their IP back.
"We started to see the unraveling of their friendship. I think they became more aware about how different the two of them were in what they wanted in it, from it, and out of it," said Erika, the former CEO of Barstool Sports.
According to the docuseries, Sofia did not want to take the deal while Alex did. "So I stayed," she said.
When it came time to host Call Her Daddy on her own, serendipitously, Alex was back at her parents' house. It was the pandemic, and she recorded her first solo episode in their basement, where her earliest passion for creating content was nurtured.
The evolution of Call Her Daddy, shifting from a frank and sex-positive podcast to a nuanced version of it that still includes sex but now also includes discussions on mental health and well-being, started when Alex wanted to drop the persona she had developed earlier. "I didn't want to be this character anymore," she said, and when she mentioned that she was in therapy, it was an opportunity for the podcast to shift in a new direction.
Alex said, "I understand it may not be revolutionary for someone to say, but the way I was speaking for 86 episodes like nothing affects me, 'I don't get upset. You can't penetrate my emotions. I am made of steel,' so the concept of 'Call Her Daddy' girl, being like, 'I'm in therapy. I'm an emotional wreck.' Everyone's like, 'Alex?'"
The podcast now has episodes that range from solo episodes to interviews with celebrities on mental health, dating, career, and life. Notably, even former Vice President Kamala Harris stopped by the CHD studio to talk about women's reproductive rights, career resilience, and challenging norms. Alex said, "I genuinely wanted to start talking to other people."
And most recently, Katy Perry came on and made waves when she spilled on what she'd give a blowjob for.
Today, Alex has created her own media platform, the Unwell Network, where she hopes to "uplift" the next up and coming voices. Following her success, her dream now would be if one of the creators on her network would get their own massive deal like the one she made headlines with, with SiriusXM.
After leaving Barstool Sports, Alex's Spotify deal was for $60 million for three years. Her recent SiriusXM deal is a multi-year agreement worth up to $125 million.
What a ride! Are you a Call Her Daddy listener? Did any of its lore titillate? Let us know in the comments!