Alex Cooper, podcast host, has a single demand of anyone who decides to venture onto her show – be prepared to shed your shell. At 30, Cooper has built a name for herself soliciting emotions and intimate revelations from her guests, a gamut that spans from renowned primate expert Jane Goodall to Kamala Harris – the latter’s appearance widely perceived as a desperate grab for the youthful demographic.
While some may not be familiar with Alex Cooper, here’s a primer. This blonde American podcaster has garnered a significant user base through her show ‘Call Her Daddy’, rising to infamy for an episode entirely dedicated to discussions of her oral sex technique. The podcast, which dates back to 2018, holds no reservations when it comes to sex-related discussions and advice, quickly gaining traction amongst female listeners.
In terms of popularity, ‘Call Her Daddy’ is surpassed only by ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ on Spotify’s podcast charts. Meanwhile, Cooper’s business acumen shone when she managed to net a three-year exclusive deal with Spotify in 2021, a sign of her podcast’s success. This deal made Time Magazine dub her the ‘most successful woman in podcasting’. Forbes also ranked her high on its Top Creators list, indicating her ventures brought in a sizeable income.
In a major power move, Cooper swapped Spotify for SiriusXM in August 2021, signing a three-year deal as her distribution and advertising partner that reputedly earned her a hefty nine-figure sum. But perhaps her most eyebrow-raising coup, indicative of Cooper’s sway in popular culture, was an interview with Kamala Harris during the final phases of her presidential campaign.
However, Harris chose to only discuss her background, political trajectory, and stance on certain issues rather than dish on her personal life, which could be seen as an attempt to evade the usual trend of the podcast. An instance of this was when Harris brushed off Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ suggestion that her lack of biological children meant she lacked humility. To this, Harris responded with a vague statement about the fluidity of family forms.
Cooper hails from Newton, Pennsylvania, the youngest among three siblings. Her father was a sports producer for a TV ice hockey team, while her mother practiced psychology. Cooper’s upbringing in front and behind a camera, driven by an infatuation with her father’s line of work, taught her to ‘film it whenever you envision something or have a story to share’ – a lesson immortalized in her documentary.
As a nine-year-old, she became proficient in editing with Adobe Premier, developing an obsession over control on timing and pace. Another personal aspect she often showcased was her athletic side – particularly on the football field. This earned her a full tuition sports scholarship to Boston University in 2013 as a soccer player.
Post-BU, she initiated her own YouTube channel. Her podcasting journey began when someone suggested she discuss women’s life – especially their sex lives. This led to Dave Portnoy, founder of the American pop culture website Barstool Sports, offering her a deal after finding out she was responsible for cutting and editing her own show. Despite Barstool Sports offering Cooper and her then co-host, Franklyn, a three-year deal, Cooper’s explicit and detailed discussions on her show left some questioning the ethics of her success.
Fact remains, Cooper’s wealth of followers largely consist of women – she has made them her audience, her supporters. She leverages this empowering platform to pose explicit questions, push her guests for intimate revelations, and reveal details about her own life. An interesting insight is that Cooper was deliberate in the creation of her podcast persona, maximizing her and her co-host’s impossible-to-substitute presence right from the start in the cover artwork of the show.
In the initial six months of the Barstool contract, she argued for higher pay than her co-host Franklyn, citing that the work invested wasn’t equitable. As she realized the potential of her podcast in 2020, Cooper renegotiated her deal with Barstool’s Portnoy, securing the rights to the show’s IP – an agreement initially declined by Franklyn. Swift to action, Cooper discarded Franklyn exclaiming, ‘I’d realized the Daddy Gang was bigger than both of us.’
If the cornerstone of feminism is self-branding as a strong, free, sexually-liberated woman, Cooper has indeed aced it. Scrutiny into her past reveals that this concerted effort can be traced back to her adolescence. Persistently, she has debunked societal norms, unwavering from her determined path.
In retrospect, Cooper’s unorthodox rise to fame and her success reside in her audacious openness about traditionally taboo topics, such as sex. Not shying away from explicit questions about her guests’ sex lives and her loves for women greatly contribute to her popularity amongst listeners.
Moreover, her relentless pursuit of financial success has paid off in full. She embraced her knack for story-telling, resulting in an authentic, successful self-brand anchored around female empowerment, sex, and all issues surrounding these themes.
Cooper’s ventures and consequent success serve as stark proof that no conversation is off-limits if broached appropriately. However, the discretion applied in crafting these conversations merits scrutiny, as it is vital that discussions, especially those surrounding intimate matters, uphold privacy, consent, and respect.
However, the steady ascent of her career has not been sans criticism. Cooper’s motives, the portrayal of her feminism, and the content she delivers raise several questions about the societal norms she challenges and the ethics behind her methods. With the high-profile guests her podcast lures and the explicit details revealed, the line between empowerment and personal intrusion appears blurred.
In conclusion, Alex Cooper, despite the polarized opinion about her podcast, has become a formidable presence in the podcast world. Her story of success has both inspired and stirred controversy in equal measure. As she forges ahead, it remains to be seen what other barriers she is willing to cross to ensure her voice remains heard in this highly competitive world.
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