'Call Her Daddy' Is One of the Biggest Podcasts, but What's Behind the Name?

Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy has been one of the biggest names in podcasting for some time, but the podcast just got a little more high profile thanks to a recent interview that Alex conducted with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Following this major interview, though, many wanted to know more about how the podcast came to be so huge.

In particular, they want to know where the name Call Her Daddy actually comes from. The name doesn't make a lot of intuitive sense, but here's what we know about its origins.

The idea behind the show's name is, generally speaking, female empowerment. "Daddy" is a nickname often ascribed to men to suggest that they are powerful, and even the women they are in romantic relationships with are somehow their children (it's pretty gross when you think about it). Alex is weaponizing that idea by insisting that we call her "daddy," asserting that she has power of her own.

The name apparently stems from a specific incident where Alex was talking with former cohost Sofia Franklyn and describing something that a woman did in the bedroom that was apparently earth-shattering. Alex continued by suggesting that thing was "call him daddy," to which Sofia replied "no, call her daddy."

So while the name has a more generally applicable meaning, it's also rooted in a specific story.

There are some who don't like the name in spite of the fact that it is meant to denote female empowerment. These people suggest that the name still uses an archetype of male power, suggesting that women have to take over those archetypes instead of seizing their own power. Regardless, though, the name has its roots in female empowerment, which may explain why the podcast was the most-listened to podcast among women on Spotify in 2023.

In the aftermath of interviewing Kamala Harris, Call Her Daddy is facing backlash from some listeners who didn't want the podcast to get political.

“Oh nooo why did we have to get THIS political. listening to your podcasts was a nice escape from everything we hear about politics daily,” one person wrote on Instagram.

“I’m so disappointed, this feels like propaganda and trying to make her look ‘gen z,'” another person wrote.

Call Her Daddy does not usually interview political figures, but the idea that the podcast has never been political before might seem strange to those who listen regularly. And, Alex also classified that she invited Donald Trump to be interviewed on the show, and he declined.

Alex has a powerful platform, and while this interview may have cost her some listeners, it also may have gained her some new ones who were curious to hear what the vice president had to say. The long-time host of the show likely didn't make that decision lightly.