4 hours ago
1
The podcasting medium is overrun these days, with faces and voices representing every corner of the globe, offering opinions and advice on pretty much everything. However, even if one isn’t familiar with podcast tycoon Alex Cooper, her mega-hit show, “Call Her Daddy,” will undoubtedly ring a bell. Back in 2018, just one year after the #MeToo movement began, initially in partnership with Barstool Sports, the now 30-year-old launched a sex and dating podcast that would go on to transform the podcasting landscape, eventually becoming the top podcast among women globally. Now, in a two-part Hulu docuseries premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, “Call Her Alex,” helmed by Peabody Award-nominated director Ry Russo-Young, fans of Cooper and her pod are getting more insight into the media mogul’s upbringing. The two-episode docuseries focuses on the moments that defined her and how and why she became the voice for zillennial women. Straightforward and fast-paced, the show itself isn’t distinctive. Still, it’s very apparent why Cooper has become unstoppable.
Part 1 of the series opens in 2023, as Cooper and her team are preparing to embark on her first-ever live tour, “The Unwell Tour.” Just five years after launching “Call Her Daddy” alongside her then-roommate Sofia Franklyn from their New York City apartment, Cooper’s celebrity and the podcast, backed at the time by a $60 million-plus Spotify deal, stealing it from Barstool, are trudging through rehearsals.
Russo-Young turns her lens on Cooper as she manages personal anxieties surrounding the seven-stop tour while centering on the bond she shared with her then-close friend and executive producer, Lauren McMullen and her now-husband and business partner, Matt Kaplan. The episode flits back and forth between tour preparation, performances and home footage from Cooper’s childhood. The audience learns the podcaster has always had a knack for storytelling. Her father, Bryan Cooper, produced the games for their hometown hockey league. This inspired Cooper to begin creating her own stories in the basement with her best friends. The sisterhood, dances and skits became a refuge for her. Though she was a star at home, Cooper opens up about being bullied at school by boys due to her waif-like stature and her natural red hair. She discusses how her poor body image and her wish to be desired felt embarrassing.
While these elements of the show address Cooper’s foundational moments and interests, “Call Her Alex” doesn’t truly get interesting until the latter half of Part 1. Cooper recalls her college experience at Boston University, where she played Division 1 soccer on a full scholarship, only to be sidelined her senior year after she accused her coach, Nancy Feldman, of sexual harassment. Detailing the years-long turmoil, Cooper unpacks the anger, fear and anguish she felt and why the betrayal (especially when the university decided to protect Feldman) enraged her, prompting her to reclaim her voice post-grad.
Much stronger than its predecessor, the docuseries’ second episode unpacks the origins of “Call Her Daddy.” Part 2 zeroes in on major highlights like Cooper’s Spotify and later $125 million Sirius XM deals and even offers viewers glimpses of her wedding and her interview last fall with Vice President Kamala Harris during her presidential run. More intriguing tidbits come from Cooper’s parents, who discuss the ruckus the X-rated podcast caused, resulting in them losing relationships with family members and old friends. Cooper also reflects on the evolution of the program from a raunchy sex show about blow jobs to one centered on her vulnerability, shedding her “Daddy” persona and focusing on a wide variety of subjects, including interviews with a diverse range of guests, such as Jane Fonda, Janelle Monáe, Christina Aguilera and others. Another standout moment occurs when the host reveals she was strategic about not being political until she knew she needed to focus on women’s rights following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Overall, the series works fine. Cooper is a super personable, unapologetic girl’s girl who carries a determination and truly commendable single-mindedness. For viewers, it’s clear why she has been such a success despite any obstacles thrown her way. Yet, fans of “Call Her Daddy” already know this, which is why the podcast remains the phenomenon it is. While “Call Her Alex” ties all the threads to Cooper’s story in a neat bow, the woman and the brand she’s built have already usurped this simplistic tale.
Both episodes of “Call Her Alex” premiere June 10 on Hulu.
English (US) ·