Harris' “Call Her Daddy” appearance divides podcast listeners

Topline

Podcast host Alex Cooper interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris on her popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Spotify's second-largest podcast, which has a large audience of female listeners and drew criticism from some of Cooper's conservative-leaning listeners.

Important facts

How tall is Call Her Daddy?

“Call Her Daddy” has been Spotify’s second-largest podcast for the past two years, right behind Joe Rogan’s “Joe Rogan Experience.” Spotify also says it is the largest podcast for women on its platform. According to Edison Research, “Call Her Daddy” was the fourth-largest podcast across all platforms in the second quarter of 2024, behind Rogan, “Crime Junkie” and The New York Times' “The Daily.” Cooper also has a large following on social media: 2.4 million followers on her Call Her Daddy Instagram account and 3.9 million followers on the podcast's TikTok. Cooper regularly hosts high-profile celebrity guests on her podcast, including Simone Biles, Post Malone and Katy Perry. Cooper has also increased her podcast's exposure through media appearances, including hosting the Paris Olympics this summer for NBC. Her podcast is hugely popular on streaming services: SiriusXM spent $100 million for the rights to her podcast in August, three years after Spotify paid $60 million for exclusive rights.

Does “Call Her Daddy” have a conservative fan base?

Although it's unclear how much of Cooper's listener base consists of conservatives, Cooper said before her Harris interview that she has a “very diverse audience when it comes to politics” and acknowledged that she rarely talks about politics on her podcast to make all listeners a welcoming place. However, Cooper has previously spoken out in support of abortion rights. In a “Call Her Daddy” episode released in October 2022, Cooper spoke to women who had to travel from states with restrictive abortion laws to other states to receive medical care, which they said was the impact of anti-abortion laws should emphasize on women. She also criticized the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. Cooper's podcast also grew in popularity after it was acquired in 2018 by Barstool Sports, the media company founded by Dave Portnoy and known for its conservative-leaning audience, which Politico dubbed “Barstool Republicans.”

News Peg

Cooper released her interview with Harris on Sunday, in which she asked the vice president questions primarily about women's issues, including reproductive rights. Harris criticized state laws she called “Trump abortion bans” and rejected Trump's claim that he would be a “protector” for women as president. She also addressed comments made last month by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican, in which she said Harris had no biological children in order to remain “humble.” Harris said she “feels bad” for Sanders, explaining that many women “don't strive to be humble” and have “a lot of love in their life, family in their life, and children in their life” to lift them up.

Crucial quote

“I couldn't imagine a world where this election is primarily about women, and I'm not a part of it,” Cooper said, defending her decision to interview Harris despite her politically diverse audience. Her decision to focus her conversation on women's issues to concentrate.

tangent

Cooper ranked No. 12 on Forbes' list of top-grossing YouTubers of 2023, with estimated earnings of $20 million. She was also named to Forbes' “30 Under 30” list in 2022.

What you should pay attention to

Harris' “Call Her Daddy” interview was one of several media appearances she has planned for this week. Harris will also appear this week on “The View,” “60 Minutes,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and Howard Stern's radio show.

Further reading

Harris criticizes Arkansas governor's comments about her lack of biological children (NBC News)

Alex Cooper's “Call Her Daddy” – Spotify's second-biggest podcast – has been purchased by SiriusXM in a reported $100 million deal (Forbes)

Forbes Top Creator 2023 (Forbes)