The pros and cons of Call Her Daddy

Two students offer their takes on this chart-climbing sex podcast

Image by: Kirstin Poulsen
Most people either love or hate Call Her Daddy.

If you’ve never listened to the sex and dating podcast Call Her Daddy, chances are, you’ve at least heard about it. The Barstool Sports podcast, hosted by personalities Sofia Franklyn and Alexandra Cooper, is on almost everyone’s radar for its honest and explicit exploration of female sexuality.   

Given the unconventional nature of the podcast, most people either love it or hate it. While some listeners consider it empowering, others believe it sets women’s movements back a few decades. 

In an effort to give voice to both sides, The Journal asked two Queen’s students to each give their take on Call Her Daddy

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Listening to two women in their 20s talk about sex toys, oral sex, and bad first dates might sound like an odd way to start your day, but it really isn’t that different from the honest conversations many college-age women have with their friends over breakfast. 

That’s basically the concept behind Call Her Daddy: a podcast on sex and relationships that’s given a lot of young women renewed sexual and self-confidence.

After all, it’s socially acceptable for men to brag about their sex lives, so women shouldn’t be shamed or judged for sharing their experiences and preferences too. 

Openly talking about sex isn’t something everybody’s used to, but the podcast offers a way for listeners to get comfortable with intimate topics. Call Her Daddy promotes the idea that it’s okay to be open about your sexuality, and that in 2019, relationships don’t need to comply with outdated gender norms.

As our parents have probably discovered by now, young people’s relationships these days have changed dramatically. 

Hookup culture is more common than ever before, especially on the university scene. But instead of hiding behind closed doors and whispering about it, hosts Cooper and Franklyn normalize female sexuality head-on. By sharing their personal stories in a humorous and open way, they give others the leverage to have confidence in their own lives.  

Call Her Daddy proves old stereotypes wrong: women aren’t just emotional relationship-seekers who prioritize cuddles, flowers, and chocolates. It’s possible for them to look at sex as something fun and casual, not just meaningful. 

In fact, that attitude toward sex is the norm for a lot of women, including many I know. When I speak openly about relationships or hookup culture, the people around me are often shocked. But breaking the ice on uncomfortable topics is how meaningful conversations take place.

The hosts’ brutal honesty might be deemed problematic by some, but they only speak to their own experiences and viewpoints, and don’t claim to speak for anyone else. 

There’s a podcast out there for everybody. If Call Her Daddy isn’t for you, that’s fine. It’s not meant to be about long-term relationships or the history of feminism. While you might not choose to live your life the way the hosts do, it doesn’t mean you should shame those who do. 

At the end of the day, they do help to empower their massive fan base, breaking social norms that help women and men alike to live more confidently. 

Kiana Buzza, Contributor

 

Call Her Daddy appears to be a harmless podcast about sex and relationships. It can even be liberating when its hosts, Cooper and Franklyn, detail the most intimate aspects of their experiences. 

But this podcast isn’t a game-changer. It’s a platform for two privileged white women to blatantly uphold misogynist and heteronormative ideals under the guise of female empowerment.

We need more female perspectives on sex to destigmatize female desire, ensure that women are comfortable in the bedroom, and reinforce the importance of consent. Call Her Daddy only upholds damaging ideologies.  

The last thing women need is to feel more in debt to the men they sleep with. Cooper and Franklyn never shy away from telling female listeners they must meet every absurd sexual expectation in the book, from hiding their sexual pasts to making up for a perceived lack of beauty by performing like porn stars.

What’s worse is that these expectations can pose serious danger. An episode called “Are We F—ing on the First Date?” details how a woman should deal with vomiting during oral sex. At no point do the hosts tell women to stop what they’re doing if that’s the case.

The girls don’t stop at sex, either. By advising people how to act in relationships, they often normalize toxic romance, putting women in psychological danger. 

Among many examples is an entire episode dedicated to “Escaping the Friend Zone.” It explains how men can leave the friend zone by emotionally manipulating female friends and “essentially preying on their insecurities.”  

The podcast also repeatedly discusses themes of cheating. The women insist that “if you’re not sucking your man’s dick, someone else is.” Not only does this feed the insecurity women already often feel in committed relationships, it’s disrespectful to men. It makes them out to be animals who will put sex above the emotional wellbeing of their partners. 

It’s infuriatingly entertaining to indulge in Call Her Daddy, but every time we do, we help the podcast climb the charts. Even if we’re only listening to it ironically, we’re increasing the likelihood that someone younger and less experienced than us is falling prey to the show’s damaging rhetoric. 

Aysha Tabassum, Opinions Editor

Corrections

This article has been corrected to remove the incorrectly stated nature of Sofia’s prior arrest. 

The Journal regrets the error

Tags

casual sex, hook-up culture, podcast

All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.

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