von Leonie Pagel
Podcasts as Political Platforms: The Problematic Cases of “Call Her Daddy” and “The Joe Rogan Experience”
Podcasts as contenders for politically relevant platforms fully emerged in 2024, particularly in the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election, and will probably also play a role in the lead-up to the midterms this year. This marks a turning point in how political communication reaches potential voters. Alongside traditional debates, candidates like Kamala Harris and Donald Trump both appeared on two of Spotify’s most popular podcasts: Call Her Daddy and The Joe Rogan Experience. Although podcasts were originally perceived as entertainment formats rooted in comedy that entail casual conversation, they have evolved into influential platforms for political and social discourse. Unlike traditional media, podcasts rely heavily on the intimacy, familiarity, and repetition of the format, which fosters a deep sense of trust between hosts and their listeners. This dynamic raises the question of what happens when a highly trusted entertainment figure becomes a relevant political intermediary while the political discourse shifts away from classical media outlets, especially in the United States.
The Responsibility of a Host
The platform Spotify compares podcasts to traditional media outlets and emphasizes their ability to reach diverse audiences while also being able to explore topics in greater depth than conventional news formats. However, this depth of a podcast comes with a critical shift, because the responsibility for shaping the discourse it creates lies primarily with the host. Listeners do not tune in primarily for things like critical political analysis. They tune in because they like to listen to personalities like Alex Cooper and Joe Rogan, whom listeners also consider more trustworthy in comparison to other influencers. This creates a powerful dynamic in which the individual hosts, rather than institutions, no matter who they support, become gatekeepers and providers of information for their listeners. This creates an issue where, in this case, two people with millions of monthly listeners created a platform for themselves to share their thoughts unfiltered, unchecked and unbalanced. Spotify promotes the idea that “intimacy creates trust”, suggesting that audiences really do feel a more authentic connection to their podcast host than to traditional media figures. So, while this connection may be commercially advantageous for hosting platforms and firms, it also means that opinions delivered in a casual and conversational tone can carry disproportionate influence, often without the journalistic standards of impartial checks and balances.
Podcasts in Between Journalism and Propaganda
One of the defining features of podcasts is their inherent convenience of listening whenever, wherever. They also, for example, allow for long-form discussions and deeper exploration of topics, which can benefit journalism. However, in my personal opinion, the same format can also be used to spread misinformation or politically biased narratives. The declining trust in traditional media outlets, particularly in the United States, has led many audiences to seek alternative sources of information. Podcasts fill this information gap, which can then give them a form of political power. Studies, such as those from Pew Research in 2023, show that a minority of listeners consume podcasts produced by established news organizations. A large majority views the news on podcasts to be accurate, which is a way higher level of trust than the level people have in other media outlets for news and information. Many listeners, if they specifically listen to political opinions of the podcast hosts, gravitate towards content that aligns with their existing beliefs. This creates an interesting paradox, as podcasts are apparently widely trusted by those who listen to them for news and political views, yet podcasts often lack forms of accountability. As a result, podcasters hold significant political power and are capable of shaping narratives and influencing the public opinion of casual listeners and their fan audience.
Alex Cooper and Call Her Daddy
Alex Cooper has built her platform around the themes of sexuality, relationships, and female empowerment, which attracts a predominantly young and female audience. Her podcast became politically relevant in 2024, when Kamala Harris appeared as a guest. Critics, such as Alaina Demopoulos, described the interview in her article for The Guardian as a staged political appearance of Harris that did not align with Cooper’s original premise for her show. However, from a purely strategic perspective, the appearance allowed Harris to reach especially young women, who, along with young men, are less engaged with traditional media.
Cooper’s approach to politics, in this case, is notably cautious. She avoids explicit endorsements and maintains a largely apolitical public persona. While her neutrality on this topic may preserve her broad appeal, it raises concerns as it prioritizes audience retention over political clarity and may leave her listeners underinformed during critical political moments. They are reached, but maybe not with the seriousness that the situation requires. For me, it also reinforces the idea that comfort-driven lifestyle content cannot be a proper substitute for an informed debate. At the same time, I want to note that criticism of Cooper often intersects with gendered expectations, and her association with lifestyle content leads to greater scrutiny, which highlights a broader issue of misogyny in media criticism. Criticism of her can be done in a non-misogynistic way, as Elena Klein, for example, demonstrated. She argues that while Call Her Daddy is operating under the guise of feminism, it still reinforces patriarchal values and is inherently misogynistic itself.
Joe Rogan and The Joe Rogan Experience
Joe Rogan represents a different but equally influential model in the podcast world. His podcast, with millions of listeners, positions itself as an open platform for diverse viewpoints. This open dialogue approach of his has been widely criticized. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he spread misinformation about the vaccines, he repeatedly used controversial language, which led to an understandable public backlash, and his alignment with figures from the political right and the so-called “manosphere” also needs to be heavily criticized. His interview with Donald Trump, who he, in 2022, called an “existential threat to democracy” but still hosted, exemplifies the risks of this format. While Rogan occasionally challenges his guests, critics argue that he often fails to adequately fact-check or contextualize claims, allowing misinformation to circulate unchallenged, which also led to voter distrust among the listeners in the last election. Importantly, Rogan’s predominantly male audience represents a significant political demographic. When a trusted host like Rogan presents the ideas of everyone without the befitting critical framing, it can legitimize certain narratives and influence political attitudes.
The Problem of “Neutral Platforms” for Political Debates
Both Cooper and Rogan present their podcasts as non-political or as entertainment-focused spaces. This framing is misleading. By selecting guests, asking questions, and shaping the conversations, the hosts express and reinforce political perspectives or at least give a stage to them. The idea that podcasts are silly and just for entertainment allows the hosts, who the listeners have a trusting relationship with, to avoid accountability, blur the lines between opinions and facts, and reach audiences who may not actively seek political information. This is particularly concerning given that younger audiences increasingly rely on podcasts as a primary source of information.
Podcasts like Call Her Daddy and The Joe Rogan Experience, which featured appearances by both presidential candidates in 2024, illustrate the growing role of entertainment media in the current political discourse. Their success is built on intimacy and trust, both qualities that make them powerful but also potentially dangerous. As podcasts continue to replace traditional media for many listeners, the lack of editorial oversight becomes a critical issue. Hosts who claim neutrality or comedic intent still wield significant influence. Therefore, hosts like Cooper and Rogan must not be understood as entertainers but as the key actors in a growing political (mis-)information system that shapes public discourse. Podcasts are no longer just used for entertainment, as they are actively shaping political reality while still pretending not to do so.
Leonie Pagel studiert im fünften Semester an der JGU Mainz American Studies und Geschichte. Der Blogbeitrag ist ein persönlicher Meinungsbeitrag.
