This is What it Feels Like to Be Triggered While Going About Your Day
How a random podcast landed a blow I never saw coming
Content warning: sexual assault, emotional neglect
I love podcasts. True crime is my favorite genre, but I stray into news, mental health, and entrepreneurial podcasts pretty regularly. Every once in a while, I crave something new and dive headfirst into a random podcast just to switch it up. If I hate it, I stop listening after a few minutes and turn on music instead. If I love it, I celebrate finding a new show to add to my rotation.
On a sunny day last year, I was looking for something less macabre than murder stories to accompany me as I cleaned my apartment and landed on Call Her Daddy. Hosted by 27-year-old Alexandra Cooper, the podcast is built around frank discussions of sex, relationships, and life in New York City. Spotify had been suggesting it incessantly, and though I’d never heard of the podcast or Father Cooper (the title Alexandra uses to refer to herself on air,) I decided to give it a go.
Scrolling through the episode list, I began to suspect that I — a 30-something, Black lesbian obsessed with houseplants, roller skates, and stationary — was not the target demographic. However, the most recent episode featured an interview with actress AnnaLynne…
