Overview of Ben Shapiro Reacts to Michelle Obama X Call Her Daddy
Ben Shapiro (The Daily Wire) reacts to Michelle Obama’s appearance on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast. The segment is a critical, often sarcastic take on the interview—focusing on topics Michelle and Cooper raised (objectification, workplace dress, name changes, women in politics, platform responsibility)—and framing both women as privileged and hypocritical for presenting themselves as victims of the “patriarchy.” Shapiro also includes a mid-segment sponsor read for Helix mattresses.
Key points and main takeaways
- Shapiro mocks the cultural importance of the pairing, calling Call Her Daddy a sex-focused show and sarcastically suggesting it “won Kamala Harris the presidency.”
- He characterizes Michelle Obama and Alex Cooper as privileged and ill-suited to portray themselves as victims of patriarchy.
- Main criticisms:
- Complaints about male objectification and workplace dress are overstated; men don’t analyze clothing as suggested—“Do you look good in that or not?”
- Women largely dress for other women and social signaling among women matters more than male scrutiny.
- Michelle’s complaint about taking a husband’s last name is hypocritical because her fame derives from being “Obama.”
- Claims that American sexism prevents women from being president are questioned, given women are a majority of voters and college graduates.
- Michelle Obama’s platform is labeled divisive; Shapiro says she doesn’t use it constructively.
- One notable point of agreement: Shapiro praises Michelle’s answer that Barack Obama should not run for a third term if Trump changes the law—calling that “the only good answer” in the interview.
Topics discussed
- Objectification and gender norms (how women navigate dress and expectations)
- Workplace fashion and perceptions by male bosses
- Female name conventions (Miss/Mrs./Ms.) and the tradition of women taking husbands’ last names
- Women’s electoral power and candidacy viability
- Responsibility and influence of public platforms
- Perceived hypocrisy of elite women who critique patriarchy
- Brief sponsor segment about Helix mattresses
Notable quotes / soundbites
- Sarcastic framing: Call Her Daddy “the podcast that won Kamala Harris the presidency.”
- On male attention to clothing: “Do you look good in that or not?”
- On women’s audience: “Women dress for women.”
- On fame and name: “Michelle Obama is only famous because her last name is Obama.”
- On a strong interview moment from Michelle: If Barack runs again, “I hope not. I would actively work against that.”
- On term limits: Michelle: “I do believe that eight years is enough.”
Tone and rhetorical style
- Highly sarcastic, confrontational, and dismissive.
- Uses mockery to undercut claims of victimhood, emphasizing perceived privilege.
- Intermixes political critique with cultural commentary (gender norms, pop culture).
- Includes a standard paid sponsorship pause (Helix mattress ad), presented as an aside.
Bottom line
Shapiro’s reaction frames the Michelle Obama–Alex Cooper interview as emblematic of elite women portraying themselves as victims while benefiting from social and political advantages. He disputes key claims about systemic sexism (using voter and education demographics) and highlights perceived inconsistencies in their arguments, while singling out Michelle’s comments on term limits as a rare sensible moment.