Michelle Obama And Alex Cooper Redefine Podcast Conversation

When former First Lady Michelle Obama appeared on the popular "Call Her Daddy" podcast on January 21, 2026, listeners might have expected the usual blend of viral, boundary-pushing conversation that has made host Alex Cooper a household name. But this episode, as reported by Globe and confirmed by the full transcript released the same day, took a different turn. Instead of the podcast’s signature candid talk about sex and relationships, Cooper and Obama chose to focus on deeper, more pressing issues facing young women today—putting substance over sensationalism.

For Cooper, the decision to steer clear of sex talk was deliberate. According to Globe, she wanted to use the opportunity to highlight "important conversations relevant to young women and girls worldwide rather than viral or sensational topics." It was a choice that set the tone for a conversation that was both honest and empowering, and one that offered a rare window into Obama’s personal wisdom, her new book The Look, and her reflections on life under the spotlight.

From the outset, the interview was warm and engaging. Cooper welcomed Obama with enthusiasm, and Obama—dressed in a Meredith Talusan original that nodded to her Princeton days—was candid about her current state of mind. "I’m doing good. I mean, I’m personally good, individually good, feeling whole. But the world feels a little nutty, and so there’s that piece of it that seeps in in ways. But I’m happy to be here," she said, setting a tone of openness and authenticity.

The conversation soon turned to hobbies and personal anecdotes, with Obama sharing stories about her love for skiing—though she admitted she might be hanging up her ski boots for good after years of mother-daughter trips to Aspen. "I just feel like I am just one fall away, because I am like a crazy skier. I can’t ski a little bit. I’m skiing all day," she joked, painting a vivid picture of the former First Lady as both adventurous and relatable.

But it wasn’t long before Cooper addressed the elephant in the room: the choice to avoid the show’s trademark relationship talk. Cooper explained, "Option one would be more OG Call Her Daddy days. Talk some relationships, try to ask you a couple questions about Barack Obama. ... But then there’s the other side of this show, which is option two, which is hard but important conversations that are relevant to young women and girls all around the world. ... It would be too great of an opportunity not to have you impart your wisdom on the next generation who is watching and listening today." Obama agreed, saying, "Let’s go with option two." The pair made it clear: this wasn’t going to be about politics or tabloid fodder, but about women—what it means to be one, and how to thrive in a world that often scrutinizes and undervalues them.

Much of the conversation revolved around Obama’s new book, The Look. Far from a simple fashion memoir, the book is, as Cooper put it, "about your values, uplifting women, building confidence." Obama described how society’s obsession with women’s appearance can be both a burden and a tool. "It is the habit of the culture of the world to put women in their place by attacking their physical," she reflected, recounting how even at the height of her career—after Princeton, Harvard, and the White House—she was still judged for her arms and her hair rather than her accomplishments. "The press enters the scene, and there are now reports, right? And the first thing, after all this great conversation and connection, the top of the article would be, ‘she was wearing…’ Not my education, not my professional career. But it started with appearance, and it got worse as we got better."

Obama spoke candidly about the double standards women face, especially in public life. "They weren’t doing that to my husband. ... It was all about how we look. And the more you pay attention to that, you see it not just happen to me, but even happen to other people, female candidates, other wives, other celebrities, other people in the public eye." Yet, rather than shrinking from this scrutiny, Obama advocated for "working the fascination"—using society’s fixation with appearance as a platform for impact. "If you can’t beat them, work their fascination to your advantage," she advised, emphasizing the importance of strategy and intention behind every public choice.

The discussion also tackled the complexity of navigating professional environments as a woman. Obama acknowledged the compromises women often make, such as dressing a certain way to appease misogynistic bosses, but urged young women to balance pragmatism with self-preservation. "Make sure you can pay your rent, and don’t make decisions so rashly when you don’t have the leverage to keep yourself safe. ... But in the midst of that, you don’t want to compromise yourself so much that you lose yourself and you are not safe."

Social media’s role in perpetuating unrealistic standards and fueling female competition was another key theme. Obama noted, "The rise in depression is directly connected and linked to the creation and rise of social media," and called for greater regulation and collective action among parents and communities. She also lamented how women, not just men, can be each other’s harshest critics online, attributing this to "insecurity and lack of self esteem that is rampant in our culture." Her advice: cultivate real friendships, invest in community, and recognize the importance of support systems. "The value of cultivating friendships is important. It’s as important as the degree that you got in college. It’s as important as the job title and the salary or the dude you’re trying to catch."

Obama didn’t shy away from discussing the challenges of aging as a woman in the public eye. "Men get older and wiser and esteemed, right? Women, we just get old, right? But the truth is that, like, my 60s are the best time of my life. ... What we don’t do is celebrate the wisdom of older women." She encouraged young women to seek out the advice of their elders and to reject the idea that aging diminishes one’s value or voice.

Throughout the interview, Obama’s message was clear: give yourself grace, reject perfectionism, and don’t be afraid to prioritize your own fulfillment over societal expectations. "Can you have it all? Yes. Not at the same time," she said, urging women to recognize that "a lot of times my 50% is good enough, but I have to first be okay with it." Her advice was practical and deeply empathetic, rooted in her own journey through motherhood, marriage, and public service.

In a media landscape hungry for headlines, Cooper and Obama’s decision to forgo the expected and dive deep into the realities of womanhood was a breath of fresh air. By focusing on empowerment, resilience, and authenticity, they delivered a conversation that—while perhaps less likely to go viral—offered something far more valuable: wisdom, solidarity, and hope for the next generation.