If you are one of the small percentage of people who hasn't yet heard the super successful podcast 'My Dad Wrote A Porno', you are truly missing out. I've found myself crying with laughter many times throughout the series, and so will you.
We had a conversation with James Cooper, one of the stars of the podcast, along with friends Jamie Morton and Alice Levine, about their current tour of the US, as well how he feels as a gay guy listening to the quite pornographic content!
Hi James! Great to speak to you today! Where are you talking to me from?
Hey – we're currently in New York City. About to start a run of 3 shows here on Broadway – we're so excited.
You’re currently on tour in the US with ‘My Dad Wrote a Porno’. For the five people on Earth who don’t yet know what that is, care to explain?
In a nutshell, my best mate Jamie discovered his father had written an erotic novel under the pen name, Rocky Flintstone. In the podcast, he reads a chapter of the book each episode and my friend Alice and I critique it. The books are called 'Belinda Blinked' and they're about our heroine Belinda Blumenthal who make deals in the pots and pans business (sexy!) by having sex with pretty much everyone she meets. It's HILARIOUS – it's so mad and badly written. Rocky has a writing style all of his own and, now we're about to start book four, we're starting to realise Rocky is a genius.
The podcast has taken off with wild success. As of February, the series has had over 100 million downloads. Did you ever think it would explode as much as it did?
We always thought it was funny but we never knew whether anyone else would get the humour. It grew really quickly – it became a real word-of-mouth thing and people are obsessed with the world of 'Belinda Blinked'. I don't think any of us anticipated where we'd be now with it – three series, celebrity fans, sell-out live shows around the world in iconic venues like the Sydney Opera House and London's Royal Albert Hall, and an actual published book. Rocky is now an actual proper published author, which is mad.
The podcast has had a lot of celebrity guests featured. Michael Sheen, Daisy Ridley and Elijah Wood to name a few. Do you find A-List names contacting you guys to be featured, or do you reach out to them?
Elijah Wood was the first to tweet after only 3 episodes – that was when we realised how far the show had already reached. Most of the time, they slide into our DMs or tweet that they love the show and we set up a time to record directly with them – it's really that simple. They come over to our apartments to record and they immediately feel like friends because they've listened to the show. Daisy Ridley brought a couple of bottles of Prosecco to record, Michael Sheen stayed chatting with us until 1am. We can't believe how generous they've been with us and they add such a great perspective to the show.
So, tell us about the American tour! How is that going? Are the people across the pond understanding some of the very British innuendos?
So far, so good. We were worried that the humour might not translate but the response has been incredible. Our first show in Los Angeles was fantastic – we even got a standing ovation! Seattle was a particularly wild crowd – probably one of my favourites. I can't wait for the rest of the dates – New York, Toronto, Chicago, Boston, Washington DC – and to be doing this with my two best mates is really special.
Some of- well actually, all of the content is quite NSFW. I find my stomach turning at the thought of vaginas and such. As a gay man yourself, how are you coping with the talk of moistness and lids popping?
Every time I feel grossed out, I just need to remember – it's NOT my dad. Jamie is definitely the one who suffers the most. I don't know how he does it – he's got a strong stomach. I've certainly learnt A LOT – I now know the female reproductive system like the back of my hand. I could point out the cervix blindfolded! The more we've read, the more I think I've become desensitised to. I don't even flinch now when someone grabs a woman's cervix (not possible) or cum trickles out of an old man's penis.
Yourself, Alice Levine and Jamie Morton seem to be really close. Has the experience and success of this podcast brought you closer? Or is it one of those situations where you can’t look each other in the eye as you’re reading?
I can't really imagine doing the show with anyone else. We're such good friends that so much has become shorthand – I think we share a very similar sense of humour and creative vision for the show. We've shared some insane experiences on this journey and it's definitely made us even closer than we were. Plus it's made us wayyyy less prudish – in the beginning, we'd gasp when a woman took her bra off in a job interview. These days, we're not even bothered when someone has their testicles chewed.
What has been the highlight of taking Belinda on the road so far?
Definitely seeing the fan reaction. The live shows are so fun and rowdy and the atmosphere is amazing – I've genuinely never seen anything like it and it's so exciting to be a part of. We had no idea until we did the live show how popular the podcast had become – people even come to shows dressed up as characters, which shows how invested they are in the world of 'Belinda Blinked'.
Please tell us there is going to be a movie.
While we're over here, we're having some very exciting conversations about what's next for MDWAP. I don't want to say too much but we're exploring opportunities. Whatever we do next, we want it to be the right fit.
Favourite celebrity you’ve had on the podcast and why.
Michael Sheen – he is officially the World's Nicest Man (TM).
Bella or Donna?
Bella
Favourite Spice Girl?
Geri – always was, always will be.
Britney or Christina?
Britney, bitch. Her Instagram gives me life.
Boxers or briefs?
Boxers.
Instagram or Twitter?
Instagram.
Thank you! So where can the American folk go if they want to purchase tickets?
We're in New York until Friday then hitting up Toronto, Washington DC, Boston and Chicago. Tickets available viamydadwroteaporno.com/live
And if they want to find you, where can they look?
Twitter: twitter.com/coopdloop
Instagram: instagram.com/coopdloop
Finally, what’s next for James Cooper?
I'm a producer too and I'm exec-ing on a new show called 'Eating with My Ex', two exes get together and talk about their old relationship over dinner. If you want to be on it, get in touch!
Download My Dad Wrote A Porno, available online and iTunes now!