‘My Dad Wrote a Porno’: The Sexy Podcast That’s Spinning One Dad’s Erotica Into Comedy Gold
What’s a fellow to do when he discovers his dear old dad’s been privately writing erotica out in the garden shed? For Jamie Morton, the answer was obvious: Read it aloud while his two best friends make fun of it and record it for a podcast. What Morton, nor his trusty sidekicks Alice Levine and James Cooper, could never have predicted was that their little passion project would turn into a comedy podcast with a massive cult following, boasting such illustrious fans as Elijah Wood, Michael Sheen, and Daisy Ridley, capable of filling venues as venerable as London’s Royal Albert Hall.
It’s called “My Dad Wrote a Porno,” and it’s one of the most addictive and instantly engaging offerings on the comedy podcast market, which is flooded with projects from aspiring to established comedians.
The format is simple: Morton reads aloud a chapter from “Belinda Blinked,” an erotic novella from the mind of his father, who writes under the pen-name Rocky Flinstone. As Morton animates the material with appropriate accents and falsetto, Cooper and Levine stop him to lambaste Rocky’s perplexing prose, which includes a stubborn affinity for unnecessary details and deep confusion about the female anatomy. (Let’s get one thing straight, Rocky: A woman can’t “show” anyone her cervix unless they’re her gynecologist).
“Belinda Blinked” provides the basis, but the chemistry between the three witty friends gives “My Dad Wrote a Porno” its beating heart. Yes, there is a lot of heart in this smutty podcast, which is part of what makes it so charming.
“We’re not people who enjoy mean humor. So I think it’s kind of a warm listen,” said Levine, who, in addition to being the group’s resident expert on female anatomy, is a pro at setting-up and carrying over a joke. “Who knew? Sex sells. People love sex. But also, I think there’s something about listening to friends make each other laugh that’s always been part of the fun. We want people to feel included, like the fourth friend at the table, so we never have jokes that people aren’t privy to.”
Morton, as Rocky’s actual offspring, thinks people relate to the deep shame he must feel. “Everyone’s embarrassed by their parents, that’s quite a universal thing. And embarrassing dads are quite common, but I think I have one of the most embarrassing dads on the planet,” he said.
“I think people like that it’s their dirty little secret,” said Cooper. “People always say they like listening on their commute, and that no one else knows what they’re listening to. They call themselves ‘Belinkers’ and they like being part of this dirty little secret.”
Whatever they call themselves, Belinkers turned out when the gang toured the U.S last month, filling the Town Hall in New York over a three-night run. (The European leg of the tour was recently extended, and the gang head to Royal Albert Hall in June). The trio elevated the proceedings with a live drinking game, an audience participation bit in which two girls had to attempt to act out Rocky’s complicated seduction blocking, and a particularly hilarious lesson on the female reproductive system from Levine, who donned a white lab coat for the occasion. “We tried to think how we could make it more visual, so it’s not just a traditional live podcast, ” Cooper said.
The camaraderie of the group was even more apparent in person, as well as their unique ability to turn smut into semi-wholesome fun. With Morton red in the face, Levine’s dry barbs and joyful guffaws, and Cooper’s reminders that, as a gay man, even he doubts Rocky’s understanding of women’s bodies, “My Dad Wrote a Porno” is the perfect blend of silly and sexy.
No wonder it’s attracted celebrity fans like Sheen and Ridley, who’ve both preemptively claimed parts for any potential screen adaptations. It was their interest that made the team even consider an adaptation. Ever the astute creatives, they said they would only move forward if the project felt right.
“We only want to do it if feels like the right fit, so we’ve been going through every possible incarnation,” said Cooper. “At the moment it’s still very exploratory, and we’re trying to figure out who we would work with and things like that, as long as it feels like the right thing to do… We’d want to make something different that feels different and has its own identity, and not just piggybacking off the podcast.”
