Adoption Pop!

Haley Radke, Kristal Parke, and Sullivan Summer

Welcome to Adoption Pop! where a podcast journalist, a filmmaker, and a cultural critic burst pop culture's favorite adoption tropes. Each episode, we'll dive into movies, TV, and reality shows, from prestige dramas to the classics, to ask what these stories are really saying, and not saying, about adoption. And we'll get real about representation: how the world sees us, and how we see ourselves.

Episodes

  1. 4D AGO · BONUS

    "The Girl in the Middle" (2026) – Bonus Pop! Advertising Adoption

    Bonus Pop! | "The Girl in the Middle" (2026) – Advertising Adoption   This is a very special, bonus Pop! episode, recorded as the adoptee community awaits the premier of "The Girl in the Middle," a pro-adoption advertisement promoted by the National Council for Adoption and others, slated to air during the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show—but only if you believe their marketing. (Spoiler: We do not recommend you believe their marketing).   This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on February 6, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Leave it to reproductive rights scholar, Gretchen Sisson, to say in a clear, concise Instagram reel what Haley, Sullivan, and Kristal need 30 minutes and glam to get across.  "The Complexities of Adoption: Money, Marketing, and Ethics with Gretchen Sisson," Cate & Ty Break It Down (April 16, 2025).  Gretchen Sisson, Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood (2024).  Learn more about, and donate to, Saving Our Sisters, a 501(c)(3) using its funds to support women and their families, and not to buy Super Bowl advertisements. Learn more about Haley's investigative series podcast, On Adoption. And support the centering of first/birthmother, and adoptee voices, through Adoptees for Family Preservation. Adoption Is An Option LLC Bravelove Inc National Council for Adoption The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen. We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you'd like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.  Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    28 min

  2. 5D AGO

    Colin in Black and White (2021) – Part 1: Adoption on the Small Screen

    009 | Colin in Black and White (2021) – Part 1: Adoption on the Small Screen   San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made headlines in 2016 when he courageously took a knee during the Star-Spangled Banner in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, sparking national debate over the role of activism in professional sports. Kaepernick went on to become a civil rights activist, devoting his time, resources, and personal narrative to supporting Black and Brown youth in standing in their power—something he knows a little bit about, not only from his NFL days, but from growing up as a transracial adoptee. The limited Netflix series, Colin in Black and White, tells his story, and a story resonant for many adopted people.   Colin in Black and White was created by Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick. This episode aired on February 4, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Colin Kaepernick is the founder of Know Your Rights Camp, Ra Vision Media, and Kaepernick Publishing. He is the author of several books, including Change the Game (2023), alongside Eve L. Ewing and Orlando Caicedo. Transracial adoptee Harrison Mooney is the author of Invisible Boy (HarperCollins Canada, 2022).    Sullivan Summer was a guest on the Adoptees On Podcast Episode 211. Colin is married to Nessa Diab, a radio DJ and television host of, among other shows, Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2. But that's for another episode.  The National Association of Black Social Workers Transracial Adoption Statement (1972) articulates the organization's stance against the placement of Black children in white homes for any reason.  Matt Foster for CNN, "Colin Kaepernick calls out adoptive parents' racism as he promotes new graphic novel" (March 10, 2023). Resources for transracial adoptees and their families include: Colin in Black and White: The Kaepernick Curriculum Adoption Mosaic offers educational courses for adoptive parents, and community for adoptees.  Melissa Guida-Richards, What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption (North Atlantic Books, 2021) Samira K. Mehta, The Racism of People Who Love You: Essays on Mixed Race and Belonging (Beacon Press, 2023) Angela Tucker, You Should Be Grateful: Stories on Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption (Beacon Press. 2024) The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen. We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you'd like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.  Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    1h 2m

  3. JAN 28

    Vivien's Wild Ride (2026): Adoption on the Small Screen

    008 | Vivien's Wild Ride (2026): Adoption on the Small Screen   Vivien Hillgrove has been a film and sound editor all her adult life. She's worked with many filmmaking greats: Francis Coppola, Phil Kaufman, Milos Forman, Walter Murch, and celebrated documentary filmmakers Lourdes Portillo and Deann Borshay Liem. But when Vivien's eyesight starts to deteriorate, the shame and loneliness she felt in 1964 come flooding back—having relinquished her baby as a teenage, unwed mother when there were few choices for women was a loss that resonated throughout her life. Now she faces a new feeling of isolation and loss. Recalling her resilience as a young woman, she summons it anew and reinvents herself as a person with a new way of being and seeing, an artist with a disability. Join us on this wild, a beautiful ride.  Vivien's Wild Ride was directed, produced, written, and co-edited by Vivien Hillgrove.  You can watch Vivien's Wild Ride on your local PBS station through April 2026. And click here to learn more about the virtual panel discussion with Viven, her daughter Kathleen with whom she is reunited, and members of Adoption Mosaic, Mom's Head Films, and Mu Films on Thursday, February 26, 2026. This episode aired on January 28, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: For a decade, the Adoptees On podcast has been a place for adoptees to share the adoption experience.  Haley's new project, On Adoption, will feature the stories of first/birth parents, discussing the impact adoption has had on them, as well as on adoptees. The Okanagan Society of Independent Filmmaking is a nonprofit society committed to supporting and celebrating local, independent filmmakers, while fostering a community of film within the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Kristal's film, Because She's Adopted, is available for rent here.  You can find speaker, digital creator, author, and advocate Molly Burke here. Vivien worked on the Academy Award-winning film, The Right Stuff (1983), starring Ed Harris, long time placeholder on Sullivan's hall pass.  Haley would like us to reiterate that she does not have a hall pass. (Allegedly.) The first Salvation Army Booth Maternity Home opened in 1887, and the homes operated into the late 1970s. In 2016 the Salvation Army in the UK issued a formal statement acknowledging its role in separating mothers from their babies. An apology was issued in Australia in 2022. At the time of this writing, no such apology has been issued to mothers or adoptees in the United States.  In 2021 the United Church of Canada issued a formal apology for its role in separating mothers from their babies. The Church is not affiliated with the Salvation Army, though the two organizations often collaborate within the country.  Sullivan has a Balfern Leather Biker Jacket from AllSaints that she loves, even though she does not do drugs.  The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen. We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you'd like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.  Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    45 min

  4. JAN 21

    Modern Family "Pilot" (2009): Adoption on the Small Screen

    007 | Modern Family "Pilot" (2009): Adoption on the Small Screen   For 11 seasons the Dunphys, the Delgado-Pritchetts, and the Tucker-Pritchetts influenced modern American families' views on gender roles, inter-generational relationships, and transnational adoption. Listen in as podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer break down the pilot episode of ABC's Modern Family. Because the circle of life has to start somewhere.          Modern Family was created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan. Its "Pilot" episode (September 23, 2009) was written by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, and directed by Jason Winer.   This episode aired on January 21, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Home Improvement aired on ABC from 1991-1999. Family Matters aired on ABC and CBS from 1989-1998. Its breakout star, Jaleel White, played both the dorky next door neighbor, Steve Urkel, and Steve's stylish alter ego, Stefan. Since recording this episode, Sullivan and Kristal have had occasion to discuss privately Haley's unique contributions to this podcast, and we have come up with the following: (1) She's very accurate. Whereas Sullivan and Kristal often misremember plot points or dialogue, Haley always gets them right. (2) Her facial expressions alone are worth watching on YouTube. (3) She is Adoption Pop!'s resident audio expert. We sound good because of Haley. (4) She has a decade-long record of devotion to the adoptee community. It is not an exaggeration to say this podcast, and many projects like it centering adoptee stories, would not exist without her. According to Miriam-Webster dictionary, virtue signaling is "the act or practice of conspicuously displaying one's awareness of and attentiveness to political issues, matters of social and racial justice, etc., especially instead of taking effective action." Used in a sentence: The separating of children from their parents, extended biological family, community, country, and culture can often be avoided completely with monetary resources far below what it costs a person or couple to adopt; Mitchell's claim that Lily "would have grown up in a crowded orphanage" if it not for he and Cam is mere virtue signaling.   Miriam-Webster defines antecedent as "a preceding event, condition, or cause."  Operation Babylift was a US government plan to transport Vietnamese children out of the country during the final days of the Vietnam War. Critics claimed the program was fueled by politics and white saviorism. It is undisputed, however, that many of the children were not orphans.  Marc Freeman, Modern Family: The Untold Oral History of One of Television's Groundbreaking Sitcoms (St. Martin's Press, 2020). Reeshma Haji and Fabio Fasoli, "Predicting and Changing Attitudes towards Same-Gender Parenting: Informational Influence, Parasocial Contact, and Religious Fundamentalism," LGBTQ+ Family: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Vol. 18, No. 2, 119-134 (2022).  Kimberly McKee, Adoption Fantasies: The Fetishization of Asian Adoptees from Girlhood to Womanhood (Ohio State Press, 2023). In Season 3 Episode 5 of Friends "The One with Frank Jr." Ross's list of five celebrities he would most like to sleep with, otherwise known as a "hall pass," is laminated, indicating that it cannot be changed. Haley's hall pass has Craig T. Nelson on it, and it's laminated. We just know it.  If it's been a minute since you've seen the antecedent to Cam Tucker's "Circle of Life" spotlight moment, you can check out the original source material here.  The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen. We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you'd like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.  Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    58 min

  5. JAN 14

    K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025): Adoption on the Big Screen

    006 | K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025): Adoption on the Big Screen Breaking Netflix streaming and box-office records, and charming the critics, podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer go all-in on summer 2025's breakthrough hit, K-Pop Demon Hunters. Clever humor, catchy tunes, and storylines exploring shame and generational trauma, the Huntrix girls and the ladies of Adoption Pop! show how adoptee-resonant storytelling is really done done done.         K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025) was written by Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, and Chris Appelhans, and directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans.  This episode aired on January 14, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: According to Spotify, the song "Golden" from the K-Pop Demon Hunters Soundtrack has been streamed more than 1 billion times on the platform.  Jeremy Fuster wrote, "'KPop Demon Hunters' Becomes Netflix's First Box Office No.1 With $18 Million Weekend," for The Wrap (August 24, 2025): https://www.thewrap.com/k-pop-demon-hunters-netflix-box-office-no-1/ Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) stars Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet as a couple who goes through a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.  Correction: On Episode 005 of Adoption Pop!, Kristal referred to Sex and the City: the Movie as "a s*** movie." She has since called this comment "too aggressive," and has softened her stance to "strong dislike." (But she's still wrong about it being better than K-Pop Demon Hunters).   The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen. We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you'd like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.  Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    35 min

  6. JAN 7

    Sex and the City: The Movie (2008): Adoption on the Big Screen

    005 | Sex and the City: The Movie (2008): Adoption on the Big Screen   Slip on your Manolos, pour yourself a Cosmo, and listen in to podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer pick up where the turn-of-the-century HBO juggernaut left off: with Samantha and her celebrity boy toy on the west coast, Miranda living in something less than domestic bliss in Brooklyn, Carrie finally settling down with Big, and Charlotte, making her fairy tale dreams of motherhood complete … through international adoption?       Sex and the City: The Movie (2008) was written and directed by Michael Patrick King, and was based on the book by Candace Bushnell and series by Darren Star.  This episode aired on January 7, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Adoptees On podcast Episode 286: Grace Newton Alexandra Stevenson and Zixu Wang, China Stops Foreign Adoptions, Ending a Complicated Chapter, New York Times (September 6, 2024) Felix Gillette, It's Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution and Future of HBO (2022) Josh Friedman, "'Sex' is a big hit among women," Los Angeles Times (June 2, 2008) Kimberly McKee, Adoption Fantasies: The Fetishization of Asian Adoptees From Girlhood to Womanhood (The Ohio State University Press, 2023) The National Association of Black Social Workers Position Statement on Transracial Adoption (1972) New York City Council Website Film and Television Permits Nicole Evelina, Sex and the City: A Cultural History (2022) Ramin Setoodeh, Criticism of 'Sex and the City' is Mostly Sexist, Newsweek (March 13, 2010) Tabitha Britt, Kristen Davis's Two Children: All About Gemma Rose and Wilson, People (March 1, 2024) Sharon LaFraniere, "Chinese Officials Seized and Sold Babies, Parents Say," New York Times (August 4, 2011) Chinese adoptees can access resources and support from The Chinese Adoptee Collective.  The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen. We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you'd like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.  Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    55 min

  7. 2025-12-31

    Penny Serenade (1941): Adoption on the Silver Screen

    004 | Penny Serenade (1941): Adoption on the Silver Screen   The 1941 sentimental classic, Penny Serenade, stars Irene Dunne and Cary Grant as a married couple who replace children more often than they replace the needle on their sitting room Victrola. Join podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker, Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer as we challenge marriage and adoption propaganda during Hollywood's Golden Age on this episode of Adoption Pop!      Penny Serenade (1941) was directed by George Stevens, based on the novella by Martha Cheavens.  This episode aired on December 31, 2025. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Cinema Geeks Episode 225, Cary Grant Retrospective: Penny Serenade Adoptee activist Connor Howe posts TikTok and Instagram videos of adoptees meeting adoptive families, without the inspirational background soundtrack.  Georgia Tann may have been the United States' most notorious child trafficker. Policies and procedures pioneered by her for the purposes of kidnapping and selling children are still used today across the adoption industry.  Actress Jane Biffle played one-year-old Trina Adams in Penny Serenade, her only film credit.  "Irene Dunne Adopts Baby," New York Times (March 17, 1938) Marilyn Ann Moss, Giant: George Stevens, a Life on Film (2004) Marshall B. Jones, Crisis of the American Orphanage, 1931-1940, Social Service Review (December 1989) Mary Frances Gage Obituary, Los Angeles Times (July 26, 2020) Mia Laurenzo, "Love Endures All in Penny Serenade," WLRN (January 30, 2019) From 1854 to 1929 orphan trains transported children from northern cities to foster homes in rural areas to perform labor. Despite the moniker, many of these children had living parents. Penny Serenade on IMDB Peter B. Flint, "Irene Dunne, a Versatile Actress of the 1930's and 40's, Dies at 91," New York Times (September 6, 1990) Proceedings of the Child Conference for Research and Welfare (1909) Travis Tritt, "It's a Great Day to Be Alive" The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen. We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you'd like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.  Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    1h 5m

  8. 2025-12-24

    The Family Stone (2005): Adoption on the Big Screen

    003 | The Family Stone (2005): Adoption on the Big Screen   In this episode of Adoption Pop!, podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer delve into the dysfunctional dynamics of The Family Stone. Race, queer rights, adoption, heirloom jewelry, and a beloved family recipe for strata—this film has everything (except maybe likeable characters engaged in healthy communication). But don't take our word for it. Sit through what is perhaps the cringiest Christmas Eve dinner in history, and judge for yourself.  The Family Stone (2005) was written and directed by Thomas Bezucha, and produced by Michael London.  This episode aired on December 25, 2025. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Adoptees On podcast, Episode 240: Sandra Steingraber Adoptees On podcast, Episode 276: Sanjay Pulver Craig T. Nelson played Hayden Fox, coach of a fictional NCAA Division I football team in the ABC sitcom Coach from 1989-1997. According to Miriam Webster dictionary, "smarmy" is an adjective that means "revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness," or "of low sleazy taste or quality." As in, Sullivan believes Everett Stone is smarmy.  Rachel McAdams played Regina George, the primary antagonist in the 2004 film, Mean Girls. We only wear pink on Wednesdays.  Roger Moore, "'The Family Stone' speaks volumes with sign language," The Seattle Times (December 27, 2005) The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen. We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you'd like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.  Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    1h 3m

  9. 2025-12-17

    The Grinch (2018): Adoption on the Big Screen

    002 | The Grinch (2018): Adoption on the Big Screen   Terrorizing Whoville and inciting holiday joy for almost 70 years, podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer bring an adoptee lens to the only adaptation of the classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! that turns the title character into an orphan.  The Grinch (2018) was written by Michael LaSieur and Tommy Swerdlow, directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney, and produced by Universal Pictures.  This episode aired on December 17, 2025. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: 23andMe, "Discover the Grinch's DNA Story," pre-release version (2018) "All By Myself" was written and recorded by Eric Carmen in 1975, appearing on his self-titled album. In 1996 it was covered by Celine Dion for her album, Falling into You. Angela Lansbury (1925-2022) was a British-American-Irish treasure, with an 80-year career in film, stage, and television, including the crime show Murder, She Wrote (1984-2003).  Anthony D'Alessandro, "'The Grinch' Global Promo Campaign Grows Several Sizes From First Movie to $80M," Deadline (November 7, 2018) Back to the Future, directed by Robert Zemeckis, Universal Pictures (1985). Please forgive the crudity of Doc's model.  The Goonies, directed by Richard Donner, Amblin Entertainment (1985) How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Dr. Suess (Random House, 1957) How the Grinch Stole Christmas! television special, directed by Chuck Jones and Ben Washam, CBS (1966) How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carrey, directed by Ron Howard, Universal Pictures (2000) Little Orphan Annie, the comic strip by Harold Gray, has been adapted numerous times for stage and screen.  Nancy Newton Verrier, The Primal Wound (Gateway Press, 2003) Pharrell Williams, "Happy," Despicable Me 2 (2013)  The Rescuers, directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, John Lounsbery, and Art Stevens, Walt Disney Productions (1977) Rotten Tomatoes, "The 100 Best Christmas Movies of All Time" Tyler the Creator, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," The Grinch (2018) The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen. We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you'd like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.  Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.  So raise a glass and give a toast, to kindness and love, the things we need the most!

    1h 7m

  10. 2025-12-10

    Elf (2003): Adoption on the Big Screen

    001 | Elf (2003): Adoption on the Big Screen   The best way to spread Christmas cheer is by singing loud for all to hear! Whether it's your first time watching this holiday classic, or your fiftieth, you've probably never watched Elf like this before. Podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer–all adoptees themselves–explore the adoptee experience alongside adoptee Buddy the Elf, including adoptee terminology, biological parent fantasies, cultural identity struggles, and more. Elf (2003) was written by David Berenbaum, directed by Jon Favreau, and produced by New Line Cinema.  This episode aired on December 10, 2025. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Back to the Future, directed by Robert Zemeckis, Universal Studios (1985). The infamous "Calvin Klein" scene is here.  Barbara Bisantz Raymond, The Baby Thief (Grand Central Publishing, 2009) Criminal Episode 110 "Baby Snatcher" (March 15, 2019) Flagrant Clips @flagrantclips on YouTube, Interview with Peter Dinklage (August 7, 2024) Mia Elkins, "Elf: Meet the man behind the movie," The Merionite (December 16, 2024) Neil Miller, "40 Things We Learned from Jon Favreau's 'Elf' Commentary," Film School Rejects (December 23, 2011) Patrick Cremona, "Elf screenwriter on its lasting legacy: 'It's something that's rare and special,'" RadioTimes.com (December 23, 2022) Rotten Tomatoes 100 Best Christmas Movies of All Time Shania Twain, "Whose Bed Have Your Books Been Under," The Woman in Me (1995) The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen. We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you'd like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.  Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.  We love you! We love you! We love you!

    1h 5m

  11. 2025-11-18

    Welcome to Adoption Pop!

    Welcome to Adoption Pop! where a podcast journalist, a filmmaker, and a cultural critic burst pop culture's favorite adoption tropes. Each episode, we'll dive into movies, TV, and reality shows, from prestige dramas to the classics, to ask what these stories are really saying, and not saying, about adoption. And we'll get real about representation: how the world sees us, and how we see ourselves. In your feed every Wednesday, beginning December 10, 2025. Find us on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, AdoptionPop.com and wherever you get your podcasts. Haley Radke is a Canadian domestic adoptee, the founder of Haley Radke Media, Inc., and host of Adoptees On, one of the most successful and longest-running adoption-related podcasts in the world, with over 1.5 million downloads globally. You can find her at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Kristal Parke is an Opaskwayak Cree, transracial adoptee filmmaker, editor, producer, speaker, and podcaster. You can find Kristal at her website, and on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Sullivan Summer is a US domestic, transracial adoptee, independent scholar, essayist, critic, poet, and podcaster.  You can find her at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack.  Promotional photograph by Ekow @VOLTSTILLS.  The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen, license number TTStandard8099-1761936903. Additional sounds for this Trailer are by: Popping Cork by milcahrawr -- https://freesound.org/s/622150/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Cork pop.wav by ross_sinc -- https://freesound.org/s/538937/ -- License: Attribution 3.0 Cork pop by dr19 -- https://freesound.org/s/575527/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Vinyl Backspin and  Beat Scratch.wav by ZeSoundResearchInc. -- https://freesound.org/s/117511/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Bubble Pop UI and Game Sounds Multiple Samples by el_boss -- https://freesound.org/s/669921/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

    2 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Welcome to Adoption Pop! where a podcast journalist, a filmmaker, and a cultural critic burst pop culture's favorite adoption tropes. Each episode, we'll dive into movies, TV, and reality shows, from prestige dramas to the classics, to ask what these stories are really saying, and not saying, about adoption. And we'll get real about representation: how the world sees us, and how we see ourselves.

Information

  • Creator
    Haley Radke, Kristal Parke, and Sullivan Summer
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Adoption Pop!

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