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.

  1. 9 UUR GELEDEN

    Family Ties "Baby Boy Doe" (1984) – Adoption on the Small Screen

    E018 | Family Ties "Baby Boy Doe" (1984) – Adoption on the Small Screen   We have Pop! Star Judi to thank for taking us on this journey to a time when adoption jokes got the studio audience roaring, lying to kids passed for good parenting, and one real mother was all that anyone was allowed. No, we're not talking about 2025; we're talking about 1984! Join podcast journalist, Haley Radke, filmmaker, Kristal Parke, and cultural critic, Sullivan Summer, for this nostalgic romp back in time to one of the most popular family sit coms of the 1980s. What would we do, baby, without us? Family Ties "Baby Boy Doe" aired on March 8, 1984. It was written by Ruth Bennett and Alan Uger, and directed by Will Mackenzie.    This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on April 8, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: For episodes Kristal has said she's basically "Sullivan's little sister," and now she wants into Gen X? Tell us you're an Elder Millennial without telling us you're an Elder Millennial.     The Family Ties theme song, "Without Us," was used from the second season onward. It was written and composed by Jeff Barry and Tom Scott, and performed by Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams.  Family Ties was filmed before a live studio audience.  Steven Quincy Urkel (played by Jaleel White) was the fictional, nerdy next-door neighbor of the Winslow family on the ABC/CBS sitcom, Family Matters, which aired from 1989 until 1998. It was a Millennial thing.  Mallory Keaton was played by writer, director, producer, and Gen X royalty, Justine Bateman.  According to Miriam Webster dictionary, "real" is defined as: (a) having objective independent existence; (b) not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory; (c) occurring or existing in actuality, making it possible to have two "real" mothers, if an adopted person chooses to so define them. An additional definition, "measured by purchasing power," however, might not apply as universally.  LFO's "Summer Girls," with its line, "Fell deep in love but now we ain't speaking / Michael J. Fox was Alex P. Keaton," came out in 1999. It was a Millennial thing.  Lauren Novak, "Whatever Happened to Marc Price, Family Ties' Skippy?," ReMIND (January 29, 2026). Amanda Baden et al., "Delaying Adoption Disclosure: A Survey of Late Discovery Adoptees," Journal of Family Issues (June 2019) 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, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.  Millennial podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.  Millennial filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  Gen X cultural critic Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.   Sha-la-la-laaaa.

    43 min.

  2. 1 APR

    Adopted (2009) – Adoption on the Small Screen

    E017 | Adopted (2009) – Adoption on the Small Screen   Why would we spend an hour talking about a film that went straight-to-video, has a 31% on the Popcornmeter, and not enough critical reviews to have received a Rotten Tomatoes score? Because that film is about adoption, of course! Join podcast journalist, Haley Radke, filmmaker, Kristal Parke, and cultural critic, Sullivan Summer, as we celebrate the Pauly Shore mockumentary, Adopted. (Yeah, we didn't have "celebrate Pauly Shore" on our Adoption Pop! Bingo card either).     Adopted was written and directed by Pauly Shore.    This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on April 1, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Angelina Jolie adopted from Africa in 2005. Madonna adopted from the continent in 2006, 2009, and 2017. The press surrounding these adoptions was significant, but if you want to learn more, we suggest you skip the tabloids and head for Veronia S. Root's, "Angelina and Madonna: Why All the Fuss? An Exploration of the Rights of the Child in Intercountry Adoption Within African Nations," Chicago Journal of International Law, Volume 8, Number 1 (2007). Pauly Shore is the son of Sammy Shore, a comedian, and Mitzi Shore, who co-founded, owned, and operated The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, a venue known for featuring up-and-coming comics. It's good to be a nepo baby.  According to Miriam Webster, a mockumentary is "a facetious or satirical work (such as a film) presented in the style of a documentary." The film may or may not be improvised in whole or in part.  Allegations of abuse and assault at Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls surfaced in November 2007. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child prioritizes the child's best interest, favors a child receiving care within their home country, and safeguards against adoption for financial gain or child trafficking. The US has signed, but not ratified, the treaty, making it the only UN member state not to have ratified. Make of this what you will.  Dan Persons, "Pauly Shore on Adopted," Huffington Post (June 15, 2010) 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, Spotify, and Apple 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 critic Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    40 min.

  3. 25 MRT

    The Truman Show (1998) – Adoption on the Big Screen

    E016 | The Truman Show (1998) – Adoption on the Big Screen   Long before we all had front-facing screens in our pockets—even before it would have occurred to us to use the term "front-facing screen"—there was somebody born to be on camera: Truman Burbank. The first baby to have been legally adopted by a corporation, Truman and his namesake show were watched, loved, and protected by millions of fans around the world—right up until he started to question that world's reality. Join podcast journalist, Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic, Sullivan Summer as we revisit a favorite, The Truman Show, on this episode of Adoption Pop!  Thank you to Pop! Star Frankie for this episode suggestion via Spotify. The Truman Show was written by Andrew Niccol and directed by Peter Weir.    (If you start "The Imperial March" now and read really slow, it will soundtrack these entire show notes) This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on March 25, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: When Sullivan said, "the march of the Storm Troopers," she was obviously talking about John Waters's, "The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)" from The Empire Strikes Back, the NPE theme songs to rule all NPE theme songs. But you know all of this already because you're listening to it in the background. And because you're probably just a little bit evil.  Ed Harris played Sheriff Alan J. Pangborn in the 1993 film Needful Things, adapted from Stephen King's 1991 novel of the same name. There's this one scene near the end when everything is coming to a head, and it's cold and its dark and it's raining, and Ed Harris gets out of his truck and he wants to get everyone's attention, so he pumps his shotgun with one hand… The Adoptee Consciousness Model was developed by JaeRan Kim, Susan Branco, Grace Newton, Paula O'Loughlin, and Stephanie Kripa Cooper-Lewter. Hannah Andrews, "Cue the Sun: My Truman Show Life," Medium (April 10, 2023) The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen. We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode, what you'd like for us to cover in the future, and whether you, too, have been radicalized by us. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple 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 critic Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    42 min.

  4. 18 MRT

    Philomena (2013) – Adoption on the Big Screen

    E015 | Philomena (2013) – Adoption on the Big Screen   A young woman shamed, banished, and indentured—yet faith survives for Philomena Lee who, after 50 years of separation, embarks upon a search for the son she was forced to relinquish inside one of Ireland's notorious mother and baby homes. Podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer take on Philomena, adapted from journalist Martin Sixsmith's The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, and starring Judi Dench as the title character in a film that had our Irish eyes weeping, all 29-30% of them.  Philomena was written by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, directed by Stephen Frears, and based on the book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by Martin Sixsmith.    For those watching on YouTube, Haley's necklace–worn in honor of Philomena and the birth mothers–was designed by adoptee Tracey Aabey-Hammond in response to Kay Jewelers' advertisement and jewelry celebrating adoption. The tattered, torn, tarnished heart of "The Adoption Pendant" conveys the loss that adoption brings to adoptees and first mothers. The stone is set wrongly to represent adoptees who feel they have never fit in with the adoptive family or the world due to the loss of their original identity. You can purchase the necklace here.  This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on March 18, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Martin Sixsmith, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee (2010) According to Wikipedia, Magdalene laundries, also known as Magdalene asylums, were run by the Roman Catholic church in Ireland ostensibly to house "fallen women," though they actually functioned as penitentiary workhouses. A formal apology for the women who worked, and who died in the laundries, was issued by the State in 2013. You can read more about them in Ireland and the Magdalene Laundries: A Campaign for Justice by Claire McGettrick et al. (2021).  Rory Carroll, "Irish church and state apologise for callous mother and baby homes," The Guardian (January 13, 2021) The Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes produced by the Irish government, all 2,865 pages of it, is available here (January 12, 2021). Jane Russell and the Springtown Mother, BBC Radio 4 (2015) Judi Dench, "Playing Philomena Was a Great Responsibility," Variety (January 7, 2014) "Judi Dench's only child regret," The Sydney Morning Herald (November 17, 2011) 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, Spotify, and Apple 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 critic Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    54 min.

  5. 11 MRT

    Song Sung Blue (2025) – Adoption on the Big Screen

    E014 | Song Sung Blue (2025) – Adoption on the Big Screen Did you ever read about a frog who dreamed of bein' a king, and then became one? Well, except for the names, and a few other changes, you've got the Hollywood adaptation of a little-known documentary profile of the Milwaukee Neil Diamond tribute act known as "Lightning and Thunder." Song Sung Blue hit theaters on Christmas Day in 2025, garnering generally favorable reviews, and a slew of Best Actress nominations for Kate Hudson for her melodic portrayal of Claire "Thunder" Sardina, a woman who battles back to the stage after losing a leg in a freak car accident, developing an addiction to pain meds, and insisting her daughter relinquish her baby. Good times never seemed so good. Song Sung Blue was written by Craig Brewer and Greg Kohs, and was directed by Craig Brewer.    This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on March 11, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: The film Song Sung Blue is based on the 2008 documentary of the same name by Greg Kohs. You can read Kohs's essay about the making of the doc here.  Fact check: Dolly Parton has been the subject of not one, but two biopics. Alyvia Alyn Lind plays a young Dolly growing up in rural Tennessee in 2015's Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors and its follow-up, Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love in 2016.  Fact check: Depictions of smoking can affect a film's Motion Picture Association of America rating. Hollywood studios also each have their own policies regarding on-screen smoking, outlined here by IndieWire. And a 2025 article by Adriana Albini in Cancerworld details the history of smoking depictions on-screen. (We normally try to rely on less-biased sources than Cancerworld, but there's a good chance our other content has already weeded out the nicotine-cancer-connection-deniers, so we're going to stick with it).   Eddie Vedder is the lead singer and guitarist of Pearl Jam, among other bands. A 2011 Rolling Stone readers' poll named him seventh on the list of "Best Lead Singers of All Time." (We normally try to rely on less-biased sources than Rolling Stone, but we stand by the spirit of the list, and agree that Eddie Vedder is, in fact, a national treasure).    Gerrad Hall, "Fact vs. fiction in Song Sung Blue: heart attacks, a horrific accident, and Eddie Vedder's unexpected call," Entertainment Weekly (December 26, 2025). Paul Grein, "38 Actors Who Were Oscar-Nominated For Playing Real Musicians & Singers," Billboard (January 22, 2026). It took longer than anticipated, but Haley has finally given Kristal her stage name, which is "Citrine." Listen for her in future episodes.  In the meantime, listen to Neil Diamond's "I Am… I Said." You're welcome.  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 critic Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.

    50 min.

  6. 4 MRT

    Task (2025) – Adoption on the Small Screen

    E013 | Task (2025) – Adoption on the Small Screen Season 1 of HBO's Task centers former priest, alcoholic, adoptive father, FBI agent, Tom Brandis (played by Mark Ruffalo), who heads up a task force of dubiously-selected young agents as they hunt down a pair of guys robbing violent motorcycle gang-owned stash houses. As melodramatic as the plotline may be, the series quickly became a Pop! favorite for its truthful portrayal of the complexities in adoption.  Thank you to Pop! Star Candace for the recommendation.  Task was created by Brad Ingelsby.    This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on March 4, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Covenant House is the largest, primarily privately funded charity in North and Central America providing immediate and long-term support for young people facing homelessness and survivors of trafficking, including many former foster youth and adoptees. Their website provides data on this population, and resources to support.  Grow Beyond Words maintains a directory of adoption-competent, licensed mental health professionals in the US. InterCountry Adoptee Voices maintains a similar, international directory.  Joe Otterson, "'Task' Renewed for Season 2 at HBO With Mark Ruffalo Returning," Variety (November 20, 2025)  Who wrote this scene with the priest at the end? Task Episode 7, "A Still Small Voice," was written by Brad Ingelsby, and directed by Jeremiah Zagar. 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 critic Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack. You can find her book recommendations here.

    48 min.

  7. 25 FEB

    Private Practice "Apron Strings" (2012) – Adoption on the Small Screen

    E012 | Private Practice "Apron Strings" (2012) – Adoption on the Small Screen   The Grey's Anatomy spinoff Private Practice followed OB/GYN Addison Montgomery for six seasons from 2007 until 2013, where she and a who's who of middle-aged eye-candy treated patients at an oceanside wellness center. In a case of art imitating life, Addison, like showrunner Shonda Rhimes, adopts a baby. But when baby Henry's mother comes back into his life after 8 months away, Addison's humanity is tested, along with the audience's ability to hold multiple truths at once. Private Practice "Apron Strings" aired on November 20, 2012. It was written by Gabe Fonseca, Elizabeth Klaviter, and Gabriel Llanas; and directed by Amyn Kaderali.      Thank you Pop! Stars Gretchen and Lora for this episode recommendation.   This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on February 25, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: In case you missed it: On Season 1 of Grey's Anatomy, Derek Shepherd ("McDreamy") was dating Meredith Grey. Then, in the Season 1 finale, his estranged wife Addison shows up. She meets Meredith and she says, "Hi. I'm Addison Shepherd." (Very dramatic). Then, in Season 2 we learn Addison had an extramarital affair with Derek's best friend, Mark Sloan ("McSteamy"), who also comes to work with them at the hospital. There will be a Pop! quiz later. Actor Benjamin Bratt played Detective Rey Curtis on Law & Order Seasons 6-9. If Sullivan had a hall pass… The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) prioritizes keeping native children within their tribes and communities, over placement with non-native families.  "Shonda Rhimes: Women Need to Brag More," Call Her Daddy podcast (October 8, 2025) "Oprah Talks to Shonda Rhimes," O Magazine (December 2006) Rickie Solinger, Wake Up Little Suzy: Single Pregnancy and Race Before Roe v. Wade, 2nd edition (2000) Ann Fessler, The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade (2007) Gretchen Sisson, Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood (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 critic Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.  Pop! quiz: Which Adoption Pop! cohost is the funniest? (a) Sullivan (b) Sullivan (c) Sullivan (d) Sullivan

    59 min.

  8. 18 FEB

    Love is Blind UK Season 1 (2024) – Adoption on Reality TV

    E011 | Love is Blind UK Season 1 (2024) –Adoption on Reality TV   According to Forbes magazine, around 80 million people, 30% of the adult population in the US, is on a dating app, with 10% of partnered adults reporting that they met their significant other through a dating site or app. Of course, one might skip university, friends, apps, and pokes (ew), and head straight for reality television. What happens when an adopted person looks for love while millions tune in to watch? The pods are open for podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer, as they explore Season 1 of Love is Blind UK on this episode of Adoption Pop! This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on February 18, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Despite its name, Boston Pizza was founded in Edmonton, Alberta in 1964. According to Wikipedia, the company had nearly 400 locations in Canada, the United States, and Mexico as of 2022. In Sullivan's defense, none of them are in New York. Or near it. Or in Boston, apparently. Contrary to popular belief, Facebook never really got rid of pokes and is, according to tech reporters, trying to re-popularize them. Dislike.  There are about 30,000 people in the funeral services industry across the US and Canada. There are about 78.5 million bald men. It is just statistically impossible for all of them to be unattractive, Kristal.  Actor Craig T. Nelson is known for roles on Coach, The Family Stone, Adoption Pop! Episode 003, and Haley's hall pass.  Emily Phares, "Dating Statistics and Facts," Forbes (July 22, 2025). Andres Hjern et. al, "Couple Partnership and divorce in domestic and non-European international adoptees. A Swedish national cohort study with follow up until 36 to 45 years," Children and Youth Servies Review (October 2023). 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.

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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.

Informatie

  • Maker
    Haley Radke, Kristal Parke, and Sullivan Summer
  • Jaren actief
    2025 - 2026
  • Afleveringen
    20
  • Beoordeling
    Expliciet
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Website van aflevering
    Adoption Pop!

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