Adoption Pop!

Haley Radke, Kristal Parke, and Sullivan Summer
  • 5.0 (15)
  • TV & Film
  • Updated Weekly

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. 3d ago

    Because She's Adopted (2023) – Adoption at the Movies

    E044 | Because She's Adopted (2023) – Adoption at the Movies This is a very special episode of Adoption Pop!, as we cover the film Because She's Adopted, which follows a Cree adoptee from Kelowna, BC who embarks upon a journey to understand the complicated reality of her adoption, and to understand herself. Who picked this? The filmmaker and star of Because She's Adopted, our very own Kristal Parke! You can rent Because She's Adopted and, if you are watching and listening in real time, check out Haley's and Kristal's social media to find out how you can meet them for a live screening of Because She's Adopted in the Seattle area. Because She's Adopted was directed by James Alton, edited by Chelsea McEvoy and produced by Kristal Parke. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on October 7, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: The Adoptee Film Festival was founded by Alexandra Mann. The 2025 Shorts selections are available for viewing on demand.  The website of the Sixties Scoop Network of survivors is here.  CBC News Manitoba, "What Remains of McKay Residential School in Northern Manitoba" (September 30, 2025) Katie Knol, "Remains of 12 children who died at Carlisle Indian School to be returned to their tribes," Pennsylvania Capital-Star (August 31, 2026) In Episodes 27 and 28, Adoption Pop! covered Little Bird, a series centering a First Nations woman adopted into a Jewish family during the Sixties Scoop as she attempts to reconnect with her birth family and heritage 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 and on Instagram.

  2. Sep 30

    The Sopranos "The Fleshy Part of the Thigh" (2006): Adoption on Television

    E043 | The Sopranos "The Fleshy Part of the Thigh" (2006) – Adoption on Television A big "thank you" to Pop! Star Hannah for giving us the chance to revisit what some critics have called "the greatest, and most groundbreaking television show of all time." The Sopranos ran for six seasons from 1999 through 2007, and followed New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano, played by the late James Gandolfini, and his journey through the criminal underworld—and through therapy. In episode 4 of the final season we meet Tony in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound with a chief henchman by his side, Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri, who is about to learn he is not who he thinks he is. Join podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer as we revisit this pillar of prestige television. The Sopranos Season 6, Episode 4 "The Fleshy Part of the Thigh" first aired on April 2, 2006. It was written by Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider. It was directed by Alan Taylor. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on September 30, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: According to Brooks Vernon in ScreenRant, Paulie would have been nearing 70 in the show's final season, which makes Sullivan feel much, much better. (Also, this is exactly why she doesn't let Kristal call herself an honorary member of Gen X). We covered the film Philomena in Episode 15 of Adoption Pop! Dr. Amanda L. Baden et al., "Delaying Adoption Disclosure: A Survey of Late Discovery Adoptees," Journal of Family Issues (May 2019) Learn more about the US baby scoop era at the Baby Scoop Era Research Initiative 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 and on Instagram.

  3. Sep 23

    Sex and the City "Just Say Yes" (2001): Adoption on TV

    E042 | Sex and the City "Just Say Yes" (2001) – Adoption on Television It may have been one of the biggest shows of the era, but its adoption story line has aged about as well as a Mandarin chicken skewer left out on the buffet too long. Season 4, Episode 12 of Sex and the City, "Just Say Yes" follows characters Charlotte and Trey as they toy with the idea of adding a Chinese daughter to their clan, much to the chagrin of Trey's mother, and much to the chagrin of podcast journalist, Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer.   Sex and the City Season 4, Episode 12 "Just Say Yes" first aired on August 12, 2001. It was written by Cindy Chupack, Candace Bushnell, and Julie Rottenberg. It was directed by David Frankel. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on September 23, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: This is the second time we have explored Charlotte's adoption story on Pop! We covered Sex and the City: The Movie in Episode 5. According to Handwoven Magazine, all tartans are plaid, but not all plaids are tartan. Tartans have an identical pattern of stripes running vertically and horizontally, typically in a two-over-two twill pattern, resulting in overlapping square grids and the illusion of new colors blended from the originals; while the stripes in plaid vary in color, size, and/or pattern. Turns out that Sullivan is wearing plaid in this episode, not tartan. Which is fine, since she's not Scottish anyway. If you find yourself in New York City in April, you can attend the annual Tartan Day Parade. Sullivan won't be there. Turns out Vogue published "The 25 Best 'Sex and the City' Quotes" in 2023 and, surprisingly, Bunny McDougal didn't make the list. Resolve is a national organization offering support and advocacy around infertility issues. It "believes adoption should be accessible to all families, regardless of income" and engages in federal lobbying to this effect, though, according to its website, does nothing to support birth/first families or adopted people. Got it. Adoption Pop! covered the Modern Family "Pilot" in Episode 7. Kimberly McKee, Adoption Fantasies: The Fetishization of Asian Adoptees From Girlhood to Womanhood (The Ohio State University Press, 2023) Cindy Chupack, We Waited for You: Now We're a Family (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2023) Cindy Chupack, The Longest Date: Life as a Wife (Penguin Publishing, 2014) Cynthia Littleton, "Motherhood From the Heart: Cindy Chupack on Celebrating Family in All Forms with 'We Waited for You' Picture Book," Variety (May 12, 2023) Zibby Owens interview with Cindy Chupack, Totally Booked with Zibby (November 15, 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, 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 and on Instagram.

  4. Sep 16

    Superman (2025) – Adoption at the Movies

    E041 | Superman (2025) – Adoption at the Movies   Why are there so many superheroes with parental separation in their origin stories? Wikipedia has whole pages devoted to Marvel Comics orphans, and DC Comics orphans; the latter of which includes Superman, most recently rebooted in 2025 and played by David Corenswet. The film grossed nearly $619 million dollars worldwide, including contributions from the Radke family who partook of the IMAX experience. Haley, alongside filmmaker Kristal Parke and cultural critic Sullivan Summer have takes on this one hotter than the Earth's yellow sun.        Superman (2025) was written by James Gunn, Jerry Siegel, and Joe Shuster. It was directed by James Gunn. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on September 16, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Turns out the superhero hair stylist is already taken. Shamrock, also known as Molly Fitzgerald, comes from the Marvel universe. According to Wikipedia, Molly's father was a militant member of the IRA and, as Shamrock, "functions as a vessel for displaced poltergeists and the souls of innocent people who died during the war." In retirement Molly becomes a — you guessed it — hairdresser to the superheroes. Try again, Kristal! The television show Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman ran for four seasons from 1993 until 1997. It starred Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane, alongside an actor so politically misaligned with us that we refuse to type his name.  The television show Smallville ran for 10 seasons from 2001 to 2011 and starred Tom Welling as Clark Kent. The show follows Clark's teenage years in Smallville, Kansas, before he formally becomes Superman.  According to Forbes magazine, Google searches on "adopt a dog near me" spiked 513% following Superman's 2025 opening weekend, with credit to the film's CGI-created dog, Crypto. Hollywood never met a child-pet-adoption mash-up it didn't like. Man of Steel, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Henry Cavill, premiered in 2013.   The OG Superman, written by Mario Puzo, directed by Richard Donner, and starring Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder and others premiered in December 1978 with a 16-month-old Sullivan in the audience. This explains a lot about her taste in movies. Joey Paur, "James Gunn Explains Superman's Controversial Krypton Parents Twist," GeekTyrant. James Grebey, "The New Superman Hinges on a Radical Reinvention of the Man of Steel's Parents," Time (July 11, 2025) 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 and on Instagram.

  5. Sep 9

    Frontline: Baby Brokers (2026) – Adoption on Television

    E040 | Frontline: Baby Brokers (2026) – Adoption on Television  As Haley works on her investigative series podcast On Adoption, other docs are also telling real stories about the adoption industry, including PBS's Frontline, which in June of 2026 aired an episode titled "Baby Brokers." Produced in collaboration with the not-for-profit, independent news organization Retro Report, the episode looks at the adoption tourism industry — the luring of pregnant women to adoption-friendly states and pressure put upon them to relinquish their children to waiting adoptive parents. Tune in as podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer discuss where the doc pushed on the conventional narrative, and where it didn't push far enough.  Frontline: The Baby Brokers first aired on June 23, 2026. It was written by Gabrielle Glaser and Sarah Weiser, and directed by Glaser. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on September 9, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Learn more about Haley's investigative series podcast, On Adoption.   Sociologist Gretchen Sisson, PhD, studies abortion and adoption. Her book, Relinquished: The Politics and Privilege of American Motherhood dispels many of the myths underlying the adoption industry. Paul Petersen pled guilty to state and federal charges in Utah, Arizona, and Arkansas for his role in an illegal human trafficking and adoption scheme. At the time of this recording, he is in an Arizona state prison. The Offshore podcast season three, "The Blood Calls" can be found here.  Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) is a co-sponsor on the ADOPT Act, as well as the Protect Adoptees and American Families Act, which will grant citizenship to international adoptees adopted as children not otherwise covered in the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. She is not a cosponsor of open records legislation, as indicated by Sullivan during the episode. Adoption Pop! previously covered Apple TV's Shrinking Season 2 and Season 3, which feature a character who is an adoption consultant.  Check out Kristal's adoptee interview podcast, Because She's Adopted.  "Klobochar, Britt, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan ADOPT to Protect Adoptive Families from Exploitation," (November 20, 2025) "National Council for Adoption Announces Adoption Hall of Fame 2025 Honorees," (October 17, 2025) Jon Husted, "Adoption not only changed my life, but the lives of every member of my family," (November 27, 2025)  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 and on Instagram.

  6. Sep 2

    The Blind Side (2009): Adoption at the Movies

    E039 | The Blind Side (2009) – Adoption at the Movies When the summer heat burns itself out, kids head back to school, and a hint of fall breeze rustles the trees, one thing becomes clear: football season is upon us. And while Hollywood has made many a football movie, there is one that scores bigger with audience than all the rest. 2009's The Blind Side follows the story of Michael Oher, a once-homeless Memphis teen who, with the help of a community of people throughout his young life, works his way to the NFL. The film is the highest grossing football film and sports drama of all time (unadjusted for inflation) and, as of late, the subject of controversy, all of which we get into in this very special episode of Adoption Pop! Join podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer live from Kristal's home in Canada (isn't that where all the good stuff is filmed?) as we take a close look at this Oscar winning film and the real people behind it. The Blind Side was written and directed by John Lee Hancock. It is based on the 2006 book, The Blind Side, by Michael Lewis. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on September 2, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Little Giants is a 1994 film starring Rick Moranis and Ed O'Neill in which "misfits form their own opposing team to an elite peewee football team, coached by the elite team coach's brother," according to IMDb. For the uninitiated, "D1," or Division 1, are those US colleges and universities competing in athletics at the highest level, and represents the most direct path to professional sports for student athletes. You can read more about segregation academies here. In this episode, Sullivan takes issue with the portrayal of Michael Oher as an implicitly dangerous big, Black man in the book and movie. She wishes she had been more explicit in her explanation of why this is so problematic. The supposed "threat" Black men and boys pose to white women has for centuries been used as justification for their murder, mutilation, torture, and lynching. Michael Lewis, as a white American, knows this. To lean into descriptions of Michael Oher that imply he is a threat to white women is to court violence against him, and against all Black men and boys. This was true in plantation days. It was true in the early aughts when Michael attended Briarcrest and Ole Miss. And it was true at the time we recorded this episode. It is still true. During the discussion, Sullivan says that Sean Touhy and The Blind Side author Michael Lewis were college roommates. They were not college roommates, but rather, childhood friends. I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to the Blind Side, and Beyond by Michael Oher with Don Yaeger Steve Almond, "The back and forth over 'The Blind Side' misses the big picture. So did Michael Lewis," L.A. Times (August 17, 2023) Michael Sokolove, "The Blind Side Made Him Famous. But He Has a Different Story to Tell," New York Times Magazine (August 18, 2024) In re Michael Jerome Williams, Jr. filed in the Probate Court of Shelby County, Tennessee August 14, 2023 Ree Hines, "Sandra Bullock opens up about the challenges of being a white mom raising Black children," Today (December 1, 2021) Emma Banks, "All About Sandra Bullock's 2 Kids, Louis and Laila: She 'Couldn't Be More Proud,'" InStyle (August 19, 2025) Box Office Mojo, "Football Movies at the Box Office" and "Sports Drama Movies at the Box Office." 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 and on Instagram.

  7. Aug 26

    Two and a Half Men – "The Ol' Mexican Spinach" (2014): Adoption on Television

    E038 | Two and a Half Men "The Ol' Mexican Spinach" (2025) – Adoption on Television The CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men aired for 12 seasons from 2003 to 2015, and originally starred 1980s film icon Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, alongside his brother Alan, played by Jon Cryer. Sheen exited the show in the ninth season and was replaced by the aughts-television-famous Ashton Kutcher (we cannot bring ourselves to type "icon" but, for a while there, he was everywhere), playing a billionaire named Walden who buys Charlie's house after he dies, allowing Alan to continue to live there. None of this matters to the opening episode of the final season when, after a serious health scare, Walden decides he should adopt a baby. Thank you to Pop! Star Alé for recommending we cover this episode! Two and a Half Men was created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn. Season 12 Episode 1, "The Ol' Mexican Spinach," originally aired on October 30, 2014, and was written by Don Reo, Jim Patterson, and Steve Tompkins. It was directed by James Widdoes. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on August 26, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Regular listeners and viewers may know that Sullivan is responsible for our show notes, and will break the fourth wall now to confirm: Reader, Kristal and Haley are correct. I hate this show. We drop a lot of names in the early part of this episode, none of which are necessary to the storytelling. But if you enjoy celebrity gossip, we will remind you that in March of 2011 star Charlie Sheen was fired from Two and a Half Men after a spectacular public breakdown fueled by substance abuse. He was replaced by Ashton Kutcher, star of That '70s Show (1998-2006). In 2023, Kutcher's That '70s Show co-star Danny Masterson was convicted of raping two women in 2003, and is serving 30 years to life in a California prison at the time of this writing. After Masterson's conviction, but before his sentencing, Kutcher wrote a letter to the court in defense of Masterson's character. Yuck. (OMG, Reader, they're still going. How is it that Haley and Kristal spent so much time talking about these actors' past lives? This episode is only 29 minutes long.) Jon Cryer rose to fame with the 1986 John Hughes classic Pretty in Pink, in which he played Ducky, the best friend of actress Molly Ringwald's character, Andie. It is Ducky whom Cryer dresses as in this Halloween episode of Two and a Half Men. Where do we know the actress Aisha Tyler from? The answer is Adoption Pop! Episode 19, Friends "The One with the Donor," in which she stars as Joey's girlfriend. Reader, how did Kristal and Haley miss this callback? Talking about The Santa Clause… Dr. Becky Kennedy is a clinical psychologist specializing in parenting support.      Kristal missed the callback to Friends, but not to Adoption Pop! Episode 3, The Family Stone when she had something inappropriate to say about actor Luke Wilson. Oh, Reader. Ashton Kutcher was married to actress Demi Moore for six years from 2005 to 2011. Kutcher was 25 and Moore 40 at the time they began dating. Lesley Goldberg, "'Two and a Half Men' to Explore Gay Adoption in Final Season," The Hollywood Reporter (July 17, 2014). "Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher planning to adopt a baby boy," Celebitchy.com citing The National Enquirer (January 30, 2009). 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 and on Instagram. She returns next week to put the wheels back on this thing.

  8. Aug 19

    Silicon Valley "Maximizing Alphaness" (2019) – Adoption on the Small Screen

    E037 | Silicon Valley "Maximizing Alphaness" (2019) – Adoption on the Small Screen   Workplaces outside of the home have long been fodder for television entertainment. The first workplace comedy, Our Miss Brooks, premiered way back in 1952 and centered a high school teacher. And while we still have school-based workplace comedies (shout-out to one of Haley's favorites, Abbott Elementary), other shows involve workplaces of a kind that did not exist in 1952, such as HBO's Silicon Valley, a parody of tech industry start-up culture. Pop! Star Janet turned us onto this one, especially the Season 6 episode titled "Maximizing Alphaness," where the adopted character, Jared meets his birth parents. Silicon Valley Season 6, Episode 4, "Maximizing Alphaness" first aired on November 17, 2019. It was written by Daisy Gardner, Marlena Rodriguez, and Cathy Lew. Liza Johnson directed. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on August 19, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Over the course of its six seasons, Silicon Valley was nominated for a total of 101 awards, taking home 16, including two Emmys and a Critics' Choice Award. Who's the boob now, Sullivan?  The show's creators, Mike Judge, John Altschuler, and Dave Krinsky, were also behind 2009's The Goode Family, which features a family who tried to transracially adopt from Africa, only to come home with a white, South African baby they named Ubunto showing that, with enough love and affection, "the offspring of two, racist Afrikaners could become a gentle, socially-conscious young man."  You can see the entire clip involving Jared's interaction with his birth parents here.  On the absurdist comedic continuum, we've put Episode 29, Adam Sandler's Big Daddy and Episode 17, Pauly Shore's Adopted alongside this one. Gather the family and have your own movie night! J. Kim Murphy, "'Silicon Valley' Star Zach Woods Reflects on the Final Season: 'Characters' Blind Spots are Funny,'" Variety (July 1, 2020) Baraka Kaseko and Marah Eakin, "Silicon Valley's Zach Woods improvised most of Jared's Backstory," A.V. Club (March 22, 2018)  Following the recording, Sullivan did some deep thinking about whether there was anything at all in this episode she could laugh at, and identified one thing: Haley, throughout the episode, refers to the television show as "Silicone Valley." Sullivan thought it just might be a Canadian thing (process / pro-cess, tomato / tomahto), until she confirmed that silicon and silicone are, in fact, two totally different things. The former is a naturally occurring chemical element and a primary material used to make computer microprocessors and semiconductors. Silicone, on the other hand, is a human-made polymer composed of silicon, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen used to make, you guessed it: boobs. Ergo, Haley spent this entire episode referring to the show as "Boob Valley." That's funny.  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 and on Instagram.

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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
    46
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Adoption Pop!

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