Shows
Adoption Pop!Song Sung Blue (2025) – Adoption on the Big ScreenE014 | 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 af...
2026-03-1149 minAdoption Pop!Task (2025) – Adoption on the Small ScreenE013 | 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! ai...
2026-03-0447 minAdoption Pop!Private Practice "Apron Strings" (2012) – Adoption on the Small ScreenE012 | 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 wa...
2026-02-2559 min
The Adoption FilesBe a Partner in Something Powerful: a conversation with Sullivan Summer, Lora Alegria and Lilly Anspach, the Board of Adoptees for Family PreservationPlease join me as I speak with the board of Adoptees for Family Preservation. AdopteesFFP.org was formed with the goal of supporting advocacy and education about the way that the adoption industry functions today and to promote family preservation rather than family dissolution. The board members all bring their own lived experience as adopted people to the conversation, along with their skills as professionals in a range of career fields. Please check out their bios at the non-profits website for more information about Sullivan Summer, Lora Alegria and Lilly Anspach. Please share the links...
2026-02-2047 minAdoption Pop!Love is Blind UK Season 1 (2024) – Adoption on Reality TVE011 | 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...
2026-02-181h 00Adoption Pop!Colin in Black and White (2021) – Part 2: Adoption on the Small Screen010 | Colin in Black and White (2021) – Part 2: Adoption on the Small Screen Part 2 of an Adoption Pop! two-part episode. 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...
2026-02-1153 minAdoption Pop!"The Girl in the Middle" (2026) – Bonus Pop! Advertising AdoptionBonus 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, Gretche...
2026-02-0628 minAdoption Pop!Colin in Black and White (2021) – Part 1: Adoption on the Small Screen009 | 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 tran...
2026-02-041h 02Adoption Pop!Vivien's Wild Ride (2026): Adoption on the Small Screen008 | 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 lo...
2026-01-2845 minAdoption Pop!Modern Family "Pilot" (2009): Adoption on the Small Screen007 | 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...
2026-01-2157 minAdoption Pop!K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025): Adoption on the Big Screen006 | 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 a...
2026-01-1434 minAdoption Pop!Sex and the City: The Movie (2008): Adoption on the Big Screen005 | 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 di...
2026-01-0754 minAdoption Pop!Penny Serenade (1941): Adoption on the Silver Screen004 | 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...
2025-12-311h 04Adoption Pop!The Family Stone (2005): Adoption on the Big Screen003 | 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...
2025-12-241h 03Adoption Pop!The Grinch (2018): Adoption on the Big Screen002 | 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...
2025-12-171h 07
Adoptees OnBonus - Introducing Adoption Pop!Bonus | Introducing Adoption Pop! 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. Full show notes at https://adoptionpop.com/ Find, follow, like, and subscr...
2025-12-121h 05Adoption Pop!Elf (2003): Adoption on the Big Screen001 | 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. T...
2025-12-101h 04Adoption Pop!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...
2025-11-1802 min
Adoptees OnAdoptees Only Book Club with Rebecca Carroll239 Adoptees On(ly) Book Club We're inviting you to join our Adoptees On(ly) Book Club discussion today! Sullivan Summer interviews Rebecca Carroll, author of Surviving the White Gaze, at a live Zoom event with fellow adoptees. This was recorded in October of 2022. Like Rebecca, Sullivan is a Black, domestic, transracial adoptee raised in New Hampshire. She is a regular contributor to Adoptees Off Script. Full Show Notes Here This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is t...
2023-02-1053 min
Adoptees OnSullivan Summer211 | Sullivan Summer Today's guest is the brilliant Sullivan Summer! Growing up as a black transracial adoptee with white adoptive parents, Sullivan was actively discouraged from identifying as black by her adoptive mother. She shares about her recent decision to change her full name as a sign of identity reclamation and we also discuss the intersection of adoption, race, and the United States' history of slavery. Full Show Notes Here Show Notes Recommended Resources Outsiders Within: Writing on Transracial Adoption (re-release 2021) edited by Jane Jeong Trenka, Julia Chinyere Oparah, and Sun...
2022-03-251h 08