Adoption Pop!

E028 | Little Bird Episodes 4-6 (2023) – Adoption on the Small Screen In part two of this two-part episode, we cover the last three episodes of Little Bird, the Canadian dramatic series following a First Nations woman adopted into a Jewish family during the Sixties Scoop as she attempts to reconnect with her family and heritage. Based on real events of the past and present, Little Bird was the winner of six Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Drama, Best Direction, Best Lead Performer, Best Supporting Performer, Best Ensemble Performance, and Best Achievement in Casting. Join Canadian podcast journalist Haley Radke and Opaskwayak Cree filmmaker Kristal Parke, alongside cultural critic Sullivan Summer, as we close out this emotional episode of Adoption Pop! Little Bird was created by Catherine Bainbridge, Hannah Moscovitch, and Jennifer Podemski. Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers is the director. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on June 17, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: The research debunking the myth that "babies are blank slates" is plentiful. Here are just a few articles: "Does My Baby Recognize Me?," Yale Baby School; "Babies Brainer Than Many Imagine," Science Daily (May 7, 2009); "Mythbusters II: We Do NOT Begin As Blank Slates," Psychology Today (August 10, 2011); "The Brain Might Not Be a Blank Slate After All," Technology Networks (February 20, 2024). Allyson Stevenson "Selling the Sixties Scoop: Saskatchewan's Adopt Indian and Métis Project," Achieve History (October 19, 2017) Sullivan mentioned an article by an adoptive mother who said, had she known at the time she adopted what she knows today, she would not have done so. With the daily enshittification of the internet and internet search (thank you AI-obsessed overlords), we can no longer locate that article. We have, however, found this interview with adoptive mom "Diana," which gets to the same issue. So now Sullivan has read two articles. Kristen Tsetsi, "Adoptive Mother Regrets Participating in Oppressive System," Medium (November 22, 2024). Missing & Murdered: Finding Cleo, CBC Nick Zarzycki, "A Q&A with Little Bird Creator Jennifer Podemski," Toronto Life (March 20, 2024) Lorraine Carpenter, "Indigenous activist Nakuset on seeing her Sixties Scoop story told in Little Bird," Cult MTL (June 13, 2023) Because She's Adopted, a film by Kristal Parke Allyson D. Stevenson, Intimate Integration: A History of the Sixties Scoop and the Colonization of Indigenous Kinship "Our Indian Program" operated by Louise Wise Services: Different Eligibility Requirements for Different Children 1961 form letter 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.

E026 | Annie (1982) – Adoption on the Big Screen We think you're gonna like it here on this episode of Adoption Pop! We're just thinkin' about 10-year-old Aileen Quinn in the role that would make her a star—in the film that became the blueprint for a better life. The 1982 big screen adaption of the 1977 Tony-winner, Annie was not well received by critics upon its release. It has just a 50% Rotten Tomatoes score, proving, if nothing else, that no one cares for you a smidge when you're in an orphanage. Give the maid the night off, and turn the kitchen light off—let's go to the movies with podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer. Annie (1982) was written by Carol Sobieski and directed by John Huston. It was based on the 1977 Broadway musical by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan. The cartoon strip, Little Orphan Annie is by Harold Gray. More on him below. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on June 3, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: At the time of this recording, the legendary Carol Burnett is 93 years old. In 1998 hip hop artist Jay-Z sampled "It's the Hard Knock Life" from the 1977 musical for his song, "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)." It peaked at number 15 on Billboard's Hot 100, and was named by VHI as number 11 on their list of 100 Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop. Actor Albert Finney was a cool 46 when he played bald billionaire Oliver Warbucks in Annie. (Sullivan regrets not calling out Kristal's hypocrisy on this one, because she distinctly remembers Kristal dogging bald men back on Episode 11: Love is Blind Season 1 UK (2024). But we guess that's what show notes are for.) The song "Maybe" was made for adoptee resonance. In case you need it, here's a refresher. Harold Gray, creator of the comic strip Little Orphan Annie, does not appear to have had any connection to adoption. According to Wikipedia, he could trace his ancestry back to the 17th century, and his May 10, 1968 New York Times obituary mentions two wives, but no children. The Times also reports that Little Orphan Annie was modeled after a "street urchin" Gray met in Chicago. He made his cartoon Annie an orphan, "so she'd have no family, no tangling alliances, but freedom to go where she pleased." The book Annie is by Thomas Meehan. The audio version is narrated by Annie Potts. Five stars. Kristen Martin, The Sun Won't Come Out Tomorrow: A Dark History of American Orphanhood (2025) John Huston, An Open Book (1980) Evelyn Keyes, Scarlett O'Hara's Younger Sister: My Lively Life In and Out of Hollywood (1977) Stanley Green, Broadway Musicals Show by Show, Ninth Edition (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. 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. We love you Miss Hannigan.

E024 | Virgin River Season 7 (2026) – Adoption on the Small Screen What do you get when you take sweeping mountain views, added to a fictional town of 627 people, with a magical sprinkle from the vivid imagination of a showrunner who is also a proud adoptive parent? You get the wildly problematic, seventh season of the cozy Netflix drama, Virgin River. Listen in as podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer read between the lines of this Pop! Star favorite: thank you to Dalia, Lisa, and Karri for suggesting! Virgin River is based upon the books by Robyn Carr. Season 7 Episode 7, "It Takes a Village" was directed by Ruba Nadda, and written by Becky Hartman Edwards, Robyn Carr, and Ildiko Susany. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on May 20, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Throughout this episode, Sullivan mistakenly refers to the showrunner as "Sean Patrick Smith," as he is named in one of the articles. His name is actually "Patrick Sean Smith." We apologize. (If only everyone were such sticklers for accurate representation). Nellie Andreeva, "'Virgin River' Showrunner on Shocking Season 7 Life & Death Cliffhanger, Mel & Jack's Adoption Journey, Medical Utopia, LGBTQ Representation, & More," Deadline (March 12, 2026) John Griffiths, "Life with Fathers," televisionacademy.com (June 18, 2015) 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.

E022 | Mommie Dearest (1981) – Adoption on the Big Screen For adoptees, Mother's Day can carry complexity and tough emotions. So we decided to lean all the way into the discomfort with a film legendary critic Roger Ebert called "unremittingly depressing," writing that he could not "imagine who would want to subject themselves to this movie." Roger Ebert obviously never met podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer, all of whom subjected themselves to a film that is two hours and nine minutes of pure activation for adopted people: Mommie Dearest. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on May 6, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford (1978) Christina Crawford on the Phil Donahue Show (1978) "Method" refers to a style of acting preparation developed by actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski, and popularized in the US by Lee Strasberg by which the actor makes use of experiences in their own lives to bring them closer to the character. In the episode, Sullivan references a study showing a prevalence of narcissism in adoptive mothers. She was referring to this study which, to clarify, looks at infertile women, not adoptive mothers specifically. Joan Crawford, My Way of Life (1971) A. Ashley Hoff, With Love, Mommie Dearest (2024) Charlotte Chandler, Not the Girl Next Door: Joan Crawford, A Personal Biography (2008) Faye (2024) directed by Laurent Bouzereau American Film Institute's 100 Years … 100 Heros and Villains American Film Institute's 100 Years … 100 Movie Quotes Roger Ebert, "Mommie Dearest Review" (January 1, 1981) 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.

E020 | The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012) – Adoption on the Big Screen April showers bring May flowers or, in the wonderful world of Disney, they bring you a whole child. The Odd Life of Timothy Green follows young Timothy Green, a boy who appears to have been born from the garden of Jim and Cindy, played by Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner, a couple grieving their inability to have a child. Podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer have a lot to say about this one, on this episode of Adoption Pop! The story The Odd Life of Timothy Green was written by Ahmet Zappa. Peter Hedges wrote the screenplay and directed the film. (How did we miss this during recording? It's like an ice cream man named Cone). This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on April 22, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: The hyacinth macaw is the largest parrot in the world, measuring about 1 meter in length, or 3 feet 3 inches for the Americans, or WTAF is wrong with you for Sullivan. The Giving Tree is a 1964 picture book by author illustrator Shel Silverstein that, according to his website, is "a poignant picture book about love and acceptance." Disagree. This tree gives the entitled little shit everything: his apples, his leaves, his branches, even his trunk to sit on when the boy becomes an old man and that fucker never says "thank you" not one time. We love you Shel, but this ain't it. A.O. Scott, "Walking, Talking, Leafy Young Boy Sprouts From a Box of Wishes," New York Times (August 14, 2012). The Odd Life of Timothy Green was set in the fictional town of Stanleyville, USA, but it was filmed in locations across Georgia and North Carolina, so you can understand Sullivan's confusion. The botanist leaf-snipper in the film is played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, three years before his magnum opus, Hamilton, premiered at New York's Public Theater and turned him, and Alexander Hamilton, into contemporary household names. Jennifer Garner plays adoptive mother Vanessa Loring in the film Juno (2007). Ann Lieber, "INTERVIEW: Jennifer Garner Finds Color in The Odd Life of Timothy Green," Theater Mania (August 15, 2012). 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

010 | 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 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 11, 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. According to Kristal and Urban Dictionary, "Kaepernicking" is to flex your bicep and kiss it in celebratory fashion, inspired and trademarked by San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. Urban Dictionary also defines "camel toe" and "moose knuckle," but you will need to look those up for yourself. Moose Knuckles the clothing brand has cold weather gear. And when Sullivan said she thought moose knuckles were candy, she might have been talking about Moose Farts, a no-bake treat made with sweetened condensed milk, butter, vanilla, graham cracker crumbs, shredded coconut, and chocolate chips. (Shrug. Canadians). "DNA." is from Kendrick Lamar's fourth studio album, Damn. 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. Julia Moore for People, "Colin Kaepernick Says He Found It 'Very Difficult' to Call Out Adoptive Parents Over Racial Issues." (April 4, 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.

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.

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.