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.

Adoption Pop! is a tv podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 38 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Adoption Pop!, a tv show with 38 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #37

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

  Aug 18, 202633 min

  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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  Episode #36

  Black Cake (2023) – Adoption on the Small Screen

  Aug 11, 202656 min

  E036 | Black Cake (2023) – Adoption on the Small Screen Certain foods can be a strong connection to the geographies and cultures that we come from, even after physical separation from those geographies and cultures. It is this universal experience that undergirds the 2023 Hulu limited series, Black Cake. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Charmaine Wilkerson, Black Cake follows a multigenerational story with a woman named Eleanor Bennett at its center. The film touches on themes of identity, estrangement, and intergenerational trauma, including forced relinquishment of a baby and a late discovery adoptee. Thank you to Pop! Star Sandi for suggesting we cover Black Cake! Black Cake was produced by Marissa Jo Cerar, among others. It is based on the novel by Charmaine Wilkerson. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on August 12, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Bannock and frybread have as much history to them as Eleanor Bennett's black cake in the film. We got into some of the history of forced adoption and mother and baby homes in Episode 15 Philomena . Need a clearer articulation of what it means to be white presenting versus white passing (with visuals)? Check out this video from American cultural critic, Toure. Where is a person to go to find a good explanation of the difference between privacy and secrecy? To an unlicensed rando on Instagram, of course. Stephanie Rigg is a relationship coach (read: uncredentialed), and we have seen exactly one of her videos , but her definition makes sense to us: privacy is when something doesn't concern you and you have no reason to know, but if you did know, it wouldn't be a problem. Secrecy is deliberate concealment, because it could come with negative consequences if you knew about it. Everyone in the consequence-averse Bennett family kept secrets. Charmaine Wilkerson, " How a Family Recipe Inspired by Debut Novel ," Elle (January 25, 2022) " Charmaine Wilkerson Discusses the Hulu Adaptation of Black Cake ," She Writes Magazine (January 2025) " Reshaping Adoption Narratives in LA's Entertainment Capital ," The Adoptee Next Door Podcast (December 4, 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 .

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  Episode #34

  The Jerk (1979) – Adoption on the Big Screen

  Jul 29, 202637 min

  E034 | The Jerk (1979) – Adoption on the Big Screen With one of the most famous opening lines in comedic cinema history, 1979's The Jerk follows Navin Johnson (played by Steve Martin in his first starring role), the white, adopted son of Black Mississippi sharecroppers. The film was a box office success; it was one of the top 10 highest grossing films of 1979 alongside classics Kramer vs. Kramer, Rocky II, Apocalypse Now, Alien, the Amityville Horror, Star Trek, Ten, and the Muppet Movie, all of which we would rather have watched, but we promised Pop! Star Lee we would do The Jerk. Join podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer as we revisit a 1970s-era adoption story that hasn't aged well. But do they ever? The Jerk was written by Carl Gottlieb, Michael Elias, and Steve Martin. It was directed by Carl Reiner. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on July 29, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: If Kristal has you nostalgic for Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids, you can rewatch the famously funny scene here . Steve Martin, who plays 18-year-old Navin Johnson, was 33 at the time of filming. According to Wikipedia, author Lurlene McDaniel is known for "writing about young adults struggling with mortality and chronic illness," including cancer, diabetes, organ failure, and the deaths of loved ones through disease or suicide. Knowing what passes for light entertainment to adult Haley, it tracks that these were some of young Haley's favorites. The Face on the Milk Carton is a 1990 young adult novel by Caroline B. Cooney. In 1995 it was adapted into a made-for-television movie of the same name, starring Kellie Martin, which we are absolutely going to put on our list for future Pop! episodes because Sullivan remembers watching it on TV. In the alternative, we might also do one of the five films released between 1999 and 2024 with the exact same premise. FFS. What we won't be doing, however, is the Christy Miller series by Robin Jones Gunn, though we're glad she had fun staying with wealthy Aunt Marti and Uncle Bob in Newport Beach. At the time of filming, the 29,000 square foot "Beverly Estate" that serves as wealthy Navin Johnson's home had been purchased just three years before for $473,000. The home was later renovated and, at 50,000 square feet, last sold for $126 million in 2022. In case you too have more money than you know what to do with. Gregg Kilday, " Steve Martin on Whether 'The Jerk' Would Work in Today's PC Climate ," The Hollywood Reporter (June 4, 2015) Andrew Buss, " 'Knowing Shit from Shinola': An Oral History of The Jerk ," Consequence of Sound (December 31, 2019) American Film Institute, " Steve Martin Talks about The Jerk " 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 . Whatever you say, Stove.

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  Episode #33

  Meet the Robinsons (2007) – Adoption on the Small Screen

  Jul 21, 202650 min

  E033 | Meet the Robinsons (2007) – Adoption on the Small Screen We love getting recommendations from our Pop! Stars and, while we slot every one into our queue at some point, having an "in" can help bump a recommendation to the top of the list. Who picked this? Evie Parke said we must do the 2007 Disney animated film, Meet the Robinsons. (Give us a break; adoptees don't get to do legit nepotism very often!) Join podcast journalist Haley Radke, Evie's mom, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer as we break down yet another "wholesome" film that begins with the relinquishment of a child. Meet the Robinsons was directed by Stephen Anderson. It is based on A Day With Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce, a children's book which does not include an adoption storyline. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on July 22, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: The Dove Foundation , "faith and family-focused reviews for today's media," "approves" Meet the Robinsons for all ages, awarding it "five doves." It also "encourage[s] parents of adopted children to watch the film with their kids and discuss their feelings about the situations expressed." Dove's mission is to "encourage and promote the creation, production, distribution and consumption of wholesome family entertainment." Adoption Pop! Episode 18, Family Ties "Baby Boy Doe" aired on April 8, 2026. To be clear, Sullivan doesn't actually think this film was making a satirical reference to 1967's The Graduate, in which a new grad sleeps with his father's law partner's wife. She's just trying to make sense of Franny Robinson's waist being the same circumference as her neck, while still having what appear to be full Cs. Edwin L Carpenter, "Meet the Director of Disney's 'Meet the Robinsons," at The Dove Foundation . "Director Steve Anderson at the Meet the Robinson's Premier," at The Laughing Place . Jérémie Noyer, "How director Steve Anderson Met the Robinsons!" for Animated Views . The Adoptee Consciousness Model was developed by a group of scholars, and it offers ways to think about how marginalized groups develop awareness about oppressive systems and structures both as individuals, and as a collective, to engage in activism for social justice. 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 . Coo-coo-ca-choo, Mrs. Robinson.

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  Episode #32

  Finding Your Roots – Kristin Chenoweth (2026) – Adoption on the Small Screen

  Jul 14, 202650 min

  E032 | Finding Your Roots – Kristin Chenoweth (2026) – Adoption on the Small Screen To be an adoptee in the 21st century is to know a little something about spitting into test tubes. Podcast journalist Haley Radke, filmmaker Kristal Parke, and cultural critic Sullivan Summer have all had this experience, as has the Tony and Emmy award-winning star of the stage and screen, Kristin Chenoweth, who is herself a US baby-scoop era adoptee. Chenoweth was featured on an episode of the PBS documentary series, Finding Your Roots, where host Henry Louis Gates presented her with a "book of life;" information researched and compiled by professional genealogists, including photos, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera documenting Chenoweth's biological familial lineage and ancestral history. It's more than most of us can ever hope for, but we're happy to see a fellow adoptee get some answers! Even Kristal. Finding Your Roots is written and presented by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. This episode of Adoption Pop! aired on July 15, 2026. In it we discussed and/or relied upon: Kristin Chenoweth has been acting for over thirty years. You can find a list of her credits here . Since recording this episode, Sullivan had occasion to read Kristin's 2022 children's book, What Will I Do With My Love Today? (Actually, she found an online reading by Storytime with Faye on YouTube .) A story about a little girl who looks suspiciously like one imagines Kristin must have looked, the protagonist goes about town doing good deeds, including adopting a puppy, complete with paperwork signed by her parents, which feels like an unnecessary detail for a children's book, until you get to the part where the girl tells her puppy, "When I was a baby, no bigger than you, my mommy and daddy adopted me too… adoption means family, and family's forever." Sullivan gives it two-stars/C-/3 out of 10 for persistent factual inaccuracies (for a child to be adoptable, a family must be separated; also, the prevalence of estrangement in our community, as well as adoptive parent rehoming, mitigates against the idea that "family's forever"), and the comparison of adoptees to pets. Do not recommend. Kristin's 2009 memoir is A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages (with Joni Rodgers). Kristin talks about meeting her biological mother on a January 17, 2023 episode of Live with Kelly and Mark (Ryan Seacrest guest co-hosting) here . The video in which Kristin describes reuniting with her sister, and the impact of meeting biological relatives is " Kristin Chenoweth's Emotional DNA Reunion " from the DNAngels Org YouTube channel. Content warning for Kristin getting completely ambushed by the person off-camera asking the questions, though she handles it with grace. As we do. You can find and purchase one of Kristal's I 🖤 Adoptees or It's Because I'm Adopted hats 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 , 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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