Penny Serenade (1941): Adoption on the Silver Screen
Adoption Pop!
004 | 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...
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The Family Stone (2005): Adoption on the Big Screen
Adoption Pop!
003 | 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...
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The Grinch (2018): Adoption on the Big Screen
Adoption Pop!
002 | 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:...
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Elf (2003): Adoption on the Big Screen
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. Elf (2003) was written by David Berenbaum, directed by...
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Welcome to Adoption Pop!
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 , , , and wherever you get your podcasts. Haley Radke is a Canadian domestic adoptee, the founder of Haley Radke Media,...
info_outline001 | 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.
This episode aired on December 10, 2025. In it we discussed and/or relied upon:
Back to the Future, directed by Robert Zemeckis, Universal Studios (1985). The infamous “Calvin Klein” scene is here.
Barbara Bisantz Raymond, The Baby Thief (Grand Central Publishing, 2009)
Criminal Episode 110 “Baby Snatcher” (March 15, 2019)
Flagrant Clips @flagrantclips on YouTube, Interview with Peter Dinklage (August 7, 2024)
Mia Elkins, “Elf: Meet the man behind the movie,” The Merionite (December 16, 2024)
Neil Miller, “40 Things We Learned from Jon Favreau’s ‘Elf’ Commentary,” Film School Rejects (December 23, 2011)
Patrick Cremona, “Elf screenwriter on its lasting legacy: ‘It’s something that’s rare and special,’” RadioTimes.com (December 23, 2022)
Rotten Tomatoes 100 Best Christmas Movies of All Time
Shania Twain, “Whose Bed Have Your Books Been Under,” The Woman in Me (1995)
The Adoption Pop! theme music is The Chase by Audiogreen.
We’d love to hear what you thought of this episode, and what you’d like for us to cover in the future. Find, follow, like, and subscribe to Adoption Pop! at our website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast journalist Haley Radke is at adopteeson.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Filmmaker Kristal Parke is at kristalparke.net, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Cultural critical Sullivan Summer is at sullivansummer.com, on Instagram, and on Substack.
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