Losing Isaiah: When the System Steals, and Hollywood Sells It Back to You

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines, Zaira and J Way continue their mini-series on family policing in the media with a critical look at the 1995 film Losing Isaiah. They unpack the film’s portrayal of Black motherhood, addiction, transracial adoption, and white saviorism. From courtroom drama to deeply racist tropes, they examine how the movie pretends to be about the child, but instead reinforces dangerous myths about poverty, morality, and what makes someone a “fit” parent.

In this episode, we cover:

• (00:20) Initial reactions and why this movie still hits hard, especially for Black viewers.
• (06:55) The “crack baby” trope, media sensationalism, and the reality of poverty-based family separation.
• (17:00) Power dynamics and the red flags of a white hospital social worker adopting a Black child.
• (23:00) The courtroom as a stage for white fragility, and the Black attorney who wasn’t having it.
• (30:00) What the film gets wrong about addiction, morality, and who deserves to parent.
• (42:00) Why the film’s ending reinforces saviorism, and erases the systemic harm it claims to confront.

Call To Action:
Subscribe to Adoptees Crossing Lines wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow us on social media and Substack for more content and community:

• Website: adopteescrossinglines.com
• Instagram: @adopteescrossinglines
• BlueSky: adopteecrossing.bsky.social
• TikTok: @adopteescrossinglines_
• Substack: Adoptees Crossing Lines Substack

Connect with J Way:

• TikTok: @itsyagirl_jway
• BlueSky: @itsjway.bsky.social

Listen to these episodes next:

• The Blind Side: Ownership, Propaganda, and the White Savior Playbook
• Surveillance, Saviors, and Screens: Media & Adoption with J Way
• Adoptee Storytelling & Film Advocacy
• Instant Family: Comedy, Consent, and Adoption Propaganda

Work With Me:
Email adopteescrossinglines@gmail.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Editing by J. Way (AV Editor)
Special thanks to J. Way for editing this podcast. To collaborate with her, email jwayedits@gmail.com

Instant Family: Comedy, Consent, and Adoption Propaganda

Episode Summary:

What happens when a comedy about foster care hides a deeper agenda? In this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines, Zaira and J Way dig into the film Instant Family, its tone, tropes, and troubling narratives. They reflect on how comedy disarms audiences, how media normalizes adoption propaganda, and why who tells the story matters. From trauma, reunification, and religious narratives to Hollywood’s obsession with control, nothing is off limits.

Content Note:

This episode includes discussion of adoption, the foster care system, racism, abuse, sexual assault, and state violence. Please listen with care.

In this episode we cover:

(00:22) Introduction and content framing

(01:16) First impressions of Instant Family and the illusion of relatability

(05:30) What does it mean for a film to be disarming?

(08:16) Behind the scenes: The director’s role, Catholic influence, and who gets to tell the story

(13:30) Quick recap: The film's plot and its portrayal of the family policing system

(19:34) When adoptive parents fear reunification

(22:16) How poverty is framed as parental failure

(27:10) What kept people are taught to ignore

(33:30) The comedy-to-consent pipeline: Who owns a child’s story?

(47:12) Real life vs. “inspirational fiction” and the state’s role in violence

(52:56) The kids no one comes looking for: on isolation and invisibility

(55:42) What these films always leave out, and why it matters

Call To Action:
Subscribe to Adoptees Crossing Lines wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow us on social media and Substack for more content and community:Website: adopteescrossinglines.com

• Instagram: @adopteescrossinglines
• BlueSky: adopteecrossing.bsky.social
• TikTok: @adopteescrossinglines_
• Substack: Adoptees Crossing Lines Substack

Connect with J Way:

• TikTok: @itsyagirl_jway
• BlueSky: @itsjway.bsky.social

Listen to these episodes next:

• The Blind Side: Ownership, Propaganda, and the White Savior Playbook
• Surveillance, Saviors, and Screens: Media & Adoption with J Way
• Adoptee Storytelling & Film Advocacy

Work With Me:
Email adopteescrossinglines@gmail.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Editing by J. Way (AV Editor)
Special thanks to J. Way for editing this podcast. To collaborate with her, email jwayedits@gmail.com

The Blind Side: Ownership, Propaganda, and the White Savior Playbook

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines, Zaira and co-host/editor J Way kick off a new film mini-series with one of the most infamous adoption movies of all time: The Blind Side. They revisit this Oscar winning film with fresh eyes, exposing its white savior narrative, racist tropes, and the insidious control adoption often masks as care. Together, they dissect the real life harm caused by this story, and why adoptees need to reclaim the mic.

In this episode, we cover:

(01:33) Why we had to start the series with The Blind Side
(03:26) Savior narratives, selective memory, and how adopters used this film as “family time”
(07:17) Hallmark vibes, propaganda beats, and the absurd plot construction
(10:08) IQ scores, protectiveness tests, and the racist assumptions they reinforce
(14:18) Control vs. care, and how Leigh Anne’s character weaponizes both
(20:20) Black bodies as tools: protector, athlete, project
(23:44) Christianity, purity culture, and domination masked as discipline
(30:51) Queer families, carceral systems, and why inclusion isn’t liberation
(36:24) “Do you have a mother?” and how the film dehumanizes Michael’s mom
(40:26) Ole Miss, Confederate nostalgia, and performative progress
(46:10) Final takeaways: who gets to tell the story—and why it matters

Call To Action:
Subscribe to Adoptees Crossing Lines wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow us on social media and Substack for more content and community:

• Website: adopteescrossinglines.com
• Instagram: @adopteescrossinglines
• BlueSky: adopteecrossing.bsky.social
• TikTok: @adopteescrossinglines_
• Substack: Adoptees Crossing Lines Substack

Connect with J Way:

• TikTok: @itsyagirl_jway
• BlueSky: @itsjway.bsky.social

Listen to these episodes next:

• Surveillance, Saviors, and Screens: Media & Adoption with J Way
• Adoptee Storytelling & Film Advocacy

Work With Me:
Email adopteescrossinglines@gmail.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Editing by J. Way (AV Editor)
Special thanks to J. Way for editing this podcast. To collaborate with her, email jwayedits@gmail.com.