Joker: Systems, Class Warfare, and the Cost of Being Unseen

Episode summary:
In this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines, Zaira and Jay continue their mini-series on family policing in the media with a discussion of the 2019 film Joker. They unpack the film as more than a villain origin story—examining how failed systems, class struggle, and abandonment by institutions shape Arthur Fleck’s descent. They also connect the film’s themes to adoption, identity, and what happens when society refuses to care for the people it creates.

Content note:
This episode includes discussion of mental health struggles, violence, child abuse, systemic neglect, and poverty.

What we cover in this episode:

• (00:27) Series context and why Joker fits into conversations about systems and neglect
• (00:56) “Hope my death makes more sense than my life”: class struggle and societal failure
• (03:14) Quick synopsis of Joker and Arthur Fleck’s life in Gotham
• (07:21) Organizing across classes and why solidarity matters
• (11:19) Being unseen and disbelieved: how constant dismissal worsens mental health
• (19:21) Identity, adoption, and the power to control truth
• (21:17) Becoming the Joker: finally being seen and embraced by the crowd
• (23:09) Systems create what they refuse to care for
• (24:54) Guaranteed income, free childcare, and policies that actually support families
• (26:22) Poverty, homelessness, and how the U.S. treats poor people
• (27:45) Military recruitment and poverty as a pipeline

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

Episode summary:
Zaira and J continue the mini-series on family policing in the media with Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot. They break down how the film uses religion, marketing, and savior narratives to sell adoption as “justice,” while ignoring the root causes that push families into the system. They also connect the story to church state entanglement, coercion in congregations, and what real support could look like instead: resources that keep families together.

Content note:
This episode includes discussion of religion related trauma, child sexual abuse (CSA), adoption/foster care harm, and death by suicide.

What we cover :

• (00:39) Why Sound of Hope reads as propaganda (and why the marketing matters)
• (03:37) Faith, medical neglect, and children’s autonomy in health care decisions
• (08:29) PR machine + CBN coverage (“Small Town Big Heart”) and the film’s framing
• (11:18) Plot overview: the “calling,” the church push, and families adopting while struggling
• (16:01) Trauma care vs “laying hands”: what churches replace instead of providing real support
• (26:24) Coercion, tithing culture, and why many churches won’t meet basic needs
• (27:47) Zaira’s link: One Church, One Child (Florida) + church–state blending and harm
• (39:00) How the movie treats younger kids vs the older child (“Terry”), scapegoating, and stigma
• (45:42) Sexualizing minors, “modesty” culture, and the burden placed on children instead of adults
• (47:36) The alternative: mutual aid, material support, and keeping families together

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

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