Because Destroying and Creating a Family is Amusing and Gets Ratings

I really do not want to try to take on Hollywood and I do not desire to piss anyone off, but sometimes these things need to be addressed. I have no problem with the media wanting to focus on adoption stories. In fact, I openly encourage the news media to look into issues that need attention such as Adoptee Rights or adoption corruption. I have no problem helping various members of the news media find their way around Adoptionland. In fact, I think it is much better if they do come to us for help rather than thinking that they can do themselves.

It’s a double edged sword really.

Media and Adoption; Does it Hurt? Does it Help?

As I have already said:  I am concerned about the continued exploitation of our community and especially adoptees. It always worries me when the media shows a sensationalized adoption story  with folks who are clearly overwhelmed, unprepared and without  support. I do not wish to take part with leading lambs to the slaughter. On the other hand, the opportunity for exposure does provide unique opportunities for education regarding  Adoptee Rights legislation, Adoption realities, and understanding the complexities of reunion.

Now granted,  one can do their best to educate the producers/ reporters, etc about the truth and, in the end, the story gets slanted in some way that makes us go…”Aw crap”. I have been misquoted. I have had a great statement taking out of context or the one stupid thing I say makes print.   It’s always a risk, but I personally am willing to take that risk as long as I know the chances. I am honest and truthful and I expect others to do the same.  I encourage others to speak out, go public tell their story, but it doesn’t always work out perfectly (of course, whatever is really ever perfect?)

Adoption Casting Call; Looking for A Birth Father?

Anyway, last month I was alerted through Twitter to a casting company out in LA looking for women trying to find their fathers or visa versa.  I do make it my business to vet most of these contacts myself just to be sure before I refer others in the adoption community, so I asked @jarthurcasting directly if this show had ANYTHING to do with Troy Dunn,  The Locator, as he is no friend to the adoption community.

As you can see, I was assured, that he was not involved.

For whatever reason, maybe because I am not an adoptee casting pimp, I only mentioned this casting call to a few people who I knew were in the midst of heavy birth father searches ( Deanna at Adoptee Restoration being one) and didn’t think much more about it.

Luckily, we have such a most excellent community filled with good people and fine researchers who make sure to keep us all well protected.  Apparently the casting calls are still going out to the general public:

Currently Casting Nationwide: Women who want to find their Father or fathers looking for their daughters. A Private Investigator will help you find your Father on a new major cable network. We will be documenting the journey. If this is you or someone you know please email a recent picture, your contact information, where you live and your story to Edobrin@asylument.com

That’s all fine and good. Again; I am not against anyone choosing to use the media to asset in their own search, but let’s make sure you are all aware of what you are getting into.

You may all silently thank Liv for this digging up now.  Thank you, Liv!

Asylum Entertainment Produces Troy the Locator!

So the casting company was looking for people on behalf of Asylum Entertainment. The email to the latest call is attached to Erika Dobrin who is the VP Casting at Asylum Entertainment & Talent Relations.

It turns out that Asylum also produces the Troy the Locator show and are affiliated with him. Aparently, Erika was directly asked about her connection to Troy. She answered other questions but will not answer that one.

Now if you look at the site for the Asylum Entertainment, not only do they  produced the show Troy the Locator, they also are behind some other really swell adoption industry propaganda vehicles.  I will just copy and paste their own carefully worded descriptions of these gems and let you decide for yourself if they are to be trusted to accurately tell an adoption reunion story to the public.

The Adoption Diaries

This one hour docu-series brings viewers inside the uplifting and life-changing world of “private open adoption“. ADOPTION DIARIES reveals the work that goes on behind the scenes as courageous mothers and couples make the decision to put a new life above their own. ADOPTION DIARIES follows the critical matchmaking process, where infertile couples looking to bring a new child into their family are paired up with pregnant mothers.

The adoption center serves as the primary conduit for both parties and is a steadying force throughout the pregnancy, the birth, and ultimately, the placement. The process produces a result that will change everyone’s life forever with the birth of a baby, a new family, a new hope and new possibilities for the future of four individuals.

Uplifting?? Courageous?? Can you hear me sputtering in anger??  Did an adoption agency pay for Adoption Diaries to get made so they can rope in more babies to feed the demand??

Oh but wait, it gets better. Let me introduce you to.. …ready.. wait for it…

The FAMILY MAKER!

Many dream of having a family of their own, but for Carol Gindy, this is not enough. At The Adoption Law Center in Orange County, California, Carol and her team strive to create families for others as she looks to pair couples with the yet unborn children of three women.  This inspirational workplace docu-drama series from TLC portrays the heartbreaks and triumphs of the intense adoption process.

Now, in case you did not know,  The Adoption Law Center is one of the most awful, predatory aggressive agencies.  They are the ones that say they will give potential birthmothers a “free cell phone”, but noooooo.. nice American girls don’t sell their babies for iphones.  If they had any ethics at all, then the ADOPTION AGENCY should know that calling a sow “the FAMILY MAKER” is horribly exploitative and coercive alone., but they don’t care about that. They just want to make more matches. Ugg.

Beware of Adoptee Casting Calls Motivations and Views of Adoption!

So back to this “entertainment group”

Their spin in general seems to be that adoption is a selfless and wonderful thing, so just know what you are dealing with. I would caution anyone who is considering trying to be cast, that your story will be used possibly to promote a very untruthful, unicorn rainbow fart version of Adoption. I won’t judge anyone for using them for their free private investigative bit, especially if you are at wits end of a hard search, just don’t trust them. Use them, don’t let them use you!

They sleep with many  a devil.