Here Comes Honey Boo Boo

[BlondeAgent007]

I think reality shows are trying to encompass more of the "average american family" with this show. It shows how little the producers know their market. If TLC wants some ideas for a family to portray that the average American can identify with, they should watch a few seasons of Roseanne. They were a little trashy around the edges, struggled with bills, had fights. But there weren't (fictional or real life) fart jokes every second and mama proudly boasting about her three chins.

I'm also pretty concerned about Alana's weight. When she was four, it was hard to tell if it was diet alone, or just being a chubby little kid that made her chubby. Now that she's older and from viewing the show I can see its clearly not her babyfat chubby toddler stage. At least her older sister already got christened with the horrible nickname chubbs.

If her mom wants to do something productive with Alana, she should save her money to put that kid in ACTING CLASSES. She obviously loves attention, the stage, and the cameras, but beauty pageants don't seem to be her thing. She is having little to no luck in them. However, I think she would thrive and become very talented in an acting lessons and plays. She already can captivate an audience, which is incredibly hard to do at her age.

eta I'm not fat shaming, I just know how hard it can be growing up as a fat little kid. This show is already going to add enough fuel, I hope they seriously stay on track with their dieting as a family (Hoping but I have little faith)

[Gil]

I think reality shows are trying to encompass more of the "average american family" with this show.

Disagree. This is entirely "point and laugh at the trash" trash.

[Deleted07]

Disagree. This is entirely "point and laugh at the trash" trash.

I agree its that whole "Schadenfreude" complex thing. Deriving pleasure from others misfortunes and bad choices etc. Basically feeling good about yourself and your life and choices in comparison to theirs. Not saying we all see it that way, but a lot do!

[BlondeAgent007]

okay maybe i was giving tlc more credit than they deserve. I admit this show is hard to watch for anybody.

i guess maybe rationalzing?

ETA I do think my other concerns are relevant.

[2xx1xy1JD]

I agree its that whole "Schadenfreude" complex thing. Deriving pleasure from others misfortunes and bad choices etc. Basically feeling good about yourself and your life and choices in comparison to theirs. Not saying we all see it that way, but a lot do!

QFT.

[Maude]

I don't understand how TLC can encourage this type of thing, though I shouldn't be surprised due to the Duggars, Gosselins, etc. If her parents continue down this track with her, she's going to end up woefully unhealthy and friendless.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Sorry to both you and 2X. My family could be described as a trainwreck in multiple ways I guess. I suppose I get a bit touchy because I feel like people look on and judge while we're dealing with serious and tough issues, sometimes struggling a bit but trying our best. We feel like we're getting there. But it's a slow process and it's not helped by people sneering or shouting from the sidelines.

I know that's totally not what you would ever do. But some do and it's a wee bit difficult. I maybe mistook 2X for a person like that, which was paranoia. She is an upstanding poster.

Thanks!

Look, I do realize that in the global scheme of things, there are things (like having your mother murdered) that are far, far worse for a child than having an energy drink.

JFC, I would not snark on your family. Small and smaller have gone through hell, and your family was suddenly thrust into taking on a lot of responsibility during a time of extreme trauma. I don't fault anyone for doing their best under difficult circumstances, and I have no reason to believe that your family isn't doing their best or making Small and Smaller's well-being their priority.

What I was snarking on was more a matter of intention. Is the focus on the needs of the kids, or of the parents? I wouldn't criticize roadkill dinners, because protein is protein. I would, though, criticize the pagent culture because it's all about pouring tons of time and money into an activity that promotes a screwed-up value system, and that's clearly more about the ego of the parent than the needs of the child. There are worse examples than this family, where it was pretty clear that getting love and approval from the parent was conditional upon looking perfect and performing well, even if the child was clearly miserable. I will also snark on folks who deliberately make bad choices with their kids, esp. with health and safety issues, when they clearly have alternatives and information but are simply unwilling to change. Prior to this new show coming around, they told Anderson Cooper that they had spent at least $15,000 on pagents, and that's not something that they can really afford. They've been told that Red Bull is dangerous for children, but they give it to her anyway. [see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... ctors.html - the risks are more serious than merely having a hyper child] Exposing your children to tons of negative attention doesn't show a ton of concern for their well-being either. Kids shouldn't be exhibited as freaks - the sad story of the Dionne quints (born during the Depression, used in tons of ads and actually exhibited to the public each day as they were growing up) should have taught us that.

[nomoxian]

I watched the episode and have to say I found ONE good thing about it, other than the LOL factor. When they got a pig and her sister said "It's not a gay pig!" (she was dressing up the male pig in female clothing, and isn't aware of intricacies like crossdressing, trans, etc. (most adults aren't aware either)) and Honey Boo Boo said that the pig can be anything it wants to be :mrgreen: Made me feel so happy that kids today know that everyone should be treated nicely regardless of stuff like sexuality.

[tropaka]

They totally need the show to finance the pageants and obvious hope to gain something out of fame. The whole repetition of "we're rednecks!" over and over smacks of well, fakery. They're playing up the dumb/hick for the camera.

Like how they've dovetailed toddlers and tiaras with the couponing theme.

I think the Dad works in chalk mining.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

I wonder if this family can see how they are just being taken advantage of, and turned into a sideshow. (Although admittedly, they've done that to themselves...)

There's not going to be anything positive that will come out of this, while I agree the way they act makes them prime snark material, and in a way I feel they deserve what they get. One has to realize this is centered around a child! Someone who has to grow up into a teen and onto adulthood, with all this crap now televised as her past!

How is all this crap going to look when shes 18 or 20 trying to make it in the real world? Especially in this day and age where the Internet never forgets!... Its just bound to be damaging on so many levels!

That's what I worry about too. Whether her parents "should know better" and thus are fair game for the usual shaming or not (and the entire issue of such shaming, which is HUGE) completely aside, the kid is SIX. She has no idea of what she's doing.

The thread did make me google her though (I never heard of her) and that led me to the "Toddlers and Tiaras" show which I'd heard scandalously snarked online and whatever but never seen, I found an episode from season 4 on YouTube and watched all 44 minutes of it.

Main thing that struck me was the transformations. I'd heard about child pageants and the usual criticism and how it's whoring up kids and whatever, but the amazing thing to me was just how ORDINARY all the kids were. My takeaway? If you have enough paint and fake hair, any kid can achieve that "look." So it really is more of a performance act than anything. It reminds me of certain over the top plastic Japanese pop star looks, which are 105% fake, and if you find the YouTube tutorials and have that as your hobby, you too can look the same, you know. Don't feel cheated by birth looks! :)

As such it seems to me if the parents made that clear instead of doing all the cringeworthy "YOU ARE beautiful" (or not) it maybe wouldn't be as horrid.

I will say once as a kid I was in a stage play ("Annie," and I was an orphan). The makeup you wear on stage is garish. Completely garish. So of course the close up shots of those pageant kids or the similar teenage pop stars look crazy over the top, because they're designed to be looked at from back in the audience. Some of the criticism seems to take their stage makeup and imply they think such things are for wearing on the street, which is just... no.

I WAS amazed though too to discover that apparently now there are parents who buy cheapish fake teeth "flipper dentures" for kids who aren't in pageants or anything like that but are just "normally" "fashion conscious" and so can't bear to go to school sporting missing teeth in 2nd grade like all the rest of the rugrats. That would have been unheard of in my own time and place second grade. Heck, if anything it was bragging rights if you lost your teeth first!!

[Jezebel Duggar]

"Show me that dolla to make me holla!"

Wow. :x

Am I the only one who thought of that old Tone Loc song? "I need $50 to make you holla, I get paid to do the wild thing"

[xDreamerx]

I watched. Not sure what to think of it really. I think for all their drawbacks they did have some good points. The mother wanted to cheer her up for not winning so they bought her the pig. I suppose that's somewhat good, in that it makes her realize winning and the pageants aren't her whole life. On the other hand, sometimes you just lose. I think you have to teach children to be good losers and that they can't win all the time. Though, why not get her a hamster or a fish? I don't know much about farming, but lots of my family are farmers. Pigs are very much an outside animal in my books. Pig manure stinks...well I don't know what to compare it to but I think it's one of the worst smells ever. They also seem to not put too much pressure on the girls about how they look, which is good. However, they don't have the best eating habits. I thought the weighing was odd. I mean, no one would dispute that they need to loose weight, the mother especially. But I question what that can do to young girls, especially Honey Boo Boo. If you're going to diet with children I wouldn't make it about weight but instead about healthier foods and so on. Did anyone see the promo for next week? She was wearing a bra. Isn't she like six?

[luckystone]

Just googled it because I had no idea what Honey Boo Boo is but have seen it mentioned several times on the internet. I saw an article and a little trailer. It looks like a disaster! But at the same time from the clips something about the family seemed sweet. In a totally trashy way. I think they were at least self-aware to know that though.

[Deleted03]

I'm confused, is it a micropig? I seem to recall that those like to live in pairs of two...

[slowdivestellar]

My favorite member of the family was the "pageant gay pig." He's probably more intelligent than all of the family members combined. The mom and dad seemed to care about their kids though, but not enough to get speech lessons.

[sassyNoz47]

Well now we know that June and Sugar Bear are not married but have been together 8 years. He is only Alana's dad, she said the other girls all had different dad's I assume all 4 different dads? She also said that none of the other girls fathers are in the picture.

So the neck crust totally grossed me out yuck!

[MandyLaLa]

I swear if they take the pig away from that poor girl I'm going to be upset. I can't stand people who take on animals without realizing the needed work and responsibility only to neglect or get rid of them down the road.

[freejugar]

this show is my new guilty pleasure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEmuTX_HaNQ

TEmuTX_HaNQ

[giraffe21]

Thanks for posting the link! I can never normally see things this close after they're aired!

[crawfishgirl]

I watched it last night. There was a scene where the pig pooped on their kitchen table. I was so grossed out.

[darareaksmey]

Pluses: Their house looks clean; and with her coupon obsession, Mama has amassed enough paper towels and canned corn to last through nuclear winter. Minuses: Pretty much everything else. I can't believe that woman actually has her daughter believing that you can lose weight by passing gas 12-15 times a day. No wonder they don't watch what they eat; flatulence will keep them slim.

[Gil]

I'm watching this and my girlfriend is shooting me judgmental looks.

[Witsec7]

Well that YouTube was 21 minutes of life I'll never get back. I had seen Alana on T&T and found her to be a totally obnoxious child. After watching the YouTube I can now understand how she got that way. I just don't know what's up with her mother stroking her own neck and throat all the time. I was half expecting her to reach into her shirt and start rubbing her breasts. It was also pretty nauseating watching all those girls chewing chips with their mouths open. I don't think I'll view the episode with the pig crapping on the table, it would be just too much.

[FrancineFishpaw]

Does anyone have a link to the Uncle Poodle segment? I have to say, this family cracks me up! Forget HBBC, this should be the June Show! Bless their hearts, at least they'll get a little money out of this gig but Lord knows what they'll do w/it!

[Chavymishmacoy]

Well that YouTube was 21 minutes of life I'll never get back. I had seen Alana on T&T and found her to be a totally obnoxious child. After watching the YouTube I can now understand how she got that way. I just don't know what's up with her mother stroking her own neck and throat all the time. I was half expecting her to reach into her shirt and start rubbing her breasts. It was also pretty nauseating watching all those girls chewing chips with their mouths open. I don't think I'll view the episode with the pig crapping on the table, it would be just too much.

Neck, I didn't see any neck on that woman, at least I couldn't tell the difference between he neck and chin. :shock: