Here Comes Honey Boo Boo

[Gypsy]

My fiance's sister in law is actually a teacher at Alana's school, and will be her math teacher in a couple of years. We live pretty close to her town, and recently I was able to meet Alana and her family when they were in Cochran for a Pageant. Sweet, sweet girl and a really polite family overall. June (Mama) and all the other girls spoke with intelligence and poise. I was really impressed by them and their overall kindness.

TLC does everything they can to catch the family at their absolute worst. The family is in no way blind to this, they just don't give a crap. For this, I actually like them and respect them. They use the money that she gets from fans (sending a dollar to her is a pretty big trend) to help out with their charity events. Same with the toys she receives. They work to promote anti bullying campaigns and refused to leave their home and community when TLC offered them a brand new house.

[Minerva]

My fiance's sister in law is actually a teacher at Alana's school, and will be her math teacher in a couple of years. We live pretty close to her town, and recently I was able to meet Alana and her family when they were in Cochran for a Pageant. Sweet, sweet girl and a really polite family overall. June (Mama) and all the other girls spoke with intelligence and poise. I was really impressed by them and their overall kindness.

TLC does everything they can to catch the family at their absolute worst. The family is in no way blind to this, they just don't give a crap. For this, I actually like them and respect them. They use the money that she gets from fans (sending a dollar to her is a pretty big trend) to help out with their charity events. Same with the toys she receives. They work to promote anti bullying campaigns and refused to leave their home and community when TLC offered them a brand new house.

That was the vibe I got. Everyone goes on about how they're symbolic of the downfall of western civilization or whatever, but then you watch it and it's like they just spliced their goofiest moments together.

[keeperrox]

From what I've seen on the show, the family seems well grounded and loving. I don't think their house is the hovel that some commenters elsewhere make it out to be, either. However, recent interviews have concerned me. Case in point:

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[BlondeAgent007]

i read somewhere that june is almost legally blind as well. that disability and her foot is why she started couponing so she could contribute to the family. maybe now that they have substantial income they can scale back the couponing and buy more fresh foods. i bet june isnt sitting around reading nutrition labels when she can barely read as it is. sketti looks horrible.

i worry a bit about alanas health. she looks obese. a child being that heavy that young can develop diabetes as a teen and health problems later in life. she needs to start developing better food habits. childhood obesity in the states is a huuuuge issue. and a meal of ketchup, tub margarine and noodles just sounds salty, fatty, and nasty. the only nutrients in that meal are fat, salt, and carbs. i do give june a little credit for not going the michelle duggar route and claiming her shit food is healthy. i almost died when michelle called ramen "protein packed noodles.". there is as much protein in a serving of ramen is 8 grams. you would have to eat a shit ton of ramen to get your protein from that stuff. it costs less than a phone call on a payphone for a reason.

[Minerva]

i read somewhere that june is almost legally blind as well. that disability and her foot is why she started couponing so she could contribute to the family. maybe now that they have substantial income they can scale back the couponing and buy more fresh foods. i bet june isnt sitting around reading nutrition labels when she can barely read as it is. sketti looks horrible.

i worry a bit about alanas health. she looks obese. a child being that heavy that young can develop diabetes as a teen and health problems later in life. she needs to start developing better food habits. childhood obesity in the states is a huuuuge issue. and a meal of ketchup, tub margarine and noodles just sounds salty, fatty, and nasty. the only nutrients in that meal are fat, salt, and carbs. i do give june a little credit for not going the michelle duggar route and claiming her shit food is healthy. i almost died when michelle called ramen "protein packed noodles.". there is as much protein in a serving of ramen is 8 grams. you would have to eat a shit ton of ramen to get your protein from that stuff. it costs less than a phone call on a payphone for a reason.

She what?! I realize this is coming from the lady who thinks overpopulation isn't an issue, but how do you feed your kids ramen for years and not read the label even once?

[Fargood]

Honestly, I do feel for June and her family and can understand why, in hard times, they accepted the offer to do the show and take the money. Look, it's not like June and her family have a whole lot of options for making the kind of money they will make doing the TV show. She may see this as the one shot she's got to give her children a step up into a different kind of life.

Not long ago, I heard about a mobile operating unit that was trolling the streets of some inner cities that was offering free tubal ligations to women on the street. Do I agree with birth control? Yes. Do I agree with the concept of free tubals? Yes. Do I agree with someone trolling the streets aggressively recruiting women for free sterilizations when these women are probably at the worst times in their lives? No.

It's not all that different with June and her family. I have a hard time faulting her for making a choice that may change the trajectory of her children's lives for the better. Granted, it may also be for the worse, but at least this way, they've got a shot. In the debate world, we call that a linear risk.

[slickcat79]

She what?! I realize this is coming from the lady who thinks overpopulation isn't an issue, but how do you feed your kids ramen for years and not read the label even once?

She claimed the Hartanos introduced them to "noodles" when they visited from Indonesia, and that she liked to give them to the kids because they had lots of protein :roll: Granted, they do have some, but it's nothing compared to chicken nuggets or PB&J or any number of other things that people feed to their kids all the time. The videos were posted on this thread and a couple of others I think.

[Minerva]

She claimed the Hartanos introduced them to "noodles" when they visited from Indonesia, and that she liked to give them to the kids because they had lots of protein :roll: Granted, they do have some, but it's nothing compared to chicken nuggets or PB&J or any number of other things that people feed to their kids all the time. The videos were posted on this thread and a couple of others I think.

Thanks. I guess I could see Michelle skipping over the section of the grocery store containing ramen for years. Watching her tell the camera that ramen is full of protein made me ragey. I can't believe how stupid that woman is sometimes.

[rock_girl]

Michelle needs to look at the calorie content of those oil soaked, fibreless sodium bricks. If she divided the grams of protein per serve by the calories per serve and then compared those stats to a simple meal of chicken, brown rice and carrots she'd see that noodles are absolutely not rich in protein.

Horrible woman. She doesn't have any cleaning to do and no childcare to speak of; would it kill her to cook the blessings a decent meal even once a week? It'd be an improvement on their current diet.

[GolightlyGrrl]

Michelle needs to look at the calorie content of those oil soaked, fibreless sodium bricks. If she divided the grams of protein per serve by the calories per serve and then compared those stats to a simple meal of chicken, brown rice and carrots she'd see that noodles are absolutely not rich in protein.

Horrible woman. She doesn't have any cleaning to do and no childcare to speak of; would it kill her to cook the blessings a decent meal even once a week? It'd be an improvement on their current diet.

Making chicken soup with homemade broth is hardly rocket science. I could do it in my sleep. You think Michelle could make huge batches of the soup, freeze the batches and then be able to serve her family something nutritious and tasty. But nope, she's too busy receiving "mother of the year" awards. What a self-serving twit she is.

On-topic: As for the Honey Boo Boo show? Never seen it, and not planning on it.

[Witsec5]

So they try to edit the Honey Boo Boo show to make it look like they represent the decline of civilization and the love and honesty shine through and then they try to make the Duggars into the perfect family and the ugliness shines through.

As for chicken broth, I buy chicken bones for cheap and then make several quarts and freeze it. Then when i am ready for soup, i crockpot a chicken and veggie during the day for the soup and then add microwaved Trader Joe rice if i want fast food. there is also leftover chicken for the next day so this is budget cooking. Another example of the lack of love in the Duggar household. prissy Michelle can't lift a finger.

Back to topic again.

[Gypsy]

Boyfriends brother had it confirmed by June in person that TLC makes them say most of the crazy things they do. I mean, it was pretty obvious but I thought it was worth mentioning.

[RosyDaisy]

I live in redneck central, and aside from the redneck slip 'n slide and 4-wheeler muddin' (guilty of both a long time ago) this show is entirely scripted. But, for some strange reason, I can't help but watch. June is a much better mother than Michelle Duggar and Kelly Bates could ever hope to be. Seriously though, fat shaming in my opinion is not cool. Obesity is a complex medical condition, and it's not as simple as stop stuffing you face and exercising. Although both can help, I think it also requires a combination of medical and psychological counseling. Plus, genetics also plays a role. I actually feel sorry for this family, and I hope maybe, just maybe, June will put some of that money towards getting the help she and her family needs and saving for a college education for her girls.

I agree with those who have said June saw this as the quickest way to a better life for her family. When you live in the middle of nowhere, are poor (or lower middle class) and under educated, you choices are limited. I don't agree with whoring out your family for a buck, but I do understand June's reasons for doing what she did. Because, let's face it, having a limited education, a disability, and a criminal record are not exactly in her favor as far as getting a good job goes (not impossible, but hard to get around).

[Deleted03]

She claimed the Hartanos introduced them to "noodles" when they visited from Indonesia, and that she liked to give them to the kids because they had lots of protein :roll: Granted, they do have some, but it's nothing compared to chicken nuggets or PB&J or any number of other things that people feed to their kids all the time. The videos were posted on this thread and a couple of others I think.

uh sorry to disagree, but if a portion of ramen is 8 gr of protein it's actually pretty good. 2 tbsp of PB are 8gr of protein (and about 200 cal). Now if the bread is whole wheat there's a bit more protein maybe 1-3 gr more. No discussion that chicken nuggets have more protein but there's a whole other debate there. We don't need that much protein per day. I think I just read it's 0.9 times your weight in kg so about 0.45 times your weight. For children it might be a different calculation. Anyway, for people who eat meat regularly, there's really no need to worry that much about protein because portions of meat often give much more protein than needed.

Sorry I do look at protein a lot since being vegan (although I realize now that for years I might have been deficient because I was not eating much meat at all), and just read Vegan For Life and they spent a lot of time freaking me out about protein.

Now I think ramen noodles are not very healthy and should not be a regular snack. Don't they like pistachios? I remember a bit of them at a pistachios factory. Pistachios are really good for you and they have good essential amino acids. They could just buy them unsalted and have that for the kids.

[Minerva]

uh sorry to disagree, but if a portion of ramen is 8 gr of protein it's actually pretty good. 2 tbsp of PB are 8gr of protein (and about 200 cal). Now if the bread is whole wheat there's a bit more protein maybe 1-3 gr more. No discussion that chicken nuggets have more protein but there's a whole other debate there. We don't need that much protein per day. I think I just read it's 0.9 times your weight in kg so about 0.45 times your weight. For children it might be a different calculation. Anyway, for people who eat meat regularly, there's really no need to worry that much about protein because portions of meat often give much more protein than needed.

Sorry I do look at protein a lot since being vegan (although I realize now that for years I might have been deficient because I was not eating much meat at all), and just read Vegan For Life and they spent a lot of time freaking me out about protein.

Now I think ramen noodles are not very healthy and should not be a regular snack. Don't they like pistachios? I remember a bit of them at a pistachios factory. Pistachios are really good for you and they have good essential amino acids. They could just buy them unsalted and have that for the kids.

Could be I've just been eating a different brand of ramen all these years, because mine doesn't have much protein. I take it you mean 0.45 times your weight in pounds, but put that in grams? I wouldn't be thrilled to only be getting 8 grams in a meal because I only eat 3 meals per day. I'm mostly incensed by Michelle's comments because she's patting herself on the back for feeding her kids protein-packed food when it's otherwise nutritionally deficient and high in sodium. It's just obvious she hasn't looked into this, and I wouldn't even judge her for that except that she's blabbing at the camera thinking she sounds knowledgeable when she doesn't. Whatever, everyone lets their kids have less than perfect food as a treat, but the Duggars insist on using every behaviour caught on camera as an example what informed and thoughtful parents they are even when it's dead obvious the camera caught one of those just-average moments.

[Deleted03]

Could be I've just been eating a different brand of ramen all these years, because mine doesn't have much protein. I take it you mean 0.45 times your weight in pounds, but put that in grams? I wouldn't be thrilled to only be getting 8 grams in a meal because I only eat 3 meals per day. I'm mostly incensed by Michelle's comments because she's patting herself on the back for feeding her kids protein-packed food when it's otherwise nutritionally deficient and high in sodium. It's just obvious she hasn't looked into this, and I wouldn't even judge her for that except that she's blabbing at the camera thinking she sounds knowledgeable when she doesn't. Whatever, everyone lets their kids have less than perfect food as a treat, but the Duggars insist on using every behaviour caught on camera as an example what informed and thoughtful parents they are even when it's dead obvious the camera caught one of those just-average moments.

I mean I don't know how much there is I haven't eaten ramen in years.

I think honestly this shows that she is interested in protein to stave off her morning sickness and because pregnant women generally should consume more. She just does not get that her kids don't need that much! lol

[Gizmola]

What I posted on Facebook following my first ever viewing of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo:"

In Defense of Honey Boo Boo

I’ve always prided myself on my rather refined aesthetic tastes. I revel in the language of Nabokov, feel inspired by the swelling of a Mozart symphony, and could watch “The Sopranos†exclusively for the rest of my life, so entranced with the craft of the story and artistry of the actors. However, as I’ve noted before, I have a guilty pleasure in the form of the indefensible “Gossip Girl.†So if I’ve embraced, albeit with great shame, the trials and tribulations of Blair, Chuck, Serena and Dan, could reality television be that far behind?

Excluding my brief flirtation with “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team,†I’ve remained blissfully and rather sanctimoniously ignorant of the proliferation of reality shows such as “Real Housewives of…,†“Jersey Shore,†or the pinnacle of infamy, the show about the Kardashians. However, I have become transfixed by the phenomenon known as Honey Boo Boo.

I had, to my utter shame, watched her spread her own special brand of crazy on “Toddlers and Tiaras,†having jumped on the bandwagon via viral video. But to watch two 26 minutes (yes, I timed them) episodes of her eponymously titled reality show was a revelation. Discounting the amount of time I spent trying to decipher the dialogue (thank heavens for subtitles) and the number of times I simply sat, mouth agape, exclaiming my astonishment, I found myself rooting for this spirited child.

First and foremost, I was struck by her confidence. This little girl finds nothing about herself unappealing and she is, in a way I can never seem to achieve, fully and completely herself. There is no artifice in Honey Boo Boo, Mama June or loving father, Sugar Bear. I daresay they have no interest in presenting themselves in any way artificial. June eschews make up, Sugar Bear eschews teeth and they all find each other completely loveable just as they are. This complete acceptance finds purchase also in their acceptance of others, from the beloved Uncle Poodle, whose obvious love for his niece is returned in full measure by her defiant exclamation that there’s nothing wrong in being gay to the baby Kaitlyn, whose extra thumb is deemed, by grandmother June, as making her special. I find this adoration of each other’s differences to be refreshing in a world that wishes us all, in one way or another, to conform to certain ideals. While I wish I were thinner, prettier, more accomplished, funnier, more intelligent, these people find joy in being authentic and accept that fully in one another.

Honey Boo Boo is unflinchingly honest. Honest in a way that is lacking in so many others. She and her family refuse to spin their traits, good or bad. They are unconcerned with sound bites and image. Honey Boo Boo gleefully announces her farts, her propensity for peeing her pants when excited or announcing her feelings of being “chunky.†While Miss Georgia finds Honey Boo Boo in need of refinement, I wonder if we all should take a page out of Honey Boo Boo’s book to become more honest. With ourselves, with each other. While I doubt I shall announce passing gas (which, of course, I’ve never done, dainty flower that I am) and I daresay I shall never vehemently accuse someone of cheatin’ at a VFW bingo game (excuse me, sport, as Mama June sees it), I do think I spend too much time making sure I am not only appropriate, but circumspect in my communication with others. I find myself, at times, clenching my teeth, swallowing my objections and generally being polite while seething underneath my forced smile. What would the world be if politicians exuded the same honesty as Honey Boo Boo? How much more simple life would be if car salesman exhibited unflinching honesty when making deals? Think of all the times people might have smiled, said something polite and socially correct while tersely insisting that yes, they are fine and nothing is wrong.

She is completely joyful. This is a little girl who sees the world as a place of wonder and happiness. This is a little girl who sees pageants as not a way to win her mother’s love or to please others but a chance to become as beautiful as she knows she is, to be the center of attention and to have fun, be happy and spread that happiness. When presented with soap and hot sauce as birthday presents from her sister, Pumpkin, she artlessly expresses gratitude as the presents “came from her (sister’s) heart.†What other six year old would see a present of a quart of hot sauce instead of a pretty princess dress and find joy in that present? She is beside herself with joy over the new baby, Kaitlyn. No tantrums of being possibly displaced as the adored and pampered baby, no worries that familial love will be fractured and focused on the newest addition. She reacts with undisguised glee, declaring a baby a welcome addition, a new person on whom she can lavish love and affection. This is a little girl who grows up, albeit with little material wealth, but with the riches we all seek more fervently – unconditional love. And she shares that love in full measure with all around her. She will not be a child who misbehaves for attention, who seeks love in the arms of unacceptable boys and men when she is older; she has found that Holy Grail of familial connections – unconditional acceptance of who she is and ever will be and love that embraces everything which makes her unique. She uses the confidence of her family’s love to see all around her, both people and situations, as simply joyful. All through my wide-eyed viewing I found myself envying her sense of happiness at anything and everything in her life. From being happy about a present of soap to being ecstatic with joy at the simple pleasures of eating (a brownie?) while playing with a mirror. This is a girl who shan’t seek riches to the expense of her principles in order to buy a happiness she’s never had. She is the girl who will grow up to find happiness in the darkest moments of life. That’s immeasurable wealth and for that I envy her completely.

By the end of the two episodes I watched, I found myself entranced and rooting for this little girl with the golden curls and quick smile. Instead of turning away in horror, as I fully expected my jaded and snobbish self to do, I was charmed. Charmed by her zest, her confidence, her happiness and her authenticity. She may not become Miss America, she may never be a movie star, but in my book, Miss Honey Boo Boo is a winner at life. If only we could all be that joyful at the world around us, what a dream come true that would be.

[Spider Burps]

I mean I don't know how much there is I haven't eaten ramen in years.

I think honestly this shows that she is interested in protein to stave off her morning sickness and because pregnant women generally should consume more. She just does not get that her kids don't need that much! lol

A serving of Maruchan Ramen (1/2 block) is 5 g of protein, 190 calories, but most people eat the whole thing. Sooo for the package it's 10 g of protein, 380 calories. Peanut butter still beats it in calories ~200 for 2 tbsp), sodium (150 vs 1540 mg), and saturated fat (3 vs 7 g), but I suppose it does have 2 g less protein... :?

[Coconut Flan]

I would buy all the love and acceptance about Honey Boo Boo, but then her mother has had four kids out of wedlock and her half-sister has already had a baby as an out of wedlock teen so I'm not seeing all that self-love that's keeping them from seeking love inappropriately.

[jesssnerch]

I would buy all the love and acceptance about Honey Boo Boo, but then her mother has had four kids out of wedlock and her half-sister has already had a baby as an out of wedlock teen so I'm not seeing all that self-love that's keeping them from seeking love inappropriately.

Maybe they just like sex.

[lilith]

Why is a baby out of wedlock a sign of inappropriate love? Many committed couples choose not to get married, many couples marry after the birth of their children and some people choose to be single parents.

That said, Anna's baby daddy isn't in the picture, but she doesn't seem too fussed about that. I think June and her community in general have probably normalised early motherhood and single motherhood to the point that she considers it as normal as a couple parenting. A 17 year old having sex doesn't mean that she's looking for love in the wrong places. The fact that she got pregnant is more complex, but it seems it was an accident, so I don't think it shows a lack of security and a need for love.

[Minerva]

I would buy all the love and acceptance about Honey Boo Boo, but then her mother has had four kids out of wedlock and her half-sister has already had a baby as an out of wedlock teen so I'm not seeing all that self-love that's keeping them from seeking love inappropriately.

I don't understand a word of this. Are you saying that having sex out of wedlock is inappropriate? Or that carrying a pregnancy to term while not married is inappropriate? Or that you don't love yourself if you do those things? None of this makes sense...

[Witsec7]

I would buy all the love and acceptance about Honey Boo Boo, but then her mother has had four kids out of wedlock and her half-sister has already had a baby as an out of wedlock teen so I'm not seeing all that self-love that's keeping them from seeking love inappropriately.

Dafug?

I do hope you come back to explain your post.

[Deleted03]

I have not seen the episodes, so please correct me if I'm wrong, but from the excerpts, I got to say she seems very accepting of her daughter being pregnant. Contrasting that to the attitudes in 16 & pregnant, I think she was the most accepting, not nagging, and not accepting in a creepy way (like that mom who had lost her son some years before and seemed to be pregnant in proxy).

WOuld you be more happy if she was yelling at her daughter to prove that being pregnant at 17 is not awesome? I mean what's the point, she'S already pregnant, she already has to deal with it. she's not gonna learn it anymore by being nagged about it.

And people who have kids out of wedlock still love themselves. And no, having them out of wedlock does not mean they are accidents either. That is the one family where you can't tell the kids have different father. They all get along well enough.

[doggie]

Here is a pretty cool portrait of our favorite child.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/whitneyjefferso ... rom-25-pou

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