A spin-off of the equally controversial reality series, Toddlers and Tiaras, the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo features six year old Alana (Honey Boo Boo) and her self-proclaimed “red-neck family.” Ain’t they pretty? The show details the daily adventures of the Thompson family, each with their own special nickname. Showcasing events such as the ‘Redneck Games,’ the show is loads of laughter … unless you consider it offensive, which, according to our polls, some of you do. Major news sources such as Time and USA Today have weighed in with their opinion. Now, McAuley has, too. Our polls (below) report that most of the student body (almost 50%) think that Honey Boo Boo is harmless entertainment.
However, is it morally acceptable to pry into the lives of this family, especially the six year old girl? Honestly, no one watches the show to learn from it; it’s a cheap shot at this ‘red-neck and proud’ family, soley for laughter and profit. There’s a reason the show’s called a guilty pleasure. To put it frankly, the show exploits the lives of a woman and her daughter, who, although very different than the families most of us interact with, are just people: people who have a pet pig, enter beauty pageants, believe passing gas is an effective wieght loss plan, and mud wrangle, but people all the same.
This trendof exploitation TV seems to be growing in the industry. Starting with wildly successful series, Jersey Shore and the Kardashians shows, which feature a ridiculous yet fabulous
pouty family with an infamous ‘mom-ager,’ and one overflowing with orange-skinned, gel stained, t-shirt wearing natives of Jersey, the social phenomenon is known by everyone. Seeming to peer into every aspects of the subjects lives, these shows create new boundaries which go farther than ever imagined. How far, though, can television producers go before it’s too far? That’s a question that is yet to be answered.
Limits and boundaries don’t exist in the world of Honey Boo Boo and the gang, who share every detail of their lives with a Southern smile. With a self-deprecating, surprisingly witty sense of humor to aid the already comical moments captured by the TLC crew, June (Mama) is the center of this, however disgusting it may be, entertaining show. As the viewers, it’s our job to remember that what happens on the show is an exagerration, and most of all, it’s just a show. Whether or not we like it, it will probably have a decent run on the network. So go ahead: get to know Honey Boo Boo.
Ellie Thiemann
McMoments 