No Need to Fear, Honey Boo Boo Is Here

When many people think reality television they associate it with a lot of negative stigma. Some commons words that come to mind would be trashy, degrading, fake, and so much more. By taking a further look into the world of reality television you realize you can actually relate to the characters and there is more to the shows then what people see on the surface. One show that is a good example of this is Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Now most people judge this show quickly as it being white trash and just a bunch of unintelligent rednecks due to the unusual antics they participate in, but the family represents something much larger: healthy family values. While most reality shows seem mind-numbing and like there is no real point of watching the TLC show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo brings in many viewers because it offers pure amusement by showing a family that genuinely loves one another, who spend significant amounts of time together and accepts each other unconditionally.

This show was originally made as a spin off from another TLC show called Toddlers & Tiaras due to Alana being such a crazy little girl. In the show Toddlers & Tiaras it is all about a bunch of little girls and their parents living vicariously through them to try and win money at beauty pageants. Alana Thompson appeared on the show and viewers really enjoyed her personality and wanted to see more of her. The reason she was such a big hit was because she was such a carefree little girl who didn't worry about what other people thought. She also stood out amongst her competitors due to her physical appearance and attitude. "She proudly competes alongside stick thin children in barely-there bikinis while wearing a shiny blue bathing suit that covers belly rolls, and struts in saying that she looks 'like a giant blueberry' and she loves it" (Champion pg.1). While her personality worked against her in pageants it lead her to a more important role in reality television.

Due to Alana's uniqueness of her and her family they ended up getting their own reality television show. The show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo showcases the outrageous lives the Thompson family lives on a daily basis that also show the joys of sitting around one's house. Now the family doesn't fully consider themselves rednecks, but they do participate in a competition called "redneck games" so many viewers would disagree with that statement. When they aren't mud wrestling or hanging out with some local pigs the family usually spend a lot of quality time together whether it be cooking their famous "sketti" or finding fun actives to do as a family. There is a clear distinction that there is no family dysfunction here throughout the episodes.

 Showing Alana's personality

The Thompson family is made up of Alana, who is the youngest, Anna, who is the oldest, then Jessica and Lauryn and they were all raised by June and Mike. Each family member even has their own unique nicknames for inference Alana is Honey Boo Boo, Anna is Chickadee, Jessica is Chubbs, Lauryn is Pumpkin, June is Mama June, and Mike is Sugar Bear. The reason these nickname can give a good connection to viewers is because almost everyone grows up and has some nickname thrown at them for whatever reason. This gives viewers the ability to relate to a family they may have thought wouldn't be similar whatsoever. Alana and her family live in McIntyre, Georgia and on the show it isn't portrayed as being vastly populated or a very fancy area. By seeing how this family lives viewers may automatically claim they are "rednecks" or "hicks," but in actuality they are just regular people like all of us.

The reason there is value to watching this show is due to all the support they give one another no matter what. It is refreshing to see a family come together and truly be there for one another. For example, in one of the episodes one of the sisters was being down on herself for her appearance, but Mama June is always quick to step in and make sure every one of her daughters know that they are beautiful and have worth in their own unique way. All the children in this family love themselves despite their differences and they have proven over and over again in episodes that they don't get hung up on stereotypical beauty standards. "Even when it comes to Mama June weighing herself in at 309 pounds she is able to keep her head up in pride and while viewers would suggest she doesn't have healthy dietary habits she does have a healthy mindset about herself" (Juzwiak pg.1).  Her girls are really able to look up to such a body positive person and the world needs more of that today. Viewers also get to see how much of a bond all of the sisters share. No matter what in every episode they are always laughing together and spending time with one another. The entire family is able to change bad situations into good ones, which makes for a very positive show to watch. While it is nice to see the fun side of things producers know that the show wouldn't be as relatable for viewers if they didn't also show the bad. In some of the interviews they do viewers are able to see the real emotions of the Thompson family. Like June Deery states, "Off camera interviews glean information from participants and then feed information to others in hopes that it will stir the pot" (Deery pg. 75).  The Thompson's are like any normal family and have their fair share of fights and upsetting things that happen, but they always can find the good side of things still. For example, Anna had a little girl named Kaitlyn and when she was born she had an extra finger on her thumb. Now most families would want to get it removed and think it is such a terrible birth defect, but the Thompson family accepted it from the very beginning and said there is just more to love. Ultimately, the family proves time and time again they are very accepting and a good influence to viewers.

Alana commenting on Kaitlyn's sixth finger 

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo offers more than just entertainment because viewers are able to see a different type of lifestyle. The lifestyle that is shown in the show can be very different than their own and that they might not see very often.  This family allows viewers to realize there is more to life than materialistic things and we could all learn from them. The family is raw and it displays an essential realness to reality television. "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is a celebration of where we are moving as a culture today. The Thompson family has proven they do not represent the negatives of America, but give the American audiences something they can learn from" (Juzwiak pg.1). So in conclusion Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is a good show to promote positive family values, how to be yourself, and acceptance.

Work Cited

Champion, Anne. "I Believe in Honey Boo Boo." PopMatters. PopMatters Media, Inc., 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 08 Feb. 2017

Deery, June. Reality TV. Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2015.

Juzwiak, Rich. "What Honey Boo Boo Child Is and Why You Should Care: A Guide to Reality TV's Trashiest Sensation." Gawker. N.p.,  08 Sept. 2012. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.