In Defense of Honey Boo Boo

It's no secret that I tend to root for the "underdog" or at least the "infamous." Angelina, Lindsey, Magic Mike...I just can't resist playing devil's advocate on some of these controversial topics. It's pretty consistent with how I live my life. Nothing is as simple as it seems. Nothing is as black and white as it appears to be. Recently a friend even called me "The Defender of the Exceptional." Can I put that on a resume? Can that be my superhero subtitle? Can I get theme music?

So often we jump to judgmental conclusions about what we see on TV. I've sat in dozens of rooms where people compared their TV watching habits...and most of the time that conversation becomes a pissing match. A competition of who watches the most trashy TV, who watches the most wholesome TV, and who just watches the most TV. What qualifies the winner is different of course, depending on who is in the room. 

If you are putting yourself on TV, naturally you are opening yourself up to judgment. The problem is that most of the time, we don't let it stop with what we watch. This mentality of judgment, of intolerance, bleeds into our real lives, our real relationships, and taints everything. Not to take reality TV too seriously, but I think it's a good place to challenge ourselves. If we can find grace for the Sister Wives and The Duggars...then certainly we can transfer that to the "real" people we know...to our friends and neighbors...right?

Shhh. It's a wig.

All of that to say, I am a fan, a big one, of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. The show is a spin-off of Toddlers and Tiaras, which examines the sub-culture of children in pageants that exists, especially in Southern states. I have known people who participate in this sub-culture. I remember spending the night in 5th grade with a girl who grew up being in pageants. That night, we watched one of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, and so when I couldn't fall asleep for fear of what Freddy might do to me, I stared at the hundreds of trophies that lined her small bedroom. The next day we rode four-wheelers around the red dirt road surrounding her trailer. Last time I looked her up on Facebook, she was overweight, married with 3 children, 2 of which she put in pageants, and she had no eyebrows in her profile picture. This is not criticism, this is not judgment, this is simply to let those of you who did not grow up in the South know that TLC is not making this stuff up.

I could talk about the possible problems that come from treating children like they are little princesses, or financial burdens that come with pageants. I could dive into a rant about "Reality" TV and how it's staged. I could even get personal and criticize Honey Boo Boo's family up one side and down the other. From the way they look to the way they talk to the way they appear to live. But instead, I have to be true to myself. I have to root for the underdog. So, here are some reasons why I love Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

TV is for Entertainment:
If you are one of the sadly mistaken people who believe that your TV is bringing you actual information, Bless Your Heart...I am so so sorry that you are ignorant. It's sweet that you believe that the news you are watching is actually news. But it's time for you to remember that TV is really about Entertainment. The rest of the world knows that America produces just 1 thing that no other country can keep up with...and that's our Entertainment Industry. My students here in China watch American TV shows, but do think we all live like Gossip Girl or Vampire Diaries? NO. Because they know that TV is for Entertainment. Say it with me: TV is for Entertainment. And once you accept that fact, then you will realize...Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is FABULOUS entertainment.

There is building suspense of whether Honey Boo Boo will ever win Grand Supreme, as well as the mystery of what's under June's sock. There is symbolism of their house being situated between two train tracks, the hilarity of mud-diving and dumpster shopping! And catch phrases that rival "Whatchu talkin bout Willis?" Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is GREAT entertainment...and remember...TV IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT!

You'd Better redneckognize!

June:
June is a 32 year old mother of 4. She is about to be (or may already be at the time of this posting) a Grandmother. By her own declaration, she "ain't the prettiest crayon in the box" and "could stand to lose some weight" but she's overall "happy with the way" she looks. I know women who have tons of money, wear tons of make-up, are always dieting, and are constantly at war with that level of contentment in their appearance. Now, to most of us, June doesn't look like she's taking care of herself. I get that. And if June actually said that she wants to change something about herself, I imagine Jillian Michaels would jump right in there and we would watch June float from reality show to reality show, shedding pounds, learning how to dress, and finally telling us all how she did it on her own OWN show. And if she expressed this desire and no one jumped in to help her, it would be wrong. I wholeheartedly subscribe to Madeleine Albright's quote, "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women." But in a world where every piece of media implies that women aren't good enough, why can't we root for one who actually feels that she is doing alright!?

I have said it before and I will say it again...June knows what's up. She's smart. Have you watched her work that coupon math? I have 3 degrees, and still go blind into pretty much every financial transaction, especially the ones that happen in grocery stores. But June...she KNOWS exactly what she's gonna spend and what she's gonna save. Her priorities are in order. She loves her girls in the way that most of us really want to be loved, meaning, she lets them be who they are. She is not picking them apart, but supporting their dreams as well as supporting them practically. Her oldest daughter is pregnant...well, June admits that's less than ideal, but she is going to be there for her. Even though June has some hang-ups about marriage, there is no question as to her commitment to her girls.

He loves his family...neck crust and all.

Sugar Bear:
Even though Sugar Bear is only a biological father to 1 of the girls, they all see him like he is their dad. I know some fathers who wouldn't dare work as hard for their families. Sugar Bear is content in the chaos, and he is so in love with June. If you have any questions about the quality of this man, look past the dip on his chin and watch episode 7 when he assembles a swimming pool for the girls in the middle of the summer. He just wants to see them happy. No strings attached.

Simplicity and The South:
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is about a family living in South Georgia. While the South definitely has it's etiquette, hospitality, and grace, anyone who has lived there knows that it also has...well...Honey Boo Boo's. If you are in denial about this. I challenge you to go to a small Southern town and spend some time in the Wal-Mart.(Yeah, I said it...THE Wal-Mart) Or drive through town on a nice afternoon and look at the pop-up pools, the people propped up on front porches, and the dirt roads leading to small houses. While I cherish the Southern heritage that taught me to sweetly smile and stand strong in life's storms, I also know that it taught me how to hide things that are less than pleasant. That's what we do in the South. We ALL know it's there...but we don't talk about it. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is an unmasking of what many Southerners have worked so hard to hide. But ya'll...admit it. You know this family.

Compared to the rest of TV, this is kind of just your run of the mill family living in the South show. Sure, Alana is involved in pageants, but other than that there is no drama here. There is no bright orange housewife from Jersey pulling out someone's weave. There is no affair, no foreclosure, no drug addiction. This is a show about a family just doing their thing. And sure, the way they do their thing might not be how you do yours, but probably it's closer to your family than you want to admit. I've been in enough homes to know that kids can eat like pigs, moms and dads like to kick their feet up, and farts fly freely. Honey Boo Boo's family is not that different than yours. In fact, the biggest difference is that they are making bank for those farts.

Mama...give me that fat cake!

Pumpkin:
While all of the kids are pretty entertaining, and Alana is actually the center of the show, nothing tops those moments when 12 year old Pumpkin chimes in on June's interviews. That kid is fantastic.

Of course there are questions of exploitation, but when asked to confirm the rumor that TLC was paying the family just $4000 an episode, June laughed patronizingly, implying that wasn't even a drop in the bucket of what they are being paid. The family is up to date on pop-lingo which tells me they are connected to the rest of the world. They know how reality TV works...they are perfectly aware of how they come across, and also aware that with the right formula of crazy and caring, funny and freak-out, their 15 minutes of fame might drift into 20.

They gross you out? So don't eat while watching! (A lesson I learned the hard way during the forklift foot episode.) But I remember gagging quite a bit during A Wedding Story and A Baby Story too. Maybe you're concerned at their lack of manners, or the lingo they are developing for certain body parts. (Biscuit did send me over the edge a little.)  And ultimately you don't want your children to see or hear that...they are a bad influence. Not a family you want setting the example for yours or anyone's for that matter. So let me ask you this...exactly which TV family DO you want to pattern you family after? Hmmm? Right...that's what I thought. Because....TV IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT. Even the beloved Bravermans are far from perfect. 

Say what you want about Honey Boo Boo, and what it reveals about our culture, what it reveals about TV, and what it reveals about those of us who watch it. But as a lover of TV as ENTERTAINMENT and recently named, DEFENDER OF THE EXCEPTIONAL...I gotta say...I'm a fan. 

Come on tell the truth...

Are you watching Here Comes Honey Boo Boo? 
Why? Why not?