My day with Honey Boo Boo
Honey Boo Boo (Alana Thompson) and her family, including mom June Shannon and dad Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson, along with sister Anna and Anna's month-old baby, Kaitlyn
Honey Boo Boo is our new BFF.
We trekked down to the Middle Georgia town of McIntyre in search of Alana Thompson and her family this week. They could not have been nicer.
“It’s been a blast,” said her dad Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson, referring to the TLC show, airing at 10 p.m. Wednesdays, that has catapulted the family from their tiny town into the national spotlight. (Here’s my colleague Rodney Ho’s latest recap).
“Honestly, it’s still surreal to me,” said Alana’s mom June Shannon. Even though they had gotten somewhat used to life in front of the cameras from the TLC show “Toddlers and Tiaras,” from whence “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” sprang, she didn’t immediately jump at the opportunity.
Honey Boo Boo says the best thing about pageants is getting to dress up.
“It took us a couple of months,” June said. “I was very reserved.”
The entire family has enjoyed the experience – especially Alana, she said.
“She will stop in the middle of whatever she is doing and watch the commercial,” June said, referring to the promo for “Honey Boo Boo” that airs on TLC.
“I will not!” Alana insisted.
The 6-year-old second grader bounced around like a ping pong ball during most of our visit.
“Can I have a Pop Tart?” she asked her parents at one point, having determined there were no Oreos in the house.
“I have some flip-flop high heels,” she announced a few minutes later. “You want to see them? My momma bought them for my birthday. They were expensive! One dollar.”
Proud dad!
With that, Alana disappeared into the house and produced the shoes. Next she asked if we wanted to admire some of her sparkly pageant shoes.
“I don’t wear them to school,” she said. “You know why? They start hurting.”
Then she wanted us to take note of a school geography project her sister known as Pumpkin has been working on.
The Fed Ex guy wanted a photo. That's "Cracker Queen" Lauretta Hannon there in the bottom lefthand corner.
“See, they’re not stickers,” Alana said, pointing out the quality craftsmanship on her sister’s project.
Lauretta Hannon, author of “The Cracker Queen,” was good enough to join us on this little adventure. First, there is no quick way to get to McIntyre, so riding with someone makes the trip more fun. Second, we figured Lauretta would bring a certain je ne sais cracker to the endeavor.
Sure enough, when the family’s friend Tony Lindsey arrived (he’s the guy shown toppling over on a four-wheeler during the “Honey Boo Boo” credits) Lauretta immediately started figuring out who all they knew in common. Plus her mama ‘nem live down in Dublin, not far from the site of the annual “Redneck Games” event that was featured on a past “Honey Boo Boo” episode. We figure they’re probably distant kin somehow. Maybe kissing cousins.
“They personify some of the key points of my book, one of which is the resilience, beauty, love, bad choices, and good humor of people who don’t look so promising if you take them at face value and interpret them through your own biases,” said Lauretta, whose memoir includes anecdotes like roaring around in a butter-colored Cadillac her father won in a poker game with her mother, tossing cartons of cigarettes to inmates working on road gangs.
Here’s what Lauretta wrote about Honey Boo Boo on her own blog.
During our visit with the “Honey Boo Boo” clan, a number of people stopped by. A Fed Ex guy showed up with an envelope and asked to have his picture taken with the young star. After he left Alana tore into the envelope which contained a letter from Australian fans.
Then she read the letter to us. She is an excellent reader, tackling the word “Australian” with ease.
Honey Boo Boo, wearing the umbrella-hat one fan sent her, read us a letter another fan sent her. The 6-year-old second grader is an excellent reader.
Another package contained more fan mail and an umbrella-hat, which Alana promptly clamped onto her head. She disappeared into the house again, then reappeared with a can of apple-scented Glade air freshener.
“It kills the flies,” she proclaimed, dousing the staircase railing.
We especially enjoyed visiting with June, an avid “coupon queen” who noted with dismay that she is unable to get the AJC’s weekly coupons in her area. She requested that we send her a copy of the AJC print article when it runs – we’ll throw in the coupon insert, too!
She was completely candid when discussing the attention her family has attracted – not all of it positive.
“Yes, I got locked up,” she said, referring to a contempt-of-court charge four years ago. “It was the worst four days of my life.”
Honey Boo Boo has her picture taken all the time. She decided she'd like to take some herself.
“Yes, we really do have our Christmas lights up,” June added, referring to the strands bedecking the porch in the middle of summer. She also mentioned that last Christmas, she participated in a community food drive that assisted 108 families.
“The GoGo Juice was a one-time thing,” June continued, referring to the blend of Mountain Dew and energy drinks that an episode of “Toddlers and Tiaras” captured. Lots of pageant moms boost their kids’ energy with caffeinated drinks, she added.
She took this photo of herself.
So far the “Honey Boo Boo” shows have captured the family pretty accurately, she said.
“The only thing we did that was scripted was the etiquette class,” she said, referring to a segment in which an Atlanta etiquette expert tries to instill some decorum. Also, the family’s documented trip to the “Redneck Games” was their first and probably last, June said. They prefer spending time at a getaway she described as an “undisclosed mud hole.”
Alana, who turns 7 next Tuesday, does not meet a stranger.
Our iPhone is boring by Honey Boo Boo standards. No good games.
“I have three boyfriends,” she confided to us. “I love them all equally.”
Well, maybe love is too strong a word.
“You think I love taking pictures with boys? I don’t!”
After a while Alana decided to inspect our camera and took some photos of herself. Then she got interested in our iPhone, but was disappointed because we didn’t have any game applications. She did get interested in the pedometer application, and marched around the yard for a while to see how many steps she could rack up.
The pedometer app kept her busy for a while!
While we were visiting a truck driver stopped just to meet Honey Boo Boo and a car full of people slowed down and shouted, “We love you Honey Boo Boo!”
“It does get crazy at times,” June said. Trips to Wal-Mart take longer now since other shoppers recognize them and often want pictures. After Alana has had enough her mom shoos them away.
“I am a parent, first and foremost,” June said. “I am my children’s best friend. If you actually sit down and talk to me, you realize we’re not crazy.”
- Jennifer Brett/The Buzz/jbrett@ajc.com
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164 comments Add your comment
Steve
August 21st, 2012
9:21 pm
Disgusting.
A.B. Normal
August 21st, 2012
9:29 pm
The gene pool is extremely shallow in McIntyre, GA.
Ben
August 21st, 2012
9:31 pm
How can you get away with this? How is this not child abuse? Somebody take that child away from her inbread parents, before they home school her! Thats just what Georgia needs! Proof of generations of single file family trees!
Marsha
August 21st, 2012
9:33 pm
That show is my guilty pleasure. The entire show and family cracks me up. Love it!
Gene Pool
August 21st, 2012
9:35 pm
So Ben, you have something against homeschooling?
Snicklet snotcicle
August 21st, 2012
9:35 pm
Enter your comments here
Jennifer Brett
August 21st, 2012
9:36 pm
Ben: She attends public school and is an excellent reader.
Jennifer
Ben
August 21st, 2012
9:36 pm
Marsha, you are contributing to the idiocity that is now destroying the United States. People should not condone this behavior….condone….do you know what that word means?….did you graduate middle school?….elementary school?………….pre-school?
BJ
August 21st, 2012
9:37 pm
Pathetic! TLC has finally hit bottom!!
Ben
August 21st, 2012
9:37 pm
Oh, I’m sure…for now. And by the way, Jennifer, you do realize that your name is beside your post…you don’t have to retype it below it…God you people make me ashamed of being born in this state!
Ben
August 21st, 2012
9:39 pm
Gene pool, yes I do have something against homeschooling. The vast majority of parents do not have the time, or the intellegence to home school their child. Home schooling children leads to people not believing dinosaurs existed because they aren’t mentioned in the bible.
JO
August 21st, 2012
9:55 pm
Hey Ben, you spelled intelligence wrong. How’s that for irony?
kat
August 21st, 2012
10:00 pm
My mind tells me not to judge this family because I really don’t know them but my heart is screaming, “ahhh!”. This little girl appears to have a lot of potential….gregarious, charming, spunky, intelligent….but to fuel that fire with sugary drinks and pageants? Yuck. How about directing her toward cheer leading (not a huge fan of that “sport” but still way better than pageants) if she likes to perform for folks and giving her a dose of fruits and veggies? The poor child is already growing a sizable gut. And then her sister? Please tell me that 13 year old looking girl on the front porch is really that one month old’s child.
Lynn
August 21st, 2012
10:07 pm
I’m sorry, but there is NOTHING funny about this show and the network (TLC) should be embarrassed to even air that crap. There is nothing even remotely entertaining about this. There is nothing sweet or charming about this child, her family. They are obnoxious. The parents should be ashamed for milking a living at the expense of their child. There should be laws agains this.
Honey Boo Boo Fan
August 21st, 2012
10:10 pm
Alana is too cute and funny! The show is pure entertainment and funnier than most reality shows..
steve brown
August 21st, 2012
10:13 pm
Anybody ever heard of dignity?
Lynn
August 21st, 2012
10:14 pm
To Ben: You obviously know nothing about home schooling. Parents who home school their children work hard. They must adhere to state mandates regarding curriculum. They have to plan their classwork, the same as a teacher. They are required to cover the same subjects. While I did not home school my children, and I believe there are pros and cons, I also know it takes a lot of dedication by the parets to be able to do this. You shouldn’t make comments on subjects you know nothing about. You only show your ignorance and lack of “intellegence.”
ames
August 21st, 2012
10:15 pm
I think this show is so refreshing. So many people are slaves to their material possessions that they really don’t have the opportunity to actually enjoy life and each other. This family has very little relative to American standards but it’s so apparent in this show how dedicated they are to one and other. How they have accepted what they have and seem genuinely happy.
Lynn
August 21st, 2012
10:15 pm
Lord, if that is “entertainment,” I’m tossing my TV in the trash!!
Lynn
August 21st, 2012
10:16 pm
parets – parents – new laptop! Hate this darn keyboard!
tigerpaw
August 21st, 2012
10:21 pm
All of you writing the hateful things about the Thompsons and Alana “Honey Boo Boo”,should be ashamed of yourselves.I am proud to say that my family,both sides, are from Georgia.Ben should learn proper spelling before posting on how illiterate they are.I guess ya’ll are the same ones that wrote hateful posts about Paula Deen,especially how she says,”ya’ll”.I guess most of you have moved from up north, which is getting to be what is wrong with Atlanta………Why be hateful!I guess you have never spent time outside 285 and don’t know there is a lot of Georgia besides Atlanta.Hate to tell you this, but there is life outside Atlanta and if it doesn’t meet your approval because it isn’t in Alpharetta or Vinings, too bad.Lots of people live like the Thompsons and do just fine in Georgia.
Will
August 21st, 2012
10:21 pm
Yup, that’s white folks alright
Snicklet snotcicle
August 21st, 2012
10:22 pm
Honey boo boo is a precious child. That child has the self-confidence that can only come from a whole lot of love. The house is maintained and is very clean. She has been told all her seven years that she is beautiful and smart. Would anyone make their comments to her face. honey Boo Boo is an example that most will not recognize that they are in need of. Honey Boo Boo will never be defined by the label in her clothes, but by the love in heart.
JD in Marietta
August 21st, 2012
10:36 pm
Nothing wrong with homeschooling, but when your teacher is this mom there is….she’s not the brightest bulb in the pack. Mom probably cant count to 20
anonymous
August 21st, 2012
10:48 pm
Alana was never put in any stressful position whatsoever when filming this show, June was a great mother throughout. They always were happy when filming and it shows. June’s an honest person who does things her way. It’s funny, interesting, and heartwarming and THATS why they have a show. If she was just plain trash (like some of the people low enough to write such bitter angry posts about a TV show they can optionally shut off at any second) then they wouldn’t be an interesting family to document. Get a grip on your anger towards this show and just watch it with an open mind, because you’d at least have to agree that it is really hilarious. And maybe you’ll learn something about them and yourself, that is an ambition of the people who make this show. It’s a crafty little way of delivering a positive message through an unexpected vessel. So calm down, stop writing angry statements that nobody cares about, and for all of our sakes please get off your soapboxes.
God
August 21st, 2012
10:54 pm
The End Is Near.
Linda
August 21st, 2012
11:34 pm
I haven’t watched this show, the previews were enough to tell me this isn’t my “cup of tea”. But I notice, in this article, Honey Boo Boo and her entire family are much more articulate than they are when filming. So, once again, “reality” isn’t what we’re seeing on TV. We’re seeing people who will throw away their dignity for a dollar. I have never watched any reality TV show and I do not plan to ever watch one. As long as the public is accepting this as entertainment, we will be stuck with this quality of programming. It’s cheaper to pay these people than to pay for quality programming. By the way, I am a native of Georgia and I deplore the perpetuation of the stereotypical dumb, slow-witted and uneducated Southerner. Please, quit judging. Most of us are intelligent and gracious. Blessings…
Kelly
August 21st, 2012
11:38 pm
Ben, do you know how to spell? Maybe, you’re an inbred.
Alyssa
August 22nd, 2012
12:27 am
White trash and living in Ga. has nothing to do with it! Only in America do we make celebrities out of a bunch chaos and give them the oppprtunity to be rich..Ugh….
NorCal
August 22nd, 2012
12:31 am
They are an eccentric family, but seem to be loving and nurturing. Their diet could be better but you can say the same thing about many lower income people in urban Oakland. There are a lot of people with much in common with this family in California outside of the urban areas, it is not unique to Georgia. Their lifestyle is better than people in urban SF and Oakland gangs killing each other as happens here on a daily basis. Children here are being killed just standing on the street corner so I would have to say that Alana’s family is doing better than many in America.
tigerpaw
August 22nd, 2012
12:35 am
If you don’t like it don’t watch it.I agree wholeheartedly that the Southern hick stereotype is forever perpetuated, but these folks are not as bad as they have been made out to be.”Deliverance” made some hesitant to even travel to Georgia in years past, and that was as silly as that was not true also.
Let’s be kinder to these people, folks.They are not on welfare, inbred trailer trash, and illiterate as they have been called on posts here. Obviously Mr. Thompson serves his community as a volunteer fireman which is very important in a small community like McIntyre, and June obviously cares for her family.What’s wrong with any of that?
VaGirl1969
August 22nd, 2012
12:51 am
I watched this show last week for the first time…end results = words escaped me…I was absolutely speechless…It truly was like watching a runaway train; you simply have to watch it crash.
Prez Obozo
August 22nd, 2012
1:11 am
ALL of these mothers are pimping their daughters. Tiera Toddlers – Dance Moms should be banned & the mothers arrested including that blimp sized sweat hog on Dance Moms! They should be charged with Pimping underage girls, contributing to the delinquentcy of a minor & child abuse! These moms are trying to live out their fantasies thru their child! Hope the ex-husband who is suing the trashy mother for full custody of their daughter WINS!!!!!!!
janne
August 22nd, 2012
1:12 am
lewis grizzard said it best…all you northerners that don’t like georgia,delta is ready when you are!!
Sharon
August 22nd, 2012
5:14 am
Hi, let the child and her family have some fun and make some money. My only suggestion is that her parents place her in an activity that requires her to excercise she is a little overweight and along with that comes health problems. She appears to be well loved, smart and a beautiful little girl with or without the camera. As I stated above let them have fun.
m915
August 22nd, 2012
6:16 am
Straight up “TRAILER TRASH’
Bearmorning
August 22nd, 2012
6:29 am
Please don’t take the Honey Boo Boo away, it gives our Thursday morning so much to discuss. We have to have our “Honey Boo Boo” update each week. If you like them or not it really doesn’t matter. ratings dictate all in the world of entertainment and this show is getting the ratings for the time slot. It’s the whole train wreck mentality. You just have to look! It we as a society were not programmed that way then traffic in Atlanta would be a lot better. Do you slow down to look at the wreck? Yes, we all do. Good or bad, Honey Boo Boo has grabbed our attention.
chkrdr
August 22nd, 2012
6:35 am
i hope that folks who view this show do not equate all georgians with this family…
IHMV
August 22nd, 2012
6:53 am
This show is disgusting. I watched for 5 minutes and almost threw up. only in america can a group of southern morons get a tv show. what’s worse is the teenage daughter has started to pop out kids. TLC should be ashamed of themselves.
1776
August 22nd, 2012
6:54 am
Reeeal funny. “Reality” TV is garbage to begin with, and this show simply mocks White southerners. >:( Yet another reason to 86 the H3llivision folks.
C MITCHELL
August 22nd, 2012
6:58 am
uh, ’scuse me. but didn’t TLC used to stand for “The Learning Channel”. hmmm, that “L” has GOT to stand for something else right about now. any suggestions?
Billy
August 22nd, 2012
7:01 am
Ben, you’re an anti-Christian. If you don’t like home schooling, by all means, send your gene pool efforts to the drug and gang infested, godless schools, which somehow, in your biased mind, are better. People like you make the world a worse place, not a better one. Move back to NYC; the cockroached up there miss you…
BOB FROM ACCOUNT TEMPS
August 22nd, 2012
7:06 am
honey boo boo – ride the wave as long as they throw money at you. look for a way to get pumpkin a spin-off. you could be the next kardashians’
jeffrey d
August 22nd, 2012
7:08 am
Remember when TLC used to be The Learning Channel?
jeffrey d
August 22nd, 2012
7:09 am
whoops…C Mitchell beat me to it
Knitwit
August 22nd, 2012
7:10 am
Anybody notice that the top picture says that the baby belongs to sister Anna? She looks like she’s 12 years old. Someone please clarify!!!!
bubba
August 22nd, 2012
7:12 am
speaking of “only in georgia” – where else would a county reelect a sheriff facing 34 criminal charges??
Donna P.
August 22nd, 2012
7:16 am
I think she is adorable. Why not make some money while she is young? She seems to be having fun with everything that is going on. I do hope her family protects her from crazy people that may want to harm her and/or them. It seems they are too accessible.
Call It Like It Is
August 22nd, 2012
7:18 am
The show is a train wreck and people love to watch train wrecks. Just look at the popularity of the Jersey Shore. Are all people from Jersey oversexed, greasy haired idiots that give their selves nicknames? Of course not. Same thing for the citizens of south ga. If you wish to worry about something, worry about the idiot voters of Clayton County who just voted in a Sheriff that has 34 federal indictments against him.
Hugh Jass
August 22nd, 2012
7:19 am
Let the family that lives their lives differently have their moment in the sun. One thing that does come across on the show is the fact that they love one another, despite their quirks.
MsE
August 22nd, 2012
7:29 am
Anna is 17.
Virginia
August 22nd, 2012
7:38 am
The show is a train wreck, but I do admit watching. I enjoyed the article, it made Alana seem like any other 6/7 year old kid.
Vicki
August 22nd, 2012
7:39 am
I’m not impressed with the show. They appear to be dumb as dirt but really are very smart…after all, they are making money hand over fist with this show and it seems the dumber they act the more people watch it. The only redeeming grace is the fact that the mom coupons and helps people in need.
atlslick
August 22nd, 2012
7:47 am
I enjoy watching the show!!! I think the family should ride out their 15min of fame and take full advantage upgrading their lives. God has his hand in it all!!! Bask in it :>
Ben is an idiot
August 22nd, 2012
7:49 am
Ben’s asking people if they know what words mean, if they graduated elementary school, but can’t even spell the word inbred. I thinks it’s “inbread,” because he’s an idiot.
noshame
August 22nd, 2012
7:52 am
June said. “I am my children’s best friend.”
And that sentence sums up the entire problem.
Toofless Redneck
August 22nd, 2012
7:53 am
AINTREE? This river don’t go to Aintree! You dunn taken a wrong turn. Now why don’t you drop them pants city boy.
Jennifer, call us baby.
Where is that nimrod Ben?
August 22nd, 2012
7:57 am
Wonder if “Ben” will show his face here after insulting our “intellegence”…..idiot.
scootdog
August 22nd, 2012
8:00 am
Most TV shows hit rock-bottom a long time ago. Turn it off folks.
Sid Vicious
August 22nd, 2012
8:01 am
How bout them Bravos?
Mike D
August 22nd, 2012
8:02 am
After seeing Real Housewives of Atlanta, Basketball Wives and, Love and Hip Hop Atlanta It’s reassuring to see some ignorant white people on TV for a change.
Shay
August 22nd, 2012
8:03 am
Uhh Bubba – Marion Barry in DC – remember was reinstated as Mayor after the whole crack and prostitute thing!
native atlantan
August 22nd, 2012
8:05 am
Im usually busting a$$ about stupid black folks on these blogs, but I dont discriminate, now I can say here is a perfect example of stupid, poor white trash also here in GA. Luckily I dont even know where TLC is on my cable lineup. Maybe I should delete it just like I did BET ?
sadto2
August 22nd, 2012
8:07 am
People are people so I have nothing against this family they seem pretty happy..what disgustt me is that the network TLC I am SURE is paying this family NEXT TO NOTHING(reality TV shows only give the participants a couple of grand and have them SIGN their life away. They own 100% of you. Its in the contract. The Kardashians are an EXCEPTION to the rule) So the ONLY one making MONEY off their popularity is TLC.
the truth
August 22nd, 2012
8:08 am
Congratulations GA….known for the worst President ever, the Olympic Park Bomber, and Honey Boo Boo…WE BE REPRESENTIN!!!!!
bravesgrl4life
August 22nd, 2012
8:14 am
Lord, most southerners try to hide the white trash in their families. This one puts it all out there.
Helen Crump
August 22nd, 2012
8:19 am
Well, at least this show gives them a way of making some good money. Look at their house. This show is a blessing for them. Let them make this money and go on.
C MITCHELL
August 22nd, 2012
8:25 am
Mike D – YES!! equal opportunity ignorance. but why all in Georgia. whyyy?
Frito Bandito
August 22nd, 2012
8:25 am
Why are you making these people legitimate by wasting news space on them?
PR
August 22nd, 2012
8:29 am
Backwoods Georgia where inbreeding is alive and well.
ken
August 22nd, 2012
8:32 am
Don’t be upset, it just shows the Real Georgia Crackers….
ATLGEORGIABOY
August 22nd, 2012
8:32 am
TLC…..The Learning Channel..
The Alpha Male
August 22nd, 2012
8:33 am
I’ll bet Honey Boo Boo sweats honey mustard…. parents who allow their children to be put on display like this should be horsewhipped.
Look Like Fat White SLOBs to me
August 22nd, 2012
8:34 am
They look like Fat White SLOBS to me….by the time this kid in her teens she will weigh out about 300 lbs……OBESE – all in the family!
MS B
August 22nd, 2012
8:42 am
Honey Boo Boo is the perfect representation of southern white folks especially in georgia.
Knitcat
August 22nd, 2012
8:43 am
How is this any different than how Kris Jenner pimps her daughters? Maybe some of you should get out more and stop living through “REALITY SHOWS”.
Tom
August 22nd, 2012
8:47 am
Hey Ben…that’s “inbred”, buddy. Maybe little Miss Boo Boo can help you with the spelling of your next comment submission.
August 22nd, 2012
8:48 am
“Gene pool, yes I do have something against homeschooling. The vast majority of parents do not have the time, or the intellegence to home school their child. Home schooling children leads to people not believing dinosaurs existed because they aren’t mentioned in the bible.”
I hardly think you’re the one to decide who is capable of homeschooling and who isn’t.
Especially since you’re incorrect in your emotion-based remarks.
Ben = nonsensical douche
truthbtold
August 22nd, 2012
8:48 am
Reality TV exists because some people’s standards are so low that they are entertained by anything. And I do mean anything! Too watch a low budget production of a camera following a 6 year-old child around making a fool of herself and her family is entertainment? I’m waiting for the day when some network exec makes a show about people taking a dump. America would eat that up. Morons don’t require effort, talent, or good writing and directing to be entertained anymore…..
bravesfan
August 22nd, 2012
8:54 am
Frito…i couldn’t agree more. My wife just told me about this show last week and that she actually had to turn off the TV in order to make an effort to not reward this type of programming and behavior. The fact that the AJC and Jennifer Brett made a story out of this and went to this house is disgusting. Also, I find it ironic that we are able to post comments on these stories but not real news stories. Pretty typical of the liberal AJC. Jennifer should be ashamed of enabling this behavior and those who watch it and write it off as “guilty pleasure” should have your TV’s shot.
Eon Rodeo
August 22nd, 2012
8:55 am
Jennifer looks hot in that pic!
Robyn
August 22nd, 2012
8:56 am
The mom said that the “go go juice” was a one time thing and justified giving it to her child by saying all pageant moms feed their kids caffeine. Just because a lot of people are hyping their kids up to perform like circus freaks does not make it right. Have a good look at Alana’s teeth. Clearly Mountain Dew is a staple in her diet. Now go and read the health effects of caffeine in a child. Any good parent would NEVER mix Mountain Dew (most caffeinated soda) with Red Bull and deliberately give it to their 6 year old to drink! This alone is reason enough to question the mother’s mental health.
Eyes
August 22nd, 2012
9:04 am
I love this show and for all that have so much hate and opinions about it….why in the hell are you all watching or concern. Everyone has the right to their opinion, but may goodness you don’t have to watch it or read anything about it!!!! So funny we have so many perfect people!!! I bet you that little girl is smarter than most!!!!!! YOU GO HONEY BOO BOO……YOU HAVE MORE LOVE OUT HERE THAN HATE!!!!
Jess
August 22nd, 2012
9:05 am
Watch it…don’t watch it…the choice is yours! That’s whats so great about this whole thing!
Really?
August 22nd, 2012
9:10 am
MS B
August 22nd, 2012
8:42 am
Honey Boo Boo is the perfect representation of southern white folks especially in georgia.
Ms B: if ignorance is bliss, you must be in utopia 24/7…moron.
I'm just sayin . . .
August 22nd, 2012
9:14 am
The mom should sign up for Real Housewives of Atlanta!!!!
NASCDAWG
August 22nd, 2012
9:17 am
@Ben
My son was home schooled through the 11th grade. Scored 1560 on the SAT, 34 on the ACT and was a National Merit finalist. He graduated from CofC Honors college summa cum laude. He will be going to the grad school in GB next year on a Rotary Ambassadorial scholarship. There are inadequate home schoolers as there are also inept public educators. There are those that excel in both venues. Do not paint a group of people with such a broad brush.
Chuck Anziulewicz
August 22nd, 2012
9:18 am
June Shannon is NOT supposed to be her “children’s best friend.” Parents are supposed to be LEADERS, not buddies.
Animal Control
August 22nd, 2012
9:20 am
This represents Georgia as bad as the Real Houswives of Atlanta. Sadly, it makes those crazy women look better!
All I'm Saying Is....
August 22nd, 2012
9:36 am
Just another reason for folks to laugh at (not with) Southerners…that typed, I hope Honey Boo Boo has the last laugh due to someone with a touch of common sense taking that TLC money and building a trust fund for her and her family…
Questions
August 22nd, 2012
9:49 am
I have two questions – What’s a Honey Boo Boo and exactly how old is the sister to already have a baby? She looks to be about 12.
Just say-in
August 22nd, 2012
9:51 am
Actually, I though this was the young girl on the Help. She is kind, she is important, and she is necessary. Look at all the post.
rljih
August 22nd, 2012
10:09 am
Someone needs to post a big picture of a rats a@@
Karma
August 22nd, 2012
10:28 am
Have you folks seen “Swamp People” and theres another where the folks are from the swamps and are truly nasty looking, as though they haven’t ever taken a bath. They have nasty, narly hair that has never been cut or washed. I can’t even watch any of those shows….theres a couple of them. The Honey Boo family does look clean…..I can take it in small doses, but I have seen worst families……
Adam
August 22nd, 2012
10:30 am
The only tragedy here will be if they don’t get substantially more money for Season 2. Get you some of that Jersey Shore money, Honey Boo Boo!
JuJu
August 22nd, 2012
10:34 am
TLC – The Loser Channel, and this show proves it. I am incensed at this show because it perpetuates the Southern stereotype of the dumb-mouthed red-neck. “Guilty pleasure”? You are easily amused.
C MITCHELL
August 22nd, 2012
10:41 am
yes, we all have a choice to watch or not to watch. i am not watching but as long as enough people are watching, this ignorance will spread and become “normal.” Georgia is about to be the new “Bama” and will suffer the consequences in more ways than one, whether i watch or not. You think Fortune 500 companies will want to flock here with with all of this ignorance being broadcast worldwide? Georgia is represen’in’!
The Truth
August 22nd, 2012
10:55 am
These are the people that elected the crook Nathan Deal as Governor of the state of Georgia.
Sad and disgusting
August 22nd, 2012
10:57 am
Let the family that lives their life differently live it in private. I’ve had enough of reality TV. And the whole child “pageant” sickness needs to be stopped. And somebody needs to be concerned about Honey Boo Boo’s nutrition – she’s getting fat on all them oreos and pop tarts.
Mark It Right
August 22nd, 2012
10:57 am
@C MITCHELL – You really think Georgia is better than Alabama? Atlanta doesn’t make it better. It actually is starting to make it worse.
Teri
August 22nd, 2012
10:59 am
I am from Georgia and proud of it however, I am not a redneck as many of my friends, male and female are not. Obvioulsy, reality tv is what gets the attention hence, all of the shows on tv now. This is no worse than South Beach Tow or The BatchelorHoarders, etc. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it and for goodness sake, do not read about it or comment about it. The world is full of different people, get used to it!! Bless your hearts, lmao!!
The Truth
August 22nd, 2012
11:03 am
The best thing about Alabama is that it keeps Georgia from bordering Mississippi.
GeorgiaMan
August 22nd, 2012
11:09 am
They can make this show a lot more interesting by moving the family to Clayton County.
And another thing.....
August 22nd, 2012
11:36 am
Good, balanced interview, Jennifer. ( and your hair looked great I might add…) It seems like June, as country as she is, is a good mom who is there for her family.
Jennifer Brett
August 22nd, 2012
11:52 am
Aww, thanks. They were all very nice. Nothing wrong with being country. I am from a small town in eastern NC. On school field trips, there was always a designated “smoking bus.”
Jennifer
Bojack
August 22nd, 2012
12:01 pm
At all BS…damn sick!
Cheaply
August 22nd, 2012
12:14 pm
Wow, such judgment. Too bad we cant all be Ben.
Seriously, reality tv and you want to judge this family versus housewives of orange county. Or Bethany and the crowdin new York? How bout them mafia thug wives of new jersey?
The concept of kid parents is kind of creepy to me, but this little outgoing friendly funny child has to wear your biased labels because it’s ok to stereotype southerners (versus the nutjobs on those other shows). Yeah that was Judy, but my point is feeling free to label this kid while you fluff and make a millionaire the anorexic emotional wreck (s) off the ny show. JUST TRY sticking some stereotype labels on the Atlanta housewives given they are mostly black, there are at least four or five organizations who will take you to court for defaming them, yet this author is totally comfortable and the news venue guilty of slapping their bigotted opinions on them. Yes, they are different from urban city peole but you kid yourself to think your different in any way from them. Given the choice between what appears to be, in a brief article, a reasonably intelligent mom and a precocious sweet kid, I’d prefer to know these folk over the self righteous lot such as Ben and his cliche bunch of excuses for thinking so highly of himself.
You go, Honey Boo Boo, and I just hope your folks put the same efforts in educational they did in patents for your success in life! Beauty eventually fades and who will you be after that?
Tell your sister not to feel worse than city kids, the rich just usually murder (abort) their teenagers babies, their pride is more important than their hearts. No difference in their behavior than hers.
slow down and think
August 22nd, 2012
12:20 pm
This started w/ disturbed parents pushing their babies to pagents and stealing their childhood for personal pride boosts. TLC now has further exploited the weak minded simple people here with this show. TLC does NOT respect these people, they are a meal ticket for their company and the more crazy they act the more they benefit. America begs for its own dumbing down, demoralization and ignorance then complanis when they get EXACTLY what the result of that is.
This show is pathetic, and if this show is your guilty pleasure you need to see a psychiatrist.
urban redneck
August 22nd, 2012
12:22 pm
mother of the year candidate for sure!
triggerman357
August 22nd, 2012
12:26 pm
I love ‘Here comes Honey Boo Boo’. She reminds me of my little cousins farther south in Early County. I see nothing wrong with little country girls having fun. This girl is using her God given talent and it has made her a star. Some people need to stop hating.
Kris Humphries Kardashian
August 22nd, 2012
12:32 pm
W…TF? THIS is honey boo boo? I saw the preview this weekend and piglets were running around the living room so I figured ok, silly name for a show about a family raising pigs. Honey Boo Boo is this lil chick? Shut the effin door. Twitter’s all abuzz over this lil chick? I quit twitter, GA, the AJC, and 285 – west and northbound- over this bs. I CAN’T.
America Disappoints Me
August 22nd, 2012
12:37 pm
Yay for childhood obesity… Yay for integrity, manners & education out the door… Yay for teen or tween pregnancy. If you consider this normal or entertaining … your favorite guilty pleasure show?! Then something is seriously wrong with you. TLC you are no longer a respected channel to watch! You sold out!
ToFunny
August 22nd, 2012
12:46 pm
White folks crack me up. LOL…its funny how some of you are trying to make excuses for this mess. Get for real.
Doris M
August 22nd, 2012
12:46 pm
With all the boring reality shows on TV, at least this one is interesting. Leave this family alone. they are using what talents they have in order to make money for their family. I’m for them continuing on TLC.
wiregrass geo native
August 22nd, 2012
12:54 pm
Give these folks a break; if you don’t like it don’t watch it.
1. Momma, Daddy & Honet Boo Boo got enough sense to make a few $……the good ole american way. Probably more sense than most of us.
2. Alana has enough spark and personality that TLC thought they could make some $ and proably are. The show is better than most “I am better than you” relaity TV shows such: Kardashians, Housewives of New York City or ATL, Jersey Smores
3. Mommas house is clean, daddy works considerable hours & is a volunteer fireman, the family is not of welfare, the kids are not homeschooled.
4. They are all green as grass; but they seem to be comfortable with themselves
5. If TLC offered me money and my kid wanted to do it…….I probably would
Steve
August 22nd, 2012
12:58 pm
The family tree doesn’t branch.
SuzieQ
August 22nd, 2012
1:10 pm
I can tell you who’s pimping her daughters – look at the Kardashians! Those girls are trash!
Fooksie
August 22nd, 2012
1:14 pm
My wife and I are fascinated by this show. I would like to be the Jane Goodall of McIntyre , and study these people and their simple ways, but I fear that I would lose my impartiality after my first experience with the “redneck slip-n-slide”. That looks like fun! We love Honey Boo Boo!
Tammy
August 22nd, 2012
1:17 pm
As broke down as the family is, the kids and the parents seem to genuinely get along and there is very little yelling in anger or tears.
Ginger
August 22nd, 2012
1:20 pm
Check out the mom’s mug shot on Georgia.arrests.org/Arrests/June_Shannon_7120598/. She forgot to add that along with the contempt of court charge, she was CHARGED WITH THEFT BY TAKING. Identity Theft. Oh, and my daughters used to work with her at McDonald’s on Lake Dow in McDonough and she is not the nice, clean, mother that this article is making her out to be. She was caught several times stuffing her bags full of food from there. And how do you know she’s not on welfare? She was at that time. I did watch some of the show after my daughter recognized the mom on a commercial. What a disgrace to Georgia!! I don’t care if it was entertainment purposes or let them earn some money or whatever you say. Total disgrace!!!!
who dat
August 22nd, 2012
1:29 pm
ToFunny black folk don’t crack me up.
RichardDaniels
August 22nd, 2012
1:30 pm
I thought that this show was going to be about a mother exploiting her daughter. After watching 4 episodes it’s clear that this mother LOVES her daughter and wants nothing but the best for her. That’s what makes this show worth watching. I’m a fan June!
ChiliCheese
August 22nd, 2012
1:31 pm
The Truth- GA continues to slip in all things ranked, UGA drops to the 5th party school in the nation, and after Obama, Mr. Jimmy will drop down to the second worst President.
The TLC channel is living up to it’s expectation, it has taught all of you “perfect” people responding with these negative comments, that there are people in this great world of ours that don’t live by your standards. It is obvious that this family is enjoying life, and that is a lesson we all need to learn.
Ben
August 22nd, 2012
1:47 pm
I need to liten up and lern to spel. I ubreeveated my name to ben cuz benjumin is hard
Susie Martin
August 22nd, 2012
2:00 pm
I think Alana is a great kid and I love the show. I totally agree with another commenter, this family is not trashy. I’d much rather watch the Thompson fam than the Kar-TRASHIANS, who elevate material values above all else in their lives. Yes, Alana does say “Holla for a Dolla” but it’s done in a funny and cute way which I hope leads to more financial security for their family without them losing their natural appeal. The snobs on this board who dislike Alana, her mom and her “country” ways are simply showing their true colors. Yes, there is life outside Atlanta, Calabasas(CA) (home of the Kartrashians), and New York. Look around you might see the real people of this nation instead of plastic phonies we usually are force fed by the networks. Bravo TLC! Go Alana! You are a talented girl!
Out of it, obviously
August 22nd, 2012
2:12 pm
I am LMBAO off and Honey Boo Boo and em is laughing all the way to the bank. I love America!
Liz Thibodeau
August 22nd, 2012
2:25 pm
Laughing out loud…if people don’t want to watch Honey Boo Boo…they can change the channel! Makes me crazy all this controversy. http://blog.take-one.net/2012/08/alan-funt-gets-real/
Evansdawg
August 22nd, 2012
2:30 pm
This is an embarrassment to the State of Georgia.
C MITCHELL
August 22nd, 2012
2:35 pm
Mark It Right – my point exactly. i didn’t mean to say that Alabama is worse. i just hear people use the term “Bama” in regards to something or someone that is ignorant,backwards, stupid, etc. and yes Atlanta is making it worse! and one thing that makes it worse is that these reality shows stars and fans are proud of this ignorance and “making good money from it” just makes everything alright. right?
Honey Boo Boo Rocks!!
August 22nd, 2012
2:41 pm
I will admit that I watched the first episode convinced that it would be a hideous train wreck. However, I fell in love with Alana and her incredible self-confidence. You may not approve of or agree with the way that this family lives (or speaks), but they are clearly doing something right if their almost 7-year old has such a positive outlook and such a great sense of self.
Don’t watch. Don’t hate. Don’t approve. But also don’t post mean things about this little girl. Let’s hope that all of her hopes and dreams come true instead. That’s what I’m hoping for – all good things for Honey Boo Boo. And remember – she’s only 7!
I'm Jus Askin
August 22nd, 2012
2:43 pm
How old is Anna to have a “month-old baby, Kaitlyn”. She seems really young.
Why????
August 22nd, 2012
2:50 pm
Typical Southern inbred trailer-trash at it’s finest. I think I actually grew up with this family down in Conyers. Well probaly not; even the hillbillies down there probably have some health codes denying raising a pig indoors….WOW….Still loving the show though….
Hey Ben - You're an Idiot
August 22nd, 2012
2:55 pm
Not all homeschoolers are religious. Many of us are secular. You are ignorant and a complete idiot. Perhaps you should spend some time with an actual homeschool family just to see what goes into the day and all of the planning involved. Not all of us are Bible beating nut jobs and a majority of us actually have college degree’s. So, before you start generalizing I invite you to contact some actual homeschool families before you start ignorantly ripping it apart.
As far as the show, this is just child abuse. They are putting a spoiled child into the spot light who has no manners and parents who cannot teach her how to act properly. TLC is ruining families left and right. It is really disgusting what they are doing. It shouldn’t be The Learning Channel anymore and should just be bought out by TMZ. The minute camera’s invaded the personal lives of people, starting with The Real World on MTV, it’s just pointless to watch TV anymore these days. Single documentaries are fine, but following people around daily is getting old.
Bobo
August 22nd, 2012
2:55 pm
JENNIFER BRETT!!!
PLEASE change the name of your column to HERE COMES JENNIFER BOO BOO
BenzKnotSmartt
August 22nd, 2012
3:10 pm
Ben…..poor misguided, idiotic Ben.
xyz
August 22nd, 2012
3:26 pm
If you think about it, the show perfectly displays rural Georgia. Redneck, uneducated, overweight and homeschool their kids so they do not have to interact with children of other races. And dont bring Christianity bull into it, cause it has nothing to do with it.
Ben is an idiot
August 22nd, 2012
4:33 pm
It must suck to be an idiot.
carla roqs
August 22nd, 2012
5:52 pm
nice article. crazy comments. no opinion on the show.
Sharris
August 22nd, 2012
9:21 pm
Wow, the hatred of some is astounding. I live not even a mile from them. I can assure you that not all georgians are “white trash”. I am a well educated woman and live in the same town. I had the opportunity to meet the family last week and they are incredibly nice. My three year old nephew passed away in an accident three years ago. My sister said she received flowers from the family, without them even knowing who he was. They are compassionate people. A little back woods? Maybe….but very kind hearted. Give the hating a rest people!
Alana : The Latest Fuzz
August 22nd, 2012
10:18 pm
[...] Comes Honey Boo Boo…in Spanish!E! OnlineHere Comes Your Honey Boo Boo Recap!hecklersprayMy day with Honey Boo BooAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)Babble (blog) -Us Magazine -Starcasm.netall 79 news [...]
Heidi
August 23rd, 2012
8:24 am
To say that I condone everything they do would be a stretch, and I find myself cringing at times when I watch, I am not going to lie. I get what most people are missing, this is their life not mine. Frankly I find the whole family charming (mostly), and more true to life than most. (There are more people in this economic bracket then any other.) I know that where I live there are more families like the Shannon/Thompson’s then most others on t.v. And I do not live any where near Georgia. People in America are overweight, you can not turn on a t.v., radio, or read a news paper without it being mentioned, so why is everyone surprised about this family being over weight? June is clearly there for her children as a stay at home Mom. The teenagers seem better adjusted then most. This family clearly enjoys being around each other, and are able to laugh at each others short comings. I can exercise my right to watch or not watch. Frankly I watch because, I am a bit jealous of their over all compatibility with each other.
VeLisa Williams
August 23rd, 2012
8:51 am
Awww… That’s a fan letter from me that she is reading! I love Honey Boo Boo!
Carol
August 23rd, 2012
9:05 am
After reading some of the comments, some of you are really, really snooty! Get that silver spoon out of your mouths and get over yourselves! This is how people who are NOT living above their means live their lives. This family lives in rural Georgia. I’m sure if we take a glimpse at your family tree, some of you and your CLOSE family members are a stones throw away from this lifestyle. Luv the show!
Michelle
August 23rd, 2012
9:34 am
I’m loving that she loves the umbrella hat that we sent her from Australia (not England). We love this family!
Charles Volcher
August 23rd, 2012
10:15 am
not only the gene pool is shallow in Mcintyre Georgia but in San Clemente California also
Charles Volcher
August 23rd, 2012
10:22 am
she has got to be one of the worst mother in America of course you also have to count a Katherine Zimmermann of San Clemente California she almost tops Boo Boo
Five things we learn (or didn’t learn) from ‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,’ ep 5 | Radio & TV Talk
August 23rd, 2012
10:24 am
[...] My colleague Jennifer Brett drove down south to meet the gang. Check out her time with Honey Boo Boo… [...]
Wow
August 23rd, 2012
11:28 am
That woman is almost as fat as you
Jesus was officially the first zombie
August 23rd, 2012
11:33 am
Irony.
A retard reporting on retards.
zoe
August 23rd, 2012
1:08 pm
Another show “made in GA” to show what we are made off? This family has no shame? Is everything that comes out of GA trash?
RiverBoatQueen
August 23rd, 2012
1:15 pm
Oh now, I love this Thompson family. They love one another, spend lots of family time together and they are a real hoot! Honey Boo Boo is such a sweet and naturally exuberant child. I just love her alot and her mama is a good mama, in my book.
I wouldn’t do alot of the stuff that she allows, but she is a good mama.
I’d like the show to feature some of her home cooking and housekeeping skills. That would be really fun to watch and her chilens are all very cool. I love Sugar Bear too – in a sea of estrogen, he keeps up his manhood. Love the show. All you haters go find somethin’ else to do with your expensive, high-judging outspoken time. Surely ya’ll got something better to do, don’t cha?
Carrie
August 23rd, 2012
5:00 pm
I absolutely adore the entire family, they have so much love for each other. June is a wonderful mom and she is so committed to her family. I recently had major surgery and watching the laughter, love and good will that this family has for everyone has helped my attitude and my healing. If you look past the glitz and glamour, you will find that Honey Boo Boo is extremely well educated for a little girl her age. Her reading and language skills are quite advanced and I see Alana succeeding in everything that she decides to do in the future!!
Rebekah
August 23rd, 2012
7:31 pm
Love this show! By contrast, so many other shows highlight a completely unrealistic lifestyle and values that won’t get you anything but bills, jailtime or a trip to the clinic (or all three in one season). At first, I thought this mom and daughter were ridiculous, but it’s really refreshing to see some down-to-earth, entertaining, imperfect, humble people who care about each other and have a good time. I think we don’t give them enough credit — they’re not paying crazy taxes to sit in traffic and be “sophisticated”. I noticed the kid’s a Mac person already, though, with her Xmas requests!
As for the decline of civilization, keep your eye on the ball — this is entertainment. If you want to change Georgia for the better, turn off the tv and go get involved.
fer
August 23rd, 2012
9:30 pm
Wish there were like/not like buttons for these comments. Kat and knitwit, you said it all. It’s just pitiful.
Count 'Em
August 24th, 2012
10:04 am
There is more chins than a Chinese phone book in that first picture.
VeLisa
August 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
WOW! So many people making some really mean and hateful comments. There are some TV personalities I can’t stand to see… But I have NEVER sough out news about them just to leave a nasty comment. Why? Maybe because I have a life! People who attack others in this way must really have boring lonely lives. They are making themselves look like the nasty things they are saying about this family. And why don’t they use their real name? They are cowards!
LetBooBooBe
August 24th, 2012
4:17 pm
For all the people who are yelling “child abuse”; you’re insane. That child’s mother is not pushing her to do anything. And, for those of you that are “embarassed”; get over yourselves. This is TRUE SOUTHERN GEORGIA people that don’t put on airs and act like somebody or something they’re not. The truth is they represent A LOT of south Georgia country families whether you like it or not. If you don’t like the show then don’t watch and shut up with your insulting comments. Everybody in this world is not like you. THANK GOD!
the truth
August 24th, 2012
7:58 pm
For those of you saying things like, all south georgia families are like this etc….. Trust me, I have been to all 50 States many times in my 26 years of travelling for work. There are people and families like THIS IN EVERY STATE! get out and see for yourself.
McKala
August 24th, 2012
10:27 pm
Best show on TV right now. My family love it LOL!!!!
Bookity
August 25th, 2012
10:36 pm
I was really hesitant about watching this show, but actually all I see is a family that loves and cares about each other. I find it ironic that people act like it is child abuse. Maybe they aren’t lving well and maybe their diet isn’t the best but it doenst compare to some of the abuse I have seen on Court T.V. where a family wouldn’t feed their child tied her to a bed and let her burn to death. Yes, they are silly and sometimes kind of base..but oh well.
Keep Yer Wind Chimes
August 26th, 2012
8:11 am
Well, look at mDuece, aka “the truth” staggering in here with his hazy hick-hatin’ obsession! That clown is a lil scary with that act.
To those who wish show off an ill-conceived feeling of superiority by cracking on the family of crackers, well, you betray yourselves. Bigtime.
See, there is this college course some of you may have heard of, though perhaps it appeared to be too daunting once you read with lips moving the course description in the catalog and judiciously avoided.
Anthropology. Yes.
If you do have measureable comprehension you would have learned all about a certain heuristic found in ethnological thought called *cultural relativism*. With this concept in mind, a truly educated individual might be less inclined to be as off the cuff judgemental as those legend-in-their-own-mind examples posting their self-righteous bile in comment sections all over the internet aimed at the H. Boo Boo crew.
Fear not, though, O floppy-dough-heads. There is the wikipedia resource you can access for enlightenment on the matter.
The true Trash of the Landfill exist as Ben and his morbidly mentally stunted Parrots.
native atlantan
August 26th, 2012
9:29 am
I cant believe that I have not said anything so insulting as to having been moderated on this post. I sure want too.
Debra
August 26th, 2012
6:22 pm
I love Honey Boo Boo..you are a bunch of snobs..i have seen a lot worse..please Paris Hilton..the Kardashians..oh please.. that’s why they call it reality..get off your high horses and let them be..the little girl is just fine..people like you are the ones who will do damage
native atlantan
August 26th, 2012
10:08 pm
All have one thing is common, white, slut , trash