<p>^^^^^perhaps, though who knows what some good quality nutrition, plenty of time to run and play, and no more cameras in her face, pageants, and interviews would do for her focus.</p>
<p>She may also have been taught that behaving that way is cute.</p>
<p>Yep, Nrdsb4, and Yep zoosermom.</p>
<p>
nrdsb4,
unfortunately she isn’t just on the road, she has travelled down the road to the dead end.</p>
<p>Seriously…save the earnings for Honey BooBoo’s education? We are not talking brain trust here. But I did chuckle at the thought. Let’s hope that she finishes high school.</p>
<p>From what I understand, Honey was in pagents before the first show “Toddlers and Tiaras.”. T & T showed a lot of young girls in pagents. Pagents are very big in the south. But I’ve known people who have entered their D’s in pagents here in NY. The audience “took” to Honey and she got her own show. Just like any spinoff. </p>
<p>So this family started out doing what thousands of families do–pagents. A tv show asked to film the pagent and the rest is history.</p>
<p>I don’t get the impression this family started out to “exploit” their kid. It fell in their lap. So they took it. Are you 100% sure you would not do the same, for whatever your kid does, if offered to you?</p>
<p>And yes, many parents unbelievably push (exploit?) their kids in sports hoping they will get scholarships and become pros. I live near Cooperstown. There are several expensive summer baseball camps near here that attract people from all over the US. Why come across country from Oregon, Alaska and Hawaii to NY to send S to an expensive baseball camp? Because it is Cooperstown.</p>
<p>And yes, Honey BB’ s mom is obese and appears to have limited education. I find the judgement by educated and what usually comes across as liberal CCer’ s very amusing. “We’ll give them food stamps, but judge what they eat.”. Haha.</p>
<p>They are not a perfect family. Nor is mine. They are overweight. So is mine. Apparently so are many of you. One of the most popular parent threads is about weight. Maybe the money they make from the show will help them. Maybe they will overspend like the majority of Americans who live beyond their means. I, for one, am rooting for them!</p>
<p>
I am 100 percent sure that I would not pimp my kids out on national TV for $400,000, our own TV show, and face time with Anderson Cooper. Now, this may be in large part because our family has been been more fortunate than Alana’s family. We could provide our kids with that good education, and with many other advantages, via a more traditional route. But yes - 100 percent sure.
I’m rooting for them too, btw. I don’t watch the show, and I don’t admire the choices these parents and other parents of “reality stars” have made about putting their children on TV for much of America to hoot at. I wish them well anyway. I hope that Alana finds success as an adult, and that she doesn’t have to essentially support her family by being a reality TV darling for much longer.</p>
<p>
Really - is it necessary to politicize this conversation? I’m educated. I’m liberal. I couldn’t care less what people spend their food stamps on. And the thread on losing weight in the parent cafe is populated by folks on all sides of the political spectrum. Being judgmental is an equal opportunity human characteristic, as is abundantly proven on CC every single day.</p>
<p>There’s a lot of insight into Alana’s family on Television Without Pity. It’s an entertaining read. I’m not sure of the extent to which their reality show just happened to the Boo-Boos.</p>
<p>Liberal vs. Honey Boo Boo – not necessarily – check out who Honey endorsed for the election on the Jimmy Kimmel show, LOL.</p>
<p>Fazzeled1–maybe you don’t care what people spend their food stamps on but it appeares others on this thread do. Not stated directly, but implied.</p>
<p>I can’t politicize this thread because it would be closed.</p>
<p>I’m trying to point out that there appears to be a prejudice against the Bo Bo clan because of their weight, education and economic standing. This same judgement isn’t applied to more affluent, educated parents pushing and exposing their children.</p>
<p>I hope I am not judgmental about weight, education and economic standing. For me, I think it is that reality shows make me uneasy, especially when they are exposing things that I guess I think should remain private. There is a voyeuristic quality that seems very pronounced in this one. And yet, I have watched it. I don’t watch T.V. much lately but have been sucked into a couple of episodes of Dance Moms, Toddlers and Tiaras, and now Honey Boo Boo. So, I guess the station that produces these shows knows what it is doing. It is interesting that June, when she appears apart from the show, and Abby (from the Dance Mom show) appear to be somewhat different than they do in the show. The shows emphasize certain things for effect, definitely.</p>
<p>I’m not biased about her weight. I’m worried about her. She’s heading down a very dangerous path and instead of getting help, she gets go go juice. </p>
<p>I am not OK with rich parents who exploit their kids either.</p>
<p>Re: Food Stamps…My father worked for the government as head of the WIC and Food Stamps. (Food and Nutrition Service) The program was funded as a way for poor family to feed themselves and their children. Food Stamps were not a conduit for liquor, cigarettes and non food items at a taxpayer’s expense. </p>
<p>Just an observation: I find it fascinating that so many CCers take it as a given that we are liberal, which is “good”. No mention that there might be a conservative onboard or a centrist because they would exploit (others’ words not mine) their children. Within this culture who would you chastise? Parents who give their kids sports, acting lessons, dance lessons, photography classes with the hope that their children find an interest/possible scholarships/whatever?</p>
<p>Haven’t been able to respond. This is a test.</p>
<p>Can now do sooooo - I, for one, am not chastising any parent who gives their children dance, music, acting or sports lessons, camps, etc. I am one of them! I also gave them expensive private college educations. I could afford it. And my house is divided politically. Conservative, centrist leaning more liberal, leaning liberal and indifferent.</p>
<p>I also know quite a few of the parents I met whose kids where also getting these “lessons” would have given their right arm to get their kids a TV show.</p>
<p>But I do not think June (the mom) can afford all of these “lessons”. So maybe this is her way of trying to better things for her kids. Maybe because of the exposure she will meet people who will educate her about her families eating habit. Maybe she will have enough money to send “Bo Bo” to college.</p>
<p>Ironically, I’ve only actually watched the show once but kind of liked them. I’ve also seen members of their family on other shows. I am rooting for them. And I still think people are overly critical of the family based on-- they’re fat, uneducated and “exploiting” ( according to various standards) their children.</p>
<p>^I feel positive about them also. Who are we to judge anyway? Everybody would take advantage of such an opportunity. Well, if not everybody, then it is each family personal decision, “looking down” attitude is not appropriate. They love each other and treat each other right and many families lack it, so maybe we should learn from them, instead of critizizing them? Positive is the way to benefit personally, negative just does not work, not a single person benefits from it…</p>
<p>I have only seen a few minutes of this odd show when channel surfing, but saw this article today and felt this woman is working the system to provide for her kids’ future:</p>
<p>[Mama</a> June Sets Up Trust Fund For Honey Boo Boo & Daughters - Yahoo! News](<a href=“http://news.yahoo.com/mama-june-sets-trust-fund-honey-boo-boo-181043925.html]Mama”>http://news.yahoo.com/mama-june-sets-trust-fund-honey-boo-boo-181043925.html)</p>
<p>Can’t bring myself to watch it. I hate the pagent industry. And I’m from the South. Best of luck to all of them. It’s just not for me.</p>
<p>I watched this show for the first time yesterday. I have to say, June is no dummy. Given better circumstances I think she would have done well in the corporate world. Her lack of education hinders her, but she isn’t stupid by any means. Alana is a SHARP kid too. The humor she has and the quick wit at age 6 is amazing. I think June is trying to make a better life for her DD’s and if that means going on tv to do so, she is taking advantage of what was given to her. I would rather spend time with her than any of the moms on T and T or OMG the Dance Perfection moms–holy carp what a bunch of mean girls in training there…DD is home recovering from surgery, we’ve watched a lot of crap tv lately :D.</p>
<p>I like that June takes the girls shopping, talks about saving money, budgets, coupons, etc. Now, having a house full of toilet paper, not for me, but it was free. They have tried to raise money for charities as a family and do a lot of family things together. WAY better than the catty moms cutting down the other girls on the team on the other shows. </p>
<p>Would I do that with our family, probably not, but if I saw it as a means to an end to get out of poverty, maybe my answer would be different.</p>
<p>SteveMA, glad to hear your report. And I agree about the mean girls training on the other shows. The Dance Mom’s show - OMG - how horribly mean are those moms! Those poor little girls don’t stand a chance of being humble, sweet and kind.</p>
<p>I was sincere - I wish the little girl all the best, and her family too. I have nothing against them at all. In June’s shoes, I can’t say I’d be any different. I hope I’d be smart enough to pull off what she has! Again, it’s the pagent thing I hate…and I realize, it’s probably a bit irrational, but it is what it is. :)</p>