Honey Boo Boo

I was totally going to write about "Honey Boo-boo" from TLC this evening then I totally got sucked into Song Pop on Facebook. Let's face it, I tend to get sucked into ANYTHING that doesn't have to deal with real world issues and my love of music and name that tune in two notes.... because I'm 70.

[Insert totally heinous and doesn't make sense segue here]

Procrastination? Spades, here. Hence, my filing our taxes on time. I know most of the free world filed this shit in April. Not me! I'm all "too busy" playing stupid games, volunteering while watching crap T.V. to be a responsible adult. Mainly, I don't want to know what exactly we might owe as my right and left kidney might be subject to the government's experimental use because someone works in this household. I KNOW it's not me... Because I've been told time and time again, I don't work. THIS subject will be addressed at a later date because well, I don't work. Right?

Ahem...Whatever... [gag]

Thankfully, I computated on my hands and feet "Jethro Bodine-style" for our accountant to maybe make the September 15th deadline. Let me just say, he charges us a shit-ton so I don't feel that bad for my last minute laziness.

Where was I? Oh, yea, oy! yes....Back to Honey Boo Boo. Can I say where this show started out as a train wreck for our family to make fun of... has now become a viewing of absolute pure endearment for us. I want to make fun of these people but.I.simply.can.not.

These people make 'sketti out of fucking butter and ketchup! GENIUS! Though TOTALLY not part of my diet/weight loss plan these days....while eating roadkill deer.  {enter cringe OCD thoughts here...} There is simply nothing we have in common yet, I think we ALL have a bit of "white trash" in our souls. We now try to appreciate and celebrate the oddness of this family. Holy Hanna! Yes! More please.... We can so find ourselves making make fun of the weight, obsessive couponing, the crazy stock pile of 500 rolls of toilet paper, gold fawns for presents for our anniversaries, (come on, who hasn't receive a very random and shitty gift for our anniversary) lack of eloquent dialect and so much more.... MUCH MORE!

Then again, I was raised eating fried bologna (lips and ass...) and ketchup sandwiches. I was raised without a color T.V. (beyond the norm) and well, I had one pair of shoes in my earlier years. Okay, they WERE quality, creme BASS Wejuns but nonetheless, I didn't have a shit-ton of choices at hand because we were on a budget. and they DID go with everything..... until that bitch at the bus stop asked me if these were the only shoes I own; did I question the fact that we may have been poor.

While I've never been as poor as these 'folks,' I can appreciate the family unit as a whole. Lacking in wealth, education, affluence, subtly; they seem to backhandedly enjoy one another. The thrill of homemade slip and slides and guess your family rank-ass breath contests. They have love for one another. 

A quality I feel is so lacking in a lot of us. While we are whole-heartedly great at judging one another, we are far less compassionate and accepting.  

I think we are so afraid the people we judge are too much like us or maybe, we are too afraid these people we judge might become us if we are not careful enough. 

What is worse? The thought of thinking we are better than people who don't know better? Or knowing we are better but judge because we do not know better?

Yea, that last mind twister made my head hurt.

Never mind.

Comments

[Teki]

Ditto about Honey Boo Boo! While we were watching last night, my daughter turned and said, "they just so damn happy with each other, it makes me smile!" I was anticipating the making fun of aspect, but they are JUST SO DAMN HAPPY with each other. It makes me smile. I agree, we get caught up in so much of how things "should be" and whatnot that we just don't enjoy the stupid happy stuff that makes us laugh. I'm certainly going to try to enjoy my family and our weirdness a bit more I think. YOU GO HONEY BOO BOO!

[Jewl]

ok, gotta say, I think honey boo boo is sad. They have love, I guess you're right there, but if someone's english/speaking in general is so bad that you have to subtitle it so I can understand, instead of filming it for others to laugh at we need to help them. just a train wreck of a reality show, which is why people will watch. just sad. I don't know what else to say. I think TLC (the LEARNING CHANNEL for lord's sake) needs to rethink this one. Maybe Im jealous, I want someone to film my boring life for 4 grand an episode, and you wouldn't even have to subtitle. bleh

[Sandi]

Ok, so I got sucked into Honey Boo Boo, too. I was all aghast at first, but now they make ME smile with the love they have for each other. Sugar Bear loves those girls, even though they are not his bio children and they love him. If that right there doesn't mean something, nothing does, because loving teenage girls especially if you don't HAVE to is not an easy thing to do!
I like the show. I admit it. I would totally go over to their house and hang out.

[Becki]

Totally what I have been saying on FB and blogs . .and have you noticed how few bleeps there are in this show? And how 'not bratty' these children are? And how that when the parents make a decision (i.e. removing Glitzy) the kids were sad but RESPECTFUL?

And it's funny - others are noticing as well and the tide has turned a bit in their favor.

(And who in the heck is Kris Kardashian to accuse ANYONE OF EXPLOITING THEIR CHILDREN???)

[Erin]

I love Honey Boo Boo. I know it's a bit of a train wreck, but they're not so far removed from my own relatives. And even me! I like that they are very real, and if you watch, there is some darn good parenting going on there. When Pumpkin wanted to loose weight and asked Mama if she'd join her, Mama said that she was happy the way she was, but she would eat better with Pumpkin to support her. What a great message! In another episode, Honey Boo Boo quotes Mama as saying "pretty comes in all sizes." And they do love each other and seem to do lots as a family. I can't help but like them.

[Kristabella]

I go back and forth. They do love each other a whole heck of a lot. And they manage to get by. And I can't fault anyone for taking that opportunity when they live in poverty.

But then again I agree Jewl that it is so much of a trainwreck and that's why people watch.

[a]

I can't watch any kind of family oriented reality show any more. Families are complex, and not everything needs to be out in the open. I'm glad to hear that there is redeeming value in the show, though.

I do, however, love SongPop. I'll have to send you a challenge...

Yeah, I have a full-time job, and since I spend 2 hours after my daughter goes to bed hanging out on the couch...I don't work either. I suspect that certain people really just dislike what they're doing and begrudge anyone who appears to be having a slightly better time in life.

[Cristan]

I live in Ga, and I'm like "why are they sub titling this, it's perfectly understandable!". This show is much more normal than I expected it to be!

[stacey]

I like them..because they do not care what people think. They are happy in their own skin, living the way they choose to and are able to. They are who they are..no pretense, no airs...just them, living their lives being who they are. That is what makes them interesting. So many people, most people actually, live their lives for others to see and judge, doing what they think they are "supposed" to do. It's nice to see the opposite and that it works just fine.

[Jennifer]

I grew up in the south the first few years of my life, so maybe I relate...but I do like this show. I think June is a better parent than either stupid Jon and Kate, but there are definitely some sad things about the show. Like the pregnant older daughter-she is going to have such challenges in life. And the butter and ketchup made me gag and heave. (as did the gnats buzzing around June's infected-ass toe at the water park). But they do seem genuine, and for the most part happy! I'm still bitter about Glitzy though.

[H]

YOU ATE KETCHUP SANDWICHES TOO?! And FRIED BOLOGNA?! We did too, and sugar sandwiches and shitty faux-denver sandwiches, and saltine crackers mashed up in milk. I never thought I'd find another person who has eaten ketchup sandwiches. High five!

[erin]

My mom and I were just talking about this yesterday! It is kind of a trainwreck, but it is so refreshing to have people on television who DO love each other. I'd rather watch Honey Boo Boo and her family than a lot of other garbage on tv, where people just try to be mean and stir up drama!

[Tonya]

Another blogger I read pegged June by saying that while all America may be laughing at June, she's totally in on the joke. And she SO is. She knows how her family is being viewed, and she totally doesn't give a shit. Wouldn't we all be happier with that attitude?! I didn't want to love that family, but I do. They seem happy and content and they love each other. Who cares about the rest? If they're happy, who are we to judge?

One of my closest friends is a nurse practitioner married to a doctor. Their grammatical skills are without flaw. They are pretty to look at. They live in a huge house on a golf course. And they hate each other. They stay together for appearances, and their kids are being raised knowing full well that their parents hate each other. Which family saddens me? Not the Boo Boos!

[elz]

Sorry, I tried to make it to the end of your post, but I vomited a little when you talked about butter and ketchup spaghetti. Ugh, just did it again. Revolting.

[180360]

I may not have heard of Honey Boo Boo, but I think all children of the 70's ate at least one fried/baked/microwaved bologna sandwich. I'm pretty sure I had it with peanut butter, cheese, ketchup and eggs (not at the same time!) :) YIKES! Do they even still make bologna?????

[Ninabi]

I watched Honey Boo Boo as well.

I always end up feeling a bit sorry for the mom and for many of the mothers on Toddlers and Tiaras. They spend $$$$ on their kids' dresses and makeup and lessons...but many of them look like they spent nothing on themselves. Perhaps their thinking is that pageants will be the golden ticket to a great life for their child. Still, I find myself ranting at the mothers at the screen, Be good to yourself, dammit! Get your hair done!

They look like they've given up on themselves and I find it tragic.

That said, I can't wait to hear from Honey Boo Boo when she's 30. She's going to be holding court somewhere, telling it like it is to everyone within earshot. I like that kid's spunky attitude.

[Kris]

I've never watched an episode of HBB, but I've seen clips of the show here & there. I don't have a problem with them being on tv in all of their fat & sassy glory, and think we all would be a lot happier if we could embrace our own oddities & just let our damn freak flags fly.

There's so much pressure to conform & be accepted, and frankly, it's exhausting trying to fit in all the time. Personally, I known I'm too fat and will never wear the right clothes or have the right hairstyle or get my makeup perfectly applied. Good for them for giving the smug, sanctimonious, self-righteous assholes of the world a glimpse into their unperfect, unpretty, unpretentiously awesome lives.

[Heather Wittman]

I loves me some "Honey Boo Boo". I was born and raised semi white trash and, even though I'm married to a lawyer now and we have some money and maybe even a little class, I never forget where I came from. We never had a pool growing up and my sisters and I used to sit in the front yard in black garbage bags full of hose water. Our matted, stank-ass cocker spaniel was never on a leash and gave the mailman, the garbage man, and the UPS guy hell on a daily basis. My dad had a huge pigeon coop in the backyard. My mom made her own damn saurkraut in a crock in our kitchen. Our neighbor's name was just "Thibodeaux" and he was a totally creepy cajun but my mom regularly let us kids ride on the back of his Harley with him with no helmet and no shoes. Nilla wafers dipped in ketchup was an acceptable dinner. Man, those were the days!

[Snow]

I have a love/hate Honey Boo Boo relationship, but overall feel they are a very loving, caring family. My "cringe" factor gets high at times, but I find myself rooting for them every time. I think it would be awesome to see Honey Boo Boo win the Ultimate/Grand Poobah title at one of those crazy pageants, imagine the reaction of the other pageant stage moms! Priceless!

When all is said and done, I hope this show will help secure a solid future for all of the kids involved.

[Gamanda]

My verdict is still out on Honey Boo Boo. I caught a few episodes while I was out of town, but not too sure I'll be scouring TLC for the next one.
I am completely intrigued and somewhat grossed out by the ketchup and butter 'sketti though. I just want to try it once.

[sue s aka suzel sass]

I'm so glad you like this show. I've heard nothing but people bash the show and I happen to love it. Sure they're different, but they love each other and they buy huge containers of cheese balls. It also makes you realize that no matter how messy your house is or the grass needs mowing...its still so much better than having a railroad crossing in your back yard!

[Betsey Hurtado-Lemay]

I haven't watched it yet, but will probably start because I am a TV addict and if others are watching then obviously my addicted butt should be too. I really like your last paragraph. The life lesson I tell my 2nd graders all of the time..."when you make fun of others you open the door for others to make fun of you." Now don't get me wrong...my addicted butt isn't perfect, sure I gossip and probably judge too much, but if these people are happy then good for them, right?

[Siera]

Oh Deer (pun intended) God! You said it so well! I wasn't sure WHAT to make of the trailers when I saw them. but I do love to watch me some Honey Boo Boo! And they do love each other, which is a quality you do not see among families these days. I get the feeling they whole diet/nutrition thing is how Mama may have been raised and her mother etc. A way of life. Maybe they will be themselves, but will learn better health and nutrition so they can be a healthy family that has many years together smelling each others breath and making slip in slides and saving the 'sketti for special occasions.

[Becka]

I was in the toy aisle at Walmart this morning. I over heard the young male employee giving a grandma a summary on Monster High. The look on her face was hilarious. It reminded me of you

[Bohemian Burble]

I grew up in the 1970s and my mom made my clothes. If I did get anything new it was from JCPenney's. But we also did a lot of canning and eating fried bologna too with lots and lots of catsup ... not sure if it truly WAS ketchup but I do remember hearing catsup a lot ... My older sis was 4 years older and we were forced to share a room until I was in the 3rd grade and I made a bolt for the spare/den/office/weird room and slept amongst junk on a roll away bed till we moved to the "big" house on the hill and I finally got my own real room. I'm glad you are finding joy in Honey Boo Boo 'cuz I'm one of the Americans watching the commercials and making judgemental comments from the couch. Peace out.

[Shauna]

Good lord, I had managed to avoid that show and now feel the need to DVR it. I heard about the subtitles but I thought people were kidding!! YeeHaw-off to watch some quality programming! :)