A Pageant Mom's Review of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo

For years, I have despised this show. As a former pageant mom, the show irritates me to no end, and I always felt that Mama June didn't have her daughter, Honey Boo Boo's, best interest at heart when she agreed to have her family filmed for this reality show. Nothing has changed with my despise for this show, but now my opinion of June is even worse.

Mama June's life began to change after her marriage began to deteriorate. Initially, it was rumored that SugarBear stepped out on his wife and that was the beginning of the end for the redneck couple. Now, Mama June is blasting social media with pictures of herself and her new boyfriend. Actually, her "new" boyfriend is an old boyfriend. However, this guy, Mark McDaniel, has been missing in action for the last decade.

Well, not really, those who knew him knew exactly where he was...prison. Not only is Mama June dating a criminal, but McDaniel's was sentenced to prison for forcing oral sex on an 8-year-old. Seriously, hasn't America been through enough with this fart smelling, ketchup spaghetti drowning family? TLC, cancel this show NOW. Save what is left of your network's integrity and send this redneck family packing.

If you want to learn more about this show and understand why I detest it so much, check out my review of TLC's favorite trainwreck below.

Alana Thompson, aka Honey Boo Boo, is a McIntyre, Georgia, resident who has skyrocketed to fame thanks to her initial appearance on the TLC reality series, Toddlers and Tiaras. When Alana began her reality TV career she was only six-years old and has grown up in front of the cameras ever since. Many of the pageant contestants and their mothers appeared on the show, but Alana and her mother, June, stood out the most. First, it's important to realize that Alana and her mother stood out because they were very different from the other contestants. In fact, Alana and her mother didn't fit in at all.

Alana along with her redneck family are featured on the spinoff reality series, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. This series chronicles Alana's pageant journey and her everyday life. Interestingly, as the success of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo the reality show has really taken off, Alana has appeared in fewer pageants.

As a mom of a retired pageant princess, I can tell you that entering your child in a pageant is a huge commitment; financially, emotionally, and physically too. While there are tons of pageants all over the United States, no two pageants are exactly the same. Depending on the type of pageant your little contestant is entering, you may be looking at spending a ton of money.

Dresses, teeth flippers, wigs, makeup and over-the-top outfits can put a huge dent in even the flushest bank accounts. While many people think that beauty pageant contests are only for the very wealthy, the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo breaks the stereotype. Unfortunately, in the process Alana and her family are exploited, which angers some in the pageant world.

Believe it or not, as of January 2014, this TLC reality disaster, I mean show, is in its third season. Check out clips from the third season premiere, here.

There are two general opinions about the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. People either love the show, or absolutely hate it. Why? The show is controversial because of the way Alana and her family live. In fact, part of the reason Alana became famous was because of her mother, June, feeding her "go go juice" before competing in a pageant.

Alana's go-go juice was part Red Bull and part Mountain Dew, which drew a great deal of criticism from moms around the world. Top this with hair pieces, glitzy dresses an abundance of makeup and a huge redneck princess attitude and you have the plot of the reality series, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

Honey Boo Boo, Alana, lives in her McIntyre, Georgia, home with her parents:

• June "Mama" Shannon
• Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson

Along with her her parents, Honey Boo Boo's teenage sisters:

• Jessica "Chubbs"
• Anna "Chickadee"
• Lauryn "Pumpkin"

Additionally, Honey Boo Boo recently became an aunt to her unmarried sister's daughter Kaitlyn "Baby Kaitlyn".

June's brother, Lee "Uncle Poodle" Thompson, is an openly gay redneck who also appears on the show quite regularly. Additionally, family friend Tony "Crazy Tony" Lindsey is also a regular on the show. Tyson Jackson is also credited on the reality show as a co-star.

Looking at the way the Thompson/Shannon gang live, you would never guess that Honey Boo Boo is a force to be reckoned with in the pageant world. However, she is...no, really she is. Since pageants are exhaustively expensive and the Thompson/Shannon gang doesn't seem to be independently wealthy how do they afford an expensive pageant habit?

Well, the answer to this enigma is easy. June, the redneck matriarch of the family, has several cost-saving measures that she puts to work in her family. Before you keep reading, it is important to note that these money saving tips are probably unique to the Thompson/Shannon gang in the world of beauty pageants.

Below you will find June's Guide to Support an Expensive Pageant Habit

1.) Clip as many coupons as possible, and plan all meals around the food you can purchase for close to nothing. This also means you must stock up on as much ketchup and spaghetti noodles as possible.

2.) If you find roadkill on the road, bag it and get Sugar Bear to cook it. After all, the best kind of food for this family is FREE.

3.) Visit Bingo as often as possible, and cross fingers that you will win! Don't have a babysitter, no problem, just bring the kids with you. In fact, put them to work with a dobber to double your chances of winning.

4.) Make sure to collect child support payments from each of your children's different fathers and don't forget to collect child support from your baby granddaughter's daddy too.

For example, one of June's most famous recipes is for a concoction she calls "sketti," which is basically spaghetti noodles, ketchup, and butter. Not exactly nutritious, but the family seems to love it! To see exactly how June makes sketti, you can view her making the recipe here.

Whether or not we want to face it, America has a fascination with families like the Shannon/Thompson clan. Some like to watch the show to laugh at the unusual families way of life and others watch the show because they can relate. In fact, some find the reality show intriguing, and others think it is comedy. No matter what side you associate with, one thing is for sure, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo certainly has a fan following.

In fact, the show's debut episode in August of 2012 attracted an astonishing 2.2 million viewers. From there the show has caught on like wildfire, and Alana Thompson, Honey Boo Boo, along with her unusual redneck family is becoming a well-known household name. To learn more about Honey Boo Boo, her family, and her redneck attitude check out the reality show on TLC.