I have a confession to make. I love Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. I am an unabashed, unapologetic, and avid fan of the show. I think that a lot of the time TLC’s programming delves into sideshow territory and exploitation. I do not, however, think that Honey Boo Boo (Alana) and the whole Thompson-Shannons clan is being exploited. Or rather, I don’t think that they are being exploited anymore than say the Kardashians. Both are families with reality TV shows who are making money off of being themselves and putting it all out there. Both are large families run by a slightly ridiculous matriarch. Both are families that probably live very different lives than you and me. Regardless of the similiaries there is a very large difference between the two families.
The Thompson-Shannons are a wholesome, lovable, albeit uncouth family. The Kardashians are the fame/money/attention hungry spawn of E!. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Kardashians. I’ve been keeping up with them since their television debut years ago. I’ve taken Miami with them and New York City. I even kept up with Khloe and Lamar and I was there for Kendall’s sweet 16. During Kim's fairytale wedding, when other people scoffed at the pageantry and emotional fabrication, I kept watching, unswayed by the public outrage. I’ve grown up with the Kardashians and I respect them for being the shrewd business people that they are. The Kardashians have been phenomenally successful and rightfully so. They’ve been able to brand themselves in a way that most people can only dream of. The funny thing is, they are pretty despicable. Family head Kris Jenner controls her family with an iron fist. When Kim walks into her office you can practically see the dollar signs in her eyes. They’ve struck while the iron is hot and that is nothing if not commendable.
As much as I enjoy the Kardashians and their televised familial shenanigans I really don’t like them. I’ll gladly sit in front of the TV and watch them for hours at a time, eyes glazed and slack jawed, ready to buy whatever it is that they are selling. That being said, I don’t think that I’d ever want to meet them. I just get the sense that if they can’t use you then they don’t need you. Sure, they’ll smile and pose for a picture with you. They’ll even tell you how great you look in your Kardashian Kollection jumpsuit. But I also think that as soon as you walked away they would start talking shit about you.
This brings me back to Honey Boo Boo. I genuinely like them. The whole family is so self-aware; they’re in on the joke, which is a refreshing change of pace. Also, they like themselves. Unlike the Kardashians they aren’t constantly working out or dieting or getting ridiculous plastic surgery (I’m looking at you Kris...and Bruce). They are who they are, they don’t try to hide or change for the public, you either accept them or you don’t. Many people think that they epitomize white trash while even more think that they are likable and relatable in a way that celebrities never are. The Thompson-Shannons know that you have some opinion about them and they’re 100% fine with that.
I think we could and probably should all learn a lesson from Alana and her family. Sometimes in life it’s better to just be yourself and let the truth speak for itself. No matter what you do in life you can’t control what people think about you. Instead of getting eyelash extensions and bleaching our assholes, maybe we should just be content with what we have. Worrying about how the world perceives you takes a lot of time and energy. Sometimes it’s better to just put it all out there, and if people like it then great, and if they don’t? Well, that’s fine too. And sometimes if you just be yourself you’ll get a reality show out of it, and really, at the end of the day, isn’t that all any of us can ask for?
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