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Does Honey Boo Boo Give the World a Negative View of Georgians?

Does this reality show play into the mindset that all folks from Georgia are just plain, ole redneck?

 

There is no question that TLC's Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is a ratings success. According to Perez Hilton, the show recently received the highest ratings of its record-breaking season—nearly 3 million people tuned in to watch.

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has become a pop culture phenomenon,” one show rep told Hilton. “What you see is what you get and we are excited to share even more of Alana and her family's unbridled hilarity, sincerity and love with our viewers.”

So what is it about this show that has so many people tuning in? And since it has such a wide audience, does it give its very large audience the impression that Georgians are all just plain redneck?

Do you watch the show and what do you think of it? Do you think it gives Georgia a bad rap?


Related Topics: Honey Boo Boo and question of the day

Mr. Z

8:42 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

I got rid of cable because of this show (well there were other reasons as well), but this was the straw that broke the double-wide's back.

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Cyndicadyd

9:11 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012

I'm right behind you Mr. Z. I can't take it any more. If this is what television production has come to, then I think it is time to go back to reading a book.

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Karsten Torch

3:01 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Brian - that was great! And, unfortunately, probably very accurate.....

Cindy Stovall

8:50 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Yes it's bad, but not any worse than what we see at our local Walmart on a daily basis .

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Ryan Smith

9:05 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Carl Sagan once pointed out that if intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe, its first contact with humanity would actually be the television signals we're beaming into space. They wouldn't know about our amazing engineering feats or our beautiful works of art. Just Honey Boo-Boo. So if any aliens show up a few years from now and go all Independence Day on us, at least we'll know why.

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Gabe Reed

9:06 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Alana is just a kid being a kid. Her parents are just back-woods rednecks. There are plenty more of them out there and they will be the first to fight for you when things get tough. Maybe instead of scorn we could just show them a little love and understanding.

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Beth Durst

4:28 pm on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Gabe, there is a WORLD of difference in rednecks and plain white trash! And Alana's parents are, by far, PLAIN WHITE TRASH! They are trying to make a million on the back of their kid!

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R++ - One of the famous "Dacula Crew"

1:13 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

They are "just FOOLS on television, getting PAID to play the fool."

mollyrose

9:15 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Don't insult rednecks. This family is crude and vulgar, not funny at all.

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Gabe Reed

9:35 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

"Maybe instead of scorn we could just show them a little love and understanding."

John B

9:20 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

errr..........it's entertainment folks. If people believe that all Georgian's are like HBB and family then I'm guessing they don't get out much.

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Diane

9:39 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Gabe, I'm with you. The child is healthy, not abused, the family seems to have fun and seems to be loving. But you are dealing with closed minds and snobs, so............

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jim armstrong

7:22 pm on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

HEALTHY? no no no she's a fat lil brat, its obviously a family trait, she will grow up to look EXACTLY like her mother, the FatUglyNasty, like so many on the so-called 'reality' shows on TV anymore. The worst part is, that family thinks it's all normal. Hardly representative of any state, or region, or, for that matter, planet. I feel for the child a little, but just a little, as time goes my she will think her family is the standard of appearance, behavior, and intelligence. oh well, the viewing public gets what it wants, i suppose, except me, the only part I see is the previews, if i can't change the channel fast enough. I have not seen a 'reality show' so far that isn't scripted to provide some kind of drama to an otherwise dreary existence. In person and without a script, those people are even dumber. With the scripts they use, it becomes unbearable and nauseationg to watch. shame on the originators of those programs.

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Diane

9:37 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012

@jim Spoken like a true bully Just like the judgemental person who sent the newslady a letter about her appearance. Honey boo boo is probably a lot smarter than you with your narrow intolerant view. Nice!

Ex SF wife

9:40 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

It doesn't entertain me. It makes my skin crawl for so many reasons.
Ryan Smith, we're doomed...

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David

9:57 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

I've never seen the show; the commercials were enough to turn me off. But it does reinforce the Southern stereotype. Think about it: whenever there is a big news event in the South, who do we see on the TV. Not the educated, well dressed man on the street but the nearly toothless back woods hard-to-understand redneck.

"Yep, that thar was a train wreck we seen. I told my fishin buddy I thought I heared a train wreck and sho nuff, it was. He thought it was a tornader but I knowed it was a train." (Said in the deepest Southern drawl with a couple pauses to spit tobacco juice on the ground). Heartwarming, isn't it?

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DNM

9:57 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

It is no worse then the Real House wive's of Atl....at least honey boo's mom spending time with her kids and don't pawn them off on the nanny so she can go out and drink and cause drama!

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suzanne

10:25 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

LOL!!! We just moved here from california and people ask do you live by honey boo boo? Let them think what they want we moved here for a reason.. they can all stay in cali The Loser State!

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Steve Burns

11:16 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Sounds more like 'Poltergeist' than 'Independence Day,' Ryan. :)

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Ester Paul

11:30 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

There will always be a percentage of the population that will forever remain ignorant. Does the Kadashian family represent the image of the entire state of California? Is the entire state of Alaska made up of Eskimos? We are all Americans but we differ in lots of ways, some of us hate the show of wealth and success, some hate the embrace of “redneckism” and “gettoism” but for those lucky enough, and not embarrassed to make a buck while entertaining others with their day to day life style I say more power to you!!! Honey, make your papers Boo Boo!

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Vanzetta Evans

12:18 pm on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

I did a study abroad in France back in the days before all this reality TV, I think the Real World was on though. I had a lot of people asking me if everyone in America carried guns and shot people randomly. That's because of what they saw on NYPD Blue, Law & Order, etc. So imagine what they think of us after seeing shows like Jersey Shore and the Kardashians...

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Global Warming

8:07 pm on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Really Vanzetta? Good thing they didn't have internet access in France then or else they would know that their beliefs were more accurate back then than they knew. Take Chicago for example where some of our finest politicians reside or came from. Not everyone carries a gun due to the fact that their Constitutional freedoms are limited by dictators. Meanwhile in Chicago, there are hundreds of people killed each year by gang thugs who ignore such ridiculous laws. Only the scumbags have guns.

They in France would also have access to the Atlanta Urinal Constipation online where they would know that people die every day at the hands of thug, crack-head losers. They would also know how useless our law enforcement is in Atlanta along with the corrupt Mayors that always seem to be selected.

Just think how uninformed they were then. You can believe they know the truth now.

Matthew Mahaffey

2:30 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Oh please, GA has its good and bad, just like NJ and CA, which neither have had amazing reputations based on reality tv.

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Matthew Mahaffey

2:36 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012

The best is that Honey Boo Boo is on the first page of articles right under the debate article!!!

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Mark

9:41 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012

This show got higher ratings then both the Republican and Democratic conventions which tells you where Americas priorities are.

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Erin T. McLaughlin

9:44 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012

The fact of the matter is that the same people who would judge a Georgian based on this show are the same individuals who would do so based on our "talking slow" and label us as prejudice. Funny how that works. Isn't it?

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Karsten Torch

10:17 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012

A couple of thoughts - no, this doesn't really influence the nation's view of the South any more than our news, which, when they show anything that happens anywhere in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana, purposely try to find the most ignorant, backwards, retarded person they can possibly find to interview. So HoneyBooBoo really isn't any worse than that.

Two, I think it says far more about the rest of the country that watches this drivel. And this is really bad. How does a show even come about with these people as the focus? Nobodies, ignorant, have to be subtitled at times. I mean, who looked at this family and said "Wow. I could SO make a show out of these people."

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Diane

10:20 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012

I see "ignorance" and "intolerance" in your post. Retarded - how nice. Two for the bullies today.

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Karsten Torch

10:28 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Lemme guess - you are an Obama supporter, and consider yourself liberal. Actually progressive. How close am I?

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Diane

10:51 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Not that it has anything to do with this but you are wrong. Man, how do you hold a job with such an insensitive attitude?

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Karsten Torch

11:09 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Actually easily - I've learned to channel my inner contempt for the gloriously stupid and useless into productive avenues....

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Ryan Smith

12:09 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Okay, folks. I've just deleted a bunch of comments, some because they were personally abusive or profane and violated our terms of service, some that weren't violations but were direct replies and wouldn't have made sense out of context. I've had to say this a lot in the last couple of weeks, and it shouldn't have to be said, but here goes: Do not become vulgar or personally abusive on this site. This is a thread about a silly reality show. Adults should be able to discuss it without calling each other names.

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Ex-customer

12:16 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

And now this southern yahoo is going to violate peoples freedom of speech.

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Diane

12:33 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

I know. He didn't take out Torch's comments, must be his friend. Who knew?

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Karsten Torch

12:47 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

I didn't say anything derogatory about anybody on here. Nothing to remove. And it's obvious that what I said about HoneyBooBoo and her shallow gene pool of relatives was spot-on....

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Ryan Smith

12:49 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Ex-customer and Diane: I've never met Karsten Torch. I didn't violate your freedom of speech. You violated the terms of service. If you personally insult people, your comments will be deleted. I don't necessarily agree with Karsten's comments -- she can back me up on that, given some of our previous exchanges on other threads -- but she didn't personally insult anyone on this thread or use profanity. Ex-customer, you did. Don't do it again.

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Karsten Torch

1:05 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

He, actually. But well stated, Ryan....

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Ryan Smith

1:08 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Karsten,
Sorry about that! Darn internet anonymity!

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Karsten Torch

1:12 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Eh. It's not the first time, won't be the last. I also don't usually correct, as being taken for female usually gets me more leeway....

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Crystal Huskey

4:36 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Wait, Karsten, you're a he? My mind is blown.

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Sharon Swanepoel

5:02 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Yes, I actually do know Karsten - he is a Grayson resident. This is not the first time, and I'm sure it won't be the last, that he's been mistaken for a woman. It always makes me smile. You might get to meet him at the Chili Cookoff Crystal - he was there last year.

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Karsten Torch

5:39 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

I'll be there....

When is it?

Karsten Torch

12:32 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Technically, when you're on somebody else's page, you have no freedom of speech. This is not really the same as your own blog, or standing on a street corner. Just sayin....

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Karsten Torch

1:21 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

I am curious, though, Dianne - your opinions on the OP? Does this show paint southerners in a bad light? Or is it just a matter of them being a small percentage of people, there's people everywhere that are considered a little 'backwards,' and these people are actually fine, as they do seem to love their child and she's not abused, mistreated, or otherwise neglected by her family? In this, I agree (if that's your stand - if not, then obviously we don't agree). My point, and others on here, I think, is that this family is severely redneck, actually what many would consider white trash. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing - they're happy, easy to have fun, and truthfully, when the zombie apocalypse hits, they'll still be the ones alive and living off the land. But....they just don't make us southerners look intelligent to those that watch this show and assume that all Georgians are like them.

Is that better? And more respectful? Cuz look, I respect southerners. I consider myself one. With some very southern tendencies. Some of my best friends could blend right in to this family. But...doesn't mean I want them to be in a show and representin.....

And I actually do care about your opinion on this....

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Diane

1:36 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

sorry i can't reply cause my comments get deleted. Were you always the teacher's pet

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Karsten Torch

3:03 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Just be somewhat nice and try not to attack, and they won't be deleted. I was civil, it's not really that difficult to do.

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Diane

3:19 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

@ karsten: You Said:"the most ignorant, backwards, retarded person they can possibly find to interview. "

You think saying retarded is nice? Apparently Mr. Smith thinks it is okay.

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Karsten Torch

3:42 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

I didn't attack you. And that was a generic person, nobody specific. But you have to admit, the news outlets do seem to find the worst we have to offer to give interviews...

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Ryan Smith

3:48 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Diane:
I hate the word "retarded." However, Karsten did not apply it to anyone on this thread or, indeed, any specific person. There is a difference between direct attacks against other commenters and the expression of a general viewpoint, however much I disagree with that viewpoint. I have explained this repeatedly. The deletion of comments is admittedly a judgment call on the part of Patch editors, but if we see a comment we find to be personally abusive (and moderating hundreds of comments across multiple stories, we probably miss some), we will delete it, regardless of whether we agree with the political or social position the commenter is taking. If you don't want your comments deleted, don't personally attack the others on the thread. Simple as that.

Julieanne

3:06 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

And the Patch Staff reads LJ Atlanta.. For stealing my question.. UNH HUH.. See how y'all are. LOL

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Sharon Swanepoel

3:40 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

To be truthful LJ, I wrote the question after one of the other Patch editors suggested it since it is such a hot topic. I'm not actually sure what LJ Atlanta is, but I will research it, because we are always looking for good material.

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Brian Crawford

4:57 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Actually I think this is probably the first question that pops into most Georgian's minds the first time they are exposed to Miss BooBoo. At least those of us not directly related. She doesn't do much for the reputation of the pageant business either.

dan anderson

3:21 pm on Friday, October 5, 2012

I am more surprised about who knows who she is :). I don't....

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Elizabeth

4:55 pm on Friday, October 5, 2012

Forget HBB, what about Lingerie Football coming to Gwinnett County. Talk about a sideshow of which not to be particularly proud!!

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