There Must Be SOME Explantion?!? (Ratings Analysis)

...for the outrageous ratings that Redneck Reality show, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" is receiving! I imagined after watching the first episode that people of such a naturally repulsive nature would turn away viewers, but isn't this always how Reality TV works? High-hitting reality shows typically do involve high conflict, extreme behaviors, and bizarre personalities. Now we begin to see how Here Comes Honey Boo Boo delivers when it comes to ratings, and its ability to bring in an audience. Character's bobbing for pig feet, diving in waters inhabited by flesh-eating bacteria, making trashy fart jokes, and having just general stupidity it seems, comprise just the 1st episode of this show. While these are not high class members of society, they definitely do plenty of things we don't see everyday, which can be entertaining to many people.

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The numbers speak for themselves, and it is undeniable that Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is a major success. It was the #1 program in delivery among all ad-supported cable for three consecutive episodes as well. A large portion of its viewers are young to middle-aged women as well (my theory is watching this show makes them feel hotter? I know I would...). It's highest episode yet yielded a 1.8 HH rating, 2.6 W18-34 rating, and a 2.1 W18-49 rating. It's also been very successful in capturing the online audience, taking the number one spot on Trendrr.tv's top social cable chart for the fourth consecutive week! Not only is the online audience watching the show though, but Twitter has been Tweeting hard on this one. There have been at least 20 trending topics with over 1.5 billion impressions since the premiere of the show.

The shows closest competitor is Royal Pains (USA), coming in with very similar ratings consistently. Other shows of similar ranking for Wednesday's include Family Guy (Adult Swim), The Big Bang Theory (TBSC), Robot Chicken (Adult Swim), and American Dad (Adult Swim). The only shows to overtake Here Comes Honey Boo Boo since its premiere have been The Big Bang Theory, Family Guy, and Royal Pains.

It definitely says something about our society when we see Reality shows such as this highlighting the ratings. We complain that the people may be dumb, spoiled, obnoxious, annoying, or any number of things, but maybe this is the reason we are so entertained. Entertainment has no standards, and as long as the TV is on for shows like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, we only prove that this is material we consider worth watching. While we justify our reasons for being oddly compelled to watch fat rednecks, TLC will continue reaping the benefits by exploiting a disgusting southern family, but a family nonetheless, for a quick buck.

Setting and Lifestyle.

The show "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" takes place out in a rural part of Georgia. They live out in the country with a bunch of red necks. The people that live around them like to go mud diving and bobbing for pig feet. They have a lake there that June "Mama" won't let the girls swim in because there is a possibility that you could get a flesh eating disease from the water.

The family seems very happy with each other and what they do. They have six year old Alana "Honey Boo Boo" in pageants which she seems to really like. I think it is good to have a girl like Alana in pageants because she has a lot of attitude which she can display while doing what she likes to do. Although Alana is in pageants her family is not picture perfect and proper. This is one of the things I liked about the family. Mike "Sugar Bear" makes the comment that they are all red necks and one of the daughters says they're not because they still have all of their teeth. I think that they are red necks. They like to go mud diving, bobbing for pig feet, and they wash their hair in the kitchen sink. They don't use proper english, which may be part of the show, they also have VERY thick accents. June calls herself "beautimous" and prides her girls on making themselves look good. I think that is a very good quality in a mother to want to make their child feel good because they look good. The girls decide that they are over weight and choose to make a plan to loose weight, all the while eating cheese puffs and chips. I don't think that they will follow through with the plan because they would have to change a lot about how they eat. Also they say that they are going to loose weight by farting so I don't think that they are going to get very far. I think that looking at their lifestyle as a whole they are happy but unhealthy and that Mike was absolutely correct when he said that they are red necks.

Am I Seriously Watching This?

As I am critiquing this show with my team, my mind keeps asking myself,"What is this!!!" Has America finally hit rock bottom of the totem pole to where we resort to watching a little 6 year old prance around like she is on America's Next Top Model?  This show is a spin off of one of the morst famous TV shows, "Toddlers and Tiaras." This is a show where mothers go and dress their little toddlers up and take them to numerous pageants and try to win cash prizes and contracts. THEY ARE 6 YEARS OLD!!!!! They should be worrying about what flavored lollypop they are getting for desert, not counting their calories!!!! In my opinion, people watch this specific show for one of two reasons. One, being they enjoy watching cute little girls participate in these pageants of number two, to watch how crazy and chaotic their families lives are. But,"Hunny Boo Boo Child" isn't just another contestant. She even has her own special juice to get her ready for these, "pageants". Its called her,"Go Go Juice." This drink consists of caffeinated beverage and a shot of pure energy!!! THESE KIDS ARE 6 YEARS OLD!!!!!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!    

A Character Study

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo tells the story of the Thompson family, living in rural Georgia. The family is run mainly by "Mama," with her boyfriend "Sugar Bear." Mama has four daughters; Anna, Jessica, "Pumpkin," and the titular "Honey Boo Boo."

Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon
In the opening of the first episode, Honey Boo Boo describes Layryn as "the crazy-ist." Her title is somewhat proven when the family goes to the redneck games. First, she joins in the game of bobbing for pigs feet, which is exactly what it sounds like. Then, as the temperature reaches 100 degrees, she jumps right into a body of water that has a massive sign in front of it, warning patrons that a flesh eating bacteria lives in the water. I suppose you could chalk all of that up to pubescent adventurism, seeing as she's only 12.

Jessica "Chubbs" Shannon
Jessica is described by Honey Boo Boo as her "favorite-ist." At the redneck games, the two of them join in the mud pit belly flop, which, again, is exactly what it sounds like. What's interesting about her character, though, is her nickname. Needless to say, the entire family isn't exactly...fit. Or, really, healthy in any concevable way. Jessica, however, is the only one who suggests the family start losing weight. At 15, she says that she was starting to get ridiculed at school because of her weight, and suggested that the family all lose weight with her (of course, she suggested this while swallowing down a whole bag of pork rinds and cheese balls). You have to wonder if the only cause of her desire to lose weight is her school mates, though - Mama always calls her "Chubette," despite Jessica's hate of the name.

Anna "Chickadee" Shannon
Described as "the pregnant-ist" by Honey Boo Boo, Anna...simply wasn't in the first episode. In fact, she's only really introduced in the end of the third episode, at her baby shower, and even then she only has one or two lines. Doing some quick research tells me that she gave birth last July - to a baby with three thumbs. The father of the child doesn't seem to be in the picture at all.

Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson
Mike, Mama's "baby daddy," seems to only be there "for the testosterone," since the rest of the household is so filled with estrogen. He is the father of Honey Boo Boo, and the boyfriend of Mama for the past 8 years. He doesn't seem to do much but sit on the couch, and probably wonder what he's doing with his life.

Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson
The "star" of this show, Honey Boo Boo, is a child pageant star of 7 years old.  According to the first episode, she has never won first place at a competition. Despite this, Alana is still very confident with herself, in all aspects. She proudly declares that "nobody's bringing home the crown but me!", she gleefully plays with her belly that's way too large for a child of her age, and her speech is generally proud at best, cocky and sassy at worst. She has a pet pig, which is somehow unsurprising. But, is she truly the main character of this show? No. That 'honor' belongs to...

June "Mama" Shannon
Mama. According to Honey Boo Boo, she's "the boss of the house." Most scenes focus on her, even when they aren't actually about her. She's always the one talking about Honey Boo Boo's pageants. When Jessica wanted to lose weight, all the attention moved towards Mama losing weight. Clearly, the people running this show want to put Mama front and center. And why not? She's certainly the most interesting character on the show. Or at least, the most exploitable. She's certainly a character of extremes. Extremely obese, she flaunts her "two or three chins," and proudly proclaims her secret of staying healthy is (and I'm not making this up) "to fart 12 to 15 times a day." It's clearly working.
Outside the show, she's even more 'interesting.' Sugar Bear is only the father of Honey Boo Boo; each of her daughters has a different father, each of them in or have been in jail. In fact, she doesn't even know who Lauryn's father is.
But, despite her unhealthy (and, sadly, entertaining) lifestyle, Mama is undeniably loving. She loves her family, supports Honey Boo Boo in her dream even when she loses, and tells them all that they're beautiful in their own body. She might not win any mother of the year awards, but she's trying her best. 

Pulling In Viewers

While watching and analyzing the the first episode of this new show I wanted to talk about how it seems to pull viewers in. This show displays a different aspect of reality shows... one that comprises of a young girl that has one thing in mind- winning beauty pageants and a family that backs her up to the fullest extent. Her family is funny, gross and even disturbing at times. It reminds me of when swamp people came out. It is something that many people don't see in their daily lives making them intrigued and interested about how this family lives and what surprises they can give to us the audience. The show takes a whole new twist on beauty pageants and it makes me question how ethical it is for a girl as young as Honey to be playing barbie. This will be an interesting season.

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo - An Introduction

Hello,

On this blog, we're going to be analyzing TLC's newest sensation, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, about a child beauty pageant family and all of their "wacky antics," centered around five year old title character Honey Boo Boo. We'll start, of course, with episode one, which is embedded below.