Reviewing Lifetime's I Was Honey Boo Boo

A dolla still makes Alana holla. This week’s deep dive is Lifetime’s I Was Honey Boo Boo, the dramatized retelling of child pageant queen Alana Thompson’s rollercoaster ride through fame, family dysfunction, and growing up on reality TV. Aidan and Noah break down the made-for-TV moments—from the early Toddlers & Tiaras days to Mama June’s scandals, custody battles, and Alana’s hard-earned attempt to reclaim her narrative.

With great casting, perfect voice work, shocking reenactments, and Lifetime’s signature trauma-forward tone, the film tries to strike a balance between exploitation and empathy. The hosts ask: Does it work? Does Alana really get to tell her side? And how does the movie stack up against the real-life spectacle we all remember?

From generational trauma to college girl redemption arcs, the hosts give their trademark comedic commentary on one of reality TV’s most infamous families and Lifetime’s innovative docu-biopic offering.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Welcome back, note takers. This is Noah Aaron with the Honor Real Nut Podcast.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

And this is Aiden, and I did not have my own show in high school. Even though I deserved one.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

That that that would have been a gag. That would have been a gag. Right? Right. Well, today we are talking about one of the latest lifetime biopics. We are talking about Miss Honey Boo-Boo's biopic. Um, you may know her as Honey Boo. Well, you probably know her as Honey Boo Boo, but also legally she's Alana Thompson. Um, but this was something that I think we were both interested in for a while. I mean, we've been kind of talking about it. We've been talking about how once it comes out, we wanted to cover it here on the podcast. Um the the title of the biopic is I Was Honey Boo-Boo, and it just came out a couple days ago. Um, Lifetime was making it. So, you know, not necessarily, you know, an award-winning film by any means, but you know, solid, I feel like they I feel like they understand what they do because I they also did the Wendy Williams movie. Um, and this was kind of because I know like with the Wendy Williams thing, they did like her they did Wendy Williams, the movie, and then they also did the documentary. And with this, they kind of combine those into one with it being, you know, biopic, but then we also get little cuts and interviews with Alana herself.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Which was interesting. I hadn't really seen anything like that before. I didn't mind it, but I'm sure it could be jarring to some people. But I like how it kind of set up the different scenes, our transitions well, so they don't really have to write those parts. But you know, it was right up the course for Lifetime. They very much know how to take a headline, make it to a quick little entertaining, you know, entertaining a little 90 minutes, two hours without breaking the bank. Some, you know, somewhat questionable acting, okay casting, generic backdrops, but they got the job done. But honestly, shout out to Lifetime, because I am incredibly intrigued by the the shows that they were advertising during this. Because I'm like, my stalker Amish boyfriend. Wait a minute. That sounds like something that's not something I want to watch.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Well, there you go. They know how to entice. They know how to entice. Uh, but getting into the honey boo-boo of it of all, I kind of wanted to start this episode before we really get into the biopic and the program itself by talking about kind of our experience of this family slash their show, their empire, whatever, kind of going into it, and kind of what we maybe knew or were aware of. So, but I feel like we've actually probably now, you know what? We have talked about Honey Boob on here before because we did our child exploitation series, and she she she got a mention talk, she got mentioned and talked about a little bit like when we went into like uh Honey the show itself, the original show, as well as Toddlers and Tiaras. But what was overall going into this, like what was your experience of this family and of Alana, and like what was kind of your general opinion?

SPEAKER_01 3:26

I mean, I always felt for Alana, like you know, wanted the best for her, I guess, you know, like sibling kind of vibe. Because I did watch Toddlers and Tiaras originally, and I was you know, one of those viewers that you know saw her like her, I'm like, damn, this little girl got some personality, she's funny. It was very, you know, on brand for like 2010 style humor. So I see why she took off. She definitely had some charm. Like you see it now, even in like the reenactments and looking back at old clips. It's just you know, some kids like to entertain and talk and yap, and she was one of those.

unknown 3:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

But I never really got super into the lore, like I never really watched the spin-offs or anything. Just here and there, if it was on. I turned it on. So I was always only really caught up in the headlines and the TMZ of it all. I feel it felt very hard to avoid, especially like 2019 to 2021, where I feel like June was doing doing some cra fuck shit. Like she seemed like she was at her worst then. So that that was the bulk of mine. So some things were new to me, but for the most part, I knew what to expect. We had covered all the scamming and you know the theft. I mean, I knew June was a crackhead, or her I mean, I don't know. I just expect I just you know, every Caucasian Cassandra, I kind of just assume she's done it.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

Well, you you would be correct, you would be correct. Um yeah, going into this because I remember kind of Alana going viral on toddlers and TRs initially, and then I remember when they got their own show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Um that show, I did watch that with my mom. Um, I remember we would watch Here Comes Honey Boo Boo on T on the TLC, the Learning Channel. Um I mean it was right when it was like it was like a like a nice little program at first. I feel like it was very, and I mean obviously we would find out later that it was kind of you know very much a farce, but at the time I was like, oh, this seems like a cute little wholesome family. Like they're kind of just whatever, like not, you know, very inoffensive, just kind of like being, you know, rednecks, minding their business. Eating sketty, eating sketty, you know, going to going to like these like white trash events and stuff, and just having a good time, you know, which um definitely, I mean, the area that I come from and grew up in everything, it's I mean, it's rural and everything, um, but it's definitely not as like far in that direction as as where as where these bitches are from. Like they definitely they're they're definitely like a much higher level of redneck than what I grew up around. Uh but yeah, I don't know, like for a while that's like they seemed really great, and then the whole scandal broke with June dating the pedophile and whatnot, and then her daughter, her oldest daughter, who has now passed away, Anna, was to walk in, and it was just a huge thing, and their whole shit kind of came crashing down. Um, since then, I really did not have a positive opinion of June because of like all of her shenanigans in the media, and I didn't watch the other spin-offs, like the Mama June. Well, I did watch actually, I'm that's a lie. I did watch Mama June hot uh not to hot, but then I didn't watch the rest of them like Mama June Family Crisis, Mama June Road to Redemption. I didn't watch all that shit.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

They really kept her ass on TV for years. Right.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

And they loved rebranding her. They loved rebranding her every time her her life took another dramatic ass turn. Um, but my mom watched all those shows and she kind of kept me in the loop. I was like, oh Mama June's, you know, an evil bitch.

SPEAKER_01 7:06

Um, we needed her as an expert correspondent.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

Right, right. Um, so I going into this, I already knew like and like you, I already knew kind of like the main points of it. Like, I was like, okay, I know this happened, this happened, this happened, and this is kind of how it concludes, or like where we're at now. But there still was some smaller things in here that kind of surprised me, or I was like, oh, that I didn't know about that. Um, so those things kind of gagged me a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

You know, overall, kind of the same vibe. And I don't know what to expect. I knew it'd be regular lifetime foolishness, but I guess I was mostly curious to see how they would inter, you know, intersect. I don't I'm not I'm not sure the right word, but kind of mixing the documentary style with the reenactment acting movie of it all, because you know, Lifetime's aren't really what you go to for, you know, directorial innovation. But I thought that they did something cute. It was almost like a little clip show in a way, or like really getting to see and understand Alana's side of the story, which you you could argue that Lifetime was exploiting her too, but it seemed like she got a lot of creative control and just the opportunity to share her story and really reflect. Because also it would like really brought life to how crazy it was to pretty much have your entire life and childhood televised.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Yeah, and I I felt that the way they kind of presented it with the um the the mixture of the reenactments as well as for interviews, it really reminded me of like Dateline and stuff back in the day. I mean, they they still do that, but like watching those things, what yeah, where they would tell like these really dramatic stories and they'd have like they would have a combination of like the real people from those things, get like giving interviews as talking about it as well as like the dramatic reenactments and everything. Um so that's what it kind of reminded me of. And yeah, I liked it. Um one one thing that I will say though, that I I don't know why I thought it would be like this, but I kind of wish it was. I do wish we got interviews like with other people besides just Alana. Like I kind of wish like Pumpkin had talked or um the other sister Jessica had talked. Like I like I wish we had gotten at least some other people besides Alana giving interviews, just because I feel like it would have been it would have been nice to get the other perspectives. Like I know it's Alana's story, but these other people were very involved, and I would be I was interested to hear what they would have to say.

SPEAKER_01 9:33

That's a great point. No, I would have loved to hear Pumpkin's perspective. I would have loved to get like one of the producers from one of the many spinoffs, at least giving like to the point where you know Mama June's house is nearly getting robbed and she's on her peak crackhead. Like, what was like what was it like dealing with that as a producer, getting them protection? So I think there was a lot of context that could have been gained from yeah. There's more interviewers, so I see that. But not Mama June. She could have stayed at home.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

Oh no, yeah. I didn't want to hear anything from that bitch. Um, and part of it too is because I feel like Alana through everything, Alana definitely was kind to June in this. Like, she really was like in her interviews and stuff, like she did got like she did not go anywhere near as hard as she could have gone on June, and like it would have been very much justified because of what June put her through. Exactly. Because I mean, like, she really did go easy on June. Um Yeah, you could say she loves her mother. Yeah. And um it on in that vein, though, with the actual dramatization and whatnot and the reenactments. One thing I'm really glad about because as it kind of started to gear towards the end, and like we got to like June's wedding and everything, one of the things that I was concerned about is I was worried they were gonna try to like end it on kind of like a redemptive note for June. And that one kind of pissed me off because I'm like, that lady's still doing fuck shit.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Oh yeah, no, they very much made it made it clear that June is evil and there's not really a bridge to build. And that's kind of like the big moment for Alana. Like, yeah. It takes there's a lot of things that June does that, you know, could make Alana realize that that lady doesn't really give a fuck, but it takes a lot for her to really come to terms with it. And I'm sure she'll still struggle with it, you know, throughout her life, because she's just a caring person who just wants, you know, their mother. And she unfortunately has that one. Which I wonder if that's why she didn't let Pumpkin do an interview, because she would have lit June's ass up.

SPEAKER_00 11:31

Maybe, yeah. It kind of feels like she still likes to defend her mother to a certain degree. And I mean, I think I think kind of the difference between um the way Alana reacts to June versus how Pumpkin reacts to June, I think, is actually a really great example of like kind of different directions you can go in when you have like resentment or anger or whatever towards a parent. Um, you can be like Alana where you're definitely a lot more forgiving, or you're like you give them, you know, chance after chance, or you like really want to try to make things work, or you can or you can be like pumpkin where there's just a lot of rage and you're like, fuck you, bitch. And you know, I think I think both are valid, and and I can understand both perspectives.

SPEAKER_01 12:17

I definitely understand both perspectives.

SPEAKER_00 12:20

Yeah. Um, but speaking, I guess kind of speaking of like Awana and Pumpkin and June and everything, how like let's talk about the casting, because one thing I will say is that uh I I I'm sorry, I don't I don't know any of the actors' names. I I I feel so sloppy and unprepared in that manner. But well, it's not like there anybody we'd recognize from anything. Right. Well, one thing I will say though is the girl that played Pumpkin, like adult pumpkin, she like nailed it. Like she looked like Pumpkin, and she like sounded like her. Like she sounded exactly like that lady. Like she fucking nailed it. The mannerisms, the voice, like it was perfect.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

Yeah, no, I was gonna say the casting, like the performances were a step above what I expected from Lifetime. Like, yeah, maybe getting Oscars from this, but I was relatively impressed. I was like, it's not as wooden. I mean, there were some that were terrible, but yeah, like like whoever played Tristan. I was like, just get him out of here, get him out of here.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

But get him out of here, get her out of here.

SPEAKER_01 13:25

But yeah, also, um, props to whoever played like younger Alana. I do think people could give very great performance as well, just for especially for a child actor. The accent was on point, the emotions were great. At first, I was kind of like, that child is kind of like thin to be Alana, but I see why they got cat. I'm like, oh, that's a performance. Like 10 years from now, if I see that same actress getting work, and you know, like, you know, being in pictures.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

I wouldn't be in the pictures.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

No, I I agree completely. And and to some degree, I'm not gonna lie, like younger Alana kinda ate older Alana up in the performance department, which is interesting because older Alana definitely had some meatier scenes to work with.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

Oh, yeah, right? No, for sure. Also, I was thrown off by older Alana being brunette. I mean, I guess Alana kind of has a dirty blonde thing going on, but I was like, alright, but but she did a solid job. She did a solid job.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

Right. Yeah, no, she she did alright. I I always definitely offer a certain level of grace to child actors because you know, we they they can't all deliver some like amazing phenomenal performance. I I get it. I I definitely am not as hard as them on them as I am with adult actors. But um, yeah, I feel like she didn't necessarily get Alana's mannerisms down or really look that much like Alana, but you know, she she she did fine. Um the the casting for June was interesting because I think physically she did a good job portraying June, but I don't know, she played June a little bit too like I feel like June is the kind of person that is like smart and manipulative, but like she comes off stupid, you know? Like when you're watching like the real June, she comes off really like dopey and dumb. And I feel like to an extent that's why her like her schemes were like her little schemes and stuff, like worked, because like people think she's just some dumb nice lady. Um, I feel like the actress that played June in this, like, she came like from the very beginning, she came off a little too obviously, like schemey and plotty. My little money made her. Right. Well, yeah, she just seemed like she was do she was she she played a villain pretty well, but like she was doing the villain thing a little too like a little too hard. Yeah, because I feel like part of the thing with June, and part of what made the whole thing with June back in the day so shocking is that when the show first came out, like June seemed very like harmless. She seemed just like a good mom, like taking care of her girls, you know, kind of like who kind of fell into the entertainment industry like on dumb luck, you know, and was just making the most out of it for her family. So that's why it was so shocking when like June started getting into all this crazy stuff.

SPEAKER_01 16:19

Right. Well, I guess she caught the Hollywood bug or something, because yeah, it was a complete 180. And I like to believe that, you know, June was that person. But you know, the coins came, the glitz and the glamour came, the attention from men came. It's they're probably trying to scam her. I think she was an addict when she was younger, too, so all those things added up to this storm.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

Yeah, and part of the thing with Mama June, though, where I feel like she always was this evil bitch, um, is well, because the thing is, like, so the whole thing, like they kind of like they made it kind of a quick thing, which I understand, like there's you know, they have to pace things kind of quickly because they had a lot of ground to cover. But like with the original show, Here Comes Honey Boo getting cancelled, uh, you know, they showed on there that it's because she was associating with a child molester. But and they kind of mentioned that he touched her oldest daughter that has since passed away, Anna. Um, but I they obviously they didn't really get that deep into it because I mean, basically, from my understanding, like way back in the day when it originally happened, she was dating this man, he molested her daughter, and basically her response at that time, upon finding out, was basically like, you're a lot, you're like, like you're a liar, and like sent you to live with her grandmother. And then, um, and then only like got only got back involved in her life once he hurricanes bunny honey boo-boo show became a thing. They were like, Oh, let's let's let's move her back in. And I remember Anna like talked about it and everything when the whole expose happened. She said basically that her and Mama June hadn't really been on speaking terms for years, but Mama June basically told her, like, hey, if you come do this show and like let them document your pre your teenage pregnancy and shit, um, I'll make sure like that you get like I'll make sure to buy you a house, basically. And then that never happened. So basically she's she scammed her into participating in the original show.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

She should have got that in writing with that scheme and hell, but yeah. You know, she was a teenager, probably trusted her mother.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

So Right, trying to. Um, so yeah, so I mean, yeah, June June's June's something else. Um and then the pacing, I will say, like I said, they had a lot of ground to cover, so I understand, but the pacing was a little like quick at times. It's kind of like, oh, I was like, okay, we're just jumping through and through.

SPEAKER_01 18:44

Yeah, no, the time jump, like when they went from younger Alana to older Alana, there's an actress switch to kind of you know represent the older years, the later shows. And I was like just not expecting it or seeing it coming, but I think they did their best to kind of get it what they could because they had to cover a lot of ground, a lot of years. And also I feel like there was a lot of like kind of dead time where they just kind of had a show, and then all of the controversy happened kind of so fast and continued for a few years.

SPEAKER_00 19:13

Yeah. Yeah, for sure. So I yeah, I I think they did the best they could with w in that respect. Um and then I then um I will say the the kind of like the cinematography, or however you want to describe it, like I feel like the movie looked better than I thought it would. Like, with it being lifetime, like I I you know, like the expectations aren't always the highest. Like, I kind of thought it was gonna look like shit, but I feel like it was pretty well shot.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

You know, I thought it was gonna look cheaper for lack of a better term. I'm not you know, I'm not much of a movie girly to you know get into the technical terms of it all, but yeah, you know, it was much more polished and refined looking. I like how they um, you know, did the characters are kind of the the outfits because I was calculating when Mama Jean would go from, you know, disheveled, the hair looking a mess, looking all regular, and then she would get into her coin, she'd be maybe a little on a little less drugs. She got the cute little slip back, a little, you know, the makeup on, a good little outfit. And I'm like, okay, they had her working in wardrobe that day. So the little back and forth of June I thought was a good, you know, visual vehicle.

SPEAKER_00 20:26

Oh yeah, and it was so accurate too to the journey because like I mean people really like made fun of her for her appearance when like they first kind of came into the limelight because like you know, like kind of like frumpy, overweight southern woman, um her like you know, frit the frizzy hair, the the you know, the not so great clothes and everything like that. But um, and I remember like she kind of had this vibe of not really giving a fuck like what she looked like in the earlier years. Um like even initially when the money came in, like she didn't really like start dressing like different or like she had money. Like the most she did is she like like bleached her hair blonde and she's like she's like, oh, this is my glow up. Um it wasn't until yeah, they did like the Mama June like makeover show, the not to hot, that she kind of started like doing the more the more glam type thing and everything. And then yeah, then she went from that to being like like a scary junky looking lady. Um back to being kind of like.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

Did she like the sleeve? She was on the elliptical.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Do we know? She got she she did no. I remember she did get like some kind of weight loss surgery. I don't know like which it was. I don't remember exactly which kind it was, but I remember on the on the not to hot thing, which by the way, that's such a that's such a rude ass title for a show, Mama June not to hot.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

Um she signed off on it. Right. Well, I don't know the title, but she she signed a contract.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

So well, I mean, she I think she was always fine with basically being the joke as long as she was getting paid. Um but yeah, no, I remember she like on the show, like the she She had like she lost some weight initially, and then they got she got the surgery so she like could lose more weight. So like she got the surgery. They had a trainer on there. He was he was a foin man too. He was cute. Oh, okay. Um and they tried to make us think that there was like some kind of like showmance between him and June. And that was not the case. They tried to make us think there was something there. Um but I rem yeah, I remember like she had a trainer, like a nutritionist. Like they really did the full works to like give June her her makeover moment. Yeah, it was like it was kind of like that. Um what sent I mean what sent me the most about that show is just the fact that she was doing all this um in preparation for her ex her ex's sugar bear's wedding to another woman, like and she just showed up with her makeover. Oh, yeah. She literally showed up to the wedding like post-makeover just to stunt on these bitches.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

I remember like hearing about that. She got a press release for it too, because she got to think of about it.

SPEAKER_00 23:04

That I mean that's what sent me the most is like, you know, because like these um well these makeover shows, like they always do have like a finale, like there's always some kind of like event that's like the grand finale, like where they like unveil the full, like complete change. And just the fact that like it's at the wedding of her ex to some other woman that doesn't like her is what sends me the most.

SPEAKER_01 23:27

And that's exactly how she wanted it, because she's petty.

SPEAKER_00 23:30

Right. Well, and I I mean the the bitch marrying her man was also petty, so they they were being pet they were being petty at each other.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

Um wasn't she on the show too, or she got a role at some point?

SPEAKER_00 23:41

Oh yeah, no, she was on the sh- basically her role in the show was to show up every now and then and try to antagonize June. Cause I remember like she was on there, like, showing up uh at June's front on June's front lawn talking shit. Um at I think at one point um her and Sugar Bear basically took legal action to try to take custody of Alana. Like there was drama.

SPEAKER_01 24:07

I don't I remember like the custody bad on hearing about that, which we saw on the show that at least from Alana's perspective, Mamba June didn't give a fuck at all. She just wanted to know if she'd have to pay child support.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

Wow, that that was a mess. That that scene pissed me out. Um But yeah, overall I feel like in terms of casting, performances, quality of the of the movie itself, like it was a pretty good movie. Um I think between this and the Wendy Williams one, I'm like, okay, lifetime, like I have some faith in you.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

Right.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

Um before we kind of move on to more so the smaller details that kind of like surprised us or things that we like didn't know or learned about from the movie. Did you have anything else, like as far as opinions on the movie itself?

SPEAKER_01 24:57

Nothing lastly, because it was just less surprising, more just Alana being able to reflect overall, I think was just nice to see because like I guess putting her in that child actor category, even though she wasn't an actor, but still, you know, performer young, always put on the spot, having to perform, and seeing like to the extent things impacted her, seeing her having to you know be in and out of school, just like those more intricate day-to-day details of just how much normal CC saw it. Like it really makes you feel for her and just feel even more empathy. I feel like she just comes across even more likable. And it was like really open and interesting to hear her kind of talk about how Mama June's tr transformation had an impact on her. Because she was a young teenage girl at that point. So I was like, Oh, I never really thought about it that way. Because you're seeing your mom going through this crazy transformation, getting more attention, and you're like, huh.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

Well, especially through the context of, you know, like on toddlers and tiaras and on here comes honey boo-boo and stuff, you know, like the the family's kind it seems like the family's kind of attitude, because like this was a family of people that were, you know, like larger and were not necessarily like meeting society's like super conventional like ideas of attractiveness and whatnot. And on those, on their previous show and everything, like the family always like never seemed to really be bothered by it. Like they never didn't get glammed up to be on camera, and they always had this attitude of like, you know, there was no dieting going on in the house, and it's like we're just gonna, you know, we're we're just gonna be us and it's fine and everything. And yeah, like um, whether it's Mama June, Alana, Pumpkin, whoever, like you saw like a lot of confidence in their bodies and the way they looked, and even though they, you know, weren't looking like these other people that were on reality TV at the time.

SPEAKER_01 26:50

You know, Alana is a five-year-old.

SPEAKER_00 26:53

Yeah, she was like, Oh, here's my belly. I'm gonna show it to the judges. And so, yeah, that was definitely interesting to see is just like how suddenly now you have Mama June going in the opposite direction, how that does impact her. So I agree with you for sure on that.

SPEAKER_01 27:10

Yeah, let's get to the to the um the surprises. The gags cut.

SPEAKER_00 27:13

The gags of the gags. Yes, the gags.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

I know you were gagging at the car crash scene. Well, I mean, you knew the crash happened, but what allegedly caused that?

SPEAKER_00 27:23

Yeah, no, I was there was a there was so there was I really because like I said earlier, like the key points, like the main aspects of the overall storyline I knew because I watched the original show and I kind of follow I like loosely followed the drama with June and the family and everything over the years. So I knew those main points, but so I really didn't think there would be as much in here that would surprise me as there was. Um, yeah, with the car crash, I I was aware that Sugar Bear had been unfaithful to June, but I never knew men were involved. I I had heard about the women, but uh women and men, as Dr.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

Wendy would say. The hoes you've been sending dick pics to. I was like, oh, with Alana in the car? Did this really happen? Like how much was dramaticized to make it a gag for lifetime? I mean, I believe that Lana was in the car, but damn. Some of these scenes and like right before that, we had one where like they're arguing inside, and on the outside we have Alana and a producer. And the producer's like, oh, I it hasn't been this bad for a while, huh? And then boom, something through the glass window broke it. I'm like, then did that happen? Did that happen?

SPEAKER_00 28:32

That producer looked gagged. That's definitely, I feel like if you if you're if you're on set and everything, that's the part where you're like, okay, um, I guess this is like where we call CPS, right? Um that this this is where this is where we stop minding our business, I think. Not if you're the ugly lady from Kid Nation, no. Oh god, that that evil bitch. She she would have been smiling ear to ear. That that demon, and then she would have offered Alanda some bleach or something. Right. Right when Mama June was doing crack in the house, she would have been smiling, she would have been happy. She would have been grabbing, she would have been dragging Alanda the house, like, okay, this is the confrontation scene.

SPEAKER_01 29:08

Also, I thought crack was like an outdoor activity. I don't know. That's just how it seems to me. Well, I guess when she was over doing heroin, right? You should have that gives the out That gives out. I think she did both. Well, um Well, I feel like though. She was on something in that hot tub, I know that.

SPEAKER_00 29:27

Well, I feel like if you're at the point of smoking crack or shooting up heroin, like I feel like you don't really care where you're doing it, you know? Like if you're doing it.

SPEAKER_01 29:35

That's true.

SPEAKER_00 29:36

Like, I feel like you don't really give a fuck. Yeah, right. Might as well smoke some crack in it. Um, but yeah, with the fighting and like I believe a lot of like the stuff, like the scenes involved like of them just doing it right there in front of Alana and fighting and having all this toxicity. That would not shock me if it were completely true, because this is one thing about this family is there appeared to be no fucking boundaries in place. So I'm like, of course they would like have these crazy ass fights and say all this wild shit in front of the child in front of the child.

SPEAKER_01 30:07

I believe that.

SPEAKER_00 30:09

Right? Um, what was like in terms of like new information you learned, like what was the most shocking? Like, what was the thing where you were like, oh my god, that's salacious.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

Um I'm trying to think.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

I was personally I mean the heroin and the slipper? I was literally about to say, I was personally very I I had no idea that was part of it. Like when Pumpkin was like, Those are my fucking slippers, and then she like and then she pulls out hair, she's like, Is heroin? I was like, oh my god. Not heroin and the slippers.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

Yeah, just how specifically chaotic it would be like day to day, just Alana home alone, June, just off, not giving context or telling anything, leaving without food. You know, I always thought she would, you know, leave the EBT card, stock the fridge with some sketchy, like I always thought she was at least giving a facade, but then off doing crack. But no, she was just off doing crack.

SPEAKER_00 31:08

Right. And then I um definitely the scene where Alana like walks downstairs in the middle of the night, and it's like a full, like it's it's a full trap house party downstairs, complete with the neon pink lights. Um, I was like, June, what the heck? Um that gagged me. I was like, this poor child.

unknown 31:28

I know.

SPEAKER_00 31:29

Like fearing for her life around.

SPEAKER_01 31:31

Yeah. Yeah. So many people, strangers, in and out of the house, they know what's a party house. Your mom allegedly owes some people some money. I see why she was terrified. People couldn't come up and take all their nice things.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

Yeah, I that's the I guess that's why I agree with you there, where I'm surprised that like there wasn't more separation because I knew June was doing these things, but yeah, I always figured it was definitely more separated.

SPEAKER_01 31:55

Like she like Maybe she had like a little party condo or something.

SPEAKER_00 31:59

Right, that she had like a separate trap house for this mess. Um like yeah, like just a separate trap house or something for all this bullshit. Um, so it did that that I guess that did surprise me, like how intertwined like family life and this bullshit was. But I mean, I guess I I I mean, yeah, I guess, you know, when you're a crackhead, a hero went out, well, you're doing it all, it's like okay.

SPEAKER_01 32:25

Yeah, another thing I was taken aback by was just like when after the Mass Singer when they were in LA and Alana could have gotten more gigs, there was more work potentially for them. She just fucked off back to Georgia because one, I thought she would want a little bit more limelight, and you know, a little more moment under the sun. And two, I thought she would have like, you know, the world of drugs in LA. Like, I'm sure Georgia's a bunch of dealer can get in rural Georgia, but I feel like Skid Row got the talk of the town, potentially, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_00 32:58

To me, I feel like part of it though was to to illustrate because I I they didn't explicitly say it, but I feel like what they were trying to imply was that like June's man was in Georgia, so that's where she went running back. Like I feel like they really they really they really wanted us to make it clear that June was always gonna choose the man in her life, um over like what's best for her family.

SPEAKER_01 33:23

And here I was thinking it's like, oh, the heroin must be cheaper in Georgia.

SPEAKER_00 33:28

Well, I mean that could be a factor too. Um, but like, because I mean like we saw it with like I mean June fucked up their whole gravy train in the first place. Whatn't like just because she just had to go start dating the fucking pedophile that molested her daughter again, it's like Chester the Molester. Well thing, it's like you fucked up the whole bag and the whole gravy train because you just had to go date this man again. Like you just had to, like, for whatever reason, you couldn't just date any other man, it had to be this specific man uh this damn pedophile that just got present. Wasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 33:57

So it seems like you kept making mistakes and kept getting shows.

SPEAKER_00 34:04

I feel like, and that's what like I find to be interesting about June is the conflict of like she was clearly like very ambitious, and like it was this back and forth where like she'd be really good at kind of pushing for and negotiating these great business deals for the family and like kind of pushing Alana's career forward, but then she would fuck it up because she like she would get into a relationship and make bad choices. So I I thought that was actually interesting because I think it makes it makes for a more like realistic person. I think somebody who like can be ambitious and can have that drive, but then make bad choices and fuck it up for themselves and for their family.

SPEAKER_01 34:46

I know there was some potential there to be like the trailer part Chris Jenner.

SPEAKER_00 34:51

Mm-hmm. The trailer park Chris Jenner. And I mean that's funny because I mean when they this family first came to prominence, they did get compared to the Kardashians a lot. Right?

SPEAKER_01 35:01

That's because they were introducing all the sisters, they were all kind of independently getting their own little moment.

SPEAKER_00 35:07

You know, they weren't like a lot of people. And you had the matrix. Yeah, and what's funny is I remember at the time, like when Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was like at its heyday, and like I said earlier, the family came off so wholesome and everything. People were always kind of comparing them in a way to kind of diss the Kardashians, like, look how wholesome this family is. They love each other. The Kardashians are like trashy. Um little did they know what this family was gonna do.

SPEAKER_01 35:32

Right, they had something up they sleeve.

SPEAKER_00 35:36

Right. I think I mean they they took it much trasher than the Kardashians ever did.

SPEAKER_01 35:41

But you know, if if they ever do reality stars on reality stars, like actors on actors, I'd love to see Kylie and Honey Boo Boo talk.

SPEAKER_00 35:49

Oh god. Well, I remember that one year that the Honey Boo Boo um clan, they all for Halloween, they all dressed up as the Kardashian family. I think Honey Boo Boo was dressed as Chris Jenner. Well, well, she should have been Kim because she bought them all career kids. Right. I I think I think Mama June was Kim, of course. That's not damn good. Of course that's outside of this. Um I was also as far as like things that surprised or shook me in this, um, I was really surprised to learn about like to learn about um the wedding and everything, that when they attended the wedding, that June had such a negative reaction to Alana's news about going to college. Um And that really upset, that really upset me because I feel like everything, like just with everything else, I feel like to I don't know, to me, I feel like when your child, for your child to come to you and like say that they're planning on furthering their education and they're excited about it and they want to like create this better future for themselves, I feel like for you to shit on that, that just makes you like evil. I in my opinion. I think that's evil.

SPEAKER_01 37:07

It's it's so I I don't get it. As someone who like you know as a nerd, I'm also pro-educted. Yeah. Everyone thinks college is the right path for them. I would help support that every you know, every step of the way. So I just don't see what June's motives were. I don't know if it's like just her ideology, just thinking college for people that are better then. I know that's a whole thing, a whole ideology. Maybe something about her not having because I don't know if she has a degree or not. But what does she want to do? J June didn't even finish high school, which makes sense because she was ready to like homeschool Anna, pull her out, not really care.

unknown 37:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:43

But I don't know what did she think she was gonna do for the rest of her life, just wait around for another show.

SPEAKER_00 37:48

I think that is something that happens though, and in you know, within families where college education is not like the norm, because like that's the family, like I came from a family where college education was not the norm. Thankfully, nobody ever treated me that way. Um, but it's definitely, I feel like, because I feel like there's a level of like education literacy in terms of like if you come from a family where it's just kind of an expectation or it's the norm for people to go to college or to seek further education, they're like very they're very aware of like what college is, of how it works, what the process is, how it benefits you, like what you're supposed to do and not do. Um, and they kind of pass it along to their kids. What whereas with families, I think where it's not the norm, I think it could be intimidating for some parents because they don't if their kid expresses they want to go to college, they don't really know how to help them get there. And so I think sometimes they feel intimidated by that. And also I think sometimes it's jealousy too. Like I think in a case like with like someone like Mama Junes, I think when you see your kid wanting to make something more of their life, it all I feel like some people take it as like a slight. Like it's like, oh, you think you're better than me? Like you, oh, you you want to go get a college education? You you're so you're so much better than the rest of us in the family.

SPEAKER_01 39:06

Like, I think sometimes that is how people treat it. Yeah. Which is very unfortunate. Which June, you June being such a hater. And and June is not dumb either. I feel like maybe she doesn't have the means or opportunity. I don't know much about her upbringing, but trying to better herself makes me it's worse than her being I don't know, which after the Melester. Well, maybe not.

SPEAKER_00 39:32

Yeah. Well, from my understanding of June's background, is I think she got pregnant for the first time at like 15, so she was like a teenage mother, um, and her mother was a teenage mother. Like it's a it's it's clearly a very strong cycle with this family, and I think her mother also was very similar to June in the fact that she maybe put men ahead of her kids and everything like that. So I think June is just like a cog in a very toxic cycle, and maybe that's like why maybe that's like the reason for like the nastiness towards Alana is because Alana broke the cycle, and maybe that's pissing her off. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 40:09

That's true. Alana did beat teen pregnancy, thankfully.

SPEAKER_00 40:13

Yeah. Because I mean, like, even though like Pumpkin obviously turned out I I think all the I think all the girls turned out great considering their circumstances, but I mean, like, you know, I think Pumpkin, and I think the other sister too, Jessica, I think like all of them besides Alana ended up being teen parents. I don't think any of them finished high school except for Alana. None of them went to college. So I mean Alana really did break a lot of like familial curses, you know.

SPEAKER_01 40:39

Right, and that makes sense, just adding context to how much like of an uphill bad that would be for her going to college. On top of being a public figure, kind of being in and out of high school. I'm sure Mama June was a check in no homework.

SPEAKER_00 40:52

Yeah, well, and I think that's where you can see a difference between like someone like Mama June and someone like Pumpkin, where both of them had the experience of not finishing high school and not going to college, being young mothers and everything. But whereas I feels like Mama June resents Alana for for kind of like overcoming those things and doing something else, it feels like Pumpkin more so is proud of her and supports her and helps her achieve that instead of being jealous or a jealous hell, so she would be like she'd be excited that her sister became a nurse and she had a part in that.

SPEAKER_01 41:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:24

So I don't know, yeah. So I feel like a lot stuff like that definitely, I think, gave me more context into just like how terrible June is. And it made me it made me appreciate Alana's like other family members, her sisters, especially more, because it's like, wow, her sisters like they really came together to like give her the best shot possible under these really bad circumstances.

SPEAKER_01 41:47

You know, pumpkin stuff the fuck up, and she already had a lot to deal with on her own, and she's not like that. She's like just turned 25, like she's so young.

SPEAKER_00 41:58

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Yeah, she sh nothing. These I think all the kids in this family have to grow up very quickly, and that was definitely highlighted in this movie.

SPEAKER_01 42:05

Oh yeah, and in the public eye. Good on pumpkin for making Alana go back to like mainstream high school and finish up with some normalcy. And it was clear that's kind of like what Alana wanted and needed. Yeah. So you know, there was some good. They kind of tied it all up in a nice little bow. Well, not for Jew, but just in general. You leave like optimistic and hopeful for Alana overall. Yeah, she follows through with being a nurse. But I know nursing duty are hard as hell.

SPEAKER_00 42:32

So yeah, but it seems, I mean, I know she's she's still she's still doing it. I think she just finished her second year of college. So I think she's, you know, she's still full steam ahead. Um, she seems pretty serious about it. And I I just love too that like after everything, after the whole childhood stardom thing, that her her dream to be a nurse, I think, is very inspiring. Because that's like, oh wow, she just she just wants to like give back to the world and help people and do like a good and just like do a good service for for her society.

SPEAKER_01 43:08

And I know her bedtime manner would be lit. She'd be casual.

SPEAKER_00 43:11

She'd be she she'd be a she'd be a fun nurse. I've seen some so many of the reactions I've seen to this are people who didn't like who maybe like haven't kept up with this family as much in recent years. And I've seen so many people like they're just very like shocked, they're like about Alana wanting to be a nurse. They're like imagine imagine going to the hospital and and honey boo boo's your nurse. And I'm like, that'd be kind of lit. Yeah. Yeah, no, I feel like I I I definitely would not mind Alana's nurse.

SPEAKER_01 43:42

I don't know, she's a school nurse.

SPEAKER_00 43:45

Yeah. She's school nurse. I can see her working I can see her working with the elderly, maybe in those nursing homes.

SPEAKER_01 43:52

Uh oh, she'd be shooting and hollering with that.

SPEAKER_00 43:55

What they I feel like she definitely with everything she has been through, I she has like the patience of a saint. Like I feel like she well and that's I feel like that's an important thing in nursing because people are going to give you a lot of shit too. Like you and you still got like you got to take you got to take care of people that are verbally abusing you. So I mean that takes like a right watching that that takes a very kind hearted person I think to be able to be like you know what you you you're dragging that thing it's like it's like you're treating me like shit but I'm still going to save your life because I'm I'm a good person. I'm a bigger person than you because you know what for me that's why I couldn't be a nurse because if someone was being a bitch to me I'd be like you know what get get yourself like you can get a new like IV refill yourself bitch. I'm not dealing with you fuck you so that's why that's why I'm that's why I'm not a nurse because I would be petty and that and those are like crimes against humanity. So getting into more so I guess make kind of the conclusion like like how how did you feel by the end of this like did this change your opinion on any of these like real people or did you leave kind of feeling the same way you went in feeling I left feeling the same way I went in feeling but you know it was a it was a cute little two hours.

SPEAKER_01 45:18

Like I think it's worth anybody viewing if you had any passing interest in Adi Boo Boo. And kind of want to see the lifetime spin and a little take on it.

SPEAKER_02 45:27

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 45:28

I mean it it could have been 90 minutes to to me it could have been 90. But there's also so much to cover and and there are parts just like the presentation of it was just kind of funny like it was just kind of very campy and I you know I was cackling like cackling at things that I knew happened but I would be like gasping anyway like I didn't know. Like I used took that money from um you know here comes honey boo boo and from dancing with the stars junior strain the coop gun account. But I was still gasping anyway like oh oh no right but yeah no opinions overall it's kind of just like root for Alana Pumpkin's a real one June is June.

SPEAKER_00 46:08

Yeah I feel like I agree with you that I feel like a lot of my like opinions on each of these people as individuals kind of remain the same but I almost felt more vindicated with like the added context because like I like going into this I knew June was an evil bitch. And like watching it I felt even I was like I was like see and he and the proof is in the pudding I was right to I that thing I was I was right I felt like I felt like um I felt like Candace talking about Ashley I knew that bitch was no good that bulbous ass warning bitch was no good and and I shouldn't have trusted her like that's I felt very vindicated. I was like I knew Mama June Yeah I was like I should have kept my good eye on June because I knew that bitch and her fupa were no good. Now she got rid of it she got rid of the Fupa well I'm sure it's still there she tucks it into those damn leggings. Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait a side note do you think tucking panties can help with a fupa I'm not we're not doing that okay we'll find it sponsor well I I I will find somebody else to converse about this with because I want I want to have a conversation about that but go on I was gonna say um the handsome man they had playing June's uh most recent husband Gino does not look like him in the pictures I was like G doesn't look that good I feel like literally all of June's men were made out to be more attractive in this than they actually were in real life because basically every and June himself yeah and that's that's the thing yeah every single every single one of them because I mean like not that any of these men in the movie were like types that I would normally be attracted to but all of them I was like they are better looking than their real life counterparts that's for sure they y'all y'all got Yassified in the in the Hollywood machine. They are very very Yassified. Because I mean pretty much who's this twink playing Gina Well the thing is all of them had more teeth than the real ones did because one thing about Mama June is she's gonna date a man without teeth. Yeah did a line about that well I just remember like one of um one of my most memorable moments from like the like the spin-offs of like Mama June like not to hop Mama June family crisis and all that um one of my most memorable moments from that is I just remember my mom was watching it and I remember like Pumpkin was telling Alana to get her ass upstairs and brush her teeth before school. And she and they they were sitting there with like Sugar Bear's new wife the the bitch don't like June um and I I I just remember um Pumpkin was yelling at Alana to go brush her teeth and as Alana was going she's like go brush your teeth are you're gonna end up toothless like your daddy and and and I remember Sugar Bear's new wife was pissed she was like that's not nice pumpkin you you you would you like people to comment on your appearance and pumpkin hit her right back with like pumpkin hit her back with like oh I'm sure you've had some choice words about me off camera your pumpkin was never scared of the smoke. Well I think and and that and that lady like literally was like that literally that lady didn't deny it either she's like well anyway see that that's why a lot of didn't let pumpkin get interviewed on this shit oh yeah because she didn't give a fuck she has no foot I remember like she tried to fight sugar bear at one point I remember they had they had the they had the mama june not to hot reunion and I remember sugar bear like got up like he was gonna like he was gonna that thing he got up like he was gonna hit June and Pumpkin came out ready to beat his ass and he was like bring it on bitch and she was like I'll fuck you up and I believe Pumpkin would have fucked him up well yeah it it there there was a n it took multiple crew members to hold pumpkin's ass back she was ready to beat his ass but now I want to hear her say but I'm sure she's tired. Right Pumpkin's a real ass bitch I will say that um she she she's the only bitch in this house I respect now you respect Alana I do I do I was just joking I I respect you I respect all the kids in the situation I don't respect any of the adults in this mess but I respect all of the messes yeah I respect all the daughters I respect um I respect Jessica that that other girl that they don't that's not really present I respect her for money her business I respect pumpkin for stepping up I'll respect Alana for for pursuing better and I respect Anna may she rest in peace for exposing Mama June's bullshit in the first place I don't respect them producers but they kept giving Mama June a show but I appreciate them getting Alana and them a new place to stay when the when they were high theft alerts because Mama's crack activity is right I was like these producers like uncarac like these producers like uncharistically have more morals than you would expect reality TV producers to have yeah no caring a little bit like Alana definitely views them in a good light right yeah she she had nice things to say about them because I'm like some other pr like some other reality producers we've seen they would have gone over to that that shady looking car and been like hey hey hey they're that they're home right now if you want to go up to the door honey boo was in the house right now not that and and the cameras would have filmed the whole confrontation and and probably the and probably the and probably the impending shootout does that well this was lifetime oh but I guess wait I guess this was on Wii TV though the actual reality show.

SPEAKER_01 51:49

Well because it went from TLC to I don't know they they they they've been on some networks yeah they went I think from TLC to Wii TV there might be a third network in there too who knows mama Mama June's got her fucking fat fingers in many pots and I'm sure I'm sure Peacock would give them a show because Peacock loves a green light anything if Casey Anthony wanted a reality show Peacock would be right there.

SPEAKER_00 52:14

Yeah no I agree with you I think the thing with Peacock is they're like you know what we'll give anything a chance we'll try anything once right we got the money y'all got the subscription y'all y'all might watch it one thing yeah peacock's like even if it ends up being a one and done we'll give it a shot and if it if if it's no good we'll cancel it and if if it does some numbers we'll keep it going that's a that's that's one thing with peacock they're they're very they're very simple in that in their method right speaking of Peacock I know I would I do want Alana to be you know beyond reality TV and be a nurse but I would love to see her on the traders oh my god I'm gonna feel like she's let's just see how she does in the mix she's she's so sweet they better make her a faithful oh yeah I think she'd be a bad trader but she might get a cute little alliance I don't know she'll talk a little shit at the round table I think after you're dealing with June she can probably toss out some lies well that's the thing and and as sweet as she is like she does have a she has that sass in her she's got that fire in the gut if she wants to use it. Right I definitely I think she I think she could definitely give someone like a good nasty seven reading if they tried her. I agree I agree not her in an alliance with Sutton Strike they would I mean that's like I mean Alana I feel like I feel like Alana loves having like a good positive woman like role model in her life she she collects those well maybe she needs more of a Nene Leaks mentor than less of us track oh god her and Nene would have a time I know Nene would have bring up June she would she would pick her way out I feel like I feel like the moment Alana got turned Nene would be sat on the side like oh oh okay okay honey booba dollar make you holler something along those lines I I I I I would cry if Nini says some shit like look here sketty look here sketty this ain't pumpkin this ain't pumpkin this ain't pumpkin bitch this ain't chickadee this ain't this ain't chickadee I never understood the nicknames I'm like okay y'all got our family culture going on saying yeah we had a chickadee we had chubs we had pumpkin we had honey boo boo sugar bear uh the sugar bear's gay brother his name was Uncle Poodle Uncle by the way uncle shout out to Uncle Poodle he always sent me I don't know if he's a good person or not but he he he he seems to have stayed out of the mess okay Uncle Poodle he he he was always being a little faggy and but I mean Alana's been a gay icon since she was a child you you remember that meme of her talking about what we're all a little bit gay I'm that when she was like five five years old she's a bit a gay icon and when she called out uncle when she called out uncle poodle when they they when he brought his boyfriend over and they the family asked like oh how'd y'all meet and Alana immediately goes grinder and she has like seven and she and she was like six or seven let me remind you excuse me so I was like I was like grind like what do you mean grinder big like how do you know what grinder is because you would have taught me talking shit some would have taught me talking shit that thing I guess yeah she probably does she probably didn't know actually know what grinder was she just knew it was a thing and it was gay she probably thought it was a venue not a venue the grinder like Karen Uger at the grinder on the grinder at the grinder y'all were at the grinder doing grinder activities. Well on that note takers I hope y'all are up to some grinder activities or scraff or or or jacked I don't know whatever y'all do do we have any what if there are wholesome people that that they meet at a book club or in college okay okay okay I think we have a refined listener base Noah okay y'all y'all are in Hinge okay Hinge maybe they're married maybe they're married okay marriage okay marriage well I I hope you didn't marry a crackhead like June you mean like sugar bear? I mean I guess both I I feel like every man she's you know been with has dabbled in some unsavory drugs June just needs to date like a pothead or something that that that they're nice doesn't need to June needs to focus on herself and reconnect with her children.

SPEAKER_01 56:51

Well that's not gonna happen so I'm just being realistic well yeah June will probably go either get another show or go on another show. Yeah which I don't want her to get to the bag but I would love to see her on a house of elements just to see everyone bully her.

SPEAKER_00 57:07

I'd be better go home first they they just need to send her to Zeus network for a few days to get her ass beat some someone needs to be smarter than that she's someone needs to fuck up June someone you imagine her on bad ease getting her ass beat baddies that have to be badly senior to this she'd have to be on the show with like mom and she's not that old she's like 40 something she she looks older than she I guess she's the same age as Natalie yeah that thing it just I mean yeah June is 45 years old like a few years younger I don't know um let me see Natalie none is 40 years old so she's five years younger that's but you bet you you better believe Natalie's still gonna be doing the same shit in five years I'm just saying maybe maybe it'll look probably it'll look it'll look it might look a little bit different if the baddie's you know era has died by then but she'll be doing something else in a similar vein I hope not I hope she's scammed enough coins in Africa you know retire or something get some rental properties do anything else oh my gosh well thank you note takers y' y'all have y'all have a good rest of your day thank you so much for listening as always you can follow us we're across socials we're at on a real note pod we're on TikTok uh twitter slash X we're on Instagram we're on threads we're on we're on blue sky we're on YouTube we're just we're we're everywhere except for you know the really scary places and unfortunately we are both on grinder but that's not for the podcast nope no ma'am no ma'am I uninstalled it I uninstalled it I uninstalled it I have I have been liberated but thank ya