Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has become a massive hit for TLC, but a 2008 mugshot of the toddler star's mother has surfaced, raising questions about the family and the show. INSIDE EDITION has the details.
The police mugshot of the mother of America's newest reality TV sensation, Honey Boo Boo, has been released.
Six-year-old Alana Thompson and her mom, June, are the stars of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo which debuted on TLC two weeks ago. The show follows the antics of Honey Boo Boo's self-professed "redneck" family outside Macon, Georgia.
The mugshot was taken in 2008, when cops said June was arrested for theft and contempt of court. Authorities claimed June took $3300 from a safe in the McDonald's where she was manager, although the case was ultimately dismissed.
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is a spinoff of Toddlers and Tiaras, the show that first featured Honey Boo Boo and the "go-go juice" energizing drink her mom gave her just before the kid pageants. It was a mix of Red Bull and Mountain Dew.
The show is turning into a huge hit for TLC, drawing two million viewers per episode. But controversy is overshadowing the program's success. Critics say the show encourages viewers to look down on Honey Boo Boo and her family.
One newspaper asked, "Does Honey Boo Boo Mock or Celebrate the Poor?"
Lisa Belkin, senior columnist for The Huffington Post, feels the show does indeed mock the family.
"These are the anti-Kardashians. It feels icky to me. It feels, eew, like we just should not be doing this to them. I just don't think people are watching because she's so darn talented. They're watching to laugh at her," said Belkin.
But TLC is defending the show saying Honey Boo Boo's family, "Don't care what people think about them because at the end of the day, they are having a good time."
Belkin said, "This is a mother who loves her kids, but I don't think people are tuning in for lessons on how to be ‘Mother of the Year.' "
