The first time I heard of Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, I was watching a clip from Toddlers and Tiaras—the youth pageant show that would lead to the spin-off Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, making the six-year-old a household name. Initially, it’s easy for someone unacquainted with Here Comes Honey Boo Boo to dismiss it or ask themselves, “Why would anybody watch this shit?” But fans—and one of the show’s producers—might ask the dismissive viewer to take some time and “redneckognize” the underlying appeal of the show.
