5 Things I have learned from Honey Boo Boo

I have to confess that I am not a reality tv fan.  I have tried, but I just can't do it.  I watched the second season of Survivor and found it interesting, but then it hit me.  Why am I watching something that brings out the worst in people?  This of course is my opinion and it is not widely shared.  If it were, these shows would not be on. 

Then came Honey Boo Boo.  From a few tv ads I had the show figured out and really didn't want to watch.  Something strange occurred however.  Honey Boo Boo started to surface in conversations regardless of where I was.  Whether at work, giving presentations to potential customers, social settings and more.  People were enthralled.  People were actually watching Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.  So, I confess.  I watched one episode of the show.  I should add that I watched the show with my mouth gaping open.  I was...I was...well...appalled.  Honey Boo Boo herself is the sweetest little thing, but really?  Is this what entertainment has become?  But not all is wasted by the 20 minutes or so that I watched.  Between hearing about the show and watching the show that ONE time, I did learn a few things:

1.  People really are drawn to train-wrecks.  They don't want to be, but are.  The more horrific, strange or bizarre something is, they need to see it for themselves.  I apparently fit that description too. 

Honey Boo Boo herself.  Photo from Babble Blog

2. I will be politically correct and very Canadian by saying that we (people in this case, not Canadians only) love to see people living different lifestyles so that we can critique them and then feel better about our own decisions.  

3.  Everybody wants their 15 minutes of fame, but if you can find your niche at the right time, you have it made.  Would this show have made it 15 years ago?  Likely not.  But with the ever growing craziness of so-called reality shows to showcase people at their worst, this obscure family found out that their little cutie pie struck a cord with American audiences and jumped on that bandwagon to leverage it to the max.  That is what probably irks people most - that they didn't think of it first.

4.  Just when you think that you have seen it all, something more wild and crazy surfaces.  Who would have thought that a little beauty queen and her family would get a nation going?

5.  And then finally, maybe people just want to escape.  They want to get away from all the seriousness of economies tanking, job losses, and the need to make important decisions.  Maybe, just maybe, watching Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is a distraction - a needed distraction.

Of course, I am always interested to hear if you think that Honey Boo Boo is a distraction, or something else.

Supreme Court of Canada Ruling on Facebook Anonymity is one for all to watch

Today, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a young Nova Scotia girl can remain anonymous in her fight against cyber bullying.  The decision was made with the hope that she would not be victimized all over again for fighting back against bullies.

The girl has been struggling to find out who created a fake Facebook profile using her photo along with posting false 'scandalous' highly sexualized activity.  Facebook provided the IP address, but the internet service provider would not provide more details without a court order.  Well, they have it now. 

This is an extremely important case to watch as the legislative process has been slower to move on social media issues as outlined in Social Media and the Legal System - Another Story.  This is a victory for every person and/or business that has been harmed by the careless and ruthless nature of people hiding behind fake profiles. Until now, there have been no consequences.  Victims have been left powerless and perpetrators have had a false sense of security. 

This is a precedent setting case, so stay tuned for more commentary and detailed analysis as this story unfolds.