It´s entertainment?!

Wow...I thought the whole purpose of Honey-Boo-Boo was to showcase the dangers of inbreeding.

To answer the header´s question: No, I don´t think "we" can (Whoever "we" is). Who would have thought--four years ago, say--that this kind of rubbish would be so hugely popular?

Parker´s choice of ancient Alexandria as a comparison, whether she actually did switch channels and find herself "sinking into a warm bath," as she describes the experience, reeks of a very lofty, sniffy and condescending superiority.

Rather than emphasizing her own highly superior brand of culture, Parker should have set about criticizing those who, like spectators at a car wreck, watch the series, program after program. But, then, that would be insulting a major part of the Obama constituency, I think.

Am I being superior? Superior to Kathleen Parker? I suppose I am!

Why is this here?

Thank you again this morning, #2. My sentiments exactly.

It´s not difficult to be superior to Kathleen Parker.

World´s Easiest Multiple Choice Question:

A. Watch Honey Boo Boo on tv

B. Read Kathleen Parker in the WaPo

C. None of the above

Honey Boo Boo´s family is laughing all the way to the bank, I suspect.

I´ll bet Kathleen Parker loved the crude sound effects in "Blazing Saddles", but that was directed by Mel Brooks, so it was ok. /s

However, I hope the Boo-Boo family understands it is being ridiculed and doesn´t mind.

The Honey Boo Boo circus serves on great purpose-- to show many white people to be fools and idiots. There is an especially heavy emphasis on people from the South being backward and ignorant of the smart and urbane ways of those in the more learned liberal "north".

This is a money=making sideshow that delivers the message that people in the South (who tend not to vote for libs, or are made to seem backward and unenlightened) should not be trusted to lead the loyal opposition to this strange regime in charge in Washington or their friends in the media should show us how to live our lives.

There were 65 million ignorant voters in this last election. They need a form of entertainment that they can understand. Honey Boo Boo fills that void.

TrailerTrash sells in this country. We have four kids and none of their families have cable TV--all are very good students and love to play outdoors. They don´t even know who Honey Boo Boo is--nor do they care.

Remember when TLC stood for The Learning Channel?

I do.

I´m not sure which is less worthy of my attention, Honey Boo Boo or Kathleen Parker.

Kathleen reminds me of Frasier and Niles Crane - so insufferably pseudo cultured, and so legitimately arrogant about it.

I´m not wasting my time watching white trash on television. Or reading equally trashy scrawny white woman´s column.

Just watched at 15 seconds of this junk on youtube.

We definitely need literacy tests for voting.

Thank you, #15...I couldn´t agree more.

The rest of the article aside, I agree with her that the fact of an audience that supports this show (as well as many others) is depressing. To me it explains - or at least exposes a symptom - of many deep problems in the country, including how Obama got reelected. And yes, it exploits white trash, which is one of the last groups that can be exploited this way without backlash and accusations of racism.

Kathleen gets it right--a rarity these days.

Doesn´t anyone remember "Beverly Hillbillies"? The fascination with illiterate rednecks isn´t new.

I´ve only seen promos for this show, and couldn´t understand what they were saying. I don´t have an "ear" for southern accents probably due to lack of exposure.

#21, The Beverly Hillbillies weren´t presented as illiterate rednecks. They were presented as ´backwards´, but their ´backward´ ways were often clearly better than the snooty, arrogance of their ´betters´ in the city. I remember them as salt of the earth types and recall several shows that ended with the ´city folk´ joining in on the ´backwards´, down-home fun.

#9, I would like to continue with your thesis. I have thought for some time that there are several shows that seem designed to make ´southern´ people into foreigners. I get so annoyed when I see shows like Swamp People and Moonshiners using subtitles, as if we couldn´t understand ´their language´.

I thought it was just hollywood arrogance but I think you are right; I think this is another attempt to separate and divide.

For what it´s worth, #22, I´ve seen a couple of commercials and, while I don´t have any trouble with southern accents, that little girl does not ´talk normal´. I think it is a combination of baby talk and dialect.

I´d never heard of this kid until I read about her here.

This is exactly what the liberal elite want. Watch honey bo bo, vote for zippy and stay ignorant and uninformed. Perfect setup for democRAT victory over and over.