Is 'Honey Boo Boo' the Worst Thing on TV?

Like it or not, there's a new TV phenomenon in town, and it's called "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." Let's all pause for a moment and cry/laugh about the fact that this show is on TLC, originally known as The Learning Channel.

The show, for the uninitiated, is a spin-off of the equally horrible "Toddlers and Tiaras," from which it found its protagonist: 8-year-old beauty pageant contestant Alana, aka Honey Boo Boo Child. If you're wondering what kind of family would come up with that name, its the redneck kind. In fact, the family on "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" revel in their redneckness, in the way that the stars of "Jersey Shore" play up their guidohood.

But unlike "Jersey Shore," "Honey Boo Boo" is based around a minor, one who likely has no idea how being on this reality show will affect her for the rest of her life. And is Alana's mother any more trustworthy of holding on to her money than she is? This is, after all, a woman who gives her daughter a mixture of Red Bull and Mountain Dew before pageants.

At its core, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" is the most exploitative of exploitative shows. With "Jersey Shore," we have a group of unsuspecting doofuses being followed around by cameras, but they're adult doofuses who made the decision for themselves.

What's worse is the tendency for copycats in this era of the reality show. Those in dire straits tend to see instant fame as a way out of their financial situations: when "Jon & Kate Plus 8" was a hit, a woman who was on welfare with her six kids decided to undergo a fertility treatment to have octuplets, in hopes that she could land a reality show. You now know her as the Octomom. Will parents now start trying to exploit their own children for financial gain and fame, thanks to "Honey Boo Boo?"

The ratings for the show paint a picture that is both worrying and heartening: though the roughly 2.5 million viewers that the show already has is probably enough for a renewal, it is nowhere near the 10 million who tuned in to "Jon & Kate" when news of their divorce hit.

So, is "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" the worst thing on TV? Close, but probably not yet. At least it didn't give us the Kardashians.