'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' Premiere: Hot Mess Or Rising Star?

Toddlers & Tiaras spinoff Here Comes Honey Boo Boo premiered on TLC last week to surprisingly high ratings. The show features 6-year-old breakout pageant star Alana Thompson, popularly known as Honey Boo Boo Child, as well as the rest of the “unapologetically-outrageous family life of the Honey Boo Boo clan,” which includes stay-at-home mom June, dad Sugar Bear, and their three teenage daughters, one of whom is pregnant.

"America kind of wanted to know what our life was like outside of the pageant world, and this show will portray [that]," June explained to CNN. "We do a lot of mud bogging, four-wheel riding, going to community events," June added. "I think America will get the gist of who we actually are." Although the series premiere enjoyed high ratings, the family has received plenty of negative feedback as well. "People are going to talk, good and bad, and it is what it is," June said. "People have opinions, but if people actually sit down and talk with me and my family or talk with Alana, you'll see that Alana thoroughly enjoys doing what she does, and that we're not ignorant people like everybody says,” June said, adding that she does not regret the decision to sign on.

Honey Boo Boo’s debut did venture into some regrettable territory as it featured the child snacking on orange cheese puffs for breakfast, and continuing with pork rinds, chicken nuggets, mini bundt cakes and cookies throughout the day, causing some to speculate about her questionable diet and her mother’s leniency. Alana also commented on other more established celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, whom she sings a little song about, and Justin Bieber, whom she refers to as “Justin Beaver.” But the rising star claims she doesn’t aspire to become like them: "When I grow up I want to be nurse, a doctor, a momma, a teacher, I want to go college, I want to be a hair-styler. I want to work Wal-Mart, I want to work at McDonalds — so I can eat all the chicken nuggets and I want to work at Chick-fil-A… I got 10 things to do, 10 jobs!"

The premiere, which featured two episodes, saw the family prepare for a pageant, buy a tea-cup pig named Glitzy, and attend the Redneck Games, where they participated in the Mudpit Belly Flop. "It's about Southern pride. Sort of like the Olympics," June told ABC News. "You know that's just us. For the most part that is us every day," June added. "We're not all about pageants. We are a little redneckish, and we live in Georgia."

Watch Here Comes Honey Boo Boo on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on TLC.