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The following podcast contains explicit language.

I'm Stephen Metcalf, and this is the Slate Culture Gab Fest. There are some

broke down people out there edition. It's Wednesday, August 29th. On today's program, the new

TLC reality show, here comes

Honey Boo Boo. And what does it say about, well, fill in the blank, us, humanity, democracy,

you name it. Sleepwalk with me, the new indie movie co-produced with This American Life. And finally,

the virtues and demerits of public marriage proposals. Joining me today are Slate's deputy editor, Julia Turner. Hello, Julia. Hi, Steve. And of course, Slate's film critic, Dana Stevens. Hey, Steve. Julia, are those aren't yoga pants, are they? Oh, I'm on vacation, Steve. This is a special break from vacation. I'm wearing yoga pants. I'm wearing new balance sneakers. This is my office attire for the day. Your phone in this one in is what you're telling me. What was that? What are we talking about? I'm going to start with Dana on this subject then. Okay, so just in case you've recently regained your faith in humanity, never fear. Cable TV has a program for you. Here comes Honey Boo Boo Boo is the new reality show on TLC. It's in the kind of can't watch a kind of can't turn away model of Jersey Shore.

It's about a family in McIntyre, Georgia. It centers on the eponymous honeybuboo, the six-year-old Alana, who is serially entered into child, I guess beauty pageants by her mother, June. Why don't we listen to a clip of the show and then we'll dig in. The Redneck Games is an annual event here in Georgia.

It's all about Southern Pride,

similar to the Olympics, but with a clip of the show and then we'll dig in. The Redneck Games is an annual event here in Georgia.

It's all about Southern Pride, similar to the Olympics, but with a lot of missing teeth

and a lot of that cracks on.

And the girls will be competing in some of the vents here today.

There's some broke-down people out there.

All right, Dana. Let's dig right into this crazy and spectacularly weird television show. You watched it. What did you think of it? Well, I guess I think it's worth mentioning also at the beginning that it's a spinoff of a previously existing show, right? So if you're interested in seeing kids competing in beauty pageants, you already have a TLC show called Toddlers and Tiaras.

And I guess Alana, this character, whose nickname Honey Boo Boo, appeared and was a big hit on Toddlers and Tiaras because she's such a hammy little girl.

She's six years old and she loves to be on stage.

...