Something’s been bothering me about the latest outpouring of concern over Mama June’s situation. I know what it is. Misplaced compassion. (Spoiler alert… this blog is a downer.)
Sorry folks, I think we need to focus on the real victims—her four children. Like a lot of people, I was riveted by Mama June and her family and watched the saga unfold from the beginning with Toddlers and Tiaras. Guilty. Sweet Honey Boo Boo was an innocent six when TLC made her famous on that show. Since then, the family, with Mama June at the head, was given chance after chance and boatloads of cash to better themselves and the circumstances from which they were first discovered. I was rooting for them.
Flash forward to today. People are worried that Mama June is selling everything she owns on the Facebook Marketplace. From furniture, to hangers, to a crazy random car manual, Mama June is looking for cash so she can move God knows where with her latest boyfriend. The two of them have a love for gambling and drugs. She called the cops on him for domestic abuse before remembering to clean up her house and hide her crack. Both of them were arrested. She did have the foresight to hide $1300 cash in her bra, though. Smooth.
But why are we surprised? We certainly shouldn’t be. Let’s do a fast review. The list of her disturbing life choices is incredibly long, but I’ll try to hit the highlights.
She has four girls by three, or maybe four daddies. She’s said she’s not really sure who is the father of one. She dumped her oldest daughter on her mother when Anna was seven so she could move in with a guy named Mark McDaniel who was convicted of aggravated child molestation. Poor little Anna—June’s oldest, also claims to be the victim of this guy. I completely believe her. The other charmers Mama June chose to procreate with are also criminals. And I’m not saying Mama June has a sick type, but the father of Chubbs 😢…. and maybe Pumpkin was convicted for exploitation of minors over the internet. A registered sex offender. What kind of twisted, psychotic type does June have? Does psychiatry even have a name for someone attracted to men with this type of history and sickness? Her million-dollar show—her and her family’s golden ticket—was canceled when producers discovered she’d re-kindled her relationship with her favorite go-to child molester, Mark McDaniel. The man her daughter accused of molesting her.
Even Sugar Bear, the father of Honey Boo Boo is a criminal, convicted of arson. I guess that’s why he was so likeable on the show. Arson seems tame by comparison, right? He robbed some campsites and set a camper on fire. Quite a night for Sugar Bear. He and June were offered a million bucks for an adult video but turned it down. June said she had “….more respect for myself and my kids….”
Moving on. She stole from her daughter, Anna’s money. No big leap since June herself stole $3,300 from a safe at McDonald’s where she was working. (Why were those charges dropped? Where can I get those court records and the name of her lawyer?)
June Shannon (I’m not cute-ing up her name with the Mama anymore) has no custody or relationship with her daughters. In fact, the youngest, Honey Boo Boo is being raised by her sister, Pumpkin. These poor girls were dealt a bad hand when they were given June as their mother. I hope they get help from the damage inflicted on them and wish them all the best.
But not for June. I’ve only scratched the surface on her bullshit. Can you imagine all the small cuts, all the confusion, the bad advice, and pain her children have suffered?
As a young girl, I cried… hard… when I saw the movie Frankenstein. At the time I couldn’t understand why, but as an adult I can see the bullying aspect that the monster dealt with. The utter sadness of his life, his limited brain capacity, and his predicament. The book is a masterpiece and I’m not doing the work any justice here with this review, but the thing is, I felt tremendous compassion for the monster.
I feel none for June Shannon. She’s a real-life monster who God gave four beautiful, healthy children to, then June did her level best to hurt them and screw them up. Again, I sincerely hope they’re doing okay and lead happy, healthy lives without their toxic mother to torture them with her little basket of evil tricks.
The woman made her choices. Remember who she is. When I heard about June and her selling rampage, even I sparked, thinking how fun it would be to purchase that damn car manual. But I stopped and gave myself a talking to.
Remember her past. She’s learned nothing from her mistakes. We shouldn’t be surprised or worried by her continuing the pattern. This is who she is and who she will always be. She chose herself, her sick needs, and terrible men over her children. Stop paying attention to her, folks. Let her go.