Honey Boo Boo Says Gen Z Isn’t as Body Positive as They Claim to Be
Remember reality star Honey Boo Boo? The former Toddlers & Tiaras star, real name Alana Thompson, is growing up fast!
On Wednesday (Aug. 25), Teen Vogue published their latest cover story with the former pageant queen-turned-reality TV star, who is about to turn 16.
Since her time on Toddlers & Tiaras and filming for her mother's WE TV show, Mama June, Thompson admitted that she has been subjected to internet trolls and hate comments on social media, many of which have been fatphobic in nature.
In fact, Thompson believes that Gen-Z doesn't actually back the body positivity movement as much as they claim to, based on comments she's received from other teens and young adult social media users.
"I feel like my generation is probably making it worse. Everybody's all about body positivity, body positivity until they see a body they don't like," she told the magazine. “I don't understand why people think this way. Just because I got a little bit of extra meat on my bones, you want to hate me? I'll never get body shaming."
Despite the vile comments she's received online, Thompson knows that she has a "banging body" and is confident in her beauty and worth. This confidence extends to her ability to call people out if they call her "Honey Boo Boo" at school, or try to treat her like she is still a child.
“My mama did not name me Honey Boo Boo. My name is Alana," she explained. "They are completely two different people. I would say that I do like this Alana now, rather than the younger Alana."
And although she attends school like a normal kid, her social life isn't all that typical.
“To be honest, I do not have many friends. At all,” Thompson admited, before adding that her only friend is her boyfriend. “Because I feel like folks are so much like, 'Oh, my God, I'm friends with Honey Boo Boo,'” she shared. “I don't trust nobody really, so I don't have friends.”
Thompson also shared that when she tries to make friends, she has to test them over three or four months, waiting to see if they call her "Honey Boo Boo" or ask her to pay for something, since people believe that she's wealthy.
Being a reality star has its pitfalls, like making it harder to make friends, but Thompson believe that it's for the best in the long run: “I want to have a life, you know? I want to be able to support my kids when I do have kids and stuff like that. It’s definitely something that is good for the time being [and] good for later on in life.”
See more photos of Thompson's Teen Vogue shoot, below: