Why Honey Boo Boo's Instagram Is Turning Heads

Alana Thompson, a.k.a. Honey Boo Boo, grew up before our eyes as a TLC pageant queen on the hit show Toddlers and Tiaras. If memories of that show, which was canceled in 2016, make you cringe, you're not alone. There were some very controversial moments, instigated more by parents than by the little contestants, because spray-tanning a toddler ain't everyone's cup of tea!

But many of the itty-bitty stars made big names for themselves and perhaps no one had such a successful launch from the reality TV world than Alana and her family. Case in point: We got not one, but two spin-off shows in the form of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and one that chronicled her mother, June Shannon, in Mama June: From Not to Hot. Mama June has had her own tough journey as she's struggled with addiction, and so Alana isn't living with her anymore. Instead, Alana's older sister, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon, is raising Alana along with her husband, Joshua Efird, and daughter, Ella, according to E! News.

Happily, as of this writing, Mama June is closing in on almost one year sober, the outlet noted, and even wants to work at a treatment center. Despite these happy turns, Alana is still living with her big sis and looks like she's thriving. In fact, she's documenting her joy on Instagram, but some of her looks are turning heads. Here's why.

Alana Thompson shared a fun selfie with fans on Instagram in mid-January 2021 captioned, "purrr! (we're gonna ignore the fact my nails are broke okay!)" She was rocking a look with dramatic lashes, long nails, as she warned us, and gave the cutest pucker.

But not everyone was a fan of the look, thinking it was too mature for her age. For the record, Alana was born on Aug. 28, 2005, according to her IMDb bio, so she is still just a teen. In light of this, one person commented, "YOU DON'T NEED LASHES AND NAILS AT YOUR AGE... WHERE'S THE PARENTING AT??? BE A LITTLE GIRL PLEASE."

Alana herself clapped back at this person, saying, "y'all are funny y'all think just cus y'all are hating on me ima take them off?" Others rushed in, including parents. One said, "As a parent I'd have to say 15-16 years old is appropriate to have nails and makeup done." Alana's peers jumped in too. One teen responded, "wearing nails and lashes doesn't take away your childhood, I'm 16 and wear nails and lashes and my childhood was just fine."

People even jumped in with a defense for Alana's sister, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon, who stepped in to help raise her. One person said, "Pumpkin has done a wonderful job at being her parent!" Yessss, we are loving all this support! But that wasn't the only pic Alana shared that grabbed some major attention.

Alana Thompson wasn't stopped for a minute by the shade she got from trolls on social media. She got busy with selfies on Instagram and shared a cute one shot in the car and added the fearless caption: "they don't like it , but they gon' respect it." Amen!

Fans loved the confidence and support flooded in: "OMG YES GIRL SO PRETTY," someone wrote. "You are perfect," another person added. One fan touched on Alana's past and the family struggles she's gone through: "Alana you have grown so much... You look great considering you have to deal with... So sorry for the situation you got put through you deserve better."

Alana is not shy to speak about her own situation, especially when it comes to her guardianship. When she got shade in the previous Instagram post about who was raising her, she clapped back, saying she doesn't care what people have to say about her and that she's definitely not okay with people coming after her mom or sister. "[M]y mom is now sober of almost a year & i couldn't be prouder of her & yes i'm raised by my sister but hey i think she doing a damn good job at it!"

But this isn't even over. She got called a "hot cheeto girl" in one Instagram post and it was not a compliment.

Alana Thompson has been busy on social media serving some looks and even though they're gorgeous, some of her looks are turning heads and getting some shady comments.

Alana shared some selfied on Instagram featuring her big lashes and long nails, with the caption, "as i should!" There was a lot of positivity but one person commented, "hot cheeto girl." If this term is new to you, don't worry, we can explain. Urban Dictionary defines this term as someone who probably "wears thrasher sweatshirts," Vans shoes, and hoops. She's "always ready to fight," and of course, eats Hot Cheetos. Hmm, not the nicest thing ever to call someone.

But Alana didn't back down even from this. As In Touch Weekly noted, she replied, "I might be one, but I'm still a bad bleep [kiss emoji]." While she might get some obnoxious remarks on social media, at least Alana herself is bold in clapping back and obviously has a fleet of fans who are eager to jump in and support her.