Mama June's problematic weight loss transformation show on WeTV is already shocking us and we're not even a month into the series.
In an exclusive new clip on Entertainment Tonight, audiences are given a brief glance at a platinum woman wearing a navy blue tracksuit on her way to the gym — it's Mama June, a.k.a June Shannon, star of the new series Mama June: From Not to Hot. And she's unrecognizable as she talks to her daughter, Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, who is sitting on her bed cleaning and counting coins.
Alana calls her mother in to ask her a question, and Mama June obliges after she announces that she is on her way to the gym and will be gone for a few hours. She and her 11-year-old daughter, who is a notable reality star in her own right, argue over whether Mama June will escort Honey Boo Boo to pick out a flower girl dress. But the whole time they're bickering it's hard to not just stare at Mama June.
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While it's clear that the purpose of the clip is not for us to see Mama June's final appearance because, according to the main (and problematic) mission of the show, she transforms her body until the very last episode of the show when she attends the wedding of her ex, Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson (where she wears a size 4 red dress), but it's hard not to remark on the notable change in her figure.
From the show's promos, and our own Q&A with its star, Mama June, it's clear that the sudden weight loss through elective surgery, extreme dieting, and regimented exercise is supposed to be a positive experience for the mother of four. But, as we've written, a "revenge body" is not the key to being happy and healthy (regardless of the number of shows that cling to the myth). Especially not when it's done to rake in viewers. In any case, we wish Mama June all the best, because any personal journey starts and ends with yourself.
Check out the clip below.