First and foremost, let me make it very clear that I’ve never seen an episode of Honey Boo Boo. I’ve only watched trailers for it and read or overheard the thoughts of others who have tuned in to the program.

From the promos, it’s readily apparent the young lead character has lots of charisma. No question the show is getting plenty of attention and I understand it’s drawing tremendous ratings . . . to the point that it has either tied with or exceeded the viewing audiences for both recent political conventions.

I’m thrilled for the entire Boo Boo family, the parents of which, I’m told, are self-proclaimed rednecks. I wish them much continued success.

What makes me even happier than their current good fortune, however, is the fact that—since it is a “reality” show—Honey Boo Boo is NOT shot in my home state of Oklahoma.

A friend of mine and I discussed this fact at cheerfully amazed length while out to dinner recently, after she told me that on a recent episode the family attended a redneck fair, where the mud wrestling event included attendees personally getting down and dirty.

Let’s be honest, residents of my state are often portrayed as members of the great unwashed. It’s enough to give a writer, or any other Oklahoman, a complex.

Typically, whenever I’m watching national news and some type of disaster has struck my state, “the person on the street” who is asked to comment on these events is missing several key teeth, apparently hasn’t bathed for several days, and chose, on that particular day at least, to don a stained promotional cap first worn three or four generations earlier.

Delightful folks all, I’m sure. Yet, not necessarily natural spokesperson material.

Especially since their actual statements tend to run along the lines of “We was standin’ right there when Mama pointed at the sky and said ‘Here it come, here it come.’”

I’ve attended a number of dinner parties where much of the conversation centered on who these people on the street are, where they usually spend their time, and why they suddenly appear whenever disasters strike and members of the media appear.

Because these folks are so often seen representing this state, it comes as no surprise to those of us who live here when individuals who’ve never visited Oklahoma tend to have low expectations regarding our intelligence and level of sophistication.

It saddens us somewhat, but we understand.

All of this to say, although I have no idea where Honey Boo Boo is taped, I’d like to assure the citizens of that state that I and my fellow Oklahomans understand that the actions taken and thoughts expressed on that program do not necessarily portray those of other residents of that locale.

In other words, we feel your pain, folks, and won’t judge you all on the basis of one show. Hang in there. This too shall pass.

HOW ABOUT YOU, ARE YOU A FAN OF HONEY BOO BOO? OR DO YOU LIVE IN A SPOT OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD BY OTHERS? A FREE COPY OF MY DEBUT NOVEL, MRS. GOODFELLER WILL BE RANDOMLY AWARDED TO ONE PERSON WHO LEAVES A COMMENT BELOW BEFORE THE NEXT WRITERSPACE BLOG IS POSTED.

Jaycie Cash blogs on a regular basis for Writerspace.com. Her debut novel, MRS. GOODFELLER, is available through most major e-Book outlets, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. She’d love for you to like her Facebook Author page.