Honey Boo Boo Breaks Girls Scouts Rules With Online Cookie Sales
Not so fast, Honey Boo Boo! You may be an international celebrity, but as far as the rules are concerned, you’re just another Girl Scout.
TLC’s child beauty queen Honey Boo Boo, whose real name is Alana Thompson, published a flier on her Facebook page selling Girl Scout cookies with instructions on payment. After the Girl Scouts contacted her, explaining it was against the rules, she pulled the flier.
“The simple answer [as to why we asked that the ad be pulled] is because it violates a Girl Scout agreement that no cookies will be sold online. Every troop around the nation has agreed to that guideline, so we are simply asking this family to honor it,” Michelle Thompkins, a representative of the Girls Scouts, told Yahoo! Shine.
Though with the help of Honey Boo Boo, the Girls Scouts undoubtedly would’ve seen a spike in sales: Boo Boo has over 700,000 Facebook followers, and she was selling the boxes with her autograph and an autographed family photo for just $3.50 a box.
But the mission behind the Girl Scouts isn’t just about sales, Thompkins told Shine. “This program isn’t just about generating revenue, it’s about teaching girls skills they will use the rest of their lives . . . When you have canvassed your neighborhood and manned cookie booths for hours, you learn the value of a hard day’s work.”
On Tuesday Boo Boo assured her followers that orders that were already paid for would indeed be shipped—at the time this article was published that post had 913 likes and 183 very enthusiastic comments complimenting Boo Boo on being such a good Girl Scout.
After she was asked to remove the ad, several people felt that Boo Boo had been singled out unfairly. “I can't understand why they are singling you out about online sales when there are TONS of eBay stores doing the exact same thing. They should be grateful for the $$ regardless.”
To be clear, Honey Boo Boo isn’t even a Girl Scout. But she is a good friend—she was selling the cookies on behalf of her pal Dezzy.
Related on Shine:
Life Lessons from Honey Boo Boo's Mom, June Shannon
8 Reasons Honey Boo Boo's Mama is a Good Parent
How to Make Your Own Girl Scout Thin Mints
