Pageant Mom Defends Daughter’s Super-Caffeinated “Go-Go Juice”

What do you get when you mix Mountain Dew and Red Bull? One very hyper pageant girl and a heaping cup of controversy. 

You may remember 6-year-old beauty queen Alana Shannon from TLC’s Toddler & Tiaras, where she famously nicknamed herself “Honey Boo Boo Child” and confessed that “A dolla make me holla,” all while wiggling her bare belly for the cameras. (My reaction? Jaw drop. Uncomfortable laughter. Cringe. Cringe. Worry about the future of humanity.)

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Alana and mom June joined Good Morning America’s Andrea Canning to discuss the secret to Alana’s bigger-than-life personality at every pageant: a sugary, caffeine concoction of Mountain Dew and Red Bull the mom has dubbed “Go-Go Juice.” While many of the pageant moms on the show have admitted giving their kids Pixy Stix (“pageant crack”) to give them an extra boost during competitions, Alana’s pick-me-up has the same amount of caffeine as two cups of coffee, GMA reports. 

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“There are far worst things,” June said. “There are normal people everyday who give their kids this. Why is it such a big issue with us pageant moms?”

Too much caffeine can cause nausea, heart arrhythmias, insomnia, and ADHD-like symptoms in kids, and studies have found a strong connection between the stimulant and poor academic performance – all serious reasons why Alana’s Go-Go Juice is a no-no.

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Sadly, this is not the most disturbing thing we’ve seen on Toddler & Tiaras. Remember, this the same show that brought us little girls in Madonna cone bras and Pretty Woman prostitute costumes. Sigh.

Check out Alana’s Go-Go Juice in full-effect: