Teen Mom OG fans know that Mackenzie McKee is joining the show and replacing Farrah Abraham, after Farrah got “hate crimed” (fired).
Mackenzie’s no stranger to the Teen Mom franchise, but does she have what it takes to fill the void left when Farrah was cast out?
Farrah’s own mother weighs in.
Remember Teen Mom 3? The world wasn’t ready for Teen Mom 3. Or, at least, that’s what audiences apparently decided.
But Mackenzie Douthit McKee made enough of a splash that, after Farrah Abraham was fired for being a nightmare of a human being (though she was also unfortunately shamed for her sex work), people kept bringing up Mackenzie as a possible replacement.
We know that those are some big, obnoxious shoes to fill.
(Mackenzie is also reportedly being considered for Teen Mom 2 after Jenelle Eason’s future on the show was cast in doubt — either way, Mackenzie would replace a widely hated star)
Now it’s been reported that Mackenzie is joining the Teen Mom OG cast, specifically.
There’s no way to know for sure how fans will react to seeing a different person on the show or the new “vibe” that each episode will bring.
But people have already formed some strong opinions.
In an interview with RadarOnline, Farrah Abraham’s mom Debra Danielsen says that she has misgivings about the idea of Mackenzie filling the void that Farrah left behind.
For starters, she’s just not sure about Mackenzie’s appeal.
“I don’t know how relatable a female bodybuilder is.”
Maybe, though other reality shows have featured female bodybuilders who turned out to be very popular with viewers (just look at 90 Day Fiance‘s Paola Mayfield).
Mackenzie is also married to the father of her children and has an enthusiastic fanbase.
“It’s a bizarre choice knowing our demographic.”
It sounds like maybe Debra herself doesn’t know what to think of a female bodybuilder and might be projecting that onto others.
“I feel like it’s a little disjointed.”
Aside from her doubts as to whether Middle America or key age demographics or whatever will run screaming for the hills at the sight of Mackenzie McKee’s Herculean physique, Debra seems to wish Mackenzie well.
And she feels that Mackenzie’s one big selling point is … her own mother.
“She has a relatable story with her mom being ill.”
Mackenzie’s mother’s cancer battle is serious. She has been diagnosed with Stage IV brain cancer.
(Mackenzie’s mom has apparently been struggling to pay her hospital bills, so a lot of fans welcome the idea of Mackenzie raking in a Teen Mom sized paycheck)
“If Mackenzie took over there would be a new dimension. I hope she does well.”
Debra can’t really pretend to be neutral in all of this — she’s talking about her own daughter’s replacement.
Plus, Debra has some sentimental attachments to Teen Mom of her own.
“I love the cast and crew because we’ve been together for 10 years.”
She spoke of how she misses being part of the show.
“It’s personally very hard for me not to be there. It’s very difficult.”
That’s show business, folks.
Debra Danielsen may be right about people having trouble reconciling a devoted mother with a female bodybuilder. Some folks live in an isolated bubble.
But some question whether that will be any harder for fans to deal with than a sex worker.
In any case, she’s definitely right that the show will be different with Mackenzie than it was with Farrah.
And by “different,” we mean “better.”
The Teen Mom franchise has been criticized for portraying the moms in a negative light. Mackenzie, who largely has her act together, could really change that and provide a nice contrast.
We’ll all find out together.