helicopter parent?

Kalon McMahon's mom sticks up for Bachelorette loser: He's clever and real, notcruel

It all happened so quickly . . . Never fear though, rumor has it that Houstonnative Kalon McMahon has been cast for Bachelor Pad 3, which premiers July 23.
Kalon McM/Twitter
Since he was 13-years-old, Kalon has helped raise funds and awareness forCitizens for Animal Protection (CAPS), a Houston non-profit dedicated tosheltering and adopting area pets.
Team KJRM
That's right, now you too can have your "Baggage" casual wear and tote bags.
Team KJRM
For the duration of this season's Bachelorette, the reality star will be sellinga line of logo merchandise. All proceeds go to CAPS.
Team KJRM

After sifting through dozens of fake Kalon McMahon accounts to reach the Houston reality star after his dramatic departure from The Bachelorette, CultureMap finally made contact Tuesday morning with a real person — Kalon's mom, Merrick Stern.

Managing her son's press traffic while he's out of town for the month (reportedly filming Bachelor Pad 3), Stern says she's relieved to be able to share some of her thoughts now that Kalon's off the show. Of course, Kalon's departure came with plenty of "baggage" with him becoming an Internet uber villain for his cracks on bachelorette single mom Emily Maynard's daughter Ricki.

"I actually thought it was hilarious what he said about life with Emily being a non-stop group date," she laughs. "It's such a classic Kalonism — funny, clever and very real."

"It's such a classic Kalonism — funny, clever and very real.".

CultureMap was curious about what it was like to watch her son spend five weeks as this season's villain.

"At first, I was hurt by all the negative things I read online," Stern says. "Then Kalon was like 'Mom . . . really?' He told me not to take life so seriously and that all that stuff is part of the show.

"He was totally right, of course, but it took me a while to stop reading a lot of the articles on the Internet."

Even as Maynard called her son "a terrible human being" on Monday night, Stern says she managed to stomach some of the harsher moments Kalon faced and, to a degree, relate with Maynard's situation.

"I know some people will hate him for what he said about baggage," Mom Kalon says. "Being a single mom myself, I'd be totally defensive too. Honestly, though, I think Emily actually liked Kalon quite a bit and that's why she blew up at him so much."

When asked why Kalon didn't fight harder to defend himself, Stern says Kalon told his family he was ready to leave the competition at that point. (Click here for a rather compelling defense of Kalon's run posted on the entertainment blog Wetpaint.)

"When he came home we were all very concerned for him, but he laughed and said he just didn't want to be there anymore," Stern says. "He doesn't feel bad about anything that happened and, in the end, I think it's turned out to be a great experience for him."

Right now, she suspects former nice guy Ryan Bowers will take her son's place as the show's new bad boy. "That guy seems to be in it to win it . . . This is a TV contest after all. "

For the duration of Bachelorette season eight, Kalon is selling shirts and bags featuring his catch phrase "Baggage: Everybody has it. Depends on how you use it" from his TEAM KJRM website. All proceeds go to Citizens for Animal Protection (CAPS), a Houston non-profit for which the local reality star has been raising funds since he was 13 years old. Don't miss the video from 1999, by the way.

The third season of Bachelor Pad will reportedly kick off July 23 at 7 p.m. — mark your calendars.

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"Here come the grannies!"

Walk through the Magic Door to experience the world of Bluey in Houston

bluey and bingo's bedroom at camp in houston

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

Bluey is coming to the Galleria this February “for real life” through an immersive event that invites visitors to enter the world of the famous Australian Heeler family. This one-of-a-kind experience brings the Heeler home and backyard to life with intricate details that will delight fans of all ages.

Tickets are on sale now for Bluey x CAMP, the inaugural interactive experience of the combination toy store, party venue, and immersive theater space. This is The Family Experience Company’s first CAMP location in Houston, with the business securing a 7,500-square-foot permanent retail space in the Galleria.

Through “The Magic Door,” a pivoting wall, visitors step into seasonally rotating interactive spaces beginning with a 5,000-square-foot lifesize replica of Bluey’s house.

Visitors can play games made popular by the show, such as grannies and keepy uppy, and bust a move when “dance mode” is activated. The kitchen’s fridge is covered in drawings by the Heeler puppies, while the living room TV plays Bluey.

Families can explore both a pillow fort and a cardboard castle — two-story structures complete with slides — before venturing into a playroom stocked with toys and costumes from the show. In the backyard, a recreation of the Heeler’s large tree is surrounded by charming gnomes. A photo opportunity with Bluey and Bingo tops off the visit.

Beyond the world of Bluey, CAMP offers even more for visitors in its Canteen space, with a splatter room, The Schmutz Bar (a slime creation station), a party room, and a playable truck. Customers can also shop for toys, clothing, and accessories.

Houston joins a list of CAMP’s locations in Dallas, Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Installations change seasonally, with other current features including Paw Patrol, The Little Mermaid, and Encanto.

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

bluey galleria-houston camp bluey x camp