In theory, it's antithetical for a reality show to hide the realities of its participants' lives in order to keep that fourth wall intact, but considering how scripted and staged the genre has become as of late, audiences have grown accustomed to this failure to acknowledge how being on a show changes the lives of its stars (see: The Hills). And that's why it's kind of refreshing that Teen Mom is showing how Amber's fame (or infamy)—a direct result of her association with show—is affecting her everyday life.
On last night's episode, Amber acknowledged that the bad press she's received (stemming from an episode last season in which she is shown punching the father of her child) has invited hecklers who yell insults at her as they drive by, saying that she's a bad mother. The ridicule and harassment has led to Amber secluding herself from the outside world, and she admits that she hasn't been out of the house much. She wouldn't even take her daughter Leah trick-or-treating because she feared that people would say disparaging things to her.
Amber's had a rough run: public shaming, a CPS investigation, charges of felony domestic abuse, and a suspended driver's license are all possible contributors to her depression, which ultimately led to her recent suicide attempt.
DISCUSSION
I didn't know we were supposed to feel bad for abusers? All that's going wrong in her life is happening because she had the gall to put her hands on someone multiple times and in front of her child. On top of her downright nasty behavior, she seems to find it amusing that she beat her boyfriend on national television and has displayed no remorse whatsoever.
I don't find her depression to be an excuse for the way she's treated Gary. And sure, Gary is a lazy oaf at times, but he was absolutely right when he said that NOTHING he did should have provoked her to abuse him like that. Depression is a terrible thing for anyone to go through, especially if you're an uneducated teen mother who has little help. But it does not give her the right to abuse anyone.
She shouldn't be harassed, but she deserves no sympathy. If she was a man, we'd have no problem raking her over the coals. She's an abuser, plain and simple. And the last paragraph of this article neglects to mention that all of Amber's problems are a direct result of her shitty behavior.