S07.E16: Friends in Need

[Snarky McSnarky]

19 hours ago, IDreamofJoaquin said:

When Maci mentioned the miscarriage the first time during the anniversary dinner I was under the impression that she and Taylor had experienced that together, especially with the comment that they had named the baby. To find out she told him two months later......it doesn't take away from any pain or loss a person would feel, I just found it odd.  Also, the fact that Maci keeps saying "I haven't told anyone" yet has talked about it on camera twice.  All of her scenes with Tyler were awkward.  Tyler explaining to Maci how a woman feels after a miscarriage. Thanks, Tyler! She didn't know.  Laughed when Maci went back home and Taylor commented about how hard it was to have both kids there because it was the weekend.  No daycare!!! 

This was one of the worst episodes I have seen in all these years.  So tedious, so reaching for some drama, so forced.  I hated everyone in this episode. 

These definitions of Mansplaining fit Tyler quite well:

Lily Rothman of The Atlantic defines it as "explaining without regard to the fact that the explainee knows more than the explainer, often done by a man to a woman." 

Feminist author Rebecca Solnit ascribes the phenomenon to a combination of "overconfidence and cluelessness."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansplaining

[IDreamofJoaquin]

Yeah, that's what I thought when watching it.  Mansplaining 101 with Professor Tierra Reign!!

[Snarky McSnarky]

Professor Tyler explaining World War II in his usual authoritative tone:  "And then the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor."

[tumamita]

It's kind of annoying to see the exploitation of mental illness on this show. I don't doubt Caitlyn has some issues but life most go on. You aren't the 16 yr old we met you as. So many years have passed. You are now a mom, your husband needs you. She seems so much of a hassle than a benefit to someones life. Be grateful you aren't deal with life issues having to work a crappy job every day, with money issues and no help - like some regular folk have to deal with everyday. Tyler, good luck.

[StatisticalOutlier]

4 hours ago, Birdee said:

If she did have the miscarriage, I can't believe she wouldn't tell Taylor for two months.

I can, because with her own mouth she told Cate what her "miscarriage" actually was.  It doesn't happen often, but this is a case of two irreconcilable stories, both told by the same person.  The version she told Cate is the one I believe, and not the "We had a name picked out for her" one. 

The reason she didn't tell Taylor is the same reason she hadn't told her family or friends, and is the reason she did tell the cameras at the anniversary dinner:  it was no big deal but it could be exaggerated into a sympathetic story line.  Maybe even one that was "encouraged" for headlines and so she could be a friend in need to Cate (I don't know the timeline), but in her Whataburger-large-french-fries-and-44-ounce-drink-induced coma, Maci briefly went off script and told the truth. 

 

1 hour ago, Snarky McSnarky said:

These definitions of Mansplaining fit Tyler quite well:

But it's not "mansplaining" when the man does know more than the woman does.  Or shouldn't be, anyway.  Sometimes a given man does know more about something than a given woman does, and that's how I see the situation here.

[starfire]

I feel so bad for Leah. Her "mom" is supposedly too depressed/mentally ill/busy filming to see her more than a handful of times per year, but she is perfectly fine to have a baby she will supposedly be with and take care of 24/7 (I feel very sorry for the new baby, too).  This all must be so hard for a little girl to comprehend, and she deserves so much better.  Amber should be ashamed of herself, but all she does is make excuses. She has no respect or appreciation for everything Gary and Kristina have done and continue to do for Leah. Thank God Leah has good, caring, stable parents in Gary and Kristina.

[ReadMeLattice]

On 3/28/2018 at 2:44 PM, Rebecca said:

Rest assured, lots of us with mental illnesses are right there with you saying WTF.

Right?! Amber, please don't speak for those of us with depression. 

It's like Nathan being a spokesperson for the military or Leah being a motivational speaker for parents of kids with disabilities. 

We don't need you, please and thanks! 

[ReadMeLattice]

On 3/28/2018 at 5:48 PM, Rebecca said:

Good luck to them, it’s not nearly as easy as people think to get approved for disability. I don’t like to get personal very often but I have PTSD, bipolar disorder and severe anxiety in addition to a sometimes physical disability (Ménière's disease) and I don’t qualify because I’m not considered disabled enough, even though the Ménière's has left me literally unable to physically function for months multiple times. I know people who are definitely more “disabled” than myself and some of them are still working too. (I’m not all woe is me about any of this and posting this personal stuff makes me uncomfortable but I hate the misconception that it’s easy as hell to get on disability. I didn’t even want to be on it, my doctors actually suggested I apply.) Catelynn and Amber are definitely the type to try anything to get out of working though, I agree with that for sure.

He’s probably excited for the pain meds she’ll receive after she gives birth.

 

Yep, my brother in law took months and he has Down syndrome...my husband is a visibly paralyzed person in a wheelchair and by the time he was "approved" he was out of grad school and had a much higher income and didn't need it anymore, so I think he never saw a check after tons of paperwork and red tape and doctor visits. Took a full school year. Terrifying to think what people do when they really have no income, both of them work full time and just needed part-time aides paid for. 

Not that Cate and Amber won't try, of course...A few people do seem to somehow get on it easily? Maybe it's dependent on your area and your local social security office?

I especially hate how they act like they've done all this research. Oh, please, ladies, tell us about all the peer-reviewed studies you've read on the subject. Enlighten us. 

Edited March 30, 2018 by Lm2162

[AirQuotes]

So much *weirdness* with Amber's RV!  I have so many questions!  They were all shut up inside it for what seemed like a while with Gary knocking.  When they came out it looked as if they had all been sleeping.  NuMatt wasn't wearing shoes or socks and he looked as if he had been sleeping too.  Who was driving the RV?  Did they hire a driver?  One of the MTV crew? You know Amber didn't drive that thing.

[Spacehorse]

Am I the only one that was hoping that when NuMatt showed up in the driveway with the RV, that he would do a cousin Eddie, and empty out the septic tank in Gary's storm drain. Then yell out "shitters full!" When Gary walked out of the house.

[Mr. Miner]

41 minutes ago, Spacehorse said:

Am I the only one that was hoping that when NuMatt showed up in the driveway with the RV, that he would do a cousin Eddie, and empty out the septic tank in Gary's storm drain. Then yell out "shitters full!" When Gary walked out of the house.

lmao!

[GreatKazu]

When the hell is Amber going to fix her damn ear lobe? Jesus Christ that shit looks nasty as hell. Did that happen when she pulled off her earrings and then grabbed the Vaseline prior to punching Matt? 

[Jeanne222]

Omg that looks terrible and hurts just to look at it!  Uggg.

6 hours ago, AirQuotes said:

So much *weirdness* with Amber's RV!  I have so many questions!  They were all shut up inside it for what seemed like a while with Gary knocking.  When they came out it looked as if they had all been sleeping.  NuMatt wasn't wearing shoes or socks and he looked as if he had been sleeping too.  Who was driving the RV?  Did they hire a driver?  One of the MTV crew? You know Amber didn't drive that thing.

I never thought of that but I bet MTV rented it and a crew member drove it.

Heck no Amber wasn't driving.

You can't steer from bed!

Gosh Numatt is one big ugly dude.  I can't even imagine the sex.  Uggg.  

[Rebecca]

1 hour ago, Jeanne222 said:

Gosh Numatt is one big ugly dude.  I can't even imagine the sex.  Uggg.  

Not that I want to but I have a hard time imagining Amber having sex at all, it’s way too much activity for her. She must just lay there. ? 

[ginger90]

Between her hair and phone, Tyler could have been talking to an empty seat.

[Thorkim]

21 hours ago, GreatKazu said:

When the hell is Amber going to fix her damn ear lobe? Jesus Christ that shit looks nasty as hell. Did that happen when she pulled off her earrings and then grabbed the Vaseline prior to punching Matt? 

Seriously, it looks like mini testicles.

[CofCinci]

Each one of those earlobe rips is a fight.  She won’t have it fixed because it shows that she is a “boss bitch”/“real woman”. 

[FairyDusted]

Awwww Mannnn! I can't unsee that! That's just as bad as Maci's gauges. Totally freaks me out.

[TheRealT]

On 3/27/2018 at 11:14 PM, SPLAIN said:

Gary - I wish you had not apologized. For all the hate and unkind words Amber has thrown your way, in your face, on social media, on this show, and in interviews, you were correct in your assessment about Amber. It was filled with a lot of emotion, pain, and anger, but nothing atrocious. If this show is supposed to be about reality and what is happening in the lives of these Teen Moms, then it is fair game for those who are dealing with them to be able to say what is on their mind. Especially when it is without a doubt the truth and it comes from someone who has credibility.

Did anyone notice the wonky editing during the Gary & Kristina scene? One moment Gary is speaking while standing in front of the oven. Then, when he started talking about Matt, he was suddenly standing in front of the refrigerator.

This is one of the problems with them being on the show. Without the reality show, Gary and Kristina could privately vent to each other about what a shitty mom Amber is and how that negatively affects Leah while being mostly positive with Amber in person/on SM in order to keep the peace for Leah's sake (which is the right thing to do). However, doing the show means that carrying out the "publicly nice to Amber" strategy possibly includes actively lying/covering for Amber in order to make her look better to the public and prevent her from having public meltdowns in reaction to being held accountable for her behavior. I wonder whether that contributed to Gary's failure to take Amber to court for non-payment of child support (It actually bugs me that he's not doing that. Amber is making great money, but she won't be for long and it's certain that she'll contribute zero to Leah's care after the MTV money ends (not even the expensive presents she periodically buys her to seem like a good mom and try to make up for what a crap mom she actually is).)

On 3/29/2018 at 11:28 AM, Calm81 said:

Make me think Maci made up the miscarriage for a storyline. Seems like it backfired when Cate ended up having one real time.

The dinner scene for the anniversary, Taylor kinda looked like a man that asked his wife not to resort so low as to making up a loss of a pregnancy for ratings and when Maci said it anyway, Taylor gave her a look like “I’m not sure I know who you are!”

The dinner scene she made it sound like they mourned together and named the embryo Dandylion in remembrance to only discover that Taylor learned about it TWO MONTHS LATER?!?!?!?!!?

She’s not a good liar and her lies always end up coming up becaue she says one thing but never sticks to the one story but keeps adding variations of what happened. Maci is sick person if my theory is correct.

To lie about not knowing she was pregnant until she was way far along to cover up for being photographed drinking and partying up whil pregnant to then making up a miscarriage because her life is boring is so low.

I’m not into shock entertainment. There is NOTHING fuckin’ entertaining about loss of pregnancies so she better be telling the truth otherwise there is a place in hell for her and Amber to one up each other on traumas. ?

I’m sorry everyone, I’m having a terrible week (month) and I’m overly bitchy. 

I don't think it's bitchy. I'm disgusted by Maci too. When I first saw her explanation of her "miscarriage" and not telling Taylor for 2 months I thought I must have misunderstood, but reading the posts here I see that it is what I thought. Which is, frankly, ridiculous. She's claiming that she went to Taylor and said, "Babe, 2 months ago when I went to the doctor she told me that I had had a very, very early miscarriage. I didn't even realize I was pregnant, but, apparently, I was. I haven't told you until now [for some reason], but FYI." and Taylor was like, "OMG! Our baby! I loved her so much already! We should name her Dandelion!" They picked out a name when they didn't know the sex of the "baby" (or that the "baby" existed)? I could even maybe buy that it was such a big deal to them from a couple who had been trying to have kids for a long time and were desperate to be parents, but not so much from 20-somethings who already have 3 healthy kids (and no reason that really makes sense to think that they can't have more kids if they want to).

To add to the grossness, they're having a fake (IMO) meeting with an adoption counselor or something in next week's episode. Maci has actually orchestrated this whole multi-arc storyline painting herself as an awesome mom who has a terrible medical condition that has caused her to suffer unspeakable pain, lose a baby she and her husband desperately wanted, have to face the possibility that she won't be able to have another baby, and bravely consider adoption to grow her family. In reality, she's a very fertile young woman who conceived and birthed 3 healthy children before she was 25 while hardly missing a spring break or kegger.

[GreatKazu]

Quote

I wonder whether that contributed to Gary's failure to take Amber to court for non-payment of child support (It actually bugs me that he's not doing that.

@TheRealT According to what was said by Amber to Gary, she is apparently paying him in a lump sum when her MTV check is in her hands. She didn't say it that clearly because they can't mention their wages on the show, but that was alluded by her to him. 

I think Gary is being cordial by allowing her to pay that way. At that point, she had not paid what she owed him and that was why he brought it up. 

Slow clap to the rest of your post on Maci. Gross is really a great description for what she is doing on the show with regard to using a supposed miscarriage and adoption for storylines.

[ChristmasJones]

Finally watched last night. I am trying to do my part to bring down ratings by waiting almost a week to watch each episode. I wish we could get the entire forum to do that!! (I know it would never happen).

This episode reminds me why I stopped watching a couple of seasons ago and didn't watch for an entire season. The storylines are SO BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I'm starting to believe that Mack basically saw these chicks on this show all these years and said to herself, "why don't I get all the goodies- I'm a teen mom, too!"  I think she basically just decided she was going to become "rich and famous" like all these other heifers. She doesn't care that Riine is an addict. She got a ring on her finger and immediately got pregnant because she is on the fast track to getting a little cash before they flush this series down the toilet.

Edited April 1, 2018 by ChristmasJones

[GreatKazu]

12 minutes ago, ChristmasJones said:

Finally watched last night. I am trying to do my part to bring down ratings by waiting almost a week to watch each episode. I wish we could get the entire forum to do that!! (I know it would never happen).

This episode reminds me why I stopped watching a couple of seasons ago and didn't watch for an entire season. The storylines are SO BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I'm starting to believe that Mack basically saw these chicks on this show all these years and said to herself, "why don't I get all the goodies- I'm a teen mom, too!"  I think she basically just decided she was going to become "rich and famous" like all these other heifers. She doesn't care that Riine is an addict. She got a ring on her finger and immediately got pregnant because she is on the fast track to getting a little cash before they flush this series down the toilet.

Do you DVR the episodes or watch a repeat airing?

[ReadMeLattice]

21 hours ago, TheRealT said:

This is one of the problems with them being on the show. Without the reality show, Gary and Kristina could privately vent to each other about what a shitty mom Amber is and how that negatively affects Leah while being mostly positive with Amber in person/on SM in order to keep the peace for Leah's sake (which is the right thing to do). However, doing the show means that carrying out the "publicly nice to Amber" strategy possibly includes actively lying/covering for Amber in order to make her look better to the public and prevent her from having public meltdowns in reaction to being held accountable for her behavior. I wonder whether that contributed to Gary's failure to take Amber to court for non-payment of child support (It actually bugs me that he's not doing that. Amber is making great money, but she won't be for long and it's certain that she'll contribute zero to Leah's care after the MTV money ends (not even the expensive presents she periodically buys her to seem like a good mom and try to make up for what a crap mom she actually is).)

 

This is a good point that I hadn't thought of. They're obviously pretty much only filmed when being prompted by MTV to discuss Amber, so their choices are to lie and basically support her terrible behavior or tell the truth and risk her wrath.

[ChristmasJones]

14 minutes ago, GreatKazu said:

Do you DVR the episodes or watch a repeat airing?

DVR.

They track three major categories - people who watch live or same day,  within three days, and within seven days. So I really should watch last week's episode on Tuesday if I wanted to be out of the live-plus-seven category.

https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/tv-and-culture/dvr-viewings-tv-ratings1.htm

[GreatKazu]

5 minutes ago, ChristmasJones said:

DVR.

They track three major categories - people who watch live or same day,  within three days, and within seven days. So I really should watch last week's episode on Tuesday if I wanted to be out of the live-plus-seven category.

https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/tv-and-culture/dvr-viewings-tv-ratings1.htm

That was why I asked. Some people think if they DVR they are avoiding being part of the ratings. 

[ChristmasJones]

3 minutes ago, GreatKazu said:

That was why I asked. Some people think if they DVR they are avoiding being part of the ratings. 

Not me! ;)

[Cherry Cola]

On 3/31/2018 at 3:43 PM, Thorkim said:

Seriously, it looks like mini testicles.

It does!!!  hilarious!  It is Peter Griffins chin! Lol

[AmyFarrahFowler]

On 4/1/2018 at 11:45 AM, ChristmasJones said:

DVR.

They track three major categories - people who watch live or same day,  within three days, and within seven days. So I really should watch last week's episode on Tuesday if I wanted to be out of the live-plus-seven category.

https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/tv-and-culture/dvr-viewings-tv-ratings1.htm

Thanks for this info!