Villain Of The Week: Clueless Courtney

There have been rumors that teenage bride Courtney Stodden and her sleazy middle-aged husband Doug Hutchison have been angling for a reality show ever since their bizarre marriage in 2011 turned both into an ongoing tabloid spectacle.

Turns out they might not really need a new show, since our new Villain of the Week, Courtney, has turned herself into the dominant personality on the second season of VH1’s Couples Therapy.

Let’s be real: despite the presence of real-life therapist Dr. Jenn Berman, this show is not a substitute for real treatment. But we see some genuine moments of pain and insight on occasion, and as on the show that sort of inspired it, Celebrity Rehab, almost all the participants understand that it is wise to at least appear as if you’re taking the process seriously.

But as you probably could have guessed from the fact that they got married in the first place, Courtney and Doug don’t even take their own lives seriously, so giving that kind of respect to a mere reality show is beyond them. The two are allegedly taking part in this season because of conflicts arising out of their age difference (as a nation goes “Duh!”).

But there has been an ongoing problem relating to Courtney’s attire in the group therapy sessions. Unwilling to abandon her tabloid image for even this supposedly genuine process, she has been showing up in boob-baring and midriff-baring tops (even bras-as-tops), and shorts and skirts that often flirt with a gynecologists’-eye view. Dr. Jenn tried to persuade her that her clothes were a distraction that kept the others from concentrating on self-improvement – or as fellow cast member Tashaunda “Tiny” Hailey put it, “I just got tired of seein’ the bitch ass cheeks.”

We’re going to leave aside Courtney’s nonsensical self-regard (which peaked when she insisted to Dr. Jenn, “I have saved many lives!”) or the distinct feeling that we still haven’t seen anything from her that seems like an authentic personality.

So on the last episode, Dr. Jenn told Courtney that a dress code appropriate to a therapy session, or to regular life in general, would be imposed. After making a show of going along and actually dressing semi-professionally for one session, the teen bride decided to go back to being “naughty” for her next therapy appearance. Her rationale was that she needed to give her fans what they expect from her, and that dressing the way she wants is the same thing as taking a stand against “bullying,” as well as acting in the spirit of Erin Brockovich.

Dr. Jenn threw the pair out of therapy, but the previews for the next episode indicated that Doug and Courtney would return, because VH1 isn’t run by complete idiots. This raises the question: can Courtney really be a villain when she’s merely filling her assigned role on the show? My feeling is yes, because while the others in the cast might certainly be in it for fame more than for self-help, there’s at least some sense they are taking the sessions seriously. Courtney ‘s combination of stupidity and total self-absorption isn’t really entertaining, and can’t be much fun for the rest of the cast.

And honorable mention to Doug – it’s not like he’s any prize either.

Are you enjoying the antics of Courtney this season?