To most viewers, Love Island is the guiltily perfect way to turn our minds away from the monotony of our real, working lives and enter the sphere of conventionally attractive twenty-something year olds, where their primary fear is as simple as a more attractive competitor ‘mugging them off’ and ‘cracking on to their bird’ (that they’ve known 10 seconds).
It may be trash, but it’s an escape. There’s something addictive and entertaining about investing emotional energy in other people’s fabricated issues on their quest to find love.
Yes, you’ve got the representation issues: the lack of racial diversity half-heartedly brushed off by the producers throwing in one or two POC to satisfy a minimal criteria. Or the show’s refusal to include any contestants deviant from their concrete body-type because they’re looking for people who are going to be ‘attractive to others’ (because THAT isn’t problematic!).
These are issues enough and the show is indeed hugely responsible for multiple negative elements that arise from Love Island. But I think the show itself isn’t entirely to blame for how depressing I’ve found it to become.
I’m talking about Molly-Mae once automatically becoming public enemy number one for taking a liking to more than one male (God forbid that on a dating show!).
I’m talking about Amber’s unfiltered (sometimes harsh) comments being met with Instagram users insisting ‘I hope they vote for [Amber] to die’, probably because they wanted to demonstrate the sort of kindness they feel Amber isn’t quite delivering.
I’m talking about article headlines reading ‘Love Island’s Amy Slammed For Reaction To New Girl’ – not because of any spiteful comments or backstabbing bitching, but for greeting the new contestant before she had brushed her teeth. Such ‘horrific’ antics triggered her evening’s share of Twitter users branding her titles such as ‘sly jealous whore’. Who knew not brushing your teeth before greeting someone could be so horrifyingly offensive?
Although, given the current witch hunt for Amy in general, if she had brushed her teeth, showered, dressed etc. before greeting a new contestant, she’d be branded very similar insults for ignoring a possible competitor and failing to welcome her instantly.
You just can’t win.
Even once fan favourite Curtis was being bitterly called for being revoked from the show because his kindness and counsel-like motivational speeches were interrupting and squashing some of the negative yet juicy drama between fellow contestants.
I’m not suggesting everyone must view all contestants with rose-tinted glasses and only shower glorious compliments. The show’s showcase of common behaviours, sticky scenarios and relationships is a brilliant way to open up conversations on how we act in today’s society. It’s a great chance to reflect on and debate good behaviour vs. bad behaviour.
But when did this conversation-opener become a parade of incessant hatred and death threats?
Every evening, the internet and social media begins to flood with offensive memes, petty name-calling, violent insults, negative nitpicking and bitter rebukes towards the contestants.
It is the most heartbreaking and hypocritical thing I’ve witnessed in a long time. While fans are violently demanding reality shows to provide better care and mental support for their contestants, newly-evicted contestants are being held up in safety refuges as a result of the hatred from fans themselves.
Of course, reality shows are responsible for providing care and support for contestants new to the limelight, but that duty of care does not give viewers an excuse to freely insinuate hatred and violent threats.
Two lives have been tragically ended as a result of struggle to cope with life post-Love Island. This is a bitter cry to everyone, not just show producers. It is EVERYONE’s responsibility to make others feel safe and comfortable in this life.
We NEED to do better than this. We NEED to be kinder than this.
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