Evangeline Scott
I must admit reality TV is my guilty pleasure. I like the escape of watching someone else’s drama for a bit; it seems to put my problems into perspective. Nothing achieves this more than Love Island, with its 8-week summer run (and, in recent years, a second all-stars series in winter as well). However, even I can’t ignore its highly problematic gender stereotypes and how this toxic behaviour seems to be reflective of everyday society.
THIS BEHAVIOUR IS OFTEN A RESULT OF AN ‘ECHO CHAMBER’ ENVIRONMENT WHEREIN PEOPLE’S PRE-EXISTING VIEWS ARE REINFORCED BY SIMILAR SURROUNDING VIEWS RATHER THAN CHALLENGED BY OPPOSING ONES.
The show has always been a clear example of how toxic masculinity manifests itself, and nothing shows this more clearly than last year’s ‘bro culture’. Harrison, Harry and Dejon are all perfect examples of this, as the women in their couples were often gaslit, manipulated and humiliated by their toxic masculinity. This underscores a toxic culture of male solidarity that prioritises protecting each other over telling the truth.
The behaviour seen in Harrison could be the result of him amplifying his toxic behaviour to impress the other boys, especially Harry, who, at age 30, was the most senior of the contestants. Glamour writer Fleurine Tideman pointed out how Harrison was seemingly impressed with Harry’s poor behaviour, asking how he got away with it. The latter’s response was, ‘You know I get away with everything… you’ll get to my level.’
This behaviour is often a result of an ‘echo chamber’ environment wherein people’s pre-existing views are reinforced by similar surrounding views rather than challenged by opposing ones.
This culture echoes rhetoric found in online ‘red pill’ communities and influences such as Andrew Tate, who actively encourages the objectification and dehumanisation of women under the guise of embracing masculinity, dominance and becoming an ‘alpha male’. When it comes to dating, these views manifest themselves as destructive behaviours.
THIS DISPARITY SUGGESTS THAT FEMALE AGGRESSION IS POLICED MUCH MORE HARSHLY THAN COMPARABLE MALE BEHAVIOUR.
This leads to internalised misogyny in the women, where they feel forced to compete for male attention, which guarantees survival in the world of reality TV, even if it leads them to view each other with suspicion. For example, in the ongoing all-stars season, the infighting between Belle and Lucinda has been so extreme that host Maya Jama was forced to step in and comfort Lucinda after she was brought to tears during a game.
Love Island is no stranger to toxic femininity, with earlier seasons being marred by the issue. A 2021 episode sparked almost 25,000 Ofcom complaints regarding an argument between contestants Faye and her partner Teddy, which was 20 times higher than the amount of complaints for male contestants Luca and Dami’s alleged bullying in 2022. This disparity suggests that female aggression is policed much more harshly than comparable male behaviour.
Given that these contestants have been through a rigorous casting process, they should be good role models for the millions watching each season. Unfortunately, producers prioritise high viewership and the profits that come with drama over contestants with good morals, meaning they are more likely to pick people with problematic views and behaviours to increase the level of drama.
PERHAPS THIS REFLECTS A SOCIETY THAT NORMALISES THE MISTREATMENT OF WOMEN IN DATING AND GLORIFIES PROBLEMATIC MALE ARCHETYPES
The bad behaviour of these individuals may be a consequence of watching other toxic public figures. Ironically, after the show, these same people are given platforms to become role models themselves, which then perpetuates the cycle of toxic masculinity.
It’s possible the success of the show year upon year and the wider reach it gets has led to more problematic behaviours among the men as they are influenced by previous seasons – as evidenced by the trend towards more men recoupling after Casa Amor rather than remaining loyal to their previous partner. Last year saw one of the highest recoupling rates, with only two boys choosing to remain with their original partner.
Perhaps this reflects a society that normalises the mistreatment of women in dating and glorifies problematic male archetypes, reinforcing the idea that the ‘grass is always greener’ elsewhere.
MAYBE THE WOMEN ALSO DISPLAYING TOXIC BEHAVIOUR ON THE SHOW DEMONSTRATE ONLY THAT THIS SHOW ATTRACTS TOXIC PEOPLE RATHER THAN A GENDERED TOXICITY, MALE OR FEMALE.
However, it can’t be ignored that there are contestants who go against this and act as positive role models. For example, Cach gained a lot of popularity for being more in touch with his emotions, ultimately resulting in him being the victor of his season. Is this evidence that we, as viewers, are less tolerant of toxic male stereotypes and want to see men embracing their emotions?
Although it could also be said that this has led to a level of performativity in the most recent season, with Curtis, Sean and Shaq all showing their more vulnerable side. Maybe this is too cynical, but it does leave me questioning whether their emotionality is genuine or a strategic imitation of a previously successful contestant. It’s interesting to see that there’s little discussion of this in other media.
Whether it’s men conforming to or deviating from traditional stereotypes of masculinity, it cannot be disputed that toxic behaviour is present on Love Island. Maybe the women also displaying toxic behaviour on the show demonstrate only that this show attracts toxic people rather than a gendered toxicity, male or female.
Is Love Island’s popularity a sad indictment of society as a whole? Why do we enjoy watching these stereotypes play out in toxic behaviour and drama so much? Should we not want better role models on our screens and for society in general?
Evangeline Scott
Featured image courtesy of Assad Photo via Pexels. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
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