Love Island is toxic, but let us enjoy it anyway

No one has ever claimed that Love Island is elite, intellectual entertainment, and the impacts of the show on the mental health of both contestants and viewers speak for themselves, however people enjoy it despite this toxicity, so let them. Everyone knows it’s trash telly, but that’s okay; now more than ever we need escapism, and what better way to escape the absolute chaos of 2021 than to a beautiful villa somewhere in Majorca with a group of objectively attractive men and women.

Until my uni flatmate made me watch the 2019 winter series, I was always one of those people who judged you if you watched Love Island, past me would be disgusted that current me is fully invested in all the drama of the villa. Don’t get me wrong, the issues I used to have with the show remain, I still think most of the contestants are annoying and just there for the fame and fortune that will ensue regardless of whether they win or lose, I still think the show reinforces traditional body standards and stereotypes, and I still think it is all round a trashy show. That being said, I am so invested and for some mysterious reason I think I actually care about the contestants (if anyone is interested my favourite boy is Hugo, and my favourite girl is Kaz – partly because she deserves better than Toby and partly because we’re from the same town). What I’m trying to say is I understand why people have issues with the show, I used to judge people like me too (people like me meaning people who watch and/or are addicted to the show).

The feminist in me still hates the lack of diversity. Mainly in terms of body types, let’s be honest none of the girls this year can be any bigger than a UK size 8, if that. I mean they’re gorgeous, but they’re hardly ‘normal’ women, are they? I’m comfortable with my slightly podgy size 12 body, but anyone would struggle not to compare themselves to these girls when they’re parading around our screens in their tiny bikinis and extraordinarily high heels at 9pm every night for a few months. My housemate and I have literally had conversations along the lines of “Christ, if these girls, who look like that, are single, how is there any hope for us?” I’m definitely biased but I’d say both of us are attractive women, plus we’re both intelligent, interesting, and kind, which in my opinion is more important than our physical attributes. I could talk about how we’re pretty or slim or attractive, but there’s more to a woman than her body, which is definitely missed by Love Island. Both the producers and contestants seem to value how the girls look above their careers, their aspirations, their sense of humour, or honestly above their personalities in any way. Also, an impossible body standard is absolutely set for the boys too, anything short of a completely ripped six pack is just not “love island fit”, which again is ridiculous – these are not ‘normal’ bodies. Even as a Love Island fan I think it is important to remember that it is a highly flawed show, and definitely does not reflect real life.

We all know that Love Island is toxic and manipulative, as is most reality TV, it exploits our human nature and the way we all become invested in drama despite our rational selves telling us not to get involved in the gossip. However, it is quite literally designed to be addictive and to make us like it, and annoyingly, it works. I find myself wondering why I care about the drama between Kaz and Chloe in last night’s episode (8th July, when Chloe kissed Toby in the challenge, even though he was coupled up with Kaz, in case you were wondering), and I blame the way our human desire for drama is cleverly manipulated by the show’s producers. I really shouldn’t care about the dramatic love lives of these random people, but alas I do, and I know I’m not alone in that.

I think what I’m getting at is that we all know Love Island is not a ‘good’ show and it isn’t remotely close to real life or real relationships, but I refuse to be judged for enjoying it anyway. I recognise its flaws, and I’m more than happy to rant about them, but what I take issue with is the moral superiority that people take from being able to say “Love Island? Oh no I don’t watch that”. I know I was one of those people a few short years ago, but I see the error of my ways. Let people enjoy things, you don’t have to like the show, but you don’t get to judge those who do. And Mum, if you’re reading this – stop judging people for watching it, even though you say you don’t I know you do, or at least you judge me for it.