For many fans, Love Island UK season 8 is starting to get exhausting to watch because of the misogyny that is in the villa. Often, dating reality shows strongly highlight the double standards in dating between men and women, and Love Island seems to be no exception. Ever since the hugely popular show first aired in 2015, it has received a lot of complaints from viewers about bullying, misogyny, and racism.
This season, several male contestants' actions have left viewers feeling infuriated. Jacques O'Neill, who has already left the villa, received a lot of criticism for his actions during Casa Amor and for gaslighting his former partner, Paige Thorne. Moreover, Dami Hope, Davide Sanclimenti, Luca Bish, and Casa Amor’s single Billy Brown have recently caused an avalanche of criticism for slut-shaming and displaying manipulative behavior towards female Islanders. Fans say that Love Island season 8 has been the most misogynistic yet, and is no longer fun to watch.
In a recent episode of Love Island UK, the contestants saw footage of themselves from Casa Amor. Some of the male contestant's reactions to the videos left fans shocked. After Luca witnessed Billy flirting with his partner, Gemma Owens, he was furious and made the 19-year-old believe she had done something wrong. Contradictorily, the fishmonger also said he didn't "want a bird no one fancied," referring to Gemma as some sort of trophy to show off to others. Moreover, Dami blatantly gaslighted his partner, Indiyah Polack, after the extent of his short-lived Casa Amor romance with newcomer Summer Botwe was revealed. The Irishman also attacked Summer, calling her "fake" and implying she was delusional for thinking they ever had a real connection, even though Dami seemed fully invested in her during Casa Amor.
After the infamous "Mad Movies" episode aired, Redditor Ectora_ started a thread on the topic, saying, "The sexism and the double standards has been so strong these days, it doesn't feel fun, just disgusting." Many fans agreed, with several stating they found the current season "depressing" and "exhausting to watch". User Oy_WithThe_Poodles raised the issue of the male Islanders’ pack mentality that keeps fueling their toxic behavior. They noted, "The boys act out and their group echo chamber tells them it's fine, that the girls are the problem." Fans also wondered why the production team doesn’t address the behavior of the men, especially given the numerous complaints Love Island UK has received over the years. Reddit user this_is_an_alaia chimed in, adding, "It can be so fun but at the same time it puts the most toxic behavior on display and none of the boys even get pulled up by the producers or commentary or anything. They're just lads being lads!"
While it is true that Love Island UK fans always expect drama and some occasional arguments between the contestants, it can be emotionally draining when a show that is supposed to be "fun" raises serious issues on display under the guise of entertainment. And, even if some of the season 8 male contestants on Love Island do not intend to be misogynistic, it's 2022, after all, and they should know better. Right now, viewers can only hope that Love Island UK will see some changes in the future.
Sources: Ectora_/ Reddit, Oy_WithThe_Poodles/ Reddit, this_is_an_alaia/ Reddit