AIBU to think that Love Island should be axed?

[Jade218]

AIBU to think Love Island is sending really harmful messages and is really bad for modern society and should be axed?

My reasons;

1. Two suicides as a result of participants being unable to cope after the show
2. Every year black female contestants are voted last (I can’t help but feel producers should ensure there is an opportunity for a contestant to be picked by asking if people would consider interracial dating - in the same way they wouldn’t put in a gay person without ensuring there is a potential suitor that is also gay)
3. The ‘ideal standard of beauty’ being promoted is really harmful to young people and is not helping their insecurities
4. The message that being ‘pretty’ is enough to get you all the fame and money in the world

It disgusts me. I’m on the verge of starting an online position for it to be axed - if Jeremy Kyle deserves to be axed so does this! AIBU or does anyone else agree?

Its not just about being image obsessed. These procedures they all have cost lots of money

They can obviously afford to pay for rhino and hundred of pounds worth of lip injections and hair extensions every few months and also breast implants...

the people who can't afford it always complain because they can't afford to get it done themselves.

Jk was axed because it was fake. We all know love island is fake, none of them are genuinely in love on the show and the couples that did stick together are few and far between

However it is one of the most entertaining tv shows

Personally I don't think any of the guys are good looking this year and Curtis is certainly not the ideal body type with his dad bod but nice personality.

Also the lie detector on love island is not real but it's still entertaining to watch

I do think they should provide more help for ex contestants though. They are only going on the show for fame,
most of them dump their gf/bf before going on the show for fame when they could have just stayed in the uk and stayed in their long term relationships, if they really valued love instead of fame they would have

The first person booted out is a caucasian bloke, so not sure how that fits in with your racist angle.

The two black women have been more reserved and taken their time to get to know people. It is playing in their favour. I agree that it’s a bit tedious to see the men running after the blond women, but I think it’s neither racist nor in any way reflecting badly on the black women. Of course there are issues but I personally love it!

You make a very good point about black females always being picked/voted last. Countless times already men on the show have talked about their 'ideal type' being blonde, blue eyes etc.. we all know that what you're trying to say is that your type is white

I agree with the OP that it should be axed.

I'd still have that view even if no-one had committed suicide who had been on the show.

It’s completely different from Vile Kyle imo.

Jeremy Kyle exploited people at the lowest point of their life. Many of whom suffered from mental health or substance abuse problems. The so called aftercare was a joke and practically non existent. Have you seen the BBC iplayer doc about the show?

In contrast the love island contestants know exactly what they want, and I think largely what they are getting into. Most already have thousands of instagram followers, and they know an appearance on the show will give them multiples more. Many of the former islanders make £100,000 plus on endorsements after.

Completely different.

I’ve never watched it but I read that Caroline Flack thought the producers should encourage a threesome in there and that put me off.

Oeps apologies OP, I just saw you didn’t actually say anything about it being racist. More about whether there can be a way to ensure the black women aren’t picked last. I do agree that this is a huge negative. Luckily it really doesn’t reflect badly on the women. But I appreciate it’s not a positive thing to show and it would be much better if that didn’t happen.

I think also it's like any beauty competition world wide... as a female you are expected to wear high heels and a bikini as part of the competition and this is how people get famous for nothing these days by entering reality tv shows.

I think naked attraction was a weird tv show but love island has a decent soundtrack and some of it is funny. But no one takes it seriously we all know it's fake

YANBU in the least. Vacuous shite at best, dangerous shite at worst.

In countries like Turkey its standard practice for females to have rhino before they are 18 and no one bats an eyelid in the USA if a teenager has rhino because it's so commonplace.

I view it all a bit like getting braces and then having perfect teeth, which make you more attractive than if you still had crooked teeth

I love Love Island. It’s funny entertaining trash.
These are not normal people plucked off the street, they are instagram ‘famous’ already and know exactly what they are applying for.
And us young impressionable viewers are clever enough to know is all fake

Yabu, I like it, if you don't like it don't watch it.
From the reasons you have given most TV shows should be canceled.
Everyone has the choice to watch or not, it's not to be taken seriously it's just fun trash 🤷

It seems really old fashioned to have this sort of front cover of nuts magazine type trashy tv in 2019. Especially post #metoo,I’m surprised itv are still going there

Oh naff off with your middle class moral panics. It’s popular and plenty of people like it just as it is. You and Jameela flipping Jamil can petition Channel 4 to make some boring inclusive worthy dating show if that’s what you want to watch. (Actually, they already have about 20 so leave Love Island alone, please.)

You haven't got your facts right though op, if you watched it you would know that the black woman did not get picked last, she didn't step forward for anyone - completely her choice. There are a few black men in the villa who women stepped forward for there was no one being left till last.

It's not in anyway the same as Kyle, the man killed himself as a direct result of failing the lie detector tests that have been proven to not be accurate - the two people who ended there life over a year after appearing the show had family issues that caused them to make that decision, Mike has lost two of the most important people in his life very close to each other, that's nothing to do with the show.

I think everyone who watches the show knows exactly what it is and takes it at that value, it's trash tv. It's watching young people blundering over dating each other who know full well what they are doing and already have a huge following on the outside world. These people aren't as stupid as they come across.

JK got axed because it was fake

Urrrr...no it didn't.

I watch LI and I'm well aware of how awful it is and hate myself for it but it's entertainment to a certain extent, I have a very responsible job, consider myself intelligent and it's nice to just 'Switch off'. My 12 year old step daughter also watches it at her mum's, and that I think is way too young, but not my circus not my monkeys I guess.

It would be silly to say it's not damaging and perpetuating a very narrow stereotype for young girls.

Interesting thread

I’m going to have to stay watching. Because for the first time one of my DC is watching, so I think I need to know about it

It's really not that deep OP. I watch it with my teenage dd and we both love it. Chill.

Currently watching it now 😛

My teen and her friends watch it but they are secure enough to not take any of it seriously. The participants are also as someone said Instagram 'stars' that is part of the application criteria.

Some of them have good jobs, a few look natural and the girls are different sizes, it's just trash TV.

The suicides are awful, not sure how much the show contributed, they both had other issues, Mike had financial problems and recent deaths of people close to him, when people are suicidal they can hide it very well, esp from their close family and friends, would they confide in TV producers and support team?

It’s awful imo . Vacuous nonsense and frighteningly popular, particularly amongst young people. My adult dd used to watch it in her late teens, thankfully the novelty eventually wore off.

@BasilFaulty - It would be silly to say it's not damaging and perpetuating a very narrow stereotype for young girls.

Exactly, I don’t understand how/why people can deny this? It’s silly

It is silly vacuous nonsense that I found out about when DD started watching it. I watch it with her sometimes because I wanted to be sure she realised what silly vacuous contrived nonsense it is. Fortunately I needn't have worried as her and her friends were way ahead of me. It has also prompted some good discussions on a variety of subjects around looks and relationships, including some good examples of What look out for and avoid!

I get the impression that most people enjoy it as it gives you the opportunity to gossip about people and their relationships like you know them while being safely removed.

There is lots to object to but if any parents are worried about the effect it might have on their teens, watch it with them and use it to have those conversations.

“@BasilFaulty - It would be silly to say it's not damaging and perpetuating a very narrow stereotype for young girls.”

Those in the show aren’t “young girls”, they are women. As for young girls watching, that’s life.

Genuine question but rather then it being the show thstbis treating black women badly isn't this how they are treated in the dating world. There are definitely studies showing how they are treated in Tinder and other dating apps let alone in the world of work is similar so maybe this will actually highlight the situation more. Make it discussed more.