Life trickles by slowly, through repetitive days of library-hopping, early mornings and early bedtimes. Perhaps a hot chocolate in between to brighten up the routine.
But while everyone’s busy studying, my mind is preoccupied by something else: the return of a very significant TV show — one my dad likes to call ‘‘ridiculous’’ but my friends and I deem ‘‘wonderful’’.
What ever could cause such polarising views? Well, only Love Island.
Immediately coupled up on Day 1, contestants are vulnerable to being dumped from the island if they ever become single. Competitions, games, new bombshells, a grand prize of €50,000 ($NZ98,000) ...
Cue a summer filled with jealousy, drama, tears and unhealthy relationships. And cue the controversy.
I often find issues with the way in which diversity is shown within the original line-up. While this has improved across the years, it tends to be on a performative level.
The person with a physical disability being the first to be dumped due to being unable to find a connection. Now, with a contestant who wears hearing aids a part of the original cast, I watch with nervous anticipation over his fate. It’s a trend which can be witnessed over the past few seasons, occurring without fault.
It’s frustrating, in a way, to watch Love Island receive such significant praise for casting a wide range of people, only for them to be discarded after promotion. It feels incredibly performative.
Undeniably, Love Island is built upon heteronormative societal norms and racial microaggressions.
Even more so, Love Island has been criticised to perpetuate an unhealthy standard of relationships. It emphasises being ‘‘open’ and ‘‘putting yourself first’’, leading to an ignorance towards others’ emotions.
Last season, the sexist behaviour of one male contestant prompted a statement from Women’s Aid UK — which unfortunately, is also a recurring pattern.
The recent season of Love Island Australia was won by a couple who were exes on the ‘‘outside’’ world. Evidently, it had been a messy, almost toxic, relationship, with accusations of cheating rampant — behaviour which was brought into the show.
Normalising going back to an ex, while also having grown in emotional maturity, is a dangerous balancing act, especially on reality TV.
It’s quite a psychologically twisting show, pushing people through intense emotional periods. Cut off from the outside world, with no entertainment or communication allowed, no ability to keep track of the time — when I explain the concept I realise just how insane it actually is.
It serves as a reminder that this is people acting out of, at times, incredible mental and social exhaustion — situations so extreme, responses are instinctive, prompting a lack of consideration which cannot be replicated in the real world.
It’s this that makes me remember to not idolise the relationships and people on my screen, which is easier said than done.
Love Island is certainly one of those things you have to take with a grain of salt. An awareness of the work of the producers behind the scenes is incredibly important.
Nothing can be taken as the complete truth when there is such an easy ability for events and drama to be fabricated or exaggerated. It’s a show to be watched with care and an awareness of your limits.
But despite all this, I continue to watch Love Island. It’s just fun. I have no other defence for myself.
It’s fun and it’s wonderful and it is ridiculous, but in the absolutely best way. The accents are gorgeously satisfying, the sun is constantly shining, the bikinis are plentiful, the makeup is full-glam every evening.
The rare couples that last, perhaps they get engaged or have children, are incredibly heartwarming to watch. It circles back to the most basic point of human nature: we all love love.
Besides, I’m a firm believer that it is possible to learn from Love Island. Whether that’s how and why a person behaves in certain situations, or what qualities and characteristics you want to look for in a partner.
And it no doubt sheds light on how stereotypes worm their way into relationships.
Does watching this one reality show mean I’m allowing something harmful to continue? I’m not too sure. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t.
Regardless, I’ve got the latest episode loaded and ready to press play on. A wee treat to break up monotonous, draining days of studying, it certainly serves as a good incentive.
Right now, that’s all that really seems to matter.
• Eleanor Wong is a Dunedin first-year University of Otago student.
