What message does Love Island’s lack of diversity send to society?

Keating (23) is a handsome man, although arguably he doesn’t look like the show’s regular association with interchangeable pastries, cakes shaped like tattoo is too thick. And boy, did viewers notice. Even Keating’s mother, Yvonne Connolly, was forced to post on Instagram: “Thank you so much for all of your comments. All positive (can’t say the same for other platforms). “

Seriously, people. How will it be? The show goes on again and again because of the relentless parade of fake reality; it’s a constant celebration of utter superficiality. However, when a young man was chosen from a very different, though much easier to understand, stereotype, he was dragged online for it. Why does anyone who doesn’t look exactly like every other contestant who’s been on the show even have the idea of ​​appearing on the show? Love Island?

In the last few nights, Keating’s airtime turned on Love Island has also lacked clarity, especially for a much-vaunted newbie. The only logical conclusion there is that a gripping ‘love match’/dramatic plot involving a fellow contestant is still huge for him.

This is nothing new in the history of Love Island. Normal, nice guys – and Keating has certainly shown himself to be a genuine and likable person – are rarely as romantic as hot boys whose groin seems to be some sort of life support system for the rest of their body.

Every hope that viewers have Love IslandProducers offering a truly diverse series of films have been destroyed time and time again. The show has weathered accusations of racism as recently as this summer. Addressing the tokenism calls of years past, this year’s lineup is certainly more racially diverse than ever. Not long after, four black contestants – Ikenna Ekwonna, Amber Beckford, Afia Tonkmor and Remi Lambert – were among the first to exit the competition. “No one questions why a white man hasn’t gone yet? You all really view black people as undesirable and that shows absolutely disgusting,” one viewer tweeted.

However, if contestants are called online just because they don’t have the right hair color or body type, Love Island there may be an even bigger problem with diversity than it realizes. Think of the many cries that have been Love Island towards a more holistic approach to the body.

Now let’s think about what might happen if there really was a contestant of this caliber on the show; Male or female. If you fight the visual boredom of the usual contestants, they will stand out, making them vulnerable to scrutiny, or worse, to be ridiculed. Given the show’s previous form, there’s also a very real possibility that this larger-than-life contestant will be friend-zoned before you can even say ‘pass the remote’.

During the intro VT of the show, I didn’t count the number of times the contestants mentioned their romantic preferences. “Tall, black and handsome” is given by women with shameful regularity. Meanwhile, male contestants often say the euphemism “a girl who knows how to take care of herself”. And so the message is clear. Anyone outside of those very narrow parameters deserves no comparison. What it says to wider society, year after year, remains a big deal.

The standard of mixed doubles in sports is low

You can imagine the full body twitch I experienced when tennis player Cristian Garin described controversial opponent Nick Krygios as ‘good for tennis’.

Will this also be Nick Krygios, who was penalized for spitting toward a spectator, for swearing during his game last Saturday against Tsitsipas? The same Nick Krygios who broke Wimbledon’s strict dress code and could give less than 0 advice on it? And so is Nick Krygios, who faces domestic abuse charges when he returns to his native Australia?

Krygios could be good for tennis in a box office sense; “Colorful” characters like him always get more attention in their matches. But good for sports? No. I can’t help but think of how players like Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu, who at this time last year, put their mental health a higher priority than winning a match. At the time, professional provocateur/caller Piers Morgan wondered if mental health issues were “an excuse for any poor performance in sports.” elite” or not. “Athletes are now considered more courageous, inspirational and heroic if they lose or give up than when they win or struggle, which is ridiculous,” he posted on social media. .

This week demonstrates the vile double standards faced by women and men in sport. Men can stay away from all kinds of vile behavior and it is described as good for the game. Meanwhile, women never shy away from being anything other than perfect role models.

Don’t put Amber Gill in a box…

Talk about love island, former winner Amber Gill has noted that she ‘can’t be with a man anymore’. “Changing groups was the best decision I’ve made in my life,” she tweeted this week. I’m sure there are many who might argue that sexual preference isn’t necessarily a decision, and certainly not one that you make simply because you’re disillusioned with guys. Gill later said she didn’t want her fans to put herself in a box: “‘All this speculation makes it hard for people to want to say how they really feel and talk about their gender. I’ll say what I want to say when I’m ready,” she said. Really, you can’t say fairer than that.