Boys Will Be Boys: How the Gender Dynamics of This Year's Love Island Reflect A Concerning Regression in Gender Equality
Issue 2 Boys Will Be Boys: How the Gender Dynamics of This Year's Love Island Reflect A Concerning Regression in Gender Equality By: Issy Young Love Island has become a staple in British culture, blending escapism, competition and sex appeal, and I don’t even have to tell you how well that sells. But beneath its chiselled exterior lies something more insidious. While the show has previously gestured towards progress, with iconic feminist moments from Maura Higgins and Amber Gill’s solo win, the latest series 12 has marked a troubling step backwards. This year, Love Island didn’t just reflect the dire state of the current dating scene; it magnified its ugliest realities. In an era when gender inequality and violence against women are undeniably rising, the show’s platforming and protection of emotionally manipulative men, paired with the online vilification of its female contestants, exposes a deeper societal rot. The Regression of Romance: When “Triangles” Becom...