I hate that I love Love Island.

We all have our guilty pleasures. For some people, it is eating a pint of chocolate ice cream and for some people it is watching their favorite show. My guilty pleasure is watching Love Island.

I used to be ashamed to admit that I am obsessed with Love Island as a feminist because it reinforces a lot of the problems that occur in our society. After talking with my professor about my obsession, she made me realize that it is okay to love it. Recognizing the problem is half the battle. So I continue to love It, but now I am not as embarrassed.

Love Island is a popular British reality TV series. The show places around 10 single men and women in a villa in Mallorca. The goal of the show is to find love, so they date around and get to know the other singles. Every week they must choose who they want to couple up with and pursue a relationship with. Throughout the series new people are added to the island and people must choose if they want to remain with their current couple or meet someone new. If you have seen Bachelor in Paradise, the idea is very similar.

A lot of people find the show degrading to both men and women, which I agree with. The women just spend all day laying around in their bikinis and the men spend their days working out. The show sexualizes women and portrays them as being superficial and only caring about their appearances.

The premise for the show is to find love, and all of the conversations are premised and based on finding love and what their past love lives were like. The show is highly sexualized and dramatized. Love Island is very problematic, and I recognize that but it could do some good for the world!

I understand that the show has it flaws; however, it also has the power to change some of their lives. A lot of the cast members of Love Island have used the show as a stepping point to start or further their career.

Molly-Mae Hauge took her experience and exposure on this show to make a name for herself. Molly-Mae was an Instagram influencer before starring on the show and this created a lot of drama, because a lot of people felt like she was on the show for the wrong reasons. However, she walked away from the show with more than love.

Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury left the show in love, and they are still together today, but Molly-Mae also got a deal with Pretty Little Things. Pretty Little Things is a very popular clothing brand in England, and everybody wants to wear it. This opportunity for Molly-Mae was huge because this is something she always wanted to do, but without this exposure she would not of had the opportunity to do this.

Molly-Mae’s life has forever been changed because of her experience on Love Island, and now she is living her best life and living out her dream!

These shows have the power to do good! I understand they can be problematic; however, recognition is the first step. By acknowledging the problems in the show, it makes it more acceptable to watch them, in my opinion.

By discussing the problems in the show, it brings attention to these issues in society. So, I am still going to watch Love Island because it is amazing! However, by talking about its flaws and how it affects us in everyday life, I will not be a part of the problem. 

Featured Image via Iradio