I feel like this season’s a good representation of gen z dating scene too, men who won’t ever commit bc they’re waiting for the next best thing and the position they put women in (competitive, disingenuous, petty) not feeling very articulate rn but definitely feeling this
I completely agree on your take on the girls girl!! I feel like when you say or do something for yourself you’re labeled as a not a girls girl but what does that even mean?? Love Island (which i hate this season) is to explore romantic interests, none of these people know each other nor do they owe each other shit because theyre women. Im just so tired of it!!
I think it was Jon Ronson’s The Psychopath Test where he says that reality tv shows have psychologists during the initial stages to weed out the most psychologically fraught contenders for the show, to make for better viewing… it genuinely feels like a pressure cooker — sex, money and beautiful people, it’s so hard to not get hooked. but at the same it’s poorly veiled by-purpose as an elongated ad and how blatantly unethical it is poses a real reckoning with us, what you say about love island as a halogen-hued microcosm for real life is so true, it doesn’t just reflect the clusterfuck that is modern dating but our insatiable need for noise, to consume, regardless of it’s unethical backdrop. ♥️
this season is a full-blown tragedy, and the racial politics aren’t as cut and dry as the internet wants to make it out to be. but mostly, this is the first season where i’m really aware that i’m watching twenty-somethings who grew up on the internet try to date. a lot of these ladies are professional influencers who peddle in perfection and the cracks are showing, heavy. i’m devastated for all of them, success or not.
and don’t get me started on the men. (can you write a part two?)
My two cents, there are very few girls girls unless they are women happily married who then help their friends find love. Maybe some future nuns too are girls girls. Otherwise almost any women will throw another women under the bus to get a man.
woohoo! Love a people's princess delivery day!! and I totallyyy agree - this season is a mess. I'm in France for the whole month of July so I can't watch it, and honestly I'm not mad about it -- but I would've been devastated last season!
Thanks for keeping me in touch with Love Island discourse! Enjoyed reading this.
Seems like you’d prefer a world where women can just be more honest about whatever competitiveness or dislike they may have about other women because the standards of being a “girl’s girl” are impossible and almost nobody follows them anyway?
Loved this post so much, Sarah! I wrote a sort of recent one about the not like other girls trope as a tool used to hobble other women, and I think this is making such excellent points about the similar use of 'girl's girl' - like, you believe in girls supporting girls and you're demonstrating that by insulting girls? Something is not clicking.
thank you for writing this piece, I enjoyed it cause I agree so hard! I’m not much of a reality tv watcher but LI got me hooked with the drama and the suspense, but I think it’s necessary to take a step back and realize what really is the villas effect. Still I hope to see more pieces like this and some touching on the men’s role, though I feel it’s a bit dry there but who knows !
you’re spot on. the only reality tv I really watch are the ones based in summer themes because of the vacay vibes. I got into love island because there was at least one female lead I liked and maybe a couple that was cute. I’m not a true bravo girl because I hate the constant catty attitudes and negative energy. the men female friendships, and romance’s on these shows are insufferable and should not be romanticized in any way shape or form
I feel like this season’s a good representation of gen z dating scene too, men who won’t ever commit bc they’re waiting for the next best thing and the position they put women in (competitive, disingenuous, petty) not feeling very articulate rn but definitely feeling this
i agree completely!!! that’s such a noticeable element of this season rn
I completely agree on your take on the girls girl!! I feel like when you say or do something for yourself you’re labeled as a not a girls girl but what does that even mean?? Love Island (which i hate this season) is to explore romantic interests, none of these people know each other nor do they owe each other shit because theyre women. Im just so tired of it!!
I think it was Jon Ronson’s The Psychopath Test where he says that reality tv shows have psychologists during the initial stages to weed out the most psychologically fraught contenders for the show, to make for better viewing… it genuinely feels like a pressure cooker — sex, money and beautiful people, it’s so hard to not get hooked. but at the same it’s poorly veiled by-purpose as an elongated ad and how blatantly unethical it is poses a real reckoning with us, what you say about love island as a halogen-hued microcosm for real life is so true, it doesn’t just reflect the clusterfuck that is modern dating but our insatiable need for noise, to consume, regardless of it’s unethical backdrop. ♥️
this season is a full-blown tragedy, and the racial politics aren’t as cut and dry as the internet wants to make it out to be. but mostly, this is the first season where i’m really aware that i’m watching twenty-somethings who grew up on the internet try to date. a lot of these ladies are professional influencers who peddle in perfection and the cracks are showing, heavy. i’m devastated for all of them, success or not.
and don’t get me started on the men. (can you write a part two?)
my brain is poisoned with love island rn and i cannot think about literally anything else so thank u for writing this it’s perfect
My two cents, there are very few girls girls unless they are women happily married who then help their friends find love. Maybe some future nuns too are girls girls. Otherwise almost any women will throw another women under the bus to get a man.
woohoo! Love a people's princess delivery day!! and I totallyyy agree - this season is a mess. I'm in France for the whole month of July so I can't watch it, and honestly I'm not mad about it -- but I would've been devastated last season!
Season 6 was truly DIFFERENT i miss PPG
Thanks for keeping me in touch with Love Island discourse! Enjoyed reading this.
Seems like you’d prefer a world where women can just be more honest about whatever competitiveness or dislike they may have about other women because the standards of being a “girl’s girl” are impossible and almost nobody follows them anyway?
Loved this post so much, Sarah! I wrote a sort of recent one about the not like other girls trope as a tool used to hobble other women, and I think this is making such excellent points about the similar use of 'girl's girl' - like, you believe in girls supporting girls and you're demonstrating that by insulting girls? Something is not clicking.
thank you for writing this piece, I enjoyed it cause I agree so hard! I’m not much of a reality tv watcher but LI got me hooked with the drama and the suspense, but I think it’s necessary to take a step back and realize what really is the villas effect. Still I hope to see more pieces like this and some touching on the men’s role, though I feel it’s a bit dry there but who knows !
you’re spot on. the only reality tv I really watch are the ones based in summer themes because of the vacay vibes. I got into love island because there was at least one female lead I liked and maybe a couple that was cute. I’m not a true bravo girl because I hate the constant catty attitudes and negative energy. the men female friendships, and romance’s on these shows are insufferable and should not be romanticized in any way shape or form
really enjoyed this!
Love this soooo interesting