‘Love Island’ revives conversation about racial bias and misogynoir in dating

By SARAH JONES-SMITH
Associated Press

It used to be that dating was as simple as deciding between dinner, a trip to the movies or an arcade. Now, understanding the dating scene has become intermingled with smartphones, matchmaking apps and one’s ability to navigate thorny social issues like racial preference in a mate.

“Love Island,” a widely popular international reality television franchise, is emblematic of the complexities of modern dating. It has also sparked heated discussions among fans about the desirability of Black women and darker-complexioned people both on and off air.

The show, which aired the finale of the seventh season of its U.S. version Sunday and is airing the 12th season of its U.K. version, casts conventionally attractive “islanders” who are generally in their early to late 20s for a six- to eight-week stay in a luxury villa. Men and women compete for long-lasting relationships and a cash prize.

But as the show’s daters face challenges meant to test their bonds, as well as elimination by villa mates or by fans’ vote, notions of who is and isn’t desirable frequently come up for viewers and contestants alike. In the end, many fans are left with the perception that racial bias, colorism and misogyny are especially inescapable for Black women on reality dating shows.

“The diversity in the U.K. one is terrible,” said Oghosa Ovienrioba, a content creator from London. “It’s very anti-Black.”

It’s not simply that Black women are picked last for coupling or eliminated first on the U.K. or U.S. versions of the show. Many fans say there’s a recurring theme of suitors dumping or ditching Black female contestants when there is a fairer skinned option. Black female contestants have also complained of not doing well on the show when they don’t lower their standards for intimacy with a suitor, as though they are lucky to even been considered dating material among more desirable mates.

Even with these viewer frustrations, Ovienrioba said she prefers “ Love Island USA.”

“I feel like the dark skin Black women on that show always find men who fit their vibe, who respect them, who are attracted to them, desire them, treat them like queens,” she said.

‘Love Island’ U.K. irks fans over treatment of Black women

In the U.K. version, fans have counted multiple instances where Black female contestants were left as the last choice when couples were picked, or they were first to get eliminated and dumped from the villa. Many have also noted that it took eleven seasons before a darker-complexioned Black woman was declared the winner.

Now in its 12th season, “Love Island” U.K. is still dogged by allegations of male contestants’ bias against Black women. After 23-year-old Alima Gagigo, a Black woman, chose to couple up with 26-year-old Blu Chegini, a white man, he said, “I’ll be honest, on paper, you’re not my type.”

Gagigo responded, “Of course,” as if those were words she was not surprised to hear.

There is no evidence that Chegini was referring to Gagigo’s race or ethnicity. But the exchange was enough to confirm what some in audience felt was an implicit bias against Black women in the villa.

“Love Island’s only stipulation is that applicants are over 18, single and looking for love. Our application and casting process is inclusive to all and we are always aiming to reflect the age and diversity of our audience on the show,” a show spokesperson for “Love Island U.K.” said.

Black American contestants, too, say their complexion impacts their treatment

JaNa Craig, a contestant on “Love Island USA’s” beloved sixth season, which aired last summer, landed a spot in the final four couples by the end of the competition alongside Kenny Rodriguez, who entered the villa 13 days into the season. Her bubbly personality made her a fan favorite.

Although she initially worried about how viewers felt about her, the positive audience reaction culminated in her being deemed the “baddest girl in Love Island history,” which means hot or beautiful in slang terms. Still, she felt some male contestants may not have been interested in her and Serena Page, another Black female contestant, because of their skin complexion. Page went on to win that season of “Love Island USA.”

“The very first time I felt special is when the very first guy picked me because he had three options. Other than that, I always felt like I was getting the short end of the stick,” Craig said. “Even though we know our worth and we know we’re beautiful, we still felt like — not good enough.”

Ultimately, Craig felt proudest when she heard from other Black women who said they appreciated her representation on the show, given the perception that Black women are less desirable on dating shows.

“I felt honored by the amount of Black girls that were like, ‘JaNa, you inspire me,’” she said.

“Love Island USA” producer Peacock, which on Sunday debuted a spinoff to its popular Season 6 season, titled “Love Island: Beyond the Villa,” declined comment for this story.

Desirability concerns reflect real-world anti-Black sentiments

Fans’ and contestants’ concerns about Black women’s representation on the show reflect a real-world anti-Black and misogynistic views of Black women, commonly referred to as misogynoir. Scholars describe it as both implicit and explicit contempt for Black women, much of it rooted in racist stereotypes that are perpetuated in popular culture and mass media. While “Love Island” contestants are not being outright racist to Black female competitors, many viewers feel the interactions Black women have had on the show have been laced with implicit bias.

Few viewers see anything wrong with “Love Island” contestants being open about the specific traits they look for in potential suitors. Tall over short, fit over average build, tattooed over unmarked.

But contestants’ racial preferences, whether real or simply perceived by fans of the show, can’t be seen as objective truth about who is or is not desirable in the world, said Alexandria Beightol, host of the podcast “Apathy Is Not An Option” at the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights and legal advocacy nonprofit.

“You recognizing you have a type should also be you recognizing you are a product of a lot of mass media,” Beightol said.

The show’s producers should see the show’s popularity as an opportunity to dispel and not reinforce notions of beauty, especially ones harmful to Black women and darker-complexioned people, she added.

“It would behoove you to have some producers that look like some of the women on there who can kind of anticipate some of that drama,” Beightol said. “They do frame those women as beautiful. In the history of reality programming, they’ve busted through a lot of the implicit views that the media used to hold itself to.”