As Love Island USA concludes its eighth season, the reality dating show continues to draw significant viewership, with its latest season generating 2.3 billion viewing minutes in its initial two weeks and topping streaming charts. The program, which originated in the UK in 2015 and premiered in the US in 2019, places 12 young singles in a villa in Fiji to pursue romantic connections, compete in challenges, and ultimately win a $100,000 prize. Viewers at home play a role by voting on their favorite couples.
However, some long-term fans and observers note a change in the show's dynamic. What was once characterized by a slow build of romantic tension and flirtation is now, for some, perceived as increasingly explicit, featuring hypersexualized challenges. Brooke LaMantia, a staff writer at The Cut, discussed this evolution in a conversation with Today Explained guest host Jonquilyn Hill.
"Love Island is a reality TV show that started in the UK around 2015. It came to the US in 2019. And it’s basically a dating show where a bunch of hot young people go to a villa," LaMantia explained. "They’re cut off from the world. It’s as live as you can get, so they’re there right now. These people that we’re watching are in Fiji as we’re speaking and they try to find love."
LaMantia elaborated on what has historically made the show compelling: "In the past, it actually has been quite genuine because it’s a lot of people coming into one space, and all you’re thinking about is like, do I like my connection? Do I like this person? And so you can talk to everyone. ... Love Island is equal to boys and girls. You’re thinking about who you’re attracted to and then who you have good conversations with and who you want to share a bed with. There are all these different layers that make it more real when it comes to dating, as real as you can get."
This season, however, has seen a shift in the presentation of physical intimacy. "Everyone’s still in bikinis. Everyone’s still hot. That hasn’t changed. But I think the way that they’ve engaged with sex and with kissing and with anything physical has really, really changed from old seasons. And it’s not as fun to watch," LaMantia observed. "It’s often actually kind of gross to watch and it’s like, I don’t need to see everyone kiss every single day because they’re being forced to in a challenge. There’s no genuine and natural romantic and sexual tension left in the villa. And that is where I think it’s lost the plot and it’s not as sexy as it has been."
Regarding the show's challenges, LaMantia noted a departure from earlier seasons. Previously, challenges might involve a mild kiss with an Islander of interest, described as "a cheeky little, let me do a slight little peck of this different Islander that’s not my couple that maybe I’m intrigued by. And it was sexy and low-key and kind of flirty." The current season, she stated, features "extremely heavy making out right away" and actions like "ass-grabbing, tongues everywhere, porno vibes," which she feels "commodifies everyone’s bodies in a weird way that makes it uncomfortable to watch and not as fun."
The discussion also touched upon the contrast between the show's explicit content and the trend of Generation Z, the primary demographic of the show's contestants, reportedly engaging in less sexual activity. LaMantia reflected on this paradox, suggesting that while it's positive that individuals are embracing their sexuality, the intense nature of the challenges might represent a form of "performance art." She also raised concerns about the influence of such on-screen behavior on young viewers, particularly regarding the lack of emphasis on clear consent.
"Everyone’s watching. They’re going to have a lot of influence, and it does impact young people and how they see dating," LaMantia said. "I would hope that people would watch this show and be like, ‘Okay, Love Island is a reality show and maybe this is not how I should act,’ but you never know. And I think having the show lack official and verbal consent, especially when it comes to all the sexual things happening, is a little bit jarring and a little scary for our future."
She concluded by emphasizing the need for viewers to distinguish between reality television and real-life dating. "We need to realize that that is not how the world actually works. And I think because we’re so invested and because we feel so parasocial, this feels like an extension of our world. But there needs to be very clear boundaries between what is TV, what is entertainment, and what is real life and real dating."