Are Love Island reactions crazier than usual this year?

Happy Casa Amor day to all that celebrate! Happy Monday to those that don’t.

I am finally caught up on Love Island USA (and trying to start Love Island UK). As a result, I have been on Love Island USA Twitter and TikTok but something has felt… off. Like, I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending.

I don’t know what it is about the Love Island franchise that makes fans so ruthless, but some of the posts I’ve been seeing around this year’s American contestants have been crazy. It makes me a little nervous because, as a longtime fan of the franchise, I’ve seen the serious impact that social media hate has had on the contestants.

Perhaps there is a cultural difference between the two countries’ audiences and contestants, and maybe as Americans it is a part of our culture to act out of outrage, but I think that people can relax a little with their commentary.

More on this below. We have another fun Lore Drop on Thursday so subscribe to the Yapper tier so you don’t miss it!

Spoilers ahead!

When Megan Thee Stallion left the Love Island USA villa, she left islanders and audiences with two words: Be kind. Although it may seem trite, I think some of you need the reminder!

I look forward to Love Island Twitter (and increasingly, TikTok) every year. The memes are funny, the observations are sharp, and the posts can have direct influence on the game. But this year, everything seems a bit more intense — to the point that it’s more nasty than fun. 

But having been a Love Island UK fan for several years, I’m sensitive to taking things too far. Yes, islanders should expect some public attention and criticism when they sign up for the show. But Love Island fans have a history of dogpiling on the show’s stars. Two former contestants and one former host have taken their own lives after appearing on the program. It’s all fun and games on the outside until someone gets hurt — and nearly every year, UK fans are reminded of the same refrain: Be kind.

I’m newer to Love Island USA (and I admittedly missed last year’s breakthrough season). I don’t know if the social media reaction I’m seeing is normal among USA fans, although I saw last year that producers had to remind fans to keep it positive ahead of the reunion. I enjoy gossiping about Love Island drama as much as the next person, but I’ve seen more social media sleuthing, exposing, and straight up lying than I ever have in a Love Island season. 

This year, fans got Yulissa (rightfully) taken off the show after resurfacing her videos praising Donald Trump and saying the N-word. But since then, people have been trying to “expose” the other islanders’ lives outside the villa. Some of the claims include Huda being a stripper after her performance in last week’s twerk-off; Taylor having a secret girlfriend and for going on the show to boost his modelling career; Ace and Chelley having a secret relationship before the show; and more. Some claims have been debunked, but new ones pop up seemingly every day. 

It feels as if people care more about the personal lives of the contestants than what’s happening on the show. It has made the social media experience less enjoyable this year, and I’m not the only person who has said this. 

All of this sleuthing comes on top of the sometimes vicious commentary people are adding on to each episode. The islanders don’t have a clue what people are saying about them in the outside world because they are isolated for the duration of their stay. They are only made aware of some public sentiment if it’s brought up in a challenge or when the results of a public vote for categories like “favorite islander” or “least compatible couple” are revealed. 

These revelations can lead to a crash out, which USA fans saw with Huda after they separated her from her day one partner Jeremiah. People expressed concern for Huda’s wellbeing after seeing her spiral for multiple days on the show. She’s still in the game, and seems to be rebounding from the blow, but she also has a wave of hate comments waiting for her when she leaves. 

It can get crazy in the villas where the islanders are put in a pressure cooker environment. They may not always be right — in fact, some contestants can go about conflict so wrong — but they are admittedly being put in a vulnerable position. I think we can be critical while also giving them grace, given what we know about how Love Island is edited and the exhausting filming environment they’re in. 

It is hard to fully judge people’s characters from TV, so I understand the desire to learn more. But when they don’t like what they see, fans can often draw their own conclusions about these strangers, adding fuel to the discourse stemming from the on-screen antics. I think there’s a way to enjoy the show, participate in the online conversation, and not get too out of control — despite the nature of the internet often encouraging that. 

I think that sometimes viewers just need a reminder that these are imperfect human beings. The people in the villa clearly recognize this, as they’ve had very grounded and mature discussions when other people act out. But that’s the difference between those inside and those of us watching on the outside — they see each other as real people while we have dehumanized them. 

I recognize the same issues arising in this current season as I did in UK’s season 7, meaning the show is figuring out how to follow-up after having a hit breakthrough season. There are higher expectations of the contestants, a willingness of the producers to stretch the boundaries of how far they can push islanders, and a debate over what audiences are willing to tolerate when it comes to on-screen drama.

In its seventh season, Love Island UK received the most complaints to the UK’s regulatory authority in history and sparked a discussion about the ethics of displaying unhinged behavior on TV. I think we’ve seen a similar discussion in this season of Love Island USA, which I hope brings some sort of safeguards about.

The Love Island USA team should have an aftercare process in place to help contestants adjust back into their real lives, which is something the UK team introduced several years ago. The current protocol, updated in 2023, is as follows: 

• Contestants must pause their social media activity and accounts while in the villa to “to ensure that both the Islanders and their families are protected from the adverse effects of social media”

• Contestants must complete training “across a range of topics to include mutually respectful behavior in relationships, behavior patterns associated with controlling and coercive behavior and language around disability, sexuality, race and ethnicity, and microaggressions before they meet their fellow Islanders”

• Contestants are shown a video featuring former Islanders discussing what to expect before, during, and after the show — including coping with constant surveillance and dealing with social media hate when they exit the villa

• Contestants have access to psychological support throughout the show and in the 14 months following their participation

• Contestants have access to financial support and advice on securing management to help them navigate the opportunities presented to them after the show

It’s a bit intensive, but it’s a product of the social media pile-ons that the fans would subject the contestants to. I’m not confident that American producers would ever go so far in protecting their cast members’ welfare, but given the conversations around reality TV stars’ wellbeing in recent years, perhaps Love Island USA would be a great place to start.

Every Monday letter gets a playlist. Today, songs for a Hot Girl Summer, inspired by the twerk-off in last Thursday’s episode of Love Island USA.

In this week’s playlist:

• HOT GIRL SUMMER:

• No Broke Boys - Tinashe

• papi bones - FKA Twigs feat. Shygirl

• Love (Sweet Love) - Little Mix

• break up with your girlfriend i’m bored - ariana grande

• Her - Megan Thee Stallion

• New Bottega - Torren Foot and Azealia Banks

• OKAY - JT

• CHURCH GIRL - Beyoncé

Other things I want to share with you.

• Lorde had a surprise show at Baby’s All Right in NYC last night. 

• Yap Year oomfie CT Jones wrote about something I’ve been thinking about so much over the past year or so: Influencers talking about politics and social issues. 

• Over 500 directors, actors, and Hollywood insiders voted on the 100 best films of the 21st century.