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“employee to the host of Summer's hottest reality show, Love Island USA.”
The premise for those who don't know, 12 very photogenic 20-somethings, 6 boys and 6 girls, into a villa in Fiji where they get into straight people shenanigans. Along the way, even hotter 20-somethings come to try to break them up, and viewers at home get a hand in what happens. The show is more popular than ever.
It was streamed for over 2 billion minutes just in the first two weeks, but this still feels
different from past ones, and it's not just because of all the toe sucking. Coming up on today explained from Vox, what happens when the red pill goes beyond real life and comes for reality TV2. Support for today's explained comes from Fetch, Fetch is pet insurance, if you hadn't figured it out.
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You can use Fetch for any vet in the US and Canada every vet is in network go to fetch.com/save right now for your free quote, that's fetch.com/save. Support for today's explained comes from Fetch, Fetch is pet insurance, if you hadn't figured it out. Do you have a pet?
According to a study from a pet insurance company from a few years ago, every 6 seconds
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at a convenient time. So check out Fetch, you get paid up to 90% of vet bills. You can use Fetch for any vet in the US and Canada every vet is in network go to fetch pet.com/save right now for your free quote, that's fetch.com/save. And today explained, I'm John Glenn Hill filling in today.
Brooklyn, Antia writes about culture for the cut, and she wrote a piece titled, "Is this the least sexy season of Love Island ever?" So naturally, I wanted to ask her how a show about finding love in bikinis got unsexy.
“But first, for those who have never taken a trip to the villa, Brooke, what is Love Island?”
Well, first of all, that's such a beautiful place to be, and I'm really envious of those people's brains. But yeah, Love Island is a reality TV show that started in the UK around 2015. It came to the US in, I think, 2019. And it's basically just like a dating show where a bunch of hot young people go to a villa.
They're cut off from the world. It's like as live as you can get, so they're there right now. So these people that we're watching are in Fiji as we're speaking. And they try to find love. Yeah, I toast to new beginnings.
Yes. And toast to, hopefully, falling in love and finding the man of our dream. And I'm Trinity. I'm 22 years old, and I love love. So love Island, USA, find me my man.
I'm not going to find my wife in a nightclub. I might find my wife better run a club, or add a museum. Just dump it, put it out there. And they're trying to win money, too. And they're trying to win.
But I feel like the money has never been like the point.
Like, I don't know. It's such a silly concept. I get to the end every year. And I'm like, I forget that there's money involved. Because it feels so like afterthought, you know?
What makes this show, you know, work as a real, I'm here to find love show versus some of the other dating reality shows we have out there.
“I mean, I think this season is different.”
But in the past, I feel like 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. And it's a show where you, like, the Bachelor, for example, it's one boy and like 30
girls. Like, that's crazy. That's never going to work. That's weird. So it's like, this is at least it's equal boys and girls.
You're like thinking about who you're attracted to and then who you have good conversations with. And like who you want to share a bed with. I did want to ask you, if you wanted to, if you wanted to sleep together, if you wanted to share a bed to my, we could either, we can cut a little, put a four, but we'll figure
it out together. Okay. Yeah. I'm not a post. Yeah.
That cool. There's all these different layers that make it more real when it comes to dating as real as you can get it.
Tell me about your family.
It's always been like my mom, brother and I, and in my grandma, like, pretty much like
raised me to. Oh. So it's like, and I'm just a grandma's boy. I love my grandma's. It's like my lady.
“And I think that has like led to the success.”
There's people that are married in a babies and that's like pretty good to me, you know? You wrote a piece for the cut titled, "Is this the least sexy season of love island ever?" Is love island no longer sexy? What is going on with my fun tropical bikini show? What changed?
Yeah. I mean, everyone's still in bikinis. Everyone's still hot. That's the thing. That hasn't changed, but I think the way that they've engaged with sex and with kissing
and with, like, anything physical has really, really changed from old seasons. And it's, it's not as fun to watch. It's often as they kind of gross to watch. And it's like, I don't need to see everyone kiss every single day because, like, they're being forced to in a challenge.
Like, there's no, there's no genuine and, like, a natural romantic and sexual tension left in the villa. It feels like, and that is where I think it's lost the plot and it's, like, not as sexy as it has been.
And it's never really been a show.
I mean, people were having sex on the early seasons of UK, but I would still argue that, like, it's, even that this feels somehow worse. And for those who don't know, challenges or what they call essentially games, they have Islanders play. Usually set up, like, a competition with boys against girls or couples against each other.
“Do you say more about how the challenges were different this season?”
I mean, the show has always been couple forward. You like, couple up with a partner, you guys share a bed. And so it's always very, like, what's going to happen in bed? Are we going to cuddle? And there's, like, a very clear thing of, like, the couples will put the covers up over
their head. And that means they're, like, kissing and doing stuff. And, but more and more, especially this season, they have all involved, like, extremely heavy, making out right away. So I think I was counting all the bombshells that came in and they all started by making
out with everyone, which is weird. Like, imagine you enter a villa, your half naked. You don't know these people. And then you're like, I'm just going to stick my tongue down everyone's throat and see what happens.
Yeah, strange. It's not a normal way to say hello. Everybody gets to make out. I mean, it used to be like, every challenge would be like, okay, maybe kiss and I learned that you're interested in, and it would be like a cheeky little, like, 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, like, low-key and kind of, like, flirty, but not, like, ask routing, tongues everywhere. Porno vibes.
What is your favorite sex position? Is it missionary, doggy, or cowgirl? I love this game. I don't ever sit down with a girl in the first day, and I'm like, my name's Sean, I like doggy style.
You know what I mean? I'd be a serial killer. And you're going to see who you can lick the longest, and then you're going to suck every single toe. Finally, our friends will taste their typical tools.
Okay, I was doing splits on the dick. I was doing splits on his head. I was doing backbends, and I even sucked a man's foot.
Like, I've never done that in my life.
Let alone our national television. And then if you win, you get to jump into a pot of slime. Like, it doesn't make any sense, and it doesn't do anything for the plot, except cause everyone to, like, feel that their bodies aren't theirs almost, like, it almost feels like, um, now you walk into the villa, and there's an understanding that, like,
people are going to grab you and kiss you and suck you and tickle you, and, like, you just have to do it and be okay with it. Yeah, I like commodifies everyone's bodies in a weird way. That makes it uncomfortable to watch, and not as fun. I think it's so interesting because on one hand, the show is a little more sexed up than
it has been in past seasons, but Genzi, which is the generation that's primarily on the show is having less sex than ever. I wonder how you think about that, like, how you square those two things. Yeah, I mean, I think it's, that's always the sentiment that's interesting to me because I'm technically Genzi.
So I feel like, I watch the show. You're people. Tell me of your people. I'm like, my people. I don't know, like, we get this wrap that we are not having sex, but I think it's just,
it's because then we get on shows and we do stuff like this, and it's like, you've never even, like, you grab an ass, like you've never even seen an ass before, and it's
“like, have you seen an ass before, like, you need to think about these things.”
Like, there's like, no, there's no, it's not shame. I will say, I think it was hard with this, and it's hard with criticizing this show because
There's a world where it was really, like, women weren't allowed to be slots,...
it's really great that people are embracing, like, sexiness and sluddiness, and it feels like you can kind of do what you want. I think that's amazing. I think people should live their truth in that way, but it's like performance art almost in a way where it's like, we're doing this because we're on this show, but it doesn't
feel genuine to us because we don't know how to have like a good sexual experience and
“a good sexual connection, and so that's why I think it feels bad and it feels weird to”
watch. And I think it's also just because Genzi is like, we're way more online.
It's like less in person, maybe like dating apps, or you first see the exterior and
then you have to like connect in person, but I also just think it's like, people are, their brains aren't fully developed. You know, yeah. Yeah. 25 plus show.
Yeah. I think of me at 22 and oh, yikes on a bike. Right. And also, it's like, if I was in this show and producers was like, okay, now make out with everyone, like, I'm going to do that, but it's like, I'm 21 years old.
Like, give me some more time to think about how I want to show up in this world.
Because they do, I mean, everyone's watching.
They're going to have a lot of influence. And like, it doesn't back to young people and how they see dating. Like, I'm sure men are watching this hearing Casey Go, and I know a lot of me and am I doing a shit. They don't deserve me, like, these girls are high school girls, but I deserve college
girls. And they're like, what does that mean? I need to know that and then they're going to see, they're going to be out dancing and see a girl and just like, rapper and kiss her and we don't want that. You're watching, like, your peers.
“And so it's almost like you're seeing, like, how would my friends respond?”
And I would hope that people would watch the show and be like, okay, Leviland is a show. And these people are on a, on a reality show.
And maybe this is not how I should act, but you never know.
And I think having, especially the show lack, like, official and like verbal consent, especially when it comes to all the sexual things happening, like, is a little bit jarring, a little scary for our future. I mean, it's like, they're doing lap dances and grabbing butts, which I keep saying. But it's like, there's no, like, can I touch you?
It's just like boom, and it's, sure, maybe the show. But like, we need to realize that that is not how the world actually works. And I think because we're so invested in 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, like, real life and real dating.
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specialty LFC, hymns is not affiliated with or endorsed by Beatrice. I got a text.
Oh, it's just, today explained, we're back with Terran Finley.
She's a culture writer who covers the intersection of identity, politics and entertainment. I asked her what the young cast of this season of Love Island can tell us about the current state of dating and relationships. There is a very well-known set at this time that, you know, Genzi is having less sex than previous generations and, you know, we can tell, but we can also tell, you know, that,
you know, they value and go about dating in very different ways, by the way, we are hearing these Islanders talk to one another. Not to, you know, kind of like dive right in there, but also to dive right in there, there's been a lot of discussion about, you know, the influence of the Manusphere in Red Peel, you know, discourse affecting this season and how that has, like, been so prevalent
“in what some of not only the guys say, but also what some of the girls say, you know?”
Yeah, how have we seen sort of that Manusphere Red Peel, Pink Peel, stuff crop up this season? Oh, girl, it, I would like how much time do you have, like, because I think what we saw it, kind of, at its height was Casa More for those who aren't aware Casa More is kind of like the ultimate test for these Islanders to go off and be introduced to new bombshells
and test their connections with their original partners and within Casa More, I think it became very blatant for a lot of people because we're hearing conversations, especially between Casey and Corbyn, who are, you know, among the two youngest in the villa of the guys, you know, talking about, like, I don't want to be mean, but I feel like TT and Parmita are like college girls, you know, the girls in the villa, like high school girls, and really
demeaning and degrading the connections that they had. Casa More is just, I don't know, the vibe is different. These Casa Morements are not a tunnel. You don't have to disrespect and degrade your partners in order to make a new connection. You don't have to say, like, okay, well, you're not giving me kisses, I'm going to get kisses from these other women and doing it in a very not only in title, but also kind of like,
weaponizing intimacy, weight. No more, no more big enough, maybe, I'm not going to be big enough, not kiss a bird. And then again, like I said, you know, the women aren't, you know, there aren't innocent in this, you know, we hear, especially early on in the season, talk of like, okay, I want to be dominated, I want an alpha male. You're like a tall guy, I like tattoos, like who doesn't like tattoos. I need some moves. I'm going to call the shots, that's my type
of guy. And it feels kind of like, okay, why are these 20 something euros out here, like,
Trying to revert back to the 1950s, rep in having their hot girl, hot boy sum...
you know, messy, but also, like, ethically nommonock in this way. If I got a guy that told me,
I want kids, I want to get made, maybe I'll pop them out. How many do you want? I'll make a basketball team for you. If you don't like back home with the soccer team. It's a show that is launching, but it's politics can actually be pretty conservative. There's this term that's been coming up over and over again this season. And it's lustful. Lustful. You don't have all because of
“lust. No. Intimate kiss. I'm not lustful. Like being lustful is the worst thing you can possibly”
be. They accuse the boys of being lustful. They accuse a girl of being lustful. Like, people will use it as a excuse to kick people off the island. Do you think the conservative nature of the show is something that's been intentional by producers? Or is it sort of a reflection of where we are when we think about sex and love and dating in this country right now? I think
it's more of a ladder, right? And I never would have thought, especially as a former 20 something
who had so many lustful years, I just never would have thought that that would be the crime on love island, right? And I think kind of going back to what we were saying earlier, Gen Z has a very different view of sex. I just think that it is a byproduct of a lot of the Manisfier talk that we've seen and a lot of the like love herd of death, but you know we hear a lot of say so many times how her body count she can count it on, you know, on one hand. Anyway, by the castle,
I might say I'm a version any day. And like that idea has just permeated a lot of pop culture recently, where it's like, okay, like you can you can be sexy and talk about sex, but performing the act and doing it with too many people or exploring with too many people, that is the crime. So unfortunately, even though the kind of aesthetics of whole culture is alive, whole culture itself is there there's an tackle. I don't even know if I can say whole culture. You can say we could say
how, I don't think you can you can say how. Okay, great. Is love island of reflection of us as
“a culture or is the show influencing us? Like what direction is this going in? I think it's like a”
circle. I definitely think we're being influenced by love island and we're influencing love island itself. And I mean, obviously, you know, as audiences, we have a saying what's going on. We're talking about it with our friends at brunch, with strangers on the train. Like we're having love island watch parties. Like I definitely think what we're seeing and how we're funneling our own experiences into these conversations shows how much the show is impacting us and is causing us to think a
little bit differently about how we go about dating, how we go about friendships, what we prioritize, right? But also the reason why we're even able to have these conversations is because love island has been built in a way, whether that is purposeful or not to reflect all of that. So with all that being said, why should people even watch this show? I'm like, should you? No, you're really sure. You're really sure. I'm, unfortunately, addicted. I'm on the right now. I've gotten my
boyfriend on the on this roller coaster of a show. But I do think that a couple of things. So
“appointment television is back via love island. I think that that is important. I think that that”
is something that especially in these crazy crazy days keeps a lot of people grounded, keeps a lot of people saying and keeps a lot of people within community. I mean, there are folks who I haven't talked to in so long, but I'll post something about love island and like will reconnect. And I think that that is probably true of a lot of people's experiences and you know, discussing this show and interacting and engaging with this show. But I also think that there are some really good lessons to glean
from the conversations that we're having on love island each season. We'd never know what we're
Going to get.
moving in society at large within this within this dating conversation, but also within like a
communal conversation. And also to kind of like look internally, right? I mean, there are certain
“things that I've realized about myself like, "Oh, girl, I do that." And I think that in a lot of ways”
like being able to watch this show and talk about it with people and also just kind of like
see these, you know, people as avatars for better or worse. Like does feel like kind of cathartic in enlightening?
“That's Taren Finley. She's a culture journalist who's written for the New York Times,”
Essence, NBC, Refinery, 29, and more. Today's show was produced by Dustin Desotto, edited by Amina Alsaadi, fact checked by Gabriel Dunetoff, an engineer by David Tattachore.
“I'm John Glenn Hill, and you can usually find me hosting my own show, Explain It to Me,”
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