Photo of a heart drawn in the sand on a beach. (Photo Courtesy of PhotoGraph via Pexels)
Many “Love Island USA” viewers looked forward to more lighthearted entertainment in this summer’s new season, but moments on the show sparked broader conversations about the real-world struggles of racism and criticism Black women are confronted with.
Since the season finale on July 13, the show has remained a topic of conversation, especially on social media, and many Howard University students are anticipating important discussions and possible reconciliation at the season reunion on Aug. 25
Love Island is a reality TV show where a group of individuals live in a villa in Fiji, in hopes of finding a connection and potentially a partner. Throughout the season, new contestants dubbed “bombshells” enter the villa, and those who are single may be removed from the island. Fans vote for their favorite couples periodically, and the top couple at the end has a chance to win $100,000.
The show’s recent popularity traces back to the success of Season 6, when social media buzz drew new viewers in. Peacock reported that 39% of viewers are new, according to Slate.
Many Black fans were especially enthusiastic about the diverse cast and the franchise’s first Black couple to win Love Island USA, Serena Page and Kordell Beckham.
That representation created a hopeful tone going into Season 7.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, season 7 amassed 18.4 billion minutes of watch time during its six-week run. In its final week, from July 7 to 13, it ranked No. 1 among all streaming titles in Nielsen’s ratings.
However, some felt certain islanders experienced unexpected racism and double standards.
Chelley Bissainthe was among the cast members who received backlash online for how she treated Huda Mustafa, a Palestinian American, during the season.
Tension began during a challenge when Bissainthe accused Mustafa of being overly sexual with her partner, Ace Greene. Mustafa tried to address it immediately, but Bissainthe chose to wait a few days, a delay some fans saw as rude and standoffish.
“Huda was going through a different circumstance and she’s a different race. [America] gave Huda a safe space [to express their emotions] which they didn’t do with Chelley and Olandria,” Nikeria Hopson, a junior legal communications major from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, said.
In July, BuzzFeed shared a since-deleted Instagram post joking about meals they’d serve to islanders, recommending Bissainthe a “knuckle sandwich.” On Aug 14. they posted an apology to their Instagram, stating, “And although it was promptly taken down, the damage was done. This mistake deeply hurt members of the Black community, both internally and in our audience.”
Additionally, Time Magazine referred to her interaction with Mustafa as a “toxic interruption.”
Time misquoted Bissainthe in its article, writing that she said “save it” when Mustafa confronted her about a challenge. In reality, she said, “No, no, no. Tomorrow we can have a chat,” something that was later fixed on their website.
Hopson noticed the double standard in how the Black women were treated compared to other islanders.
She pointed out that Mustafa received little public backlash for her repeated heated arguments with the islander she was coupled up with, Jeremiah Brown. In contrast, Bissainthe, along with her castmate Black castmate Olandria Carthen, were labeled “mean girls” after one moment of frustration.
Chimemerile Amechi, a junior health science major from Vernon, Texas, said she was “so annoyed” seeing the hate Bissainthe and Carthen received and felt compelled to defend them on social media.
“Obviously [Mustafa]’s first defense mechanism was to cry,” Amechi said. “Viewers capitalized on it, pushing this negative agenda for Chelley and Olandria. So to see BuzzFeed was just crazy to me because I was like, ‘They didn’t even do anything that insane.’”
Amechi believes their strength and composure were weaponized against them. After the blow-up with Mustafa, fewer Americans voted for Bissainthe, leading to her and Greene’s elimination, ultimately excluding them from the competition’s final four.
From the start of Season 7, the phrase “girl’s girl” was used frequently to identify a woman who supports and uplifts other women. Amechi said this season’s portrayal of sisterhood felt more performative.
“I thought last season was a lot more authentic, a lot of things went without saying, for example. From the beginning of this season, they tried to push this sisterhood narrative, letting it be explicitly said instead of understood,” Amechi said.
Hopson said she had high hopes for this season, especially since Bissainthe and Carthen were the first to enter the villa. But she wasn’t surprised by the viewers’ reactions and attributes this behavior to the broader political climate.
“People who’ve had racist tendencies or enjoy discrimination have become [bolder]. They’re not afraid of how people will look at them for being racist, for hating a certain demographic,” she said.
Hopson is excited to watch the reunion, wondering what the islanders will say after having time to reflect and see what viewers were watching outside the villa. She hopes Bissainthe and Carthen speak candidly about the negativity they’ve received from both viewers and fellow islanders.
“I really hope that Chelley and Olandria don’t try to censor themselves,” Hopson said. “I hope they are authentically themselves and everything that needs to be addressed is addressed so things can be cleared up, like all this drama and negative comments.”
Taiwo Akinfeleye, a junior legal communications major from Long Island, New York, is also eager to hear what Bissainthe and Carthen have to say, especially after the two unfollowed Mustafa on Instagram, who recently referred to them as bullies on an Entertainment Tonight interview.
Akinfeleye began watching “Love Island UK” because of the representation, particularly of Nigerian and dark-skinned women. She has noticed racism in the United Kingdom seasons as well and said these acts toward Black women on reality TV are nothing new. She mentions franchises like “Baddies”, “Dance Moms” and even “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” as examples of platforms that perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
“People already had their preconceived notion on how black women usually act on television. Because a lot of people watch reality shows like that, I do feel like we just might be too far gone,” Akinfeleye said.
She also said she is anxious to see what drama will unfold at the reunion, as many of the Islanders have indirectly addressed each other on podcasts like “The Viall Files” and “Call Her Daddy.”
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