Many people have a secret guilty pleasure that they shamefully hide from those around them. For some, that’s endlessly scrolling on social media platforms or eating junk food before dinner. But for me, the newest reality dating show, whether it’s “Too Hot To Handle,” “Love Is Blind,” or my personal favorite, “Love Island,” will always be my vice.
Criticisms of dating shows include their depiction of toxic behaviors and unrealistic beauty standards, but I feel that if you want a good representation of relationships, why are you watching a dating show where the whole point is that there is going to be drama? Half of the appeal is the fact that these couples are never 100% safe from drama.
And if reality dating show critics aren’t talking about the show’s social dilemmas, they are instead saying that these shows are “killing your brain cells with how stupid they are.” That’s something I have actually been told when I was talking about watching “Love Island USA.”
Due to the popular opinion that dating shows are dumb, many people feel their need to hide their love for the genre. But despite how “guilty” this pleasure might be to others, I feel no shame in my love for bad TV.
For those of you who haven’t seen “Love Island USA,” let me break it down for you. At the beginning of the show, five single men and women are brought to a private villa in Fiji with the end goal of finding love, being voted America’s favorite couple and winning $100,000.
Seems simple enough, right? Wrong! As the days pass on and couples begin to form, new “bombshells,” or hot new singles, are brought in with the sole goal of breaking up an established couple. Any islander left single and vulnerable will be at risk of being dumped from the villa and sent home.
Dating shows like “Love Island USA” act as an escape from reality for me and many others. Life can become mundane after too many days of nothing except work or school, but dating shows are always full of drama and the unknown. Every episode of “Love Island” adds a new twist with unexpected bombshells entering left and right, and your favorite islanders are always at risk of being dumped from the island.
One of the most notable instances from the most recent season of “Love Island USA” was when fans voted to have Jeremiah, who was in an established relationship with Huda, be re-coupled with Iris, one of the new bombshells. This resulted in what many people dubbed “Hurricane Huda,” as Huda had a breakdown over the loss of her man, and, after learning that Iris and Jeremiah went on a beach picnic date, dropped her iconic line, “My dream date. Cute.”
Shows like this can act as an outlet for many people, allowing them to stop worrying about what is going on in their life, even if it’s just for one hour-long episode. During the chaos that was my summer break, “Love Island USA” was a way for me to take a step back and take a much needed respite. However, this escape is only part of the appeal for myself and many others.
Dating shows like these provide a sense of community. Take “Love Island USA” season seven, for example. Over the six weeks that the show was running, Peacock logged over 8.8 billion minutes of streaming for just that season, making it the most-watched season of “Love Island USA” ever.
With this huge surge of viewership also came a huge increase in fans connecting over social media. After every episode aired, fans would log onto apps like TikTok to discuss what happened that night on the show, one of those talked-about moments being Nic’s “Mammacita” moment. This sense of community drew in so many new viewers and, in doing so, increased the viewership. Fans bonded over their favorite viral moments, the couples they were rooting for and what they thought would happen next.
This sense of community is only made stronger by the fact that new episodes air almost every day for six weeks. Fans are actively watching the show together, which helps strengthen the feeling of unity across the fan base.
Even in my own personal life, I was able to bond with my mom over our love for the show. My mom used to be one of those people who thought that dating shows were stupid, but through my not-so-subtle hints, she began to watch and even love “Love Island USA.” Watching this show gave my mom and I something that we could enjoy and discuss together. Every day at “Love Island o’clock,” as my mom and I soon dubbed 9 p.m., we would grab our blankets and snacks and dive into the drama that was about to unfold.
Along with my mom, many of my friends were also watching along, so after many of the episodes, my friends and I would text and talk about our favorite moments or vent about an islander we just couldn’t stand. These memories are ones I wouldn’t change for the world, even if they are all tied back to a silly dating show.
Many dating shows like “Love Island” or “The Bachelorette” use a release schedule that keeps viewers hooked and wanting more, which makes fans look to each other to discuss what is happening.
The added element that “Love Island” has going for it is the voting aspect that keeps the fans involved. With each vote, fans get even more passionate, discussing which couples they think are the strongest or who they think should be together. This sense of community is what so many people miss in the day of streaming services, where every show only has eight to ten episodes that are all released at once. Being able to communicate with other people who enjoy the same thing as you is always fun and refreshing, and dating shows provide that for me.
While some might find reality dating shows cheesy or shallow or even straight-up dumb, I will never feel shame about my love for them, because why would I feel guilty about something that has brought me joy and so many fond memories with those I love?
