Love Island Misogyny – Ofcom Decision

Despite thousands of complaints regarding alleged sexist behaviour on this summer’s Love Island, Ofcom has opted to take no action ^[1].

Over 7,000 people complained to the regulator over the eighth season of the ITV2 dating programme. Ofcom, however, ruled that the unpleasant behaviour “was not shown in a positive light” and that the organisation would not pursue the complaints.

Though the finale was seen by over 3 million people, there were concerns regarding the show’s treatment of candidates during its filming. The charity Women’s Aid, has previously brought attention to problems like bullying and controlling others abusively in the show ^[2].

What Ofcom Said

Ofcom said it decided not to take action after “carefully assessing” the complaints about the show, which included claims of misogynistic and bullying behaviour toward women.

It stated that the format of the reality programme was well-established and that “viewers would expect to see the highs and lows” as couples’ relationships were challenged.

Conclusion

Although there were many examples of misogyny and sexism in the show, Ofcom took the opinion that the show itself does not promote this kind of behaviour. Rather, it was decided that the particular format of Love Island allowed viewers to witness the kinds of misogyny that exist in today’s society and to make their own decisions of how acceptable this is.

It is a testiment to Ofcom’s oversight that so many people contacted them to complain about the show, but in reality, the complaints were aimed at the actions of individuals, and not at the show itself.

References

1. Ofcom. 2022. Ofcom. [Online]. [31 August 2022]. Available from: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2022/update-on-complaints-received-about-this-years-love-island-series
2. Women’s Aid. 2021. Women’s Aid. [Online]. [31 August 2022]. Available from: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/womens-aid-responds-to-love-island/