Bad TV: We’re all victims of it. The low-budget, high-drama, binge-worthy media somehow gets its 30% rotten-tomatoed clutches on each of its viewers. But if it’s so bad… how is it so good?
Every year, certain shows and movies tend to produce a wave of mass entertainment, engagement and most importantly, online communities. I’ve noticed that the majority of these communities bond over quickly made, over-dramaticized TV. A prime example is none other than “Love Island USA.”
Much like a lot of its current fanbase, I started watching “Love Island USA” only this year, and it already has me impatient for what the next season has to offer. The 37 hour-long episodes, one airing every day (besides Wednesdays) at 7 p.m., means prime-time viewing for those who are off work, have made dinner, already took their hot shower and are ready to wind down with some crappy TV.
“Love Island” is a dating reality show that consists of challenges (some about relationships and some for pure entertainment), eliminations and public embarrassments, all happening in a secluded island in Fiji. Some may say “Love Island” is just one big advertisement, sponsoring products such as Maybelline, CeraVe, Pepsi, and, oddly enough, Coffee-Mate, but I think this show is a lot more than that. To me, this show itself was one big experience. It was my summer.
Each episode was footage of what went on in the Villa (what they call said secluded island in Fiji) just that day before. So not only do viewers get these nearly in-real-time episodes, but the viewers themselves play an active role in the series through the eliminations.
Sometimes, viewers can choose which contender they wish to see voted off the Villa and see their choices come to life. This made me and many others feel like we were a part of this show. These voting decisions were heavily influenced by the online communities’ opinions via memes, story-times, and TikTok Lives, all happening under “Love Island” drama.
That doesn’t mean that everyone online had something nice to say, though. Many people saw Love Island as a stupid waste of time, gluing people to their screens to watch something that was barely even “real.” These Love Island haters do have some valid points, but they are truly wrong about one thing: most of these fans are certainly aware that almost every situation these participants are put in are drenched in editing and highly manipulated. We don’t see these shows as an example of real-life scenarios, we see them as a fun, staged way to keep us busy. They rope people in, not only to the content, but the drama surrounding it.
As the show was going on, people online made merchandise, created ship-names and did deep dives on the participants’ digital footprint (not-so-fun fact: two cast members were kicked off this season for racist comments found on social media). “Love Island” sparked vast online communities, which, in retrospect, truly brought people together. It made it more exciting not only to watch a new episode but to see what social media had to say about it afterwards.
It’s not like “Love Island” is some Spielberg masterpiece (its fanbase is aware of that). It’s an escape. It lets its audience into somebody else’s business that isn’t theirs, and though some situations are definitely manipulated and heavily edited, we like to feel like they’re real.
This is how media such as “Love Island USA” connects people from around the country. It creates communities and turns a show into an experience. I for one am impatiently looking forward to next season, and I hope you are too!
