At “The Island of Love”, the bodies are slender and it is wanted
Six of the first 10 candidates for “The island de l'amour”
Once again this year, all the candidates of L'île de l'amour, the Quebec adaptation of Love Island,correspond to traditional standards of beauty. But slender bodies under the sun of a hot country is the very essence of the format of this reality show, argues the team.
Could we one day expect to see body diversity among the participants of a future season of The Island of Love? The answer is no since a cast lean and muscular is part of the very concept of the dating show.
“Love Island,it is a format that is present in 25 countries. It comes with a coating that is the beach, the swimming pool, the swimsuit. Even in their photos, the islanders are in bathing suits because they are always outside. It's hot, it's sunny, we're not on a ski mountain, ”explains the producer, Mathew McKinnon, in an interview with Métro.
Same story on the side of the host of The island of love, Naadei Lyonnais. “We couldn't decide to shoot this show in Alaska because the format wants it to be in a hot country. And in the things that are part of the format, it is that these are people who correspond to a certain standard of beauty”, she underlines.
The lack of body diversity does not shock comedian Mehdi Bousaidan either, who plays the role of narrator for a second season. “When I watch a certain type of show, I know that’s pretty much it. Let's say, if I watch the men's 100 meters at the Olympics, I'm not going to start saying that it lacks body diversity or that there are no girls,” he mentions.
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The first nine candidates for The Island of Love 2
A reflection of our society
Even if diversity of all kinds is promoted from all sides in 2022, we assure that there will indeed not be more diversity on screen in reality TV. “We are going to see again this year, like last year, people who come from lots of different backgrounds and who are of several colors. Afterwards, is it possible to include all kinds of diversity in a show? I think the answer is no. On the other hand, for me, it remains an important issue,” explains Naadei.
Producer Mathew McKinnon is particularly delighted to have candidates from different backgrounds. “There are two beneficiary attendants, a student in psychology, a student in sociology. I think we go somewhere else with some islanders,” he said.
We must not forget that taking part in a reality show and showing our daily life 24 hours a day, engaging the public, showing our emotions, expressing our concerns and our desires, it takes a dose of courage. I think we should salute those people who sign up for reality TV and who offer this entertainment for the public.
Mathew McKinnon, producer of “The Island of Love”
The fact remains that reality shows are a reflection of our own society and an opportunity to open up certain dialogues, adds Naadei. “We offer people the opportunity to matchwith whoever they want. Afterwards, I think that we, as a society, have questions to ask ourselves when we see what matches are going on, ”she mentions.
We can think of the candidate Gracia who was the first to leave the show last year for lack of match. “When there are certain people who still remain unchosen, we, in terms of production, all we do is give them a choice. Sometimes you also have to turn the mirror towards yourself and say to yourself, what are your preferences and why?” continues the host.
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Gracia was the first contestant to leave the show the year last.
L’île de l’amour will be broadcast from April 18, Monday to Thursday at 9 p.m., on TVA and TVA+.
