Love Island Fans Are Calling The Boys' Princess Comments A 'Red Flag'

Love Island brought back the classic baby challenge in Wednesday night’s episode – seeing our couples adapt to life with a little bundle of joy.

While the boys seemed at home with their new additions, the girls were not taken with the screaming babies – particularly when they were left on their own to look after them while the boys went on a golf trip.

Watch the video below.

But while some of us enjoyed seeing our Islanders become new parents, others were left unimpressed by some of the old-fashioned views expressed by the boys.

Tyler Cruikshank said he wanted a boy and a girl in the future: “I want the boy to be just like me,” he said, “And the girl to be just like a princess.”

Similarly, Jake Cornish expressed how many children he wanted down the line, saying he was keen to have “two or five”.

Both Jake and Liam Reardon agreed that they wanted two boys to act as older brothers, and a girl they want to treat like “a little princess”.

ITV)

While the sentiment may have been sweet, many Love Island fans were left a bit grossed out by the boys’ sexist comments.

Taking to Twitter, one girl said: “In this year 2021 men still think they need a big brother to look out for poor helpless girls and saying they want a 'little princess,’” with an emoji eye-roll.

ITV)

Another added: “Men saying they want a 'princess' instead of a daughter is such a red flag.”

Meanwhile, others shared emojis and memes expressing their discomfort at the comments.

Why is this so harmful? Well, by reinforcing the gender stereotype that boys are "brave" and girls are "princesses", girls are made to feel they have to be "pretty" and "passive".

Twitter)

The Fawcett Society have spoken out about how the "sweet girl" stereotype is unhelpful for youngsters.

They explained: "Stereotyped assumptions significantly limit career choices, contributing to the gender pay gap. The report also found that stereotypes contribute towards the mental health crisis among children and young people, are at the root of girls’ problems with body image and eating disorders, higher male suicide rates and violence against women and girls."

Topics: Love Island, ITV, TV And Film

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

@0xKimberley