Featured Image Credit: ITV
Topics: TV And Film, Love Island, Real Life, ITV
Gabriella Ferlita
Love Island fans are furious over Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu being 'sl*tshamed' in the villa.
The other islanders had quite the reaction towards her on yesterday’s episode after Jay Younger told Ekin-Su that he wanted to get to know Paige Thorne.
Initially, Ekin had a calm conversation with Jay, but soon 'took back' her first comments on the matter. She later told Jay that he was 'muggy' for telling her the day before that his head wouldn’t be turned by someone else when he now wants to speak to Paige.
The way the other islanders responded to Ekin following their conversation has since been the subject of online backlash, with viewers believing that they have 'sl*tshamed' Ekin after they called her a 'hypocrite' for pursuing Jay after her coupling with Davide Sanclimenti.
Advert
“People voted for Liam to WIN last year’s Love Island, but are sl*tshaming Ekin-Su for ‘betraying’ a guy she knew for 2 days? #LoveIsland,” one viewer pointed out, noting the way Liam Reardon 'cheated' on his other half Millie Court in Casa Amor with Lillie Haynes last year.
“Tasha out there playing Andrew and trying on almost every new guy but Ekin-Su is the one who gets sl*t shamed? It was horrible to watch girls not stand up for her. #LoveIsland,” someone else said, suggesting that the other Love Island women could have said something to defend her.
“It's the girls standing by and seeing the double standards between the boys and Ekin Su and saying naff all. I don’t get it? #LoveIsland,” another said.
Another viewer tweeted: “She gets vilified and bullied and sl*t shamed over ditching Davide who only settled for her because he couldn’t get his child bride. Ekin Su deserves nothing but the best and shame on the other islanders for their nasty behaviour towards her. #LoveIsland”.
A different onlooker said: “Davide is talking about kissing two girls in 12 hrs but Ekin-Su is constantly sl*t-shamed and belittled.”
"Feel quite uncomfortable about how Ekin-Su is sl*t shamed and passively disrespected by the guys," another expressed. "I love a fiery girl’, they say, but they don’t mean TOO fiery. Be aggressive but not TOO aggressive… you get it."
Meanwhile, another viewer drew comparisons to previous Love Island contestants Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon, as well as former presenter Caroline Flack who were all subjected to horrific treatment online, which ultimately led them to take their own lives.
“The way everyone has bullied and sl*t shamed Ekin-Su in the villa and no one is doing anything about it and the public keeps on saying ‘karma’ and taking it as a joke #loveisland. In memory of: Mike Thalassitis, Sophie Gradon, Caroline Flack.”
Tyla has contacted a representative of ITV regarding the claims.
Meanwhile, Tyla also spoke to a feminist activist, Lindsay McGlone, for her take on the ordeal. "Love Island is absolutely created to be emotive and strike a sense of favouritism mentality and therefore within in that we tend to lose a sense of what we know is okay and not okay.
"It would seem that those who have taken to Twitter to call out the sl*t shaming of Ekin-Su are looking at the situation objectively and in my opinion correctly.
"The idea that a women is not allowed to be able to 'play the field', or as we are hearing several times in the villa, keeping their 'options open', is the inherited belief again in society that women should act a certain way, which is incorrect."
Lindsay continued: "Slurs such as referencing what 'kind of woman' she is and how she's 'that type of woman' is implying that woman who seek out any sort of relationship on a multiple scale is wrong or unjust.
"The reason in my opinion the women in the villa are not 'sticking up for her' is the inherent belief that they'd rather not be associated with another girl who's considered to not act accordingly."
"We have to remember to #bekind," she reminded us.
"We all get emotional from the show and have opinions and preferences, that's how the show is conditioned to be. But that absolutely should not mean we allow the blatant mistreatment and quite obvious slut shaming to be seen as okay. Call it out, absolutely."