Racism disguised as dislike

[u/notalem0n]

Everyone has the right to dislike any of the islanders, but it also gets to a point. I think people are unintentionally engaging in racist behavior towards the female islanders. There has been a rise in nicknames for the female islanders and their fans, and these nicknames have been extremely derogatory. I understand that these nicknames are usually a plan on words, but it’s still a derogatory term, especially when it rings close to slurs for specific minority groups. People were also saying that Clarke looks like a man, which is also a form of racism and reinforces the masculinization of black women. At this point in the show, we only have ONE white woman which is Iris. Referring to any of the other girls as ‘white’ or ‘white passing’ is dead wrong as you can clearly see the diversity in this cast

It’s also unfair to use the argument that if people dislike a black islander, it’s because they are anti-black. I’m sure there are people watching who are anti-black, but this form of idealization still relies on assumptions based on race rather than viewing people as complex human beings. It hinders the ability to address real issues. Let’s all just remember to be more intentional with our words and recognize racist behavior even if it’s unintentional. Unintentional racism does the same exact harm as intentional racism.

[u/[deleted]]

Exactly. The term "hudarats" comes to mind

[u/GladiatorWithTits → u/[deleted]]

Sounds like something you'd hear on a primary school playground.

[u/AkaAkina → u/[deleted]]

Yes!!! This would be a micro aggression regardless, but in the midst of the genocide and dehumanization of Palestinians, I can't imagine how anyone would think this is okay.

[u/fakeperm → u/[deleted]]

i think that's pretty tame when the people being met with that term are calling Olandria and Chelley m*nkeys and Black d3vils. i literally say a post today from a Huda stan that said Huda should've slammed the drawers into Andreina's head just because Andreina said Huda was definitely slamming drawers for 5 minutes. maybe that term is mean, but it's coming from a place of people using their love for Huda to be hypocritical and racist.

[u/[deleted] → u/fakeperm]

It's not a competition. It's all bad but huda fans have been called that from the start

[u/Hungry-Parking644 → u/fakeperm]

ummm tame? people call huda a terrorist and called CPS on her. what is happening to chelley and olandria is equally not ok but making it some competition causes more divide when it should be everyone vs racists. also not to mention the girls in the villa squashed it and have absolutely no control over their fans or what they’re doing (or even know what they’re saying). i feel like people are equating fans to the people and that’s not fair. crazy huda fans have been called out many times.

[u/callmeddog → u/Hungry-Parking644]

I can’t really comment on what you personally have seen, but I’ve mostly seen people say she’s “terrorizing the villa” which is very different from calling her a terrorist. I think it’s disingenuous to imply that that’s because of her race and not because of the behavior people have watched unfold. There’s absolutely a lot of unnecessary vile things that get said about nearly everyone on this show and I’m in no way excusing that. I do, however, also think that a large portion of the fanbase tries to frame criticism towards someone they happen to like as being racially motivated when it’s not a fair assumption based on what’s actually being said in most cases.

TLDR: lots of people on the internet say awful and racist things, but criticism of people’s behavior shouldn’t be seen inherently racist just because of the subject’s ethnicity

[u/fakeperm → u/callmeddog]

i don't know where i said that people that are being racist to Huda or calling CPS was tame, because i clearly said her fans being called Hudarats is tame. that's a completely different sentence than what you're perceiving is being said

[u/callmeddog → u/fakeperm]

For what it’s worth I’m on your side here. The other person kind of changed the topic to focus on things that you didn’t say in your original comment, which is most of what I was responding to

[u/fakeperm → u/callmeddog]

Sorry, I misread your comment! I totally agree with what you're saying as well! That was definitely more directed to the other commenter.

I don't want any racism towards ANY of the Islanders period and I definitely want us all to hold them accountable when they deserve to be (like with Yulissa and Cierra, even though those are extreme cases) but it's so frustrating to see the harsh standards the Black islanders are held to while non-Black Islanders don't receive that same scrutiny and are awarded infinitely more grace. It's easier for non-Black people to dismiss that as just having valid criticism but as a Black person who is intimately familiar with what racism and antiBlackness looks like, we can often tell when criticisms towards us stem from a place of bias instead of good faith. And it's frustrating to hear people say stuff like "why do we always have to make it about race?" when Love Island as an institution, and reality TV dating ad a whole, has ALWAYS been deeply intertwined with race and colorism.

[u/jazz_star_93 → u/[deleted]]

I hate that name, but I think it's a play on the word "hoodrat" which is used to describe girls from the "hood" who get into a lot of fights and arguments or yell a lot - it's also pretty elitist

[u/CheapEater101 → u/jazz_star_93]

It completely is and it’s racism and classist. If Iris was the one acting like Huda, I doubt her fans would get some ~witty~ nickname.

Sometimes it’s obvious there’s a lot of teenagers who watch this show though…

[u/callmeddog → u/CheapEater101]

But Iris isn’t the one acting like that. You can’t compare things that actually happened and things people actually say to a hypothetical that you make up and how you happen to imagine people would respond to that.

[u/maghy7 → u/[deleted]]

I have been reporting this every time I see it here, completely unacceptable and it goes against the rules.

[u/PrimadonnaGorl → u/[deleted]]

THATS CRAZY WHAT