[Crimson Dynamo]

SARAH VINE: The tawdry saga of a British rape accuser who partied
with 12 Israeli men in Ayia Napa reveals the ugly truth about the legacy of
Love Island


There’s no doubt in my mind that shows like Love Island, which finished on
Monday night, have their part to play in this lack of personal responsibility.


Its entire premise is to get semi-naked men and women to have sex with each
other for the entertainment of the viewing public. And when they do, the
morality of what’s going on is never called into question on the show.


Instead, the contestants are rewarded with prize money and lucrative
contracts, all predicated on their willingness to bare almost all in an ever-
decreasing spiral of self-abasement.


Depressingly, the live viewing figures for this week’s finale hit a record high of
3.6 million. That’s an awful lot of people swallowing the message that casual
hook-ups are a natural — even expected — part of a sun-kissed trip abroad.


I don’t deny I’ve watched Love Island with my daughter and found it diverting
enough. Some will say I’m being an old prude. But when the amoral code it
promotes lands a British teenager in a Cypriot courtroom after a liaison with a
group of men, surely no one can deny there’s something sick at the heart of
this hedonism.

Because, let’s face it, this sort of feral behaviour is becoming increasingly
common. Indeed, among certain groups of people in certain situations — on
holiday, under the influence of alcohol or drugs — it has become the norm.
As, too, has the practice of sharing exploits on social media.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/a...ve-Island.html