u/ObjectEven975

This is NOT a defense of Pepe or Bell-A. Pepe is a liar, though completely undeserving of this whole pile on. Iris dragged it because she was being messy and telling Tj all the things Pepe told her when they were together. Leaving out her part. She blew all of this out of proportion because she wants to appear squeaky clean. Bell-A is just doing what production told her to, but her calling people cowards for not interacting with people who don’t like them was annoying at best.

That being said, we can hold multiple truths.

It’s one thing to have different friend groups that don’t really interact though they may overlap. I know I do. Best friends, work friends, going out friends, trip friends, etc. It’s another to have friend groups that know and completely dislike/hate each other.

What do you mean you’re friends with Bryan and 🥭? Ace and Nic? At one point 🥭 was friends with Huda and Jerry, Huda and Olandria and Chelley? I’m sorry but where do their loyalties lie?

🥭 said she’s only not friends with Huda because she didn’t reach out when she was hospitalized. Ok. But when she was laughing at a slur being hurled at your other friend Olandria, yall were still cool? But bell-a can’t associate with Bryan whatsoever. I’m not understanding her metric.

Jerry said he’s not friends with Pepe because he’s a liar but he also said it’s because of how he “treated” Iris. So I assume it’s both but his track record does make people think it’s more the latter than the former.

Irl most people don’t keep “friends” like them or keep them at an arms length. More often than not if mess pops up, those kinds of friends are right in the middle of it.

Its really no hate to any of these people but I completely understand the public sentiment of them being wishy washy fair weather type of friends. Followers even in Jerry case

There are always influencer, actor, model etc wannabes on Love Island. Every season. Every version. Bergie and Austin Lauren and Cameron types are a rarity.

Conventionally attractive 20 somethings do NOT need to go on reality tv to find love or get laid. Not on Flavor Of love, Love is Blind, Temptation Island, The Bachelor. None of them. They do it for some level of fame/exposure. ALL OF THEM.

Take off the rose colored glasses cause this includes season 6. Kordell wanted to be an actor. Serena worked in media. Leah is from a very wealthy family already this show just gave her exposure(and love).

The truly non career minded types are typically boring. The ones using this for a spring board make for better tv. Sorry but true.

The fan favorite cast mates are those who actually look for love and allow themselves to fully delve into the show despite whatever career hopes they have. Olandria, PPG, Iris, etc. We also love them more when they are honest about it🙃

The best moment on S6 when Serena walked a million miles while expressing her genuine feelings. Jana crying over (redacted). PPG friendship. S7 best moments Olandria voice cracking saying she really wanted to find love. Iris crying when Tj was sent home. All the girls and guys crying over Olandria and Nic “elimination”because they were actually friends with those people.

Those are the moments that we love. This production company for S7 cared more for drama and saving people that created it, than those stories.

Note: Even in those moments they still have aspirations to be influencers, models, actors, musicians etc.

The first real problem with S7 was the lack of psych evaluations and/or the casting of certain islanders DESPITE not meeting those standards for “drama”. The SOB challenge had no business even taking place, let alone being edited in that way.

The second was Ace, he admitted to playing producer pet. Instead of focusing on Chelley and letting us watch them build something, he tried to create a 3-way storyline with a girl(Amaya) that he didn’t even like. He encouraged Taylor to lie to Olandria(which should have been exposed in a movie night) He kept interfering in other islanders relationships. It ruined so much of the show.

The third reason was the audience. The racism and misogyny of the love island audience is nothing new, sadly. The sheer amount of unregulated children voting though, is new. The number of watchers and publications watching is new.(Buzzfeed bitch ass I’m talking to you)

Also being an influencer is not an inherently bad thing. There’s different types of influencers, makeup, fashion, lifestyle, gaming, art etc. It’s basically marketing. I find it funny(sexist as hell) that one of the most lucrative female lead careers in modern history is reduced to being pure frivolity.

Just be honest. “Influencers” as a whole didn’t ruin the show, productions bad choices in casting and production did. The viewers did. The end.