Learning From Love Island? Diversification of the Hegemonic Man

Abstract

It is undeniable that Love Island promotes specific ideas of masculinity and masculine behaviors. There is an "expected" masculinity performed in the villa, exemplified in cases, such as "The Do Bits Society" which advocates heteronormative forms of masculinity and gender relations (Whitehead and Barrett, 2008). Within such examples men had to successfully perform what Schrock and Schwalbe (2009) refer to as "manhood acts" in order to prove their masculine identity. This form of masculinity, which dominated the space, can be explained sociologically via intersecting hegemonic and performance theorizing (Goffman, 1974; Connell, 2005; Butler, 2008; Wellard, 2009). However, utilizing new combinations of theoretical approaches, this paper will explore more diverse performances of masculinity present in the villa. This includes the ways that men were making choices in the construction of their masculine identities beyond the "expected" masculinity which dominated, as well as how women also performed this form of masculinity. Through analysis of two seasons of Love Island (2018 and 2017), this paper will highlight how lines between different ways of living and experiencing masculinity can be blurred and fluid. In doing so, the paper encourages a critique of how we theorize masculinity and gender more widely, allowing for emergent theorizing which blends existing theories in new ways.

Men’s Perspectives on Their Grooming Practices and Appearance Concerns: A Mixed Methods Study

“…The UK reality television show Love Island was mentioned by several participants as having an influence on appearance concerns today. Nichols (2019) stresses how the show promotes a certain aesthetic where masculinity is tied to the toned body. Additionally, with contestants being encouraged to “couple-up” to progress, the influence of being seen as attractive to succeed as well as the importance of finding a mate are reinforced.…”

“…In fact, Love Island was sponsored by UK high street health and beauty retailer Superdrug , who also supplied products for the contestants to use. Although beyond the scope of this paper, Nichols (2019) noted how men from the Love Island generation are required to be both emotionally available but also aesthetically very masculine in order to succeed in heterosexual relationships. Behaviors that may have been considered overtly feminine or gay have been incorporated into this new form of masculinity and are consistent with cultural shifts in UK masculinity noted by Anderson and colleagues (e.g., Anderson & McCormack, 2018; Gaston et al, 2018; McCormack & Anderson, 2010).…”

“Even more than that, men love cars”: “Car guy” memes and hegemonic masculinity

“…It must be emphasized that the 60 memes analyzed in this paper are only a snapshot of data available in November 2021 and are not intended to suggest a monolithic hegemonic archetype of the “car guy” subculture. The variations and progress in addressing hegemonic masculinity emphasize the importance of documenting masculinity in a variety of contexts, longitudinally (Nichols, 2019 ). Furthermore, the ever-changing cultural context relevant to car culture will inevitably lead to new memes that reflect the changing zeitgeist.…”