More often than not, the representation of South and East Asian people within the film and TV show industry has been characterised by stereotypical names, unrealistically thick accents, and certainly stereotypical occupations.
You would therefore think that a popular and successful reality TV show such as Love Island would be an opportunity in which contestants of Asian descent could defy such stereotypes. However, due to the fact that there have been very few Asian contestants to even enter the villa, it has been near impossible for this misconception of Asian people to be corrected.
Whilst there has been improvement in the diversity of the cast, including two Islanders with disabilities, Hugo Hammond, and Tasha Ghouri to appear on the show, Love Island has still received criticism for the continued lack of inclusivity and range of ethnic backgrounds.
Only 6 contestants of Asian descent have appeared on Love Island over the 8 seasons in the past. Disappointingly, the latest Love Island season of 2022 saw no one of South or East Asian descent walk through the doors of the villa at all.
Not only is the lack of Asian contestants on the show a problem, but Love Island has also been further criticized for its ‘tokenistic’ approach to diversity. Sharon Gaffka, who is of Filipino descent, reported in an interview after leaving the villa that she felt she had been ‘scapegoated for a tick box’. Shannon Singh of Indian and Scottish descent also entered the villa along with Sharon, only to be dumped from the villa the following day despite other single Islanders remaining in the villa in previous years.
This begs the question – does Love Island only cast Islanders from a range of ethnic backgrounds simply to tick a diversity box? For Sharon, this seemed to be the case, reporting that ‘No boy who walked through that villa fancied Asian girls.’ This left Sharon questioning the reasoning of her even being on the show.
It is somewhat problematic that the success of an Islander is dependent on whether they are deemed attractive or someone’s type. If one is not seen as being attracitve by another Islander, they are left single and eventually dumped from the Island. It’s therefore also crucial to cast Islanders who want to couple up with someone who isn’t blonde with blue eyes, or tall and has a six pack. It seems almost perverted to put Islanders of ethnic minorities on the show if they are just going to be dumped sooner or later because they are not deemed someone’s type.
The resulting consequences of all of this is that the viewers perceptions of what is deemed a ‘fit’ or ‘attractive’ person becomes hugely distorted. To see little representation of one’s ethnicity being cast is one thing, but to see someone of colour not deemed attractive at first glance and thus dumped from the island as a result of being single is detrimental.