Guest Post: Of Kindness, Trolling, And Mental Health, On Love Island Malta

To a certain degree, we are all prone to be morbidly curious about trash TV. There’s no shame in consuming it. Every now and again, we all like our cappuccinos extra creamy and frothy, two sugars, thank you, please.

You got to hand it to the local production company that got the Love Island franchise on our shores. Admittedly, it is no easy feat. Crashing the online streaming service of the national broadcaster is something unheard of, with almost a fifth of Malta tuning in.

That’s how much diplomacy I will afford to the producers, though. The contestants and the general public deserve much more charitability.

Without justifying anything, you don’t expect viewers not to insult you back, in any shape, way, or form, when you insult their intelligence. It’s not the warranted, proper reaction, granted, but as the Maltese saying goes, who shits in your hand, shove it in their face.

Ben Camille urging us to “be nicer” is patronisingly naive. With his local TV experience, what’s there to stop us from thinking that, as an executive producer, he was betting on this very kind of chatter? Saved him loads of marketing expenses, that’s for sure.

Secondly, as a nation, were we ever nice to begin with? Growth is possible, indeed, but a vapid hashtag won’t undo all the online vitriol unleashed.

No one needs telling this is all a numbers game. PBS and producers must be breaking quite some bank, considering the ratio of adverts to actual programming airtime. From an engagement standpoint, business-wise, Love Island Malta is a resounding profitable success.

But at what cost? National sanity is always the first casualty but enough dunking on both contestants and viewers. I myself admit to seeing a slight resemblance in Dale with Estonian artist Tommy Cash. No offense to either Dale, his pheromones, or Tommy Cash fans.

A jab or tease is acceptable. Us being still an immature nation, we stab and bully. Going overboard is what we do, due to the severe lack of self-awareness and awareness of people around us.

The contestants are also playing an exaggerated version of themselves; it all sniffs of forcefulness too. I don’t fully believe they actually behave like that in real life.

This discrepancy will, one way or another, take a toll, regardless of how happy they assure us the contestants are. If it doesn’t, all is well and good. If it does, it’s the natural outcome of being thrust in the spotlight so violently, under the scrutiny of thousands. 

Let the contestants speak for themselves, whether they’re happy or not, anyway. Just goes on to show unhappiness in Malta is still stigmatised, something to be hidden at all costs. I should know that, but more on that later.

For all those asserting that insulting the contestants is fair game, publicly airing their unfunny takes, also makes them fair game to clap backs. And judging by the people posting, Malta seems to be suffering a severe shortage of household mirrors. The two Jasons are in dire need of one each.

Nevertheless, for the sake of radical empathy, I feel this vitriol doesn’t come from a vacuum. The Maltese are unkind unto ourselves. It may be the only reality this “reality” TV show will uncover, not “love and happiness”. That’s just toxic positivity bullshit.

What warped idea of true love must the participants have, for them to expect to find it on Love Island? Most of the contestants aren’t what one would deem irrevocably ugly. Something else is going on behind that projected, perceived veneer of confidence. It needs more than forcing happiness on them.

It’s an unkindness further exacerbated through lack of visibility not only of body diversity but also of the LGBTQ+, expat, and immigrant communities.

Sven assuring us of his heterosexuality following a sexy dance by Kyle, is tantamount to cishet cringe. It’s not just Love Island Malta. The whole of Maltese TV seems to be so removed from factual social portrayal. Or maybe they’re just not capable of seeing these communities as anything but tokens or delivery persons.

The same goes for Maltese youth, who, according to the Culture Minister, tune into the program out of genuine interest. They’re only in it for the memes, assuming the Minister is cultured enough to know what memes are, in the first place.

Authority figureheads and the general public severely underestimate our own youth. No, not all youths are dumb, chiseled 20-year-olds looking to have fun and fuck around. They have dreams and plans beyond reality TV shows. Dreams are increasingly being frustrated by the lack of long-term opportunities in their own country.

If they have to resort to Love Island for “true love and happiness”, we’re failing.

Speaking of failure, mental health is seemingly always an afterthought in all these proceedings. The sheer amount of hate aimed at the contestants’ bodies – once again, with most targets being female – leaves an unseen mark. Remember when I said I should know that? I was recently hospitalised at Mount Carmel Hospital for feeling suicidal. My relatives were shocked. They too thought I was happy.

At least four personalities linked to Love Island UK died by suicide, following a barrage of online trolling. The Times of Malta did them dirty by saying their suicide is somehow unrelated whatsoever. #letthatsinkin sounds like the better hashtag.

I want to assure Valentina Rossi, however, that someone’s less-than-stellar joke about killing themselves did not bother me as much as her expectation of Maltese audience to just lie down and let this drivel be shoved down their throats, by their national broadcaster no less, which they pay taxes for. 

Just because it’s a Maltese production, doesn’t automatically make it good, regardless of the hard work put into it.

If this is the quality of the output of hard work, we still have a long way ahead of us.

Especially in contrast to the streaming services at our fingertips, offering a variety of quality programming, even in the realm of trash TV.

Streaming does cater to everyone’s tastes. If, as a national broadcaster, you push a program like Love Island as your flagship – it is broadcast 5 times a week, after all – are you really catering to everyone’s tastes?

I refuse to call us “a nation of troglodytes” or whine about how “trolling is our national sport”. It just serves a self-defeating purpose when we hyper-focus on the noisiest of online stupidity. Even self-styled guardians of high standards acting shocked and tut-tutting lack self-awareness. Everyone can let themselves give into the basest of instincts, at the end of the day.

With that said, do have your fun and tease away, but know your limit, unless Love Island claims its fifth victim.

Who knows, though? Maybe the Maltese are just being cruel to be kind to themselves. Of course, there are better ways to be kind to ourselves. For one, you can stop reading here, log off, get out, and buy me an extra frothy cappuccino, while telling me my opinion sucked ass instead of commenting on it.

Even better, do yourself a huge favour and change the fucking channel.

Disclaimer: This article was written before Sabrina’s exit from Love Island Malta. 

Franco Rizzo is an indie filmmaker and freelancer who’s back in Malta after a 3-year stint in Seoul, South Korea. He is more of a cat person, but puppies always get a pass. He is currently involved in Malta’s only film podcast “The Ad Lib Podcast”.

Lovin Malta is open to interesting, compelling guest posts from third parties. These opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. Submit your piece at [email protected]