Why do cruel Love Island producers only play on female insecurity?

Love Island is a show created purely for our sick entertainment, we know this. Each night we've sat down to watch Georgia tell us she's loyal 6756 times, and Alex say "oh hell" and to drool over new Jack (miss you already, babe). And, go on admit it, you can't help but feel joy every time someone in their very emotionally unstable state sheds a little tear or throws a little tantrum.

The producers create some golden moments, I'll give them that. Yet, something remains unsaid. The challenges, texts and situations they create, have one cruel goal: to provoke the girls', and only the girls', deepest insecurities.

Let me ask you a question: When on the show have you ever seen the boys as distressed as the girls? You haven't, because the game just isn't designed that way. If you still don't believe me, let me prove it to you:

First, there's the lie detector test

Notice how the lie detector, (also known as "buttons randomly pressed by producers to give tear-inducing results") was only conducted on the boys? As the red buzzer went off the girls' emotions were left on tenterhooks – but there was no sign of a lie detector to test the boys' emotions.

Asking Wes if he was embarrassed to take Megan home to his parents gave an "undetermined" result. Leaving Megan dwelling on her already identified insecurity of her past. Did you see how old Laura was picked asked Jack new Laura's questions? It's a classic move we've seen before – pitting the girls against each other and watching the drama unravel. Not to mention new Laura's two days of tears after Jack's result was "true" when asked "do you find anyone more attractive than Laura in the villa?".

Yep, the detector test is designed to dramatically reinforce those awful relationship stereotypes: girls get irrationally upset about boys' untrustworthiness, and the boys role is to comfort them about their insecurities.

That time they brought Jack's Ex into Casa Amor

Let me cast your mind back to when the boys were whisked off to Casa Amor. Not being able to contact the boys, the girls were completely left in the dark, tormenting themselves over who the boys were going meet. If you don't know this feeling, it's fucking horrific.

Here the boys are encouraged to have their "heads turned"; what happens in Casa Amor stays in Casa Amor, lads.

The girls got a new set of boys too. But why was the whole narrative "boys go out and have their fun, whilst the sad girls stay at home heartbroken"? Imagine if they'd sent one of the girls' exes in instead to crack on with the girls. That's right, you can't imagine it, because they just wouldn't. Clearly boys having a jealousy meltdown is just not the same quality TV.

Then, there was that video

One of the most iconic moments of this series was the video of Casa Amor that was sent to the girls. The video showed Jack's shock when his ex entered the new villa. It was the moment that led to 2,500 complaints to Ofcom from Jani fans. They were outraged at the way Dani's emotions had been cruelly manipulated by producers.

The video played on Dani's biggest insecurity: Jack's infidelity in previous relationships. With absolutely no context (Jack had confessed his love for Dani to the boys earlier in the episode) producers left Dani devastated over what might have happened.

And this isn't the first time Love Island have pulled this little stunt. Last year a lovely holiday postcard arrived for the girls at the villa from Casa Amor. The incriminating post-card showed pics of the boys kissing and in bed with other girls – like, are you having a laugh? There was, obviously, no postcard sent the other way.

The shake it off challenge

As if Laura hadn't been given a hard enough time already with the lie detector test, producers decided to push her that little bit further.

The shake it off challenge asked, "what percentage of the public think that new Jack will dump new Laura as soon as they leave the villa?", leaving any hope Laura had left in Jack completely shattered. It never asked if Laura would dump Jack… of course.

Watching new Laura's breakdown as she confided in old Laura was then a key source of entertainment for the rest of the episode. Giving the producers exactly what they wanted. Oh look it's a distraught girl again, primed and ready to have an emotional heart to heart.

Producers make girls out to be teary and emotional with no other purpose. Whereas the boys bring the banter

Love Island's whole narrative is driven by overly emotional girls versus the joker boys. Notice how the bond between the boys appears to blossom with every episode: the wholesome memes about their friendships, their unique personalities, their hilarious catchphrases and those genius made-up-on-the-spot songs.

It's a desperate attempt to relive Chris and Kem, but it's also a subtle dig at what the girls have to offer on the show. When Samira came out of the Villa she spoke so much about her and Dani being best friends – but we literally never saw sit. It's almost as if the producers don't even want the girls to like each other. Evidently, girls don't have friends and men are their only priority, lol.