The boys’ treatment of women in Casa Amor is the worst it’s ever been

Every year on Love Island during Casa Amor we have to bear witness to the most gross male behaviour and toxic attitude towards women, and this season is no different, in fact, it’s the worst it’s ever been.  The majority of the men in the main villa see women as objects to conquer, and dispose of. They make decisions based on ego and disregard the feelings of the new women and those of their partner in Casa Amor. And they find humour in their pack mentality of encouraging each other to effectively cheat on their partners.

Casa Amor is the mid season challenge of Love Island in which this year the girls have left the main villa and headed to Casa Amor, where six new boys are waiting for them. And in the main villa, the boys have been joined by six new girls. They spend a few days in the separate villas, getting to know the new people, with the aim being to test their existing relationships and bring in new people for the single ones, aka Danica and Jay. And yet these two villas are poles apart. The original girls are enjoying getting to know the new guys, but setting boundaries and considering how their potential actions could impact the boys they are currently coupled up with. For the boys – it’s a “lads holiday” where conventional dating rules don’t apply and cheating is encouraged.

via ITV2

Reminiscent of actual lads holidays, the aim of the game for the boys is to get with as many girls as possible, except it’s under the guise of “testing their relationship”. I’m sorry but testing your relationship means seeing if you can survive being without your partner for a few days or if you’re tempted to flirt with someone else. So PSA to Jacques, Dami and Andrew, if you really liked the girl you wouldn’t need to be kissing someone else and using other girls for their bodies to find that out. Just look at Luca sleeping on the day bed.

Sure, this isn’t the first time the original boys have switched partners or tested their relationships. In 2018 Josh famously paired up with Kaz, leaving Georgia Steel heartbroken and reminding Josh, and the rest of the world, that she was loyal babes. But it worked out for Josh and Kaz, they had a real connection and made it to the final together. And in 2019, despite how everyone initially reacted to Michael’s treatment of Amber, he went after someone new in Casa Amor because his existing relationship with Amber just didn’t feel right. He stuck with his gut and brought Joanna into the main villa, where they got on well for a few weeks.

via ITV2

But this isn’t the case with the boys this year. Jacques and Dami don’t see anything wrong with the girls they’re coupled up with and their connections. But they’re presented with six new gorgeous women and like kids in a candy store, they can’t resist temptation. And so under the label of “testing their relationship” they kiss the new girls, maybe do a bit more, and say they really fancy them, but will likely leave the girls high and dry and recouple with their existing partner, pretending nothing has happened with the hope of winning the show. Dami quickly got to know Summer and kissed her. And Jacques was so desperate for some sexual interaction that he interviewed Mollie and Cheyanne, before deciding on Cheyenne and laying it on thick, kissing and cuddling in bed. It feels completely unnatural with Jacques only complimenting Cheyanne on her physical attributes making it seem like he just sees Cheyanne as a sexual object.

They’re seeing this period of time as essentially a “get out jail” free card, because they’ve seen it’s worked before. Last year Liam Reardon was happily coupled with Millie Court before he left for Casa Amor. However he ended up fancying and snogging new girl Lillie, but ultimately decided to leave Lillie behind and go back to Millie. She was none the wiser to his betrayal, until Lillie was sent to the main villa to let Millie know the truth. After freezing him out for a bit, Millie eventually took Liam back and the couple went onto win the show. Lillie and Millie were both hurt by Liam’s actions but he essentially came away from the situation a winner, a pattern it appears the current boys are hoping to emulate. They can cheat on their loyal girl, use a new girl for sexual satisfaction and still win. How is that fair?

via ITV2

If they’re not hoping to be Liam 2.0, then some of the boys, specifically Andrew and Davide, are still using the new girls for selfish reasons. They’ve both been hurt by their current partners and understandably want to get to know the new girls. Davide has kissed Coco and Mollie, and Andrew immediately kissed Coco after Davide and got into bed with her. However, the way they’re going about it, with a heavy focus on the sexual element of their relationship, feels like they’re satisfying their own egos, rather than genuinely wanting to form connections with these women. They want to prove to themselves (and Tasha and Ekin-Su) they’re attractive, and won’t be taken for a mug. When Andrew cried during last night’s episode, it wasn’t because he and Tasha weren’t working out, but because he had lost the power and looked like a “mug”.

What is perhaps most worrying of all is the language and pack mentality the men have adopted during this period, which is not so far removed from how men act outside of Love Island. A week ago the original girls were their friends and partners they respected, and now they’re encouraging each other to get with new girls, laughing and joking as if the other girls are irrelevant, with no regard for their feelings. And they don’t talk much better about the new girls either, all they do is compliment their appearance. Um, excuse me they are more than just their bodies. Jacques proved he thought women were disposable when he said he “sacked” Mollie off. And when Jacques and Dami laughed saying they were in “this together” it sent a chill down my spine, are women’s feelings really just a game to them?

Love Island 2022 continues on ITV2 at 9pm tonight. For all the latest Love Island news and gossip and for the best memes and quizzes, like The Holy Church of Love Island on Facebook. 

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