Sun, sea, and sexism on Love Island: Twitter (now X) responses to ‘laddish’ masculinities and misogynistic discursive distancing on television

Haslop, Craig ORCID: 0000-0002-3183-5671 and O'Rourke, Fiona (2026) Sun, sea, and sexism on Love Island: Twitter (now X) responses to ‘laddish’ masculinities and misogynistic discursive distancing on television Feminist Media Studies, ahead- (ahead-). pp. 1-18. ISSN 1468-0777, 1471-5902

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Abstract

In the summer of 2022, Twitter (now X) users took to their platform to highlight the ‘lad culture’ and misogynistic actions of the men contestants on season 8 of the reality show Love Island (2015-). In this article, we examine their interpretations of two aspects of lad culture— ‘banter’ and the ‘lads’ holiday’—and associated misogyny. We found that Twitter users who watched Love Island had a complex relationship with banter. Some valorised it as an important form of social capital and intimacy while others noted banter and the geo-temporal space of the ‘lads’ holiday’ were used by the men contestants to discursively distance themselves from their own misogynistic actions. Through the Twitter responses, we highlight how the affective aspects of men’s homosocial practices such as banter and the lads’ holiday can work to normalise misogyny. We conclude with recommendations for makers of reality TV and those involved in anti-misogyny education.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	36 Creative Arts and Writing, 4701 Communication and Media Studies, 47 Language, Communication and Culture, 3605 Screen and Digital Media, 5 Gender Equality
Divisions:	Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > Faculty of Humanities & Social Sci (All T&R Staff) Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of the Arts Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of the Arts > Communication and Media Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of the Arts > School of the Arts (T&R Staff)
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	22 Jun 2026 16:15
Last Modified:	29 Jun 2026 13:51
DOI:	10.1080/14680777.2026.2676587
Related Websites:	Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3197907
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