I MEAN THIS WITH ZERO HYPERBOLE..LOVE ISLAND USA IS THE BEST THING THIS COUNTRY HAS GOING ON RIGHT NOW!
a reality tv lover's soliloquy
if you ain’t first, you’re LAST
Not to pit two culturally significant franchises against each other, but nothing has made me more patriotic than s6 of Love Island USA. It is the most entertaining and thrilling reality television on air right now.
I am Black and spent my formative years with my immigrant grandparents in the home so July 4th is a day of little true meaning to me. If I am fortunate enough to have proximity to a pool and beautifully grilled hot dog, great. Otherwise, I can really take it or leave it. I was able to observe the day as I imagine Lady Liberty intended: fireworks from the comfort of my terrace and watching my shows in peace.
After yet another perfect episode of Love Island USA, I was brimming with pride and needed to shout it from the rooftops [my Instagram stories]!!! Host and Queen Ariana Madix reposted it and that called me to the keyboard. To you lovely folks. To plead that you find it in your heart to make space for this important moment in time—the airing of Love Island USA.
I have never typed USA more in my life. However, the distinction is critical. As many well-versed consumers know, Love Island UK is the original. It has been shining across the pond since 2015. One of my UK hunnies had her own custom water bottle, I heard tales of people tuning in nightly to behold the spectacle, get VPNs to watch along in the states, etc.
It was such a reality TV blind spot for me at the time because I was more focused on my preferred brand of consumption like: Housewives, Married to Medicine, Basketball Wives..women of a certain age acting up and getting divorced and groundbreaking cosmetic procedures in the off-season. I dabble in The Great British Bake Off, The Great Pottery Throw Down, Love Is Blind, Too Hot to Handle, Summer House. The list is extensive and I might dedicate Sundays to reality TV because there is just too much to cover.
No shade to the previous USA seasons but from what I heard, they couldn’t hold a candle to UK. The former host, Sarah Hyland, was apparently a bit of a nothing burger. Allegedly! *Wendy Williams voice* Again..no shade. I’m merely relaying the word on the street [Twitter and pop culture podcasts].
my path to the villa
In the height of the p*ndemic I actually attempted to dive into s1 of Love Island UK and I made it about 13 episodes before I zoomed out on the full season and realized just how many more there were to go. The accents, fake tans, the attire..it intrigued me but I was out of my depth. I simply could not commit. I moved on. I could not be arsed.
Fast-forward to a fateful trip to Pittsburgh last summer to visit my cousin Jaspar [everybody say ‘thank you, Jaspar!’] and I found myself folding into her routine of devouring Love Island UK s10. It happened to be around e10, I was confused, I was obsessed, I was hooked! This must be what they mean when timing meets the moment. I remember grabbing her arm when I first laid eyes on Maya Jama. I thought she was a bombshell, lost my mind when I realized she was the host and needed to know everything about her. She’s essentially a longtime UK baddie and multi-hyphenate. She slays. She brings the people to their feet AND knees. I love her. I would be honored to be her and Stormzy’s third.
the draw
The hotties. I saw myself in Ty and Ella from LI UK s10. They were giving early aughts 106 & Park realness. Everyone is good looking by reality dating show on an island standards. Not everyone is my cuppa but it really isn’t about that.
The mess. The fire pit serves as a destination for re-couplings and drama. Bombshells enter the Villa left and right to turn heads and expose weaker connections.
The language. The beauty of this USA season is the sprinkling of a few UK and Australian contestants to mix it up and bring some of the lingo. Lingo. Am I 100-years-old? What is another word that doesn’t sound as corny? Idk, that’s what it is!
I digress.. some of my favorite UK phrases in no particular order [the ‘g’s are largely silent]:
buzzing // get your grafting boots on // gotta graft // he’s punching // lipsing // fanny flutters // good chat // [he/she is] a bit of me // moving mad // closed off // mugged off // can’t be arsed
I could go on but literally just watch it ffs!!! Look up the meanings if you are living under a rock or in the world and have not yet signed a blood oath to dedicate your summer to watching this perfect show. Again, not to be all “Am*rica first” and please consult the world wide web for suggestions of the best UK seasons to watch but..Love Island USA s6 is superior.
casa amor is brilliant
Casa amor will break your brain. You will gasp. You will squeal. You will want to start a GoFundMe to get yourself to Fiji [where they film] and shake each OG Villa girlie out of whatever spell the boys put on them! It is the twist of all twists.
Part of the appeal with Love Island is that it’s essentially happening in real time. Of course maybe a couple days to a week [feel free to fact check, just the general vibe I get] delay for editing but it is real, it is now, it is raw! There is an electricity to it all!
Anyway, there is a main Villa that all the couples are in and then depending on what production has cooked up, they find a way to get the girls or the guys away and SURPRISE it’s time for Casa Amor. Casa Amor is a separate house where a new batch of guys/girls are brought in to test the current couples. It always seems to happen right when they start catching the feels. It is diabolical.

This re-coupling sent shockwaves through the nation. The one thing that keeps me coming back to Twitter [no, I will never refer to it as X] is the hashtags. I just type in #loveislandusa and refresh and belly laugh out loud to myself until my eyes burn.
Therapy? If you’re into that sort of thing. An 90-minute episode of Love Island that gets your heart rate up? A thousand times yes. Inject it into my veins.
other magic
Sister and Founding Mother, Mungi, has brought a new show to my attention. By new, I mean new to me, as it aired in 2016. The Mother/Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition.
When she first texted me about this, I said, really I don’t think I have space for another show. Between my scripted programming, Love Island, existing interpersonal relationships, and maybe at some point even getting a j*b, how could I possibly add another morsel to my plate? Today she revealed some of the mother-daughter combos on this show and I felt my heart skip a beat: Kim Richards, Heidi Montag, Natalie Nunn..just to name a few.
A. What forces were working at the time that brought this group of historical figures together?
B. How did this air and not one person in my orbit mentioned it?
I haven’t watched a single frame but I am in. I’m throwing it out there in hopes we can watch as a family and report back next week. It’s on Hulu.
I’ll be dropping more sweet nothings on Wednesday! Feel free to send any burning questions or desires my way in the meantime.
Merci for reading!
Xx,
Nay Nay
It’s all fixed now!! Yay!! Love you 💋
this was THE best way to start my day