Perhaps the most iconic bombshell to walk through the Love Islanddoors since Maura Higgins is Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu.The moment she crawled on the terrace floor to have a Romeo and Juliet style forbidden kiss with Jay Younger, it cemented her in the Love Island bombshellhall of fame. However, being a confident woman who wants to explore her romantic options isn't always easily accepted by society.
The internet have been quick to jump to the defence of Ekin-Su, after a few of the male Islanders have made digs at her, calling out the slut shaming and double standards of their behaviour. Unfortunately this is all too common for women.
Ekin-Su was initially coupled up with Davide Sanclimentibut moved on to Jay. However, now Jay’s head has been turned by Paige, Ekin-Su wants to get to know the new bombshell, Charlie. I don’t see any problem with that. Let’s not forget this is Love Island. The show is specifically about trying to find the best connection and dating different people. Ekin Su is doing just that – and so have many male Islanders in the past. When did the show become about settling?
No one batted an eyelid when Luca was bouncing around from Paige to Tasha and then Gemma (and back again). Last series when Toby Aromolaran'got to know' five different girls one after the other, everyone found it hysterical and praised his every move. So, why is it so shocking when a woman decides to keep her options open?
Why does dating around as a woman then open the floodgates for disgusting comments? Guys date multiple women all the time but women get a 'bad rep' if they do the same. The double standards are loud and clear! [Luca Bish]{href='https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/tv-and-film/love-island-gemma-owen-kiss-luca-bish-age-red-flags/' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} and Jacques O'Neil have insisted that they know ‘the kind of woman she is', and consistently make sly digs about her. The misogyny is seeping through with each of their comments about her, and it shouldn’t be tolerated.
Ekin-Su 100% should have told Davide about her initial kiss with Jay on the terrace instead of lying, but that doesn’t warrant the degrading comments. Davide and Ekin-Su were coupled up - not married.
Davide’s social media team created a now deleted Instagram post after the Jay/Davide/Ekin-Su love triangle was at its peak. In the caption they wrote, ‘If you want to be treated like a lady, act like one first’ in reference to Ekin.
It did not go down well with Love Island viewers who took to the comments section to call out what was being said, with one person highlighting how Ekin-Su was being slut shamed.'It's legit a game show to find out who your most compatible with,' one person commented on the post, with another writing, ‘Hopefully Davide isn’t as misogynistic as the people running his account..’
Davide’s team have since apologised for their message but the damage there is done. Davide also screamed at Ekin-Su, ‘What did you expect me to do? I wasn’t going to f**ck you after four days.’ Again his comments had such misogynistic undertones – so what if she wanted to have sex after four days? Its 2022 and newsflash – women like to have sex!
I think some of the men on the show expect women to be doormats - and the idea that Ekin-Su is moving how they normally do has shocked them. They don’t know how to react to a woman who is playing them at their own game. Luca, Jacques and Davide seem very intimidated by a woman who is in control.
It doesn’t sit right with me the way some of the girls and guys in the villa gang up on her. The sly comments and always making her the butt of the jokes is uncomfortable to watch. In tonight’s preview it looks like Ekin-Su will be on the receiving end of an earful from Jacques and Luca (yet again). Ekin-Su is doing exactly what you’re supposed to do on the show and isn’t doing anything wrong. It's time she got a bit of support in there.