Medhi Edno is one of the Love Island participants this year, and based on the hilarious and terrifying characters we’ve seen thus far (if you’ve been watching, you’ll know who the latter refers to), Medhi was one of the islanders I was cheering for.
That is, until he labelled his new love interest Whitney Adebayo, aka the perfect babe, as “loud” and said she had made Jess Harding weep and engaged in “unnecessary drama.”
Personally, the event reminded me of how Black women are frequently portrayed in the media as “angry, loud, and sassy.”
While some people have no problem shutting down indirect ignorance, many others choose to avoid conflict by smiling and waving.
That’s precisely what Whitney is doing, and I admire her for handling the issue so gracefully.
Whitney, a 25-year-old businesswoman, had the nation clapping with her legendary one-liners and fourth wall breaching – and many of us were pleased to see Mehdi, 26, show an interest in her.
Medhi stated that he desired a’strong and feisty’ lady, but after 10 episodes, the duo’s friendship has been labelled ‘unserious’ owing to their apparent lack of love connection.
Despite this, I was hoping for the crazy duo to go all the way and, dare I say, split the coveted £50K prize pool.
Not any longer.
Whitney and Catherine Agbaje gently addressed Jess Harding on last Thursday’s show about her apparent hatred of Molly Marsh, claiming she was ‘whispering’ nasty things about their fellow islander.
Jess fell into tears, prompting Mehdi to boldly assume Whitney was at blame.
After trying and failing to hear Whitney’s side of the story, model Mehdi seethed: ‘If this is what you are, I don’t want it.’
‘The next time you make someone cry, I’ll come see you direct.’
I was caught aback by the tense encounter, and sure, the phrase microaggression quickly sprang to me, and I wasn’t alone, according to several online responses.
‘Mehdi automatically thinking that Whitney was the problem without listening to what happened is SCREAMING microaggression,’ one person tweeted.
Loud side? Mehdi I GOT MY GOOD EYE ON YOU #Loveisland pic.twitter.com/1Lc0Q9IL4v
— ♉️ alien superstar 👽😈 (@RobynDMarley_) June 18, 2023
me trying to find who medhi was talking to like that because surely it wasn’t whitney #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/9uArqkxlaX
— mia | jjk1 is coming!!! (@melllowyellows) June 15, 2023
Medhi keep it cute with the way you talk to Whitney #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/htFFyVP8ze
— 🙂 (@yellowjxkets) June 15, 2023
‘What are these microaggressions Medhi is throwing at Whitney? “She’s loud but has a soft side” and then got mad at her for giggling at that?’ added another.
For the uninitiated, a microaggression is an instance of subtle, indirect discrimination against a marginalised group.
It does not necessarily have to be about race; it can also be about gender, sexuality, or disability.
While I’m sure Medhi didn’t completely comprehend the gravity of his statements to Whitney, blaming her for making Jess weep depicted her as the ‘bully.’
To be honest, the whole event reminded me of the stereotype of the ‘angry Black lady,’ which depicts Black women as unfriendly, confrontational, domineering, and ill-tempered.
This is also evident in reality programmes, notably in the United States, where Black women’s tales are frequently associated with fights, disagreements, and other negative connotations.
According to a 2017 poll done by the American Advertising Federation, 72% of Black women experienced negative images of themselves in the media, compared to 46% of white women.
Throughout her illustrious career, US tennis great Serena Williams was depicted as the angry Black woman, most notably when she accused an umpire of sexism.
Previous female Love Island contestants have actively considered their reactions to avoid being presented in that way.
Priscilla Anyabu revealed that she was concerned about her image during the inaugural winter edition in 2020.
‘The narrative, especially as a female in entertainment, is just like the angry Black girl never wins, you always get portrayed in a bad light,’ she said.
‘I was always scared of what I would say, how I would say it because I want to get my opinion out, but I don’t want to become the angry Black girl. I don’t want to become the girl that’s complaining or the girl that’s playing victim and that’s the only thing that got me that.’
I felt terrible for Priscilla because she admitted to living in fear of saying the wrong thing or displaying a bad emotion onstage.
And, while Whitney exudes boss chick attitude, it appears that similar sentiments ran through her head during her conversations with Mehdi.
Personally, I haven’t faced microaggressions that portray me as a bully, but I have faced a ‘acting white’ misperception by some in my own peer groups because of my academic achievements and the way I talk.
It’s difficult enough to keep my calm in my personal life when this happens, but picture feeling like these destructive clichés are being tossed at you on the country’s most popular dating programme.
Whitney, I’m sure, has what it takes to call Mehdi out – but for any Black Love Islander, there will always be the risk of being identified with the ‘angry Black female’ narrative, which painful history says won’t help her.
And, despite her outward bravado, she’s shown to be a great softie who knows her value and oozes remarkable confidence, a personality attribute I’d want to see more of in the villa.
And if Mehdi can’t handle the heat, he should leave the kitchen immediately!
Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2.
Source My Celebrity Life.
