Dr Kaitlyn Regehr, Lecturer in Media Studies, featured in article published in iNews this week, published on 25 June 2019.

The article, entitled ‘Love Island Shows How Men Use Female Sexuality to Increase Their Own Social Capital’ and written by Ruchira Sharma, explores how the reality TV show demonstrates the way that some men use ‘locker room talk’ to boast about themselves and objectify women.

The article cites a particular example from Love Island, where contestant Tom Walker bragged about his own conquests while belittling fellow contestant Maura Higgins. The piece draws upon Kaitlyn’s expertise in digital and modern culture and its impact on gender.

‘I think this is very telling as it shows how normalised this behaviour is,’ explains Kaitlyn in the article. ‘The fact that he continued this banter while he knows she’s there shows that it’s not about her – it’s about his own capital within this group of men.’

Read the full article