6 Reasons Why You Should Watch I Kissed a Girl on Hulu Immediately

Let’s begin with the premise: ten single people are brought to an Italian villa, or masseria, with the intention of finding love. Before sharing a large group bedroom, they are each coupled up—in this case, sealed with a kiss from an unknown person. New cast members join the masseria as the days pass. Someone needs to go if they can’t get back together in time. They chat while lounging on bean bags and participating in tasks that aim to disclose more about their personal lives.

Do you recognize this? Yes, the concept of I Kissed a Girl on Hulu, hosted by Dannii Minogue, is basically the same as that of Love Island, with one important exception: it’s only for queer women.

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A Dream Come True

My friends and I used to joke, lovingly and eagerly, that a “lesbian Love Island” might easily devolve into mayhem when we imagined what it might look like. Perhaps they would fall in love too soon and never break up, rendering the format obsolete (a myth known as “U-hauling”).

Perhaps they would perpetually switch ex-partners—something we do more of than our heterosexual peers because there are fewer dating options for us. Or perhaps they would never know if they were lovers or friends, lovers or friends, stuck in a never-ending circle of “What are we?” until the show ended (yet another cliche associated with young queers just starting out in the dating world).

But what we have here is the most endearing, heartfelt reality TV dating show to appear on screens in a long time with I Kissed a Girl on Hulu. The cast members, who are primarily in their early to mid-20s, are considerate of one another and openly express their emotions, even when they are unusual, unsettling, or unwanted.

Following a polite rejection, 23-year-old Demi remarks, “I think it’s nice that she told me, because she doesn’t owe me anything,” in the second episode. “I do have a bit of insecurity regarding the fact that I haven’t been with a lot of women … It can be really frustrating, and I shouldn’t let that happen. I should be able to explore my queerness to the full extent that I want to, and not cage myself in.”

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Long Overdue Queer Representation

Clearly, I Kissed a Girl on Hulu is much more than just a dating contest; in fact, it’s a microcosm of the community, friendships, and culture of lesbian women—elements that are just as vital to our sexual identities as romantic relationships. It’s everything I wish I had seen when I was a child in the 2000s, when there wasn’t much and mostly negative representation of us.

I only remember seeing a woman kiss on television once, during that notorious moment in Neighbours starring Sky and Lana. Furthermore, bisexuality was hardly ever presented as a choice. Consider the damaging statement made by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City: “I’m not even sure bisexuality exists. I think it’s just a layover on the way to Gaytown.”

But I Kissed a Girl on Hulu captures the subtleties perfectly. Georgia, one of the contestants, sobs as she discusses how the term “lesbian” has historically had unfavorable social implications. In a different scene, bisexuals Cara, Meg, and Lailah talk about the effects of biphobia, including the myths about greed and infidelity, and how both straight and gay people contribute to them. I could relate to that.

I should note that there are a few considerations because I Kissed a Girl on Hulu was created for the BBC, before I go into the specifics of our couples. First and foremost, there is a baseline expectation that we will receive at least passable representation because this queer snogfest is largely subsidized by the British taxpayer, and there is no prize money or anything of the sort up for grabs.

Everyone on I Kissed a Girl on Hulu is literally just trying to win a girlfriend. In general, that means we’ll have less people who seem to have been dragged up from the depths of hell with the express intent of stirring up trouble for everyone they come into contact with, and more people who actually seem like real humans.

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What Sets I Kissed a Girl on Hulu Apart?

Despite having such a similar format, it is difficult to determine what makes I Kissed a Girl on Hulu so distinct from its polished, heterosexual cousin. Maybe the absence of heterosexual male competitors lessens the opportunity for misogynistic stereotypes to appear on the show. There is no “boy code,” no body count shame for women, and no casual misogyny.

Even when participants act in messy or less-than-ideal ways—as we all occasionally do—their acts never seem to be tinged with the ugliness that characterizes Love Island at its worst. One of the cast members confesses, “It worries me just a bit,” as her partner makes out with someone else. Later, they have a cool, face-to-face chat about where they are at.

Saying that I Kissed a Girl on Hulu’s sweetness stems from a lack of heterosexual interactions or straight masculine energy may seem oversimplified. These young queer ladies, some of whom are newly out and some of whom reside in small UK towns, are living in a house full of other queers who are about the same age. You can sense the excitement; people are buzzing to be there, sharing stories about their coming-out experiences and expressing interest in trying new things or being butches or femmes. “I feel a lot more secure in my sexuality, I don’t feel confused, I don’t feel shame, I got to meet a bunch of fit girls! I’ve got a cool queer group.”

I Kissed a Girl on Hulu isn’t entirely sentimental or without conflict. There are arguments, crying fits, jealousy moments, contestants kissing cheekily behind each other’s backs on the terrace (yes, there is a terrace, just like on Love Island), countless partner changes, and times when you want to shake some of these baby lesbians through the TV (you don’t need to protect yourself so fiercely!). However, there aren’t any overt villains, scenarios you know they’ll regret afterwards, or instances where you cringe at a contestant’s harsh treatment—whether it comes from other contestants or the show’s tasks.

But don’t underestimate. I Kissed a Girl on Hulu is so revolutionary because it allows you to view women as participants as well. It depicts ladies longing after other women but not for the attention of men. They enjoy objectifying Minogue by dressing up for “thirst trap” parties, complimenting each other’s boobs, and dressing up. Minogue responds to this by donning a series of ostentatious ensembles. So, who are these hot queer couples?

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The Couples

Priya and Naee

Priya is a femme from South Wales who is South Asian and enjoys mascs. Naee is a Jamaican-born masc living in London who prefers femmes. The extraordinary efforts the showrunners have gone to in order to connect these mysterious sapphics are immediately apparent! In the beginning, it seems as though there is a spark between the two, but during the first few episodes, Priya experiences a great deal of distress as Naee takes advantage of a situation involving other couples.

Amy & Meg

Amy is a Surrey resident who is femme for femme and has a complex about being posh. Meg, a fire-breathing femme from a small Yorkshire town, is open to anyone who can match her flaming intensity. Because of how many vulnerabilities she exudes, Amy is the cast member who I take the longest to warm up to. But still! If you stay with her, her outrageous personality begins to come through. Meg seems unconcerned about remaining with her, though, and it’s obvious that she has her eye on one of the other girls, which brings us to…

Fiorenza & Demi

Fiorenza is the epitome of reality TV: a soft-spoken Scottish charmer who claims in her introduction to be a “big softie” and not at all a player. However, she quickly approaches a number of girls and reveals to them that she is a drummer in a band, all the while maintaining an enticing sparkle in her eye. Retaining your amazement while Fiorenza explores her surroundings is the most challenging task in every episode, rather than figuring out who she will go after. Demi, her first match, is really cute and wants to be a girlfriend for the first time, but she has some work ahead of her!

Lisha and Abby

mellow tomboy Lisha and a lively woman Abby seems like a perfect fit, and they spend so much time together in the first few episodes that you can’t help but wonder if they will be penalized for not touching like during ice dancing. But when the couples have to face their warning signs, their clinginess can come back to bite them!

Cara and Georgia

Cara is a Northern Irish femme who enjoys sports and has a lot of tattoos. Georgia enjoys a femme with an edge and exudes all the attitude you’d expect from a football player. This couple glommed onto each other so fiercely within two seconds of kissing that you had to think the producers of I Kissed a Girl on Hulu would have to use forceps to pry them apart.

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Reality TV Pitfalls

I was generally content with the representation of women on I Kissed a Girl on Hulu, particularly the balance between masc-leaning and femme-presenting ladies. The majority of competitors hail from smaller towns throughout the United Kingdom, and it’s commendable that the producers have resisted the temptation to only visit the usual gay hotspots of London and Brighton.

Nevertheless, body diversity on dating shows is essentially nonexistent, as one might anticipate. Although there is a good variety of participants who identify as queer, bisexual, homosexual, and “big fat lesbian,” I was shocked that I Kissed a Girl on Hulu exclusively invited cis women. However, it may be too soon to pass judgment at this time.

I Kissed a Girl on Hulu is a rather loosely structured reality show; most of the episodes revolve around the females discussing about who is dating whom and how their relationships are going. Really, all of this is fantastic. You will get a lot out of this show if you’re the type of person who like to analyze everything that happened the morning after a wild night, even more than you enjoyed the night itself.

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A Heartwarming Vibe

Everyone on I Kissed a Girl on Hulu simply seems so nice about everything, whether that’s because the show is entirely made up of lesbian women or because, as I already noted, the cast leans more toward everyday people. They make jokes about trading wives! When they get feelings for someone else, they swiftly admit it to their existing companion! They enjoy each other’s smugness! It’s great to see on I Kissed a Girl on Hulu that a good number of people are also coming out and being vulnerable about various facets of their queerness and intersectionality. In the words of one of the girls, “Being here is quite good for that being gay thing,”

Naturally, the producers can’t just let them all be so advanced, so they regularly add chaotic factors to keep things interesting. The Kiss Off is the most notable of all in I Kissed a Girl on Hulu. This is the primary means of elimination for participants, not the competitive kissing marathon one might assume from the title.

Every other day, at the conclusion, each person makes a decision about whether to continue kissing their existing partner or to declare their interest in someone else in the hopes of winning them back. The Masseria sends everyone who isn’t satisfied with their experience home. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there is a way to create a polycule or triad—at least, no one has tried it yet!

You would expect that any rejected girls would find it easy enough to get together with ten girls. However, when we start introducing new girls, things get really exciting! Just as the first few pairs were obviously hand-picked to throw a monkey wrench into the sapphic pigeons, so too are the newcomers.

I adore that they found a player that plays Georgia’s same position in order to test out Cara’s nascent feelings for Georgia, in addition to adding another professional football player. Are lesbians on standby for each and every football position in I Kissed a Girl on Hulu? It all seems very possible!

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Our Conclusion: Watch I Kissed a Girl on Hulu!

This is sisterhood with a heavy dose of sensuality. (Note to straight men: our positive brand of objectification has a lot to teach you.) I Kissed a Girl on Hulu is groundbreaking mostly because it rebrands queerness as something aspirational. You see, a group of gorgeous ladies who are obsessed with each other and who appear to be living homosexual paradise—a VIP club you’d kill to join.

I have no doubt that this will have an impact on today’s baby queers. However, I really hope that their families see it as well, since it has the potential to greatly reduce stigma and dispel some of the regrettably persistent anxieties. It only goes to show that, when done well, reality TV can be a really positive thing. After all, there’s nothing quite like seeing oneself reflected in the lives of actual people. Yes, I am a proud convert, and recommend I Kissed a Girl on Hulu enthusiastically.